Current options for moderate duty scuba compressor?

[Tracy]

Thank you for the links.

My general mechanical experience is pretty good, but my high pressure compressor experience is completely lacking.

Where might one find that particular $20 tool?

Most anybody that sells the valves also sells the tool. August, north shore, lawrence factor

 

[PBcatfish]

Dude you're too smart for your own question

but if you look in here

UTILUS

www.bauer-kompressoren.de

and go in here

Bauer Compressors - Scuba Engineer

Bauer Servicing Information All compressor servicing manuals archived on this page are Copyright of the BAUER COMP Holding AG, Munich, Germany. Click HERE

scubaengineer.com

for: Bauer service manual 2008 blocks

and then put your head bolts in a vice and use a $20.00 tool like this like in the other thread.

View attachment 696992

You can save your heat for the sausages


An aluminium jawed vice

OK, so I guess that the valve is screwed into the head, then the threads are bashed in to keep the valve in place reliably. To get the valve out, do you just use a lot of torque to overcome the damaged threads? Or do you first relieve the damaged threads by grinding them out?

 

[happy-diver]

Mate if you have the tool fully seated and hold it square
everything solid and you don't jump out of the job then
bit of an urgh, and the peened bits will be pushed aside

There is more resistance if they are cooked in, or seized
Tool has sharp edge, it will score aluminium so polish it.


The thing is I peen with a sharpened stainless pin out of an F-18 engine
about the size of a three inch nail, not a big mash hammer and tent peg


and copper anti seize, the copper sealing washers do gall
and back to the other thread, you inspect polish flip your
valves, before you splash out for new ones for no reason.

 

[OrcasC205]

The thing is I peen with a sharpened stainless pin out of an F-18 engine
about the size of a three inch nail, not a big mash hammer and tent peg

And here I thought I was the only one with a sharpened stainless pin out of an F-18 engine laying around my shop...

 

[PBcatfish]

And here I thought I was the only one with a sharpened stainless pin out of an F-18 engine laying around my shop...

Mine is actually the tungsten core out of an AP .50 cal round. Those things just litter the ground at the test ranges.(sounds of chest thumping)


Jokes aside, handy little tools can sometimes show up in the strangest places.

His basic premise about using a dainty instrument rather than a cave man's club was well taken. His comment about maybe just cleaning up the existing valves also hit home with me. I think I'll see if I can scare up a gasket kit for that thing before I go pulling the heads. I also need to get a check valve & some other little bits. It looks like Monday may be a shopping day for me, while many others are busy with after Christmas returns.

 

[PBcatfish]

...and copper anti seize, the copper sealing washers do gall...

Silly question for you here -is there a reason why you prefer the copper anti seize over the gray stuff?

 

[happy-diver]

 

[PBcatfish]

I found this example of a Coltri failure -
About 3:30 into the vid, you can see that a con rod separated.

 

[PBcatfish]

So far, I am seeing the following options -
Under $3k
Mantus Marine - cute little water cooled unit. Can't find any feedback from anyone who has used one. Runs on 110vac, 13A, but can't find a whole lot more info on it. Big question marks here.

$3k-$4k
Coltri MCH6 and Alkin W31.

The Coltri has a checkered reputation from past failures. Some who have used the newer ones have reported good success. One person who had some problematic old ones & knew Mr. Coltri himself, seems to think that they have gotten a lot better. This is also sold under the Maxair 35 brand name.

I haven't herd bad things about the Alkin yet. It has forced lubrication, which gives me the warm & fuzzys. I had been concerned about the W configuration being potentially unbalanced and inefficient, but as I look around, I see a lot of well respected compressors from people like Bauer also use a W configuration.

$5k
Bauer JrII
Everyone seems to like everything about this little guy, except maybe the price. It is available in 110vac, 220 single phase, 220 3 phase, Gas & maybe also diesel? The gas & diesels put out more air than the 220vac, which put out more than the 110vac. I suspect that's all just horsepower speaking. An auto drain version is also available, but the price is much higher.

 

[PBcatfish]

...
Where are your Utilus pictures man I can fix it!

It's your fault. It's all your fault.

Well, maybe it's not really all your fault, but I'm going to blame you anyway.

You're the second guy that suggested I take a crack at fixing that thing up. ...& now I've taken the bait.