90 degrees swivel stuck, how to fix? Pictures inside

[Drone076]

Guys, need some help, maybe stupid question.

I have couple of reg sets with 90 degrees swivels on primaries. One of that swivel has been stucked - almost unable to rotate it in place marked by red arrows on the first picture, primary hose connection.

There's nothing special inside the swivel itself (see picture 2, 3), only one small o-ring on the hose. On the stucked swivel that o-ring is dry but still in a good shape. On the working swivel on other reg (see picture 3, 4) there are some O2 grease.

Am I understand right, that all I need to do is to add some O2 grease to that o-ring to fix this issue, or/and o-ring replacement if in a bad shape?

Why could this happen?

Should I apply some grease on regular basis?

Thanks in advance!

 

[victorzamora]

Have you tried hooking that hose straight to the regulator and seeing if it rotates?

Either way, it's hard to tell in the pictures exactly what's wrong (pictures of shiny parts with dark backgrounds are hard to get) but it looks like that end of the hose is dinged pretty aggressively (just opposite the red arrow in your 3rd picture). The "best" fix is to replace the hose. That'd be my "official" recommendation.

Now, having said that....What I'd do is start by removing that o-ring right below the arrows in the 3rd and 4th pics and then take a hard tool (flathead screw driver, awl, etc) and bend/break that ugly looking tab off. Then I'd file/manhandle that thing back to round/flat/smooth.

 

[Drone076]

Thanks for reply!

it looks like that end of the hose is dinged pretty aggressively (just opposite the red arrow in your 3rd picture).

It's just O2 grease (pic 3,4 - are pictures of disassembled working swivel), sorry for bad pictures. Everything is mechanically perfect, smooth edges etc, o-rings in a good shape also. The only difference between swivels is absence of any grease on stucked one.

So my main question is: Would it be right to replace o-ring (if necessary) and place grease? What is the usual practice to service swivels like this?

 

[Doby45]

Just put some O2 grease on the o-ring of the swivel that does not swivel. Done and done.

 

[Drone076]

Just put some O2 grease on the o-ring of the swivel that does not swivel. Done and done.

Thank you! That's what I was thinking about. Just can't imagine, how it could happen that no more grease in one. Both reg sets have same amount of dives, around 80.

 

[kelemvor]

sorry for bad pictures.

Next time try turning off your camera's flash and make sure the light in the room isn't shining directly on your part. You'll probably have to prop the camera up with something in order to avoid the pic being blurry, but it will reduce the contrast and might help you get a picture that shows more detail. It will probably be a little grainy as your camera bumps the ISO to get more light but still might be worthwhile.

 

[Doby45]

Thank you! That's what I was thinking about. Just can't imagine, how it could happen that no more grease in one. Both reg sets have same amount of dives, around 80.

ehhh, stuff happens. We are not to know all the answers of the universe. I use those same swivels from DGX and they are great, I just grease the o-ring as needed. As you have seen you will know when they get a little stiff.

 

[victorzamora]

My bad on misidentifying that glob-o-lube. Like I said, hard to tell in the pictures.

I will say that I don't like using much grease on anything as I find it attracts crud more than it helps. I'm also not convinced that it's the solution to your particular problem.....though I could be wrong. Worst thing that happens if you add more grease is that it doesn't help and you can always wipe some of it off.

If that doesn't work, try that hose in the other swivel as well as straight into your first stage.

 

[Drone076]

Thank you! You guys ROCK!

 

[victorzamora]

It's just O2 grease (pic 3,4 - are pictures of disassembled working swivel), sorry for bad pictures. Everything is mechanically perfect, smooth edges etc, o-rings in a good shape also. The only difference between swivels is absence of any grease on stucked one.

So my main question is: Would it be right to replace o-ring (if necessary) and place grease? What is the usual practice to service swivels like this?

So, just for the sake of nomenclature: That's just a standard reg hose. They all turn about like that. There's not really a "service" that I'm aware of, but that O-ring does need replacing every so often. I think it's a -010 sized o-ring, and my preference is 90-duro Viton on everything I do. A dab-o-grease (I use oxylube exclusively, and just enough to coat the o-ring to "shiny") is all you'll need to get things going again.

Thank you! You guys ROCK!

Let us know if it works and you're back to fully operational!