Regulator question

[Beerzilla81]

Hello everyone I’d like some info, help with the regulator i currently have. I’ve been trying to unscrew the bottom piece with no luck, if anyone has any suggestions I’d appreciate it.

 

[Broken Crow]

STOP NOW!! Unless you know for certain there is no integrated check-valve, otherwise you'll have a little SS ball and spring fall out and the fitting you want to replace it with will not have the proper base to re-instate it.
I see that you have a 1/4"MFL output (highly desirable)..are you changing it out for a barb? ...if so, just get a swivel nut (and nylon washer) in the size of barb you need;
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/fflbarb14.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/fflbarb516.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/fflbarb38.htm
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/fflbarb12.htm

 

[Beerzilla81]

I don’t think it has an integrated check valve. I’m trying to replace it with a different attachment. See pic

 

[day_trippr]

Are you trying to remove the whole valve assembly, or do you think there's some piece below the valve that's separable?
I'd remove the whole valve assembly from the regulator body. If that's what's being attempted resulting in that trashed section below the valve, heat applied at the body connection may be required...

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

^^^That ...and DON'T use pliers, channel-locks or vise-grips as you can see they just chew up your fitting.. Use either the correct sized wrench or an adjustable wrench and don't forget your teflon tape or pipe-dope.

 

[Beerzilla81]

I tried using heat, via torch, with no success. And a vice grip. At this point I’m tempted to purchase a new regulator with hope it doesn’t have that piece

 

[Bobby_M]

You're going about it a little different than I would. Remove the valve from the regulator body here:

Then thread the WYE splittler directly into the regulator body.

Then thread both shutoff valves into the two out ports on the wye. That way you split the gas and have two unique valved outputs. There is absolutely no reason to thread a valve into the back of another valve.

 

[Beerzilla81]

Thanks for all the info guys, very appreciated. I’m curious now, if I wanted to purchase a regulator that didn’t have that end piece, where would I look?

 

[day_trippr]

Gotta ask: what offends you so much about that male flare fitting? Imo it is a far better method of connection than a straight barb...

Cheers!

 

[Broken Crow]

via torch

Sorry to be so negative with my "don't do this, don't do that"...but again; DON'T ever bring a torch near a regulator! If there was a check valve in there, you probably destroyed the spring with the torch...sorry. Hopefully you didn't heat it long enough to melt the diaphram.
I mostly agree with @Bobby_M except I suspect that like me, he glanced at your second picture and assumed that was one of the commonly available wye's that had 2 valves rather than 2 MFLs.... The only change I'd make to his suggestion is where the arrow is: Yeah, remove your original valve entirely and replace it with your valve/wye combo from the second pic..but you need to use a proper wrench.

 

[Broken Crow]

Gotta ask: what offends you so much about that male flare fitting? Imo it is a far better method of connection than a straight barb...

Cheers!

I think you did the same thing as me first time around..the second pic isn't the common 2-valve wye, it is 2-MFL, which I totally agree with you: The superior connection by far!

 

[Bobby_M]

Sorry to be so negative with my "don't do this, don't do that"...but again; DON'T ever bring a torch near a regulator! If there was a check valve in there, you probably destroyed the spring with the torch...sorry. Hopefully you didn't heat it long enough to melt the diaphram.
I mostly agree with @Bobby_M except I suspect that like me, he glanced at your second picture and assumed that was one of the commonly available wye's that had 2 valves rather than 2 MFLs.... The only change I'd make to his suggestion is where the arrow is: Yeah, remove your original valve entirely and replace it with your valve/wye combo from the second pic..but you need to use a proper wrench.

There is some benefit to having a shutoff valve for each branch and since he already has two shutoff valves in his possession, it's a lost cost barrier. If you know that you will always have both branches connected to something, it's not that important. Let's just assume that the valve on that regulator now has a permanent male flare output fitting. No problem, if that whole valve is relocated to the output of the WYE fitting, you're back to the compatible connection that those hoses need.

Buying an entirely new regulator just because there's a stubborn output fitting is absurd thinking.

Vice grips are not the right tool, until the right tool has possibly failed.

 

[Broken Crow]

There is some benefit to having a shutoff valve for each branch and since he already has two shutoff valves in his possession, it's a lost cost barrier. If you know that you will always have both branches connected to something, it's not that important. Let's just assume that the valve on that regulator now has a permanent male flare output fitting. No problem, if that whole valve is relocated to the output of the WYE fitting, you're back to the compatible connection that those hoses need.

Buying an entirely new regulator just because there's a stubborn output fitting is absurd thinking.

Vice grips are not the right tool, until the right tool has possibly failed.

Totally agree! However, I wouldn't personally trust the original valve since it was hit with a torch and is unfamiliar to me anyway.. I do trust those red-handled valves and unless there's always going to be a line with a disconnect or some other shut-off downstream, I'd buy another one for a pair on the end of the wye.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/bv14check.htm
or just leave it as is and get a manifold;
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/co2distrib2mfl.htm