New filter stack ideas for my Bauer Mariner 190

[Nino5206]

Looks like an awesome unit. I doubt that there is anything wrong with the current filter housing, most likely never had too many cycles through it.

But, since you are in Adelaide, go and see Rob from Dependable Distributors, they have been dealing with compressors for years and offer all sorts of useful advice and umpteen years ago became a Bauer distributor.
I bought an NOS Walter Kidd off him a few years back and found him to be very helpful, sold me a LF filter housing for much less than it was worth. They have all sorts of stuff out the back that is very useful to guys like us.

It took me a little while to get hold of Rob, he sold his business about 4 years ago and now works at B.L. Shipway. He unfortunately doesn't deal with anything scuba related anymore.

 

[michael-fisch]

Epoxy on the threads isn't a good idea since most epoxys harden while curing and become brittle. The glued threads will then always leak.

Locktite makes several threadsealants that would work. I have used Locktite 542 successfully on copper sealing rings. You might want to give it a try. If you do, make sure to use a slightly undersized tap on the female threads, the last thing you need is a sealing screw that has a sloppy fit in loose threads.

Michael

How to make a slightly undersized tap:
Get a standard 3 tap set.
Use the 2-ring and 1-ring taps without modification.
On the no-ring (finishing) chuck it into a drillpress, then glue stripes of 320 or 400 grit Alum oxide sandpaper on a thin hardwood board or piece of glass. Keep it wet with water and sand the tap while it is turning in the drill press. You don't have to take a lot of material off, what you want to achieve is that it takes a bit of force to screw the screw in. This will require experimenting with several holes that you drilled and didn't tap past the 1 and 2 ring taps in similar aluminium (pre 1989 Luxfer alum tanks are ideal for this).

 

[Nino5206]

Maybe it's best that I just get a new tower instead of having a bolt come lose at 300 bar.

American Airworks seems to have filtration system that aren't too expensive, does anyone know if they actually make them and if they are of good quality?

 

[Angelo Farina]

Maybe it's best that I just get a new tower instead of having a bolt come lose at 300 bar.

American Airworks seems to have filtration system that aren't too expensive, does anyone know if they actually make them and if they are of good quality?

????
How can the bolt become lose with 300 bar pushing over it? Of course the bolt must be screwed inside-out, with the head inside the tower...
I suggest a conical head with hex recess, as this type of screws are always at least of resistance class 10.9.

 

[prid1279]

It took me a little while to get hold of Rob, he sold his business about 4 years ago and now works at B.L. Shipway. He unfortunately doesn't deal with anything scuba related anymore.

Bum steer, sorry. Really is unfortunate, he was one of the most helpful guys I found in a country-wide search at the beginning of my compressor research/building.

 

[prid1279]

Tapping a thread might sound a bit dodgy but it may work.
Is the hole drilled in an accessible area of the housing that doesn't foul other connections/threads? All those threads share the load and with some thread tape or liquid sealant you might have a winner. Every other fitting is screwed in.
I certainly wouldn't go for a tapered thread due to the difficulty of tapping but a full depth parallel thread will give a lot of strength, BSPP and a dowty seal may be all that you need. Check with a hydraulic shop to be certain, their stuff deals with these sorts of pressures day in and day out.

 

[Nino5206]

I'll see what I can do with tapping a thread into it, in the meantime any advise on a good aftermarket filtration system?

I've seen some towers that have an inbuilt coalscaler, are they as good as the ones that have one before the final filter? (seperate unit?

 

[Agro]

For god's sake do not use this filter anymore!!!! The whole was made at the "right"place, in the tube, not in the non critical lower body with it's drain valves. The tube can be compared to a dive cylinder, heavy risk of explosion if anyhow dammaged. And a whole is a hell of a dammage.

They are idiots to destroy a filter of <3'000 hours but the DID destroy it. Sorry to say so.

Coltri is producing larger Filters at a reasonnable price.

 

[Agro]

The screw will not come out, even if you have the head outside. Good thread quality, small thread, long thred, this will be no problem on 300 bar. But the tube may explode! The tube is dammaged. Do you dive a dammaged dive cylinder? Do you make a thread in the dive cylinders tube?

 

[Nino5206]

The screw will not come out, even if you have the head outside. Good thread quality, small thread, long thred, this will be no problem on 300 bar. But the tube may explode! The tube is dammaged. Do you dive a dammaged dive cylinder? Do you make a thread in the dive cylinders tube?

Hey Agro,

I'm not trying to fix the existing tower I'm more after new filtration system ideas.