DIN to yoke adaptor stuck

[super7]

I know I'm at fault.

I was too tired to unpack my gear after diving this spring, and though I did thoroughly rinse my gear before leaving the dive destination, I forgot to remove the DIN to yoke adaptor off when I put away the gear next day.
Now, my 1st stage and the adaptor are stuck.

First, I tried turning it with water pliers after wrapping the 1st stage with rubber. The thing won't budge.

I have also tried soaking the reg in citric acid. This helped clean the bolt snaps on the primary reg and SPG that were getting unsmooth, but still the adaptor stayed stuck.

I've also tried chemical sprays from scuba shops, but this didn't help either.

The only thing I haven't tried is brute force, but I don't have a vice at home.

Any thing else I should try before asking for help at my LDS?
Thanks for your help
Kaza

 

[muddiver]

Heat the yoke adapter and it might make it expand. Hot boiling water is all you need. Any hotter and you could damage something.

Otherwise you will just have to put a couple of big spanners (wrench) on it and give it a good yank.

 

[Thadmn]

Put your pipe wrench on the knurled DIN wheel, and put a large screwdriver through the yoke for leverage, then crank on it.

 

[redacted]

Hot and cold in the right places will loosen the threads. You want the din threads cold and the yoke adapter threads hot. I would use ice water and soak the entire 1st stage for 10 minutes or so. If you want to keep water out of the 1st stage, you could just put it in a freezer for an hour or so but I'd go with ice water and clean things up later. With the entire 1st stage good and cold, dip just the adapter into hot water for a minute or so and then try to loosen the connection. Even if it does not work the first time, the process will open a gap between the threads and pull some water in that should dissolve and salts. Be prepared to repeat the process 3 or 4 times with escalating force if necessary.

If it does not work, leave the whole thing soaking and try again the next day. Patience is the key to avoiding damage.

 

[super7]

Hi everyone, thanks for your input.
I tried the hot'n'cold dip a couple of times, but the thing would't budge.
As for yanking the yoke, I already had managed to unscrew the yoke part off from the base (unlike some products, this one has a two-piece construction and unscrews at the base of the yoke).

I ended up making a trip to the LDS. There, the shop owner simply put the base of the adaptor in a vice, and gently turned the knurled DIN wheel with a monkey wrench. The base of the adaptor came off without any resistance.

Since the threads on both sides were covered in whitish salt, I spent some time cleaning them with citric acid bath after coming home.

Once again, thanks guys! :happy:

Kaza

 

[rsldonk]

I use a good silicon-based penetrating compound. You can get this at any hardware store, usually right next to the WD-40. Don't use an petroleum-based spray like WD-40 as these will destroy any latex you have. It also helps to waterproof things, so not a bad idea to spray on before you attach things together.