axle movement in a Coltri

[Sebastian Aguirre]

Hi,

I recently bought a Coltri MCH6, just have a few hours on it.

I started feeling a different noise, and looking closely I noted that the axle/crankshaft has a small axial movement. It moves just 1-2 mm, that I can see both in the pulley and in the fan. The hole shaft move back an forth and there is a slight different noise when it does it.

I informed the dealer on friday, but they got no answer from Italy yet.

I have not been advised not to use it, but I´m afraid it could grenade if a rod gets broken.

Oil level is OK and it charges fine.

Thanks in advance,

Sebastian

 

[roastbeef]

Sell it and get your self a Bauer. Those Coltri things are like Fiats they need to be worked on every day.

 

[Sebastian Aguirre]

Still no word from the dealer wether the crankshaft movement is normal or not.

I have been looking the diagrams of the unit, and I cant find anything to tighten the crankshaft, except the flanges at the sides of the crankcase, wich are well tightened. Maybe some spacer is of the wrong lenght, wich allows the axial movement of the crankshaft?

Thnks for the advise Roastbeef, but it is not an easy option here.

 

[CraigAClark]

I have seen Bauers do this with no ill effects. Unless Coltri has change their design, the case hardened, connecting rod needle bearings run on the soft crankshaft metal. Changing the oil at 25 running hours has been recommended by a Coltri distributor. I think this recommendation is more to prevent the 4th stage plunger from seizing though.

 

[ti325v]

My bad, I read /16 and you wrote /6. I may as well keep this up as it could help somebody.
One simple thing to check...
The center bolt in the flywheel.
I have a /16 and that bolt came a bit loose a time or two, First time it happened I swapped the bearing, (A three hour job) as mine is a very old one with very low hours. (Pre 1995 `s or so came with some crummy Indian bearings)....It was making a little ticking sound.
When I went to pull the fly wheel I found the bolt loose, I was in there anyway so I did the bearing.
Flywheel loosened up a bit after 50 hours, some blue locktight and 150 trouble free hours since, no discern able play in the assembly.
I also have a k-14, near new with no play in the crank either.
Sounds like nothing, unless you have a very old one. Don`t worry if it is one of the Indian bearings you will give plenty of notice before it lets go.

 

[rcontrera]

A little movement on the little guys is not a problem. I checked a Jr II and a MCH6 and both had a little bit of slop as far as axial movement ... tiny ... but still there.

 

[iain/hsm]

In essence you have a bad compressor, and essentially from what you say the axial play is beyond economical repair as far as the manufacturer is concerned, its a big job and not worth the effort on such a small pump.

Therefore the typical response will be to tell you not to worry and to use it as is.

As far as the warranty is concerned the manufacturer knows he is better off letting you use it and from experience he will have concluded that it will probably last at least the one year warranty period.

Thereafter when it finally breaks down outside the warranty period the manufacturer gets you to pay for the repair. The change in noise is the give away.