Bauer Jr Resurrection

[n1023]

Picked up this Bauer Jr for $1500 this week. Previous owner got it from someone who owed them money and used it twice. They also had no idea on previous maintenance. Once its up and running, it will mostly stay in my shed and possibly occasional trips to Catalina (SoCal).

After wiping it down and checking the oils (both clear but compressor oil slightly below min), decided to try it out. Condensate drains all worked fine, no leaks anywhere that I could tell. It filled a LP95 from 800psi to 2700psi in about 15 minutes, the air smelled and tasted fine. Before the sirens come on... don't worry, I will not be diving this questionable air. The tank is due for a VIP so I figured, why not.

To do:
- Pipe exhaust to exit below shed with a muffler
- Figure out intake silencer I have seen mentioned
- Change compressor and motor oil
- Change air inlet filter
- Change triplex filter
- Build tank rank to store them above the compressor
- Add 2nd fill whip
- Test air to Grade E

Questions:
- Before I start, I will add that I have read the Bauer Bible and hope to do a lot of the same.

1. I cannot get the triplex filter housing opened, any ideas without buying some expensive proprietary wrench?
2. I have no idea what oil was used before and saw the nightmare Mcfayden went through swapping oils. Is there a way to tell if its synthetic or mineral just by looking at it?
3. If anyone has a link to the exact T fitting I need to add a second whip, that would be much appreciated.
4. Am I missing anything?

 

[happy-diver]

There is no requirement to tighten the filter metal to metal, grab a plastic-rubber strap wrench

 

[n1023]

Some progress…

Inlet air filter replaced, quite the difference.

I was able to get the first “ring” of the tower off with an oil filter wrench but now this piece with the safety valve is super stuck. Is it threaded also? Or should it just slide out?

Thanks

 

[n1023]

It’s free! Though it did take some effort with a rubber mallet. Looks like it may be the original filter from manufacture, assuming this is a Bauer jr from 1995. The seller threw in a “new” filter with a use before date of 2005. So looks like I’ll need a new one of those as well.

I might throw in the “new” filter just so I can test the sound before and after the muffler that just came in. Anyone know what the red stuff on the tip of the old filter nipple is? It’s not on the new cartridge.

 

[happy-diver]

When you clean it up and lube it heaps are you going to fashion yourself a rod
So you will then be able to unscrew and remove the two components, together

I repack rotate half a dozen of these

and I'll even throw in a couple of low flying pelicans

 

[Agro]

Aqua Air Refillable P21 cartridge

www.aquaair-int.com

Refilling original Bauer cartridges is no good idea, plastic will break after a few cycles, Bauer want's it this way.

 

[happy-diver]

Well either Bauer is failing in their quest, or maybe I bought my cartriges before they set off on their quest
But the ones I run, see one up there, are in the same condition as when I started years, hundred of fills ago

With the plastic maintaining its stability so that I could hit them with a hammer full or empty without issue

The paint did start to break down so I removed it completely


also my repacked Bauer designed filters last longer than my too simple stainless tube that you recommend

any which way you are talking out of your hat

 

[rhwestfall]

Yes, you seriously need to consider the repackable cartridge option. Those tiny filters work well, but have a really short life. Maybe @rob.mwpropane can post my spreadsheet I made off the Bauer charts that calculates the filter life. I just repurposed that tiny filter to just an additional moisture trap (filled only with 13x), and added a larger tower & multi component filter.

 

[rhwestfall]

I'd caution the dual whip idea as that compressor is not a constant duty design, and may not like that level of work....

 

[Agro]

also my repacked Bauer designed filters last longer than my too simple stainless tube that you recommend

How did you find out they last longer? Did you overrun them until air was stinking?

How do you fill the stainless tube filters? Carbon and molecular sieve? Or mol sieve / carbon / mol sieve, like in Bauer cartridges?

Do you press the filling material befor closing the cartridge, like scrubber in rebreather?

I guess filling volume is about the same so they should last the same time.

I use refillable cartridges which I made by myself, similar to the ss cartridges. According to Bauer schedule the original cartridges should last 10 hours, depending on temperature, fill pressure and lt of air per minute. I never overrun them, refillable cartridges worked fine for the last 15 years.

I've seen broken refilled Bauer cartridges 25 years ago and 15 years ago. Happy diver you seem to be very lucky guy.