O2 conversion on Sierra Booster

[Tracy]

I have done several.
Depending on the year of your Sierra, it is probably a masterline pump. Sierra hasn't made their own pumps in over a decade. The conversion is straightforward and takes less than a day.
Ditch the liquid filled 10k gauges and pick up a 3k and a 5k dry gauge.
Swap the motor pulley down to 2.95" to bring the pump speed to 540 rpm.
Pull off the steel lines. I swap the head fittings to 1/4 JIC for ease and cost.
Make a steel line from the inlet to the lower head inlet. Make a line from the lower outlet to the upper inlet. Run from the upper outlet to the existing outlet "X" fitting.
Set your pressure cutout switch to 3100.
Test run and leak check with air.
Disassemble and clean all components and lines.
Disassemble and rebuild pump with new seals.
Assemble unit and enjoy your $5000 savings.

McMaster pulley is 6204K159
gauges are 4003k93

 

[tbone1004]

I have done several.
Depending on the year of your Sierra, it is probably a masterline pump. Sierra hasn't made their own pumps in over a decade. The conversion is straightforward and takes less than a day.
Ditch the liquid filled 10k gauges and pick up a 3k and a 5k dry gauge.
Swap the motor pulley down to 2.95" to bring the pump speed to 540 rpm.
Pull off the steel lines. I swap the head fittings to 1/4 JIC for ease and cost.
Make a steel line from the inlet to the lower head inlet. Make a line from the lower outlet to the upper inlet. Run from the upper outlet to the existing outlet "X" fitting.
Set your pressure cutout switch to 3100.
Test run and leak check with air.
Disassemble and clean all components and lines.
Disassemble and rebuild pump with new seals.
Assemble unit and enjoy your $5000 savings.

McMaster pulley is 6204K159
gauges are 4003k93

That's essentially what I was planning on doing in terms of making it a 2-stage pump though using VFD to slow down. Glad to see no issues leaving it 2-stage with the same piston sizes on both in terms of balancing issues.

Can anyone confirm that the stock masterlines are identical piston sizes on both ends? It appears that way in the manual and drawings that they sent to me, but I haven't called to confirm.

 

[Tracy]

That's essentially what I was planning on doing in terms of making it a 2-stage pump though using VFD to slow down. Glad to see no issues leaving it 2-stage with the same piston sizes on both in terms of balancing issues.

Can anyone confirm that the stock masterlines are identical piston sizes on both ends? It appears that way in the manual and drawings that they sent to me, but I haven't called to confirm.

Yes, Sierra has been buying their pumps from Masterline for quite awhile. They are the same pump. You get a 5:1 in a Sierra and a 10:1 with a masterline.

 

[iain/hsm]

Yes, Sierra has been buying their pumps from Masterline for quite awhile. They are the same pump. You get a 5:1 in a Sierra and a 10:1 with a masterline.

This is confusing readers and myself. To kick off define Masterline it's not the same Masterline company your quoting nor is it the original.

The original Masterline company and this booster was suppled to Arnold Henry not manufactured by him.
and while we are at it neither is it the original Sierra, The original Sierra company was called Sierra Precision and they made the Royln range of precision pressure gauges and this booster. They were taken over and became known as 3D instruments and in turn they were taken over by the present pressure gauge company known as WIKA Instruments.

Now the Masterline company your talking about took over from Arnold Henry and his wife the original Masterline Compressors Santa Ana when he retired from the industry. They are not even in the same state.

Now please define "I have done several" is that several dozen you have done or just counting on one hand with three fingers missing?
Also while we are at it did you measure the 2nd stage inlet pressure and just to be useful also the approach temperature for each of the applied inlet pressures on the 1st stage
considering your change of application from air to oxygen that is? Just saying.

 

[tbone1004]

@Tracy apparently this one was looked at by a guy in Ocala who works on them and said the heads need to be shaved a touch to be able to work with the current parts kits from Masterline. Familiar with that?

@iain/hsm any objections to the compressor being 2-stage with the same compression ratio? Not sure what the ratios are on these but call it 30:1 for shits and giggles so it would be a 30/30 instead of 15/30 or whatever?

 

[rddvet]

This is confusing readers and myself. To kick off define Masterline it's not the same Masterline company your quoting nor is it the original.

The original Masterline company and this booster was suppled to Arnold Henry not manufactured by him.
and while we are at it neither is it the original Sierra, The original Sierra company was called Sierra Precision and they made the Royln range of precision pressure gauges and this booster. They were taken over and became known as 3D instruments and in turn they were taken over by the present pressure gauge company known as WIKA Instruments.

Now the Masterline company your talking about took over from Arnold Henry and his wife the original Masterline Compressors Santa Ana when he retired from the industry. They are not even in the same state.

Now please define "I have done several" is that several dozen you have done or just counting on one hand with three fingers missing?
Also while we are at it did you measure the 2nd stage inlet pressure and just to be useful also the approach temperature for each of the applied inlet pressures on the 1st stage
considering your change of application from air to oxygen that is? Just saying.

I'm glad you chimed in because his comments didn't make any sense to me based on my knowledge (limited knowledge) of Masterlines and Sierras. I am pretty positive the guys at masterline (in Washington state) don't also make Sierras. I don't have enough knowledge to argue the point, so kept quiet. But it didn't fit with what I've been told. I think we can all agree you are the most knowledgeable on this stuff.

 

[Tracy]

This is confusing readers and myself. To kick off define Masterline it's not the same Masterline company your quoting nor is it the original.

The original Masterline company and this booster was suppled to Arnold Henry not manufactured by him.
and while we are at it neither is it the original Sierra, The original Sierra company was called Sierra Precision and they made the Royln range of precision pressure gauges and this booster. They were taken over and became known as 3D instruments and in turn they were taken over by the present pressure gauge company known as WIKA Instruments.

Now the Masterline company your talking about took over from Arnold Henry and his wife the original Masterline Compressors Santa Ana when he retired from the industry. They are not even in the same state.

Now please define "I have done several" is that several dozen you have done or just counting on one hand with three fingers missing?
Also while we are at it did you measure the 2nd stage inlet pressure and just to be useful also the approach temperature for each of the applied inlet pressures on the 1st stage
considering your change of application from air to oxygen that is? Just saying.

I meant several as in more than one. I have done three of them. If I had done several dozen I would say that.
I am basing my information off of noticing they appeared to be the same pump. Calling Masterline Inc out in Washington and having him confirm it is indeed the same pump. Masterline Inc told me they manufacture the pumps that Sierra puts in their boosters. They are the same pump, the difference is in the plumbing and overall packaging.
Who originally owned the company and what Sierra used to call themselves doesn't make any difference to me.
I did not add any gauges or change anything inside the pump. I merely match the speed and change the plumbing to match what another company has already tested and confirmed to work.

 

[Tracy]

@Tracy apparently this one was looked at by a guy in Ocala who works on them and said the heads need to be shaved a touch to be able to work with the current parts kits from Masterline. Familiar with that?

@iain/hsm any objections to the compressor being 2-stage with the same compression ratio? Not sure what the ratios are on these but call it 30:1 for shits and giggles so it would be a 30/30 instead of 15/30 or whatever?

I am not familiar with that, but it is entirely possible. If you call Masterline in Washington, they are incredibly helpful and could tell you more.

They are a 5:1 single stage from Sierra, 10:1 dual stage how Masterline plumbs them.

 

[wasian]

Hello I found a Sierra booster on eBay last spring for 2gs and I got it to my place in Washington masterline in Auburn adjusted the plumbing to make a two stage double acting I think but I can scavenge he down to about 200 psi interested in a o2 conversion that would make my Haskell obsolete

 

[tbone1004]

Hello I found a Sierra booster on eBay last spring for 2gs and I got it to my place in Washington masterline in Auburn adjusted the plumbing to make a two stage double acting I think but I can scavenge he down to about 200 psi interested in a o2 conversion that would make my Haskell obsolete

can you post some good pictures of the inside to show the plumbing? As far as making it O2 clean, slow it down with a sheave change and put the O2 clean kits in after O2 cleaning it and you should be good to go