Hi Mike,
As we discussed in person last week. There's a lot to be said for books on the subject and the ones mentioned are both good ones. The problems you'll run into are specific parts procurement and specialized tooling for specific regs. As a tech for several brands of equipment, I would hate to think of putting a Poseidon first stage back together without their tool to handle the "string" of o-rings, hp seat etc. or the first stage of a Dive Rite, or USD Micra etc. etc. And you need specific tooling to tune most second stages after cleaning and rebuilding them. Some of these tools are available from aftermarket sources although quality varies. And manufacturers will not normally sell HP seats, LP seats, filters, diaphrams specific to a regulator to anyone except dive shops and techs trained by their factory personnell. So, you need to establish a source if you plan to work on several brands. Keep in mind that replacing these parts with anything other than factory parts not only voids a warrenty but can expose you to litigation in the case of failure. If you will contact the manufacturers of the specific brands in which you are interested or can find a store that will allow you to attend a factory seminar on specific brands where a "diploma" is issued it will put you in much better shape. Once you have attended one seminar, you will find that most regulators are very similar in construction. Look for factory repair manuals on EBay. They are invaluable. I have some spares and setups from my forty years of working on scuba equipment that you might want to help you get started. You have my phone number--give me a call.
Jim
