Bauer ID help

[tlawler]

Well, to test the operation it wil be necessary to invest in a motor and belt. If the unit will build pressure and the blowby is moderate (.5 cfm @ 3000) then the problems begin to revolve around cosmetics. Check for leaks, and other obvious stuff. The corroded tubing is a PITA, use strippers to clean the fins and follow up with paint. I wonder if the cylinders/heads could be blasted with walnut shells or something?

I've done restorations of small, MIL surplus compressors but I had the benefit of miscellaneous parts and partial blocks which I could strip. The suplus compressors had been beat up by surplus dealers, thrown around and neglected. One was covered with dirt and grease and looked like crap. I blasted it with ENSOLV which cleaned it up enough so I could see how to work on it. Disassembly showed almost new internals, very nice. When finished, after straightening fins, painting and all the mechanical work and cosmetics, the compressors looked and functioned almost like new. They will really jam tanks.

I've actually got a 5 horse Honda engine, sheave, belt and bolts to take with me. I'll drain the oil, see what that looks like, refill it and fire it up to see what happens. I've read some of your posts on how to check for blow-by and drop rate for third stage piston. Is there any way to check con rod and crank bearings? Or should I just rely on overall smoothness of running? If bearings are shot, I'm guessing it will run rough, noisy and vibrate like an engine with spun bearings. You mention blasting the block with walnut shells...the owner also mentioned that. He is a retiring dive shop owner. Is that using a bead blaster or sand blaster with ground up walnut shells? I was already thinking of bead blasting it after I sealed everything up good. For the frame, I was going to start out with stripper and then sand blast it, replace the sheet metal and repaint it.

 

[pescador775]

A bead blaster might be a little hard on aluminum but it should work if care is used. Walnut grit is available but I couldn't say where or from who. Don't worry about bearings right now. The crank is well supported in the Capitano. Bad bearings could certainly show up if the oil pump or pressure regulator goes bad. However, the rpm's are low to begin with. I think there is some splash effect inside that case because fastbird rehabbed a Capitano which was found to have no oil pressure. Only the third stage burned up and the bearings were still OK, apparently. If the bearings are suspect, the parts should be checked for play. I would leave that for later or if there is a squeal or knock which needed investigation. The Capitano is kind of a loud clunker to begin with, like a small Diesel, so, don't chase false leads. A light tap is normal but if it changes to a loud "click" look at the valves.

 

[tlawler]

A bead blaster might be a little hard on aluminum but it should work if care is used. Walnut grit is available but I couldn't say where or from who. Don't worry about bearings right now. The crank is well supported in the Capitano. Bad bearings could certainly show up if the oil pump or pressure regulator goes bad. However, the rpm's are low to begin with. I think there is some splash effect inside that case because fastbird rehabbed a Capitano which was found to have no oil pressure. Only the third stage burned up and the bearings were still OK, apparently. If the bearings are suspect, the parts should be checked for play. I would leave that for later or if there is a squeal or knock which needed investigation. The Capitano is kind of a loud clunker to begin with, like a small Diesel, so, don't chase false leads. A light tap is normal but if it changes to a loud "click" look at the valves.

I thought it was mostly cast iron. What parts are aluminum? Heads and cylinders? The block, filtration, and tubing is cast iron and steel, right?

I remember reading about the lack of oil pressure on Fastbird's Capitano and even setting it up to be able to read oil pressure isn't that straightforward, either. Tonight I'm going to go back through and reread the threads that dealt with Fastbird's and VBK's rebuilds. If memory serves, Fastbird may have been able to salvage his third stage if he had been able to prove oil pressure. Pesky, thanks for all your help now and in the future (I know I'm gonna need it).

 

[pescador775]

The block is aluminum. the first stage head is iron. The second is aluminum. The 3rd stg head is brass. The cylinders are cast iron. Fastbird's 3rd stg sleeve and piston were scored and failed the drop test.