Bauer Varius

[spinksy235]

Hi there, I have a Bauer varius compressor and to cut a long story short i need to change the rings in the 2nd stage. Havent done work on it before but do have mechanical knowlege and seems straight forward so can someone tell me if i have got it wrong. Its a 3 stage compressor so starting from the motor and working to the filter stack the second stage is in the middle right? And is it a case of taking the head off, then the cylinder taking the old rings off the piston then placing the new ones on then put it back together. Is it this straight forward or is there something else? As this compressor is a mid 80's it has no repair manual so i would greatly appreciate any input from any experienced repair guys out there. Any torque settings would be a great help too. Thanks

 

[mala]

the first stage is the middle one if I remember right.
If you cant get any more local info I have a comprehensive manuel somewhere.

 

[spinksy235]

Ok thanks so would that mean the one closest to the motor is the second stage

 

[divingtactics]

Yep, air enters from the first stage (middle), then goes to the second stage (close to motor) and is finally transferred to the third stage. Changing rings is fairly straight forward, but you should hone the bore first to remove ridges/scratches/marks and make sure it is within spec or changing the rings will do little to help you. You also have to be really careful not to stretch the rings too much when putting them on the piston as they snap easily. Torque settings will be 10Nm (7ft.lbs) for 6mm bolts on that head. Google the Bauer Workshop Manual, while your compressor is excluded, it can help substantially with understanding how to fit the rings, gap offsets etc.

 

[mala]

there are probably 4 rings.
the bottom 2 are angled and have to go in a certain position.

 

[CraigAClark]

You best make sure that the cylinder isn't worn out, or replacing the rings will be useless.

 

[spinksy235]

Thanks for the input, How much for a new cylinder and rings Craig? Might just bite the bullet and change it

 

[CraigAClark]

Why do you think that the rings are bad? Finding a cylinder for a machine that had very limited production might be a problem. The final stage discharge valve 007780 might also be tough to come by. The Varius is the only Bauer unit I'm aware of that used a camlobe to operate the final stage piston. My point being, it might not be worth fixing.

 

[spinksy235]

Craig, Had some work done to it a few months back, New 3 rd stage piston and sleeve, and change valves in 2nd and 3rd. Original quote had a change of rings in second stage but this didnt get done and have noticed fill times are getting a little longer so want to do the rings and see if it makes a difference.

 

[CraigAClark]

Craig, Had some work done to it a few months back, New 3 rd stage piston and sleeve, and change valves in 2nd and 3rd. Original quote had a change of rings in second stage but this didnt get done and have noticed fill times are getting a little longer so want to do the rings and see if it makes a difference.

What made the tech decide that the cylinder needed replacing? How did the tech measure the wear to determine it needed repacement?