What is the best practice on opening up a regulator body?

[Hooptie]

I have a Palmer Stabilizer that is now leaking air through the relief hole. I suspect it's a busted nitrile o-ring after 12-years since it was purchased brand new.

What is the best way to open up a regulator body without marring/hurting the cosmetic surface? I would like to avoid vise grips.

[pinkanese]

The Stabilizer should have a slot in the bottom cap so you can use a coin to unscrew it. Here's a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR5Hn1J4pBc

If there isn't one the best method is to get a bolt and nut with the same thread as the adjuster screw. Thread the nut onto the bolt, thread the bolt not the hole in the reg, hold the bolt and tighten the nut down on the cap and turn the bolt to loosen the cap. I believe the thread is 3/8"-24 but it's been a while.

Leaking through the hole on the side is usually the piston oring. Should be a size 112.

[Jordan]

Everything Pinkanese said is correct. Thread pitch is 3/8-24, piston oring is a 112. Buna is fine, urethane is better.

[Alexndl]

Not familiar with palmer reg but strap wrench if better than vise grips
and you can stuck 3 or 4 allen key in the top hole to create a lever effect and hold the top portion while you use a strap wrench on the bottom part to unscrew (this is what I do for seized black magic reg and it worked fine)

[lew]

If there isn't one the best method is to get a bolt and nut with the same thread as the adjuster screw. Thread the nut onto the bolt, thread the bolt not the hole in the reg, hold the bolt and tighten the nut down on the cap and turn the bolt to loosen the cap. I believe the thread is 3/8"-24 but it's been a while.

Throw a nylon washer in between the nut and the reg body if you are worried about marring the finish. I've used the above-oulined method to remove a few FN FAL muzzle devices. Works like a champ.

[ATBen]

Wood blocks, vice grips, strap wrench, bolts in the elbow holes... get creative!

[Hooptie]

Thank you everyone for the contribution. I got the bottom part disassembled. The piston o-ring looked like a melted mess, which left residue on the spring and body. I used some brake cleaner to clean each part, and still need to pick off the stubborn gummy parts.

The pin valve o-ring also looked gummy, so I removed it as well. Do you know the size? On Palmer's website it shows a 010 and 011 size, so not sure which size it is.

And the YouTube video by Paintball Tek says the o-ring between the main body and top half likely does not need to be changed, though given the condition of the other two o-rings, should I try to change it as well? Paintball Tek says it might be better to send to Palmer to separate the halves, but if it's cost sensitive, should I use a heat-gun to soften up the lock-tite?

[Jordan]

Just change the piston oring and reg seat holder oring... you'll need a 010 and a 112. Give the reg seat a wipe, make sure it's clean, and if there's a noticeable dent, flip it. Don't try to split the reg halves, they're red loctited together and you'll likely destroy it trying to replace a seal that is fine.

[Hooptie]

Hi McB contributors, I got a pressure gauge and set the regulator to 400 psi. After cycling the marker a few times, the pressure gauge would read around 400-420 psi. Maybe it needs breaking in to hold steady at 400 psi, but I’m happy with the fix so far ( only changed two orings).

Thank you for your assistance.