Rebuilding acetylene regulators

1

1930 coupe

Senior Member
I use Victor acetylene regulators when heating or welding on my model A.
I have ordered rebuild kits and rebuilt 5 or 6 oxygen and acetylene regulators down through the years and they have all worked like new after the rebuild.
I see that some of the acetylene kits sold now come with a small container of lube. :eek: I have never used any lube in any regulator that I have rebuilt, and everything that I have read says USE NO LUBE. Why is the lube in the kits and where does it go, I have always put it in the trash can.
 
The lube goes on the diaphragm,under the screw.NOT on the gas side.The screw side is open to the atmosphere.We were told 40 years ago by the welding supply people that petroleum products will ignite in the presence of pressurized oxygen.Now all the bottles I get are marked,oxidizer,not oxygen.We were also told to back the regulators off every time we were done using the torches.They said it was too much shock to the diaphragms to leave them set to working pressure and just turn on the main valves.The only people I know that would back them off were always wearing holes in the diaphragms from the adjustment screws.
 
Is the lube for the o-rings in the cutting head to torch body? I've also seen a pack of o rings come with them
 
There is a non-flammable/Oxygen safe assembly grease available from Regulator rebuild shops and Scuba regulator shops also. Safe to use in a high pressure oxygen environment.
 
I've used oxygen and acetylene torches for the last 54 years and never backed the regulators off till last year on one of my 3 outfits. I was taught to back them off but no one ever done it that I worked for or on my own. Then last year I turned on the oxygen cylinder on one and blew the diaphragm I thought out so I keep an extra Victor regulator for both bottles and changed it out. Well I blew it out also. So I took it to the man that always rebuilds my regulators and he told me I wasn't backing off the regulator. He said I was blowing something else out in side the regulator but not the diaphragm. I think it is the bottle valve that opens up too sudden so I back off this particular one till I get this bottle used up. I hope I never get this bottle back but I still never back off the rest of the regulators, I think it wares out the screws and the diaphragms.
 
I don't back off regulators - but "ease" the oxygen cylinder valve open.

On the acetylene I have a small pair of vice-grips I use on the square rather than the stamped steel wrench (with the square hole) which usually fits imperfectly and difficult to control. And some of those valve stem squares as they come from the supply are only a little less than square.

But I'm not a heavy or regular user either.

The only replacement I've done is when the oxygen gauge got trashed moving the cart around - and I knew of the oxygen/oil hazard and bought the correct gauge.

Sears no longer supports the setup (not like they used to be) so the gauge was sourced at the cylinder supply shop. It may be a Victor setup.

Joe K
 
I also never back off the regulators after each use, but I open the valves very slowly.

So far never blew a regulator, but I don't use mine much anymore.
 
I always open my bottle valves slowly too.I was shown to always open the oxy valve all the way,as it is a double seating valve.I never do that either.I Depending on what I'm doing,I can go through a pair of oxy/acetylene in a day,or they can last me 3 months.One habit I developed probably over 40 years ago was to grab the valves on any bottles every time I walked by them.Once I left the valves on for a week and lost all my gas I learned not to do it again.That was back when oxy was $8.and acetylene was $17.Now that oxy is $68.and acetylene is $142.I'm more careful.Joe,if you look on most tubing cutters you will find a square hole somewhere.Sometimes it is in the de-burriing part that is part of the tool.That is to open the acetylene valve,and you won't slice up your fingers trying to rassle with that little stamped out wrench.
 
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