HELP with K14 Bauer - Weird Symptoms

[Scuba_King]

Hello All,
I have read and learned a lot about compressors here from other posts, so I thought I would post my latest compressor symptoms and ask for some help from the experts if possible (thanks in advance!):

K14 was running for 2-3 hours, shuts off - Low Oil pressure - diagnosed down to blown pump drive belt. Replaced Shredded Oil Pump Drive Belt. Fixed....maybe not.

Next time I run it, now I notice Oil Pressure at 850 or so and then the needle bounces like crazy, all the way down to 450ish and all the way up to 1100-1200 AND I now have vibration and significant belt chatter on double belt Drive belts.

Think maybe new oil pump belt is "gripping" better and causing older drive belts to vibrate and chatter intermittently.

Scramble to find replacement belt. Belts on compressor were NAPA AV70, new belts from Bauer are AX71. New belt is FOR SURE longer than old belt even with stretch. Install them anyway as emails from bauer customer service told me were correct (I gave them block and serial number and hope they cross referenced??). New belts go on, adjust motor on hinge-hang to put enough tension on new belts and seems good. Run compressor and it sounds better and I get way longer periods of runtime when there is no belt chatter, but it does come back every few minutes and some times the one belt vibrates so much that it looks like it may even be rotating a bit between motor and drive pulley. Other times it runs perfectly smoothly and looks beautiful.

Question#1 - Does anyone agree that putting a little more tension on new belts and let them "run in" a bit and all of this is normal? Or am I missing something else simple?

Note - I have already taken apart oil pressure regulator, upon up close review (no micrometers or etc, just visual) seems that all parts are acceptable, clean and no obvious obstructions. Edge between ball and plate seems like a chamfer and am assuming that is correct.

Weird Note - May or may not be related to 4th stage, but I have noticed now after standing in front of this thing, non stop for the last 3 hour run, that the oil pressure will hover around 825-875 when originally turned on and all the way up until 4th stage is around 3000, then anytime after 3200 or so is when the oil pressure goes crazy as listed above. Could be a fluke but thought I'd mention. I will be running it again to fill 6 bottle 4500psi bank and 40+ cylinders tomorrow so I will watch again and see if same 3200+ anomaly comes up.

Question #2 - Does this help anyone make an educated guess at where I should check next?


Specs:
Bauer K 14
Block 87/0726/07
serial 10257

Plate from rebuilder says model K14.12 E3, and I know that is wrong because this is FOR SURE on single phase, so obviously the motor has been changed after original build, or rebuilder mislabeled.

5000psi, cut pressure 4500
Chemlube 800
Using Nitrox stick for up to 40%, most often %32
Securus filter system

Oil changes are done often, two oil changes ago oil "felt" great, doesn't smell burnt but has a silvery almost powdered metal component to it.

Had a leak in 3rd stage at head, removed head and noticed A LOT of carbon buildup on bottom of head. Cleaned, reassembled using ATV as gasket and resealed. I was surprised at how much carbon was in there.

Last oil change (WAY less than 100 hours since one before) was right when oil pressure problem showed up. I had fresh gallon on hand, so first thing I did was change the oil. Same silvery fine component as previous oil change, but this one looked much darker (dissolving carbon?).

New oil looked beautiful through sight glass on first test run, next day it ran again and oil was grey/silver in sight glass.

Bought this used from another scuba shop. Had around 200 hours on it (after rebuild) when purchased, has around 760 hours now. Originally did NOT have nitrox stick on it.

I changed oil to chemlube 800, not sure what was in it when purchased.
Read somewhere that you should only switch from regular oil to chemlube 800 after less than 50 hours of running. and knowing it had 200+ since rebuild I am way past that when I switched the oil.

All of this mess started after compressor sat idle (Great job Covid!) for around 3-3.5 months.

Sorry this is so long, but I just wanted to add as many details as I could to see if that helps.

All thoughts or ideas are appreciated. Hoping it is something simple, but really has me stumped as a very mechanical guy with no real compressor technician training.

Thanks again for taking the time to read, and possibly lend a helping hand.

Last but not least - go wash your hands.

 

[abnfrog]

the silvery slug is bad , i also think the high carbon is bad , its burning oil and the slug is possibly (probably metal) the factory bauer/ jordair in BC was adamant NOT to do constant blending with my rebuilt k15 , so maybe thats part of it .....sorry i couldn't be more help

 

[Miyaru]

The only thing I wouldn't worry about is the vibrating oil pressure needle. On 2 of my K14's they dance a little around 800psi. But once the pressure goed above 3200psi, the oil pressure certainly shouldn't rise. Combined with the silvery color (wear) and the carbon built-up (burned oil), I think you're gonna have to look at each cylinder.

I'm surprised that you managed to run a K14 on single-phase. I tried the strongest option for single phase, 2.2kW / 220V AC, but no luck. Smallest engine I now use is 3.6kW 3-phase.

 

[ofg-1]

Get a kit from Backstone and have your oil analyzed. They will do industrial equipment and will look for metals and other contaminants in the oil.

blackstone-labs.com

If the metal content is high, I would suspect the 4th stage.

.

 

[Scuba_King]

Is there any harm in opening up the 4th stage head and looking at it and reassembling without changing anything just to be sure?.

I am confident with the amount of silver metallic in the oil that something is pretty worn too, but a local compressor tech said not to worry about it, that is why I am here asking and not using them anymore. Thanks!

 

[Scuba_King]

the silvery slug is bad , i also think the high carbon is bad , its burning oil and the slug is possibly (probably metal) the factory bauer/ jordair in BC was adamant NOT to do constant blending with my rebuilt k15 , so maybe thats part of it .....sorry i couldn't be more help

I know that the area with the high carbon build up (3rd stage head) is where the leak was so I am not sure if that leak also helped allow the carbon build up more easily due to the leak (no idea if that makes sense). Just another thought.

 

[Scuba_King]

Get a kit from Backstone and have your oil analyzed. They will do industrial equipment and will look for metals and other contaminants in the oil.

blackstone-labs.com

If the metal content is high, I would suspect the 4th stage.

.

I just ordered the collection kit. Thanks for the idea. I will post results once I get them back from their lab.

 

[Scuba_King]

Also forgot to note that when belts were off, flywheel turns freely by hand, can feel pop when suction pulls though the intake, and motor turns smoothly and easily by hand also.

Thanks for taking the time to read and possibly help.

 

[Scuba_King]

My ultimate plan is to get another used compressor (no cash for new at this time) and put it online, take this bauer offline and get the 2000hr kit and clean and inspect and rebuild. Let me know if I'm crazy to think this is a good idea. Thanks again.

If anyone has a good deal on a used 5000psi single phase let me know. I found a mako 5000psi with less than 500 hours since original built at fire department, but its 3 phase so I am trying to avoid the wiring cost to run 3 phase to compressor room if I can.

 

[Air Guzzler]

I know this post is a little over a month old, just wondering if you are still having problems? @ 3200psi or so when you start having oil pressure problems/variation does the oil sight glass foam up, and can you attain final pressure w/o any issues? I have seen a bad final piston cause a problem like this, but if they get that bad you usually cant make final pressure, or it takes significantly longer. Do you know if the piston was replaced when "rebuilt" or just valves?