I got a compressor with unknown history. Startup precautions?

[USNMARS]

Well I got all three running good. I took the filter housings off and cleaned them out with simple green. The unit spun freely, so since they were basically empty I topped them off with oil, ran it for a little bit and did an oil change. The oil that was in there looked like honey so I did a series of 4 oil changes. More than likely overkill but better safe than sorry. The soga 120v motor had such a huge current draw so I put the harbor freight predator 212 gas motor on all three. For 99 when they are on sale you can't beat them, and a direct bolt up too. I put a 10' extension hose on the air intake and filled my first tank yesterday. 19 minutes for an aluminum 80. I put a calibrated CO monitor on the tank and ambient CO was 3ppm and the tank had 4ppm so I am happy. I think the compressors were new though, all three had what I think was the factory test filter in them. It was just black plastic unlike the breathing air ones which were clear plastic. Hopefully today I will do a dive with a tank from the compressors, for the price I paid for all three I couldn't be happier.

---------- Post added April 7th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ----------

Someone pm'd me asking about the belt and pulley on the predator. Both I got at Tractor Supply, the pulley is 3.5" diameter and I used a 32" belt. The motor starts first pull and powers the compressors absolutely fine.

 

[rcontrera]

That black filter is actually the European filter the compressors are shipped with. In the US, we pull them and install one made for us.

 

[USNMARS]

Ray, I am interested in adding a little extra filtration. Which would you recommend, one of the personal filters inline with my fil whip or an extra filter tower installed inline with the output of the existing filter tower. Also the personal filters, are they capable of having JIC fitting on the input/output versus the DIN?

 

[rcontrera]

The personal filter is kind of a special little beast. Basically, it is the same filter housing as is installed on the MCH6 with fittings on the ends. What is missing is a priority valve to maintain a back pressure so you have to throttle the tank valve to keep the back pressure you need.

It would be a lot better to just install another filter tower. You could put an additional MCH6 tower on the frame if you have room. Just make sure to shift your priority valve over to the outlet of the new filter tower.

 

[CraigAClark]

The filtration on mine produced A grade oil/water. Had a brand new faber 12 litre steel with rust in it and 8 contaminated tanks, on first use of the compressor. Complained and was told nothing they could do as it was "my fault"

You do realize that you have to adjust filter life based on ambient temps? Not sure if you are talking about the Coltri filtration on an MCH6 or a Bauer Triplex (059183)? Bauer uses a inlet temp conversion sheet. Basically, if you are running in an ambient temp of 90F, the inlet temp is 105F. This will cut the rated capacity of their filters down to 43%. So, on a 059183 Triplex the 3200 cf capacity is reduced to 1376 cf. That will give you a max of 5.7 running hours on a Junior II, 3.8 on a Capitano II and 2.7 on a Mariner II. Now consider that the standard cartridge that comes on the above Coltri units have maybe 2/3 the chemicals the Triplex has and your running hours are even less. Of course these numbers are based on draining the condensate every 15 to 20 minutes for the Bauers.

 

[rcontrera]

He was talking about the Chinese knockoff. They are pretty awful compressors.

 

[CraigAClark]

He was talking about the Chinese knockoff. They are pretty awful compressors.

Guess I should go back and reread. Anyway, the info may be of use to others.

 

[Peter69_56]

You do realize that you have to adjust filter life based on ambient temps? Not sure if you are talking about the Coltri filtration on an MCH6 or a Bauer Triplex (059183)? Bauer uses a inlet temp conversion sheet. Basically, if you are running in an ambient temp of 90F, the inlet temp is 105F. This will cut the rated capacity of their filters down to 43%. So, on a 059183 Triplex the 3200 cf capacity is reduced to 1376 cf. That will give you a max of 5.7 running hours on a Junior II, 3.8 on a Capitano II and 2.7 on a Mariner II. Now consider that the standard cartridge that comes on the above Coltri units have maybe 2/3 the chemicals the Triplex has and your running hours are even less. Of course these numbers are based on draining the condensate every 15 to 20 minutes for the Bauers.

This crap filter had a small diameter aluminium tube inside. Maybe about 15-20mm which held the filter medium, so held very little material. an O ring sealed at the top where the dirty air was kept from the clean air. Unfortunately in their design, they made the sealing surface the same diameter as the cap thread. As you screwed the system together it damaged the O ring, thus the air bypassed the filter material. It had NO cartridge inside, but had to be filled by the op. There was also no back pressure valve to ensure the filter worked as designed. As the other Op said, a crap copy/design or whatever it was. Some of the internal components in the filter appeared steel thus rusted within a few weeks. Interestingly it looks very very similar to the earlier coltrie's.

I don't use graphs and such to check when a cartridge has expired. I weigh the cartridge. Its a simple formulae, molecular sieve weight by 20%. MS can carry 20% by weight of water/oil. If you know the MS content then weight is a very simple and accurate way to determine when the cartridge is fully used. Also I now double filter everything.