Maintenance frequency: The Ion reg requires occasional maintenance. The reg will be able to function good for many games, but may eventually need some cleaning to keep it in top condition (depends on the situation). Suggested interval for maintenance would be every 20,000-25,000 pressurized cycles, or every 3-4 months (approximately).
These are the things you'll need to disassemble and clean your regulator: 3/32" allen wrench, 5/8" open-end wrench, 9/16" deep well socket, Shocker lube, Q-tips, napkins/paper towel/cloth.
Disassembly:
To begin, you will have to unscrew the regulator from your Ion's vertical adapter and remove the rubber grip. It is easiest to remove the macroline from the bottom as well, though not required (such as if you don't have macroline).
There are two set screws located on the side of the regulator housing; use a 3/32" allen wrench to remove them both. In order to access the bottom set screw, you will have to use your 5/8" wrench to rotate the adjustment endcap around until the screw is visible in the small oval cutout in the side of the reg housing. Remove both screws and set them aside.
Once the set screws are out, use the 5/8" wrench to unscrew the adjustment endcap on the bottom. Remember, the Ion regulator has left-handed threads, so turning it clockwise will unscrew it, instead of screwing in like most other parts.
Once the endcap is off, you will need to use a 9/16" deep well socket to unscrew the brass spring platoform visible down inside the regulator. A deep well socket is just like a regular socket, except it's twice as long...this is required to access the hex down in the housing. A regular 9/16" socket won't work. Again, the threads are left-handed, so remember which way you have to turn to get it out (clockwise).
Pictured above is the deep-well socket.
If necessary, you might be able to get it out using a pair of needle-nose pliers, however this will scratch up the spring platform and also take a lot more work to get out. I don't recommend using anything but the actual tool (9/16" deep well socket) to remove the spring platform. They are available at any hardware store.
When the spring platform comes out, the large adjustment spring will fall out along with it. You can now use a tool of your choice to push the brass piston out the bottom (push it out from the top). I suggest a wooden dowel rod of some kind. Push the piston slowly, so it doesn't fall the the side and scratch the housing.
Maintenance:
This regulator is fairly simple so there isn't too much work to be done in terms of maintenance, but you need to pay attention to a few spots in order for the reg to function good.
First, use your q-tips to clean the inside of the adjustment endcap. The bottom of this hole (base seat) needs to be clean and dry for hte reg to work good.
Clean off the old grease from the piston's two o-rings. Also clean the bottom end of the piston, where the clear disk is held in place. This is the base seal and also needs to be clean and dry for the reg to function. If the base seat is damaged, you will need to replace it (it can be flipped over and reused once, but after that you'll have to replace it).
Lastly, run your paper towel/napkins over the threads of the adjustment endcap, to make sure there's no oil or old grease on there. Also clean the threads on the inside of the reg housing using the same method. There's an o-ring located around the bottom of the adjustment endcap, but no grease should be used on it.
Reassembly:
Once you're done cleaning the components, you are ready to reassemble the reg. Regrease the two o-rings on the brass piston then push it back up into the reg housing (the large end goes in first). Here is a sample picture of the piston properly greased (the reg is difficult to overgrease, but it is still possible so be aware of how much grease you're applying).
Drop the spring down into the reg housing after it, then reinstall the spring platform. Use your 9/16" socket to screw it down, but don't overtighten it (you only have to screw the spring platform hand-tight). Remember, screw it counterclockwise to tighten.
Once the spring platform is reinstalled, clean the o-ring on the bottom of the adjustment endcap (no grease), and apply a small coat of grease to the threads of the endcap. This helps to keep it from locking up, and will make adjustmens easier. You can then screw it back into the reg housing using the 5/8" wrench. Here's a picture of the endcap threads after being greased:
Last, reinstall both the small set screws into the side of the reg. The upper screw holds the spring platform in place whereas the bottom screw prevents you from unscrewing the endcap while the reg is pressurized. They are both required for the reg to be in use.
The regulator is now ready for use. Screw it back into the vertical adapter (don't grease the ASA o-ring on the top of the reg) and air it up to make sure there aren't any leaks. If there are, disassemble and clean it again, this time perhaps replacing the seals.
O-ring Diagrams:
If you need to replace any of the rings used in the regulator, here is a diagram of the sizes and durometers:
Demonstrational Videos:
The video applies to both the Ion regulator as well as the Shocker NXT version.
Ion reg maintenance, high-res (28-MB)
Ion reg maintenance, medium-res (12-MB)
Ion reg maintenance, low-res (5-MB)