Appreciation post: That old Kirby Morgan repair manual from 1987 saved me $600 last week

Everyone says to just replace the whole regulator when the second stage starts free-flowing, but I followed that manual's step-by-step on cleaning the valve seat and it fixed the problem in 20 minutes, has anyone else had luck fixing old gear instead of buying new?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_alice1mo ago

You'd be amazed what a few drops of silicone grease and a steady hand can do for an old diaphragm too, saved me from buying a new first stage last month.

the_oscar1mo ago

Last year I tried the "steady hand" approach on my old SPG and ended up with a face full of salt water at 60 feet. Not my finest moment. The silicone grease trick actually worked a charm on my second stage though, I think I used the wrong kind the first time and gummed up the whole thing. Now I keep a tiny tube of the stuff in my save-a-dive kit right next to the zip ties and electrical tape. Still can't trust myself with a diaphragm swap without making it sound like a Darth Vader impression though.