Moisture separator

[David Iver]

I recently purchased an older and well used mch6 that I'm cleaning up and refurbishing prior to putting it into service. The previous owner attached an aftermarket filter housing to it and was using the existing coltri towers as moisture seperators by filling them with marbles. My question is: do the housings filled with marbles each need to have a drain installed? It would seem this would be the case, but there are drains only on the first housing (original coalescer) and on the second. Will there be any issues with tapping threads into the base of the other two housings and installing the proper bleed valves?

 

[oxyhacker]

If they are earning their keep as separators, then they will need to have drains. Otherwise, there would be no point in having them.

The MCH6s I have seen all have just a moisture separator and a media stack, both with drain valves on them. Without knowing what the others are, it is impossible to say if it would be safe to drill them. A picture would help.

Add-on media stacks often don't have drains, nor drillings for them. Seems off, seeing how when I blow out final stacks that do have drains I almost always get some moisture. However I would hesitate to drill one to add a drain without a lot of thought, and without having the right tools.

I recently purchased an older and well used mch6 that I'm cleaning up and refurbishing prior to putting it into service. The previous owner attached an aftermarket filter housing to it and was using the existing coltri towers as moisture seperators by filling them with marbles. My question is: do the housings filled with marbles each need to have a drain installed? It would seem this would be the case, but there are drains only on the first housing (original coalescer) and on the second. Will there be any issues with tapping threads into the base of the other two housings and installing the proper bleed valves?

 

[pescador775]

Drains must be installed. Drill/tap 1/8 pipe thread. Make sure that there is enough metal to do it. The drain channel should not remove excess metal, a 3/32 hole is plenty big. Install small, stainless valve with Formula 8 or other pipe dope, not tape. Plenty of valves on EBay. A 3000 or higher rating will do.

 

[David Iver]

I have it all torn down right now, but here is a picture of the towers arranged as they would be installed with the coalescer on the right and the final on the far left. The shorter ones are 9 3/8" long and the two longer ones are 12" long.


edit: can't post pics until I have 5 posts.

 

[David Iver]

I know coltri sub makes small filter cartridges for these. Are they designed to go in the shorter or longer vessels?

 

[David Iver]

I'm planning on using Chemlube 751 when I get it running, with a couple of good flushes due to not knowing what it was running with previously.

 

[David Iver]

post #5

 

[David Iver]

I have it all torn down right now, but here is a picture of the towers arranged as they would be installed with the coalescer on the right and the final on the far left. The shorter ones are 9 3/8" long and the two longer ones are 12" long.


edit: can't post pics until I have 5 posts.

Sorry about that, but I had to get to 5 posts in order to post a picture.

http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo205/davidiver/IMG_0735_1.jpg

 

[pescador775]

How does one disassemble the final? It looks like a fitting has to be removed before unscrewing the cap. They look home made.

 

[David Iver]

The final is the one on the left. Coalescer is on the right with drain fitting at the base. The top and bottom caps are removed with a face spanner. I don't have one yet, but used a pair of needle nose pliers and a crescent wrench. I don't think they are home made. They are mounted on the drive side of the compressor and motor in an aluminum bracket. I can take some more pictures of the compressor this evening when I get home, since I'm starting to put it back together. I purchased it off ebay, so in the meantime, here is the link showing some "before" pics of it.

Aero Sub Dive Compressor - eBay (item 300264167977 end time Oct-12-08 07:53:16 PDT)