Maintenance frequency: Max-Flo Micro maintenance is required very sparingly. The reg will be able to put out many months of service without issues. If you find your pressure dropping off, though, then it may be time to clean the system. Suggested interval for maintenance would be every 30,000-40,000 pressurized cycles, or 8-10 months.
These are the things you'll need to disassemble and clean your regulator: 1/16" allen wrench, Shocker lube, Q-tips, napkins/paper towel/cloth.
Regulator Disassembly:
The reg has two sections: the manifold and the regulator. The rear section (manifold) is where the tank and gauges attach; the front section is the actual regulator part (this is where the on/off Smartvalve is located). It is suggested that the tank be removed from the reg prior to servicing it (this will make the task easier), and you should also remove the reg system from the marker.
The tank, if attached to the regulator, MUST be completely empty prior to disassembly. NEVER ATTEMPT TO DISASSEMBLE THE SYSTEM WITH ANY AIR PRESSURE LEFT IN THE TANK. It doesn't matter if you leave the Smartvalve off, the tank still needs to be empty.
To separate the manifold from the reg, you must first remove the two set screws that hold them together. These are located on the top and bottom of the manifold. You will most likely have to remove the system from your marker to access these. Use a 1/16" allen wrench for the removal of these screws.
Once the set screws have been removed, the regulator can be unscrewed from the manifold. This may require a bit of torque (especially since the parts are loctited from the factory).
With the regulator separated from the manifold, the belleville spring pack will fall out. This consists of ten(10) small disks. The piston is also removable, so gently pull it out from the reg housing.
Regulator Maintenance/Reassembly:
The only part of the reg that requires your attention is the brass piston component. This is located within the rear end of the regulator, which you just removed prior to reading this. To access the piston, simply pull it out (gently) from the regulator section.
The piston has one o-ring around it, and one polymer base seal on the thin end (opposite to the o-ring). Clean all the exposed surfaces of the piston to remove all the old grease and/or liquid condensation from it. Pay special care when cleaning near the base seal on the small end; the base seal must be in pristine order for the regulator to function correctly. Make sure it's clean and dry. Take note that output burst disk (bottom burst disk) leaking problems may be caused by the base seal damaged. If it has cracked then it'll need to be replaced.
The next step is to clean the piston's base seat in the regulator, using a q-tip. This is a small, silver piece located down within the small hole where the piston sits, inside the manifold section. Be sure not to leave any tiny q-tip hairs in there.
Apply a new coat of grease to the o-ring around the head of the piston. You will also wish to apply a coat of grease around the tail section of the piston, but be sure not to grease the base seal on the bottom. Be generous with the amount of grease, you don't have to worry much about overgreasing the piston.
It's now time to reassemble the reg. Reinsert the piston (large end first) into the empty bore within the regulator section, then reorder the belleville spring pack back together, and drop it in around the piston. Note that the belleville washers aren't perfectly flat in shape; when assembled they need to form an alternating pattern. This is shown here:
With the belleville spring pack correctly ordered, screw the reg section back onto the manifold. It is suggested that a small amount of loctite be placed onto the threads prior to reassembly, to help keep the two from coming apart (though this may not be necessary). Once the two sections are screwed together, reinstall the two set screws using your allen wrench, and mount the reg back on your marker. Allow threadlocker at least 12 hours to cure.
Smartvalve Maintenance:
Removal and cleaning of the on/off Smartvalve is not required, but if you're suffering from a leaking reg then it would be required. To access the o-rings for the Smartvalve, all that must be done is the removal of the c-clip holding the valve onto the reg body. Again, this can only be done with a fully-empty tank. If there is any pressure in the tank, the valve must not be removed.
Removal of the c-clip is most easily accomplished by using a pair of needlenose pliers. A special tool (known as a c-clip remover, or snap clip remover) can be purchased to make this easier, if needed (recommended for team use, airsmith repairs, and similar situations).
Pull the Smartvalve out the other side of the housing. Clean the old grease off the two o-rings, then clean the inside of the housing where the shaft lies. The small, imbedded o-ring located down within the bore is the cause of most problems (use a curved dental pick for its removal). If either end of the valve knob leak out air, the outer o-rings around the Smartvalve are to blame.
If installing a new 4/90 o-ring down inside the bore, cover both sides of the ring with grease, slide it into position, then use a small rod object to gently seat it into position within its groove.
Apply an extremely generous coat of grease to the outer o-rings around the shaft, then slide it back into the housing. The side of the reg body where the pin is located is the side the Smartvalve enters for reinstallation.
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:
The tank seal o-ring (907/90) isn't a size you will find at any local stores. Also, the o-ring for the fill nipple that comes on this reg is a 6/90.
Demonstrational Videos:
This video shows disassembly of the reg, quick cleaning, and reassembly:
Max-Flo Micro maintenance, high-res (21-MB)
Max-Flo Micro maintenance, low-res (9.7-MB)
These other videos show maintenance of the smartvalve knob:
Smartvalve maintenance, high-res (13-MB)
Smartvalve maintenance, low-res (5.8-MB)