changing gauges on a regulator

[Nyakavt]

I'm a fucking cunt hair away from throwing all of my regulators out the god damn window.

I can't seem to get these things clamped into a vice because there are zero flat spots on them to clamp down on and the gauges are on so fucking tight, there's no way to get the gauges out by hand.

Anyone have any suggestions? At this point I'm going to just clamp the current gauge in between the jaws of the god damn vice and twist the gauge off using the body of the regulator.

This is fucking ridiculous and ungodly frustrating!

Dude, did you try the propane torch yet? I thought you were trying to get the barbs out, now is it the gauges?

[atomicpunk]

Vice grips + WD40 + hammer + beer

Drink beer.
WD40 the threads. Let soak for a bit.
Drink beer.
Vice grip the thing you want to remove from the regulator. Make it as tight as you can.
Drink beer.
Holding the body, bang the shit out of the vice grip handle with hammer until it starts moving.

You will cut, scratch, bang the shit out of your hands but this worked for me. The beer will dull the pain.

Oh, and be sure you are turning thing in the proper direction to loosen, and not tighten, them!!

[San_Diego_Matt]

so, I got my botched tank pressure gauge off my backup regulator today. It was a nightmare.

I had to clamp the gauge in the vice, heat the shit out of the neck of the gauge and really crank on the body of the regulator to get it free. It was NOT easy.

and don't worry, I completely broke the regulator down and removed all the plastic/rubber inner parts before putting the heat on it so I wouldn't melt anything.

Turns out the threads of the tank pressure gauge are left hand thread so I need to order a left hand thread tank pressure gauge.

[Nyakavt]

Well at least you got it off! That sucks that it was so difficult. Could you see any loctite on the threads or did they just tighten the ever-loving shit out of it at the factory?

[San_Diego_Matt]

The threads were clean as could be when I got it out which leads me to believe there wasn't any loctite on it. I didn't buy the regulator new so I guess there's a chance a previous owner ran some beer up into it and it got on the threads of the gauge and cemented the thing in there.