Converting to DIN

[skdvr]

I have a Sherwood Maximus and Blizzard that I just purchased the DIN conversion for. My question is about how I can hold the 1st stage to torgue the 7/8 nut on the DIN connection? I thought that I could wrap the Reg in a leather glove and put it in the vice but I did not want to crank down teh vice and there was no way that was going to hold the 40 ft lbs of torque. I was just wondering how you folks that do your own reg service manage to get the reg in a vice.

I tried looking at scubatools.com but their site is down right now...

Thanks
Phil

[keyshunter]

If you can find one you could use the tool which screws into a port and then clamps in a vise. Or, you could look for a brass bolt that fits either the 3/8 or 7/16 port ( be sure the thread is right) and use that. Or, you could use an old hose. Cut off most of the hose, and clamp the fitting in a vise. Or, you could use an old (discharged) threaded co2 cartridge. Or, you could take the whole rig to a LDS and ask them to tighten the fitting.

[cmburch]

Mine is a US Divers SEA. The Aqualung manual has a picture of mine clamped, I am unfamiliar with Sherwood. I can also have someone else with a second wrench instead of the vice for mine.

http://www.scubatoys.com/manuals.asp

[BSea]

Don't give up on Scubatools.com. I talked with the wife of the owner awhile back, and she told me that someone bought the webname & should have it back up in April or May with a limited number of tools. The new Owner bought 1 of everything from Scubatools, and is planning to reproduce most (if not all) the tools.

You can actually make the tool you need. Buy an adapter (7/16" to 3/8") for the LP port (Most LDSs carry these and I'll bet ST has these too, but I can't find them on their web site). It will have 7/16' female threads. Buy about a 5 or 6 inch 7/16" bolt with the same threads & thread it into the adapter. Then just thread the adapter into the reg on any available LP port. If you want to add some comfort, just wrap the bolt with some duct tape.

Edit: If all your LP ports are on a swivel, you should use the 38" to 7/16" adapter to make a handle that fits an HP port. Heck, just make 2.

[awap]

I use a vise on my Scubapro regs with no problem. I don't have the "soft jaw" attachment so I fold up newspaper to cushion the reg. You don't have to crank it down at all - just enough to keep the reg from falling out. The force you will be applying is rotational so the jaws don't need to be tight.

I am not familiar with Sherwood, but 40 ft-lb sounds pretty high. Most are in the 15 to 30 ft-lb range. You may want to verify that spec before you apply that much torque to brass.

[keyshunter]

Originally Posted by awap

I use a vise on my Scubapro regs with no problem. I don't have the "soft jaw" attachment so I fold up newspaper to cushion the reg. You don't have to crank it down at all - just enough to keep the reg from falling out. The force you will be applying is rotational so the jaws don't need to be tight.

I am not familiar with Sherwood, but 40 ft-lb sounds pretty high. Most are in the 15 to 30 ft-lb range. You may want to verify that spec before you apply that much torque to brass.

The Sherwood firsts that the OP refers to are barrel shaped with the inlet in the end, similar to a Sp Mark 2. If you try to apply that much torque when loosely held in a vise, I guarantee it will turn. I thought that the torque sounded pretty high, so I looked in my Sherwood manual, but the din fitting is not covered. It directs me to Tech Bulletin #104. I agree that the OP should double check before he cranks that much torque on the reg.

[skdvr]

On the little card that comes wth the Sherwood DIN fitting it says to torque it to 40ft lbs. I will doublecheck when I get home though. I knwo that on my scubamax reg tehe torque was only 22 ft lbs.

I had heard about using the Threaded CO2 cartridge. I also like the idea of using the 7/16 to 3/8 adapter.

Now the trouble that I am having is that I thought I was going to be able to find a 7/8 crows foot but I cannot find one without buying an entire set. I will just keep looking for one to buy or borrow. If I am going to need to dive then I will just ask my LDS. I know that the tech there will help me out.

Thanks again for all the help on this...

Phil

[cmburch]

Yes, I think they have a picture of using a discharged CO2 cartridge in the manuals.

[awap]

OK, like a Mk2. With my Mk2, I attach an old HP hose to the HP port and then clamp the end of the hose in the vise tightly. I recently picked up some 7/16 to 3/8 adapters (must have been popular when 1st stages first went to 7/16 ports and 3/8 HP hoses were still common) which have a longer body that is easier to grab with the vise. I would expect the torque on a din connector to be the same as that for a yoke nut. The threads and materials involved are the same.

[skdvr]

Attached is the Tag that came with the DIN converter... This says approximately 40 ft lbs of torque...

Thanks again for all the suggestions...

Phil