I beat the fuel fitting... And a thread for all the other mods to my deuce

[rustystud]

Ive looked thru the TM to try and understand how the stock compressor is fed oil. I couldn't find anything I felt was definitive, but it looks like there is an oil jet from the compressor bracket. They appear to be splash lubed. And a gravity drain back in bracket as well. I'll know more once I get it apart.

There is a hole that goes up to the rear main bearing, then it has a drilled crankshaft that feeds the rods and other bearing. The oil does splash around from the rods to get on the cylinder walls. The oil then drains back from the bottom down to the engine oil pan. All compressors have this configuration.

I forgot to mention that there is a metered orifice to the first bearing. Don't drill it out ! I made the mistake of doing this (for better performance) and ended up flooding the compressor with oil and dropping my engine oil pressure to boot !

 

[brianp454]

Hey Lino,

I designed some gear for the semiconductor capital equipment some years ago and did some deep drill heat exchanger plates. Usually, they used heat transfer fluids with low surface tension that would find any leak like nobody's business. Using tapered threads was a nightmare.

Parker and Swagelock have a host of 0-ring fittings and plugs that can get rid of some of your tapered threads. If you want I'll take time out to find the specific parts for you.

 

[brianp454]

I saw rebuilt ones from Napa for $300 but there was a $150-180 core charge on top of that!

Is there a NAPA part number for the compressor?

 

[Jeepsinker]

If I remember right, the point of using taper threads is so the end user can go to any hardware store and buy fittings of their choice to plumb it into the system, rather than having to order them. Taper fittings are available anywhere, and have proven to be fairly leak free on our trucks.

 

[lino]

Hey Lino,

I designed some gear for the semiconductor capital equipment some years ago and did some deep drill heat exchanger plates. Usually, they used heat transfer fluids with low surface tension that would find any leak like nobody's business. Using tapered threads was a nightmare.

Parker and Swagelock have a host of 0-ring fittings and plugs that can get rid of some of your tapered threads. If you want I'll take time out to find the specific parts for you.

Hey Brianp454, Thank you for the offer. I typically do my best to design out pipe threads for my day job, and I frequently dig thru both parker and swagelok catalogs...

And while I really do hate tapered threads, I opted to use them in this design for the following reasons:
(if you don't mind me getting wordy...)

1) They are already prolifically used on deuces
2) One goal of the filter setup is low cost, and pipe threads are almost always cheaper
3) there would have been pipe threads anyway. This has to adapt to plastic fuel line and to affordable gauges. Both of those will have pipe fittings
4) pressures in this system are well under 100 psi. Pipe threads behave pretty well at these pressures
5) All pipe threads go into aluminum (soft compared to steel or ss), so threads can deform well to seal.
6) Finally! None of the places I used pipe threads are meant to be removed after install. (Designed for single installation)

ciao
lino

 

[lino]

There is a hole that goes up to the rear main bearing, then it has a drilled crankshaft that feeds the rods and other bearing. The oil does splash around from the rods to get on the cylinder walls. The oil then drains back from the bottom down to the engine oil pan. All compressors have this configuration.

I forgot to mention that there is a metered orifice to the first bearing. Don't drill it out ! I made the mistake of doing this (for better performance) and ended up flooding the compressor with oil and dropping my engine oil pressure to boot !

Hey rustystud,

That is what I thought would be the case with this compressor, but have a look at these pics I took of the bottom today...


I don't see any sign of an oil feed hole in the base.
Does anyone have a pic of the base of the stock compressor, or a pic of the mount?

And I'm a little confused because if you look at the datasheet (page 7 on this thread), on the first page where it says "Optional Installation Choices:", item 4 talks about bottom oiling and removing plug #15 if so. Unfortunately, both the pictures and the parts lists don't reach item #15...

The base gasket also suggest there should be an oil supply port, as there is a hole between the two mount holes, just under the bearings...

ciao
lino

 

[Jeepsinker]

Could be they took that part out of the design over time, or you may have gotten one that just doesn't have that port for one reason or another. I've heard a hundred different reasons for slight design changes from what the manual was written on.
You can always plug the feed hole in the base and run an external oil feed from somewhere else.

I'd find somewhere that has another one of these in stock, have them pull it off the shelf, and see if it has plug #15.

 

[peashooter]

Well Lino, you got me pretty excited about this. I ended up buying a new Bendix Tu-Flo 550 (4 hole basemount version) off of ebay for cheap. I'll give it a go also. Its 13.2cfm and looks like the big brother to the twin cylinder compressor I had on my truck originally (7.4cfm).
Fingers Crossed!

 

[peashooter]

That bears a striking resemblance to the twin cylinder compressors that came on some multifuels... but I don't know the cfm rating on them.

-Twin cyl output is 7.4cfm @ 1250rpm
-single cyl output is 7.25cfm @ 1250rpm

 

[Jeepsinker]

Aaron, it'll be interesting to see if yours has the plugged oil galley entrance on the bottom or not.

 

[peashooter]

Aaron, it'll be interesting to see if yours has the plugged oil galley entrance on the bottom or not.

Yeah, I don't think it will have the bottom feed oil port either. Perhaps I can machine the bottom feed oil port into the compressor casting or make a spacer plate with a drilled path that can route the oil to the edge of the plate and then a tube from the plate to the compressor.
I think that a more ideal compressor is perhaps a Bendix Tu-flo 500, some of those models have the "base oil option", there are a couple models that have that with ports on the correct side. I think the tu-500 puts out 12cfm so it's still a nice improvement.
If anyone can figure out the oil routing, it will be Lino, so I'll just have to wait and see what he does

 

[Jeepsinker]

You can oil it with a line from a galley plug on the block...

 

[rustystud]

Hey rustystud,

That is what I thought would be the case with this compressor, but have a look at these pics I took of the bottom today...
View attachment 600252View attachment 600253View attachment 600254

I don't see any sign of an oil feed hole in the base.
Does anyone have a pic of the base of the stock compressor, or a pic of the mount?

And I'm a little confused because if you look at the datasheet (page 7 on this thread), on the first page where it says "Optional Installation Choices:", item 4 talks about bottom oiling and removing plug #15 if so. Unfortunately, both the pictures and the parts lists don't reach item #15...

The base gasket also suggest there should be an oil supply port, as there is a hole between the two mount holes, just under the bearings...

ciao
lino

Check the bearing support. Some of these compressors used an external line to the bearing retainer (IHC comes to mind) .There should be a pipe plug there (1/8" NPT) .

 

[lino]

Well Lino, you got me pretty excited about this. I ended up buying a new Bendix Tu-Flo 550 (4 hole basemount version) off of ebay for cheap. I'll give it a go also. Its 13.2cfm and looks like the big brother to the twin cylinder compressor I had on my truck originally (7.4cfm).
Fingers Crossed!

Awesome Aaron!

THe Tu-Flo models seemed like they were the best choice for a replacement. I was never able to find one for as good a deal as the one I got, but that's the one I was after to start with.
Hopefully the oiling system mates up correctly! Keep us posted!

 

[lino]

So I got a little further on the oiling issue...

Here's a pic with the side cover removed and both the side cover and base gasket in place.


So to me, it seems like all that I'm missing is a hole that connects the the two holes in the gaskets. If the pen were a drill:


Why that hole is left out, who knows?
As long as it's not meant to be a metering orifice as well, I can drill it. Though it's not a trivial task. Ya need to start drilling in one gasket hole, and make darn sure you come out in the other gasket hole. Has to be an angled hole, as opposed to two perpendicular holes off each face, as there isn't enough material behind in the casting... So you do get about 2 diameters of position tolerance, which is comfy, but...
... if you mess up, the repair is a royal pain in the neck (or other body part)

Anyway, I'm not drilling anything until I make sure the mount base on the truck has that feed hole too.

I'm also glad I opened it up, as this is a "rebuilt" unit.


I'm not sure you'll be able to see it in the pic, but the oil feed hole, in the part on the left, is full of abrasive blast media. Seems like walnut shell or something.
Perfectly stored to either plug the oiling system, or wear out the bearings, as soon as the compressor is operated.

Sooo, looks like I'll be pulling the whole turkey apart to clean it before it goes in...

ciao
lino

 

[peashooter]

Awesome Aaron!

THe Tu-Flo models seemed like they were the best choice for a replacement. I was never able to find one for as good a deal as the one I got, but that's the one I was after to start with.
Hopefully the oiling system mates up correctly! Keep us posted!

After I ordered the Tu-flo 550 I realized that series didn't have the base oil option, the TU-flo 500 series has a couple though. I was able to find a Midland KN13060 for $100 off eBay (from Saturn surplus of all places). This one has the base oil option on it so the oil inlet hole is the same place as the stock compressor on the bottom. Some other compressors with the oil supply hole on the bottom are: Bendix 279356 (279356x), 227320 (227320x), 283690 (283690x), midland EL13060 (EL13060x), KN13060.

 

[lino]

After I ordered the Tu-flo 550 I realized that series didn't have the base oil option, the TU-flo 500 series has a couple though. I was able to find a Midland KN13060 for $100 off eBay (from Saturn surplus of all places). This one has the base oil option on it so the oil inlet hole is the same place as the stock compressor on the bottom. Some other compressors with the oil supply hole on the bottom are: Bendix 279356 (279356x), 227320 (227320x), 283690 (283690x), midland EL13060 (EL13060x), KN13060.

Ahh, a bit more digging and it looks like you are right. The difference between the 13020(that I've got) and the 13060 is that oil feed hole...

And that's a heck of a price!

Please post pics once you get it. I'm curious how they made the hole, and if it appears to do any oil metering/restricting.

 

[Jeepsinker]

If it is anything like the original compressor, it will incorporate a metered orifice, just as Rustystud mentioned before. Lack of a metered orifice drops engine oil pressure and can flood the compressor with oil.

 

[peashooter]

Ahh, a bit more digging and it looks like you are right. The difference between the 13020(that I've got) and the 13060 is that oil feed hole...

And that's a heck of a price!

Please post pics once you get it. I'm curious how they made the hole, and if it appears to do any oil metering/restricting.

Yeah I'll draw up a model of it for you or even send the whole thing to you depending on how simple or complex the oil passage is.

 

[rustystud]

There is a metered orifice in all air compressors. Like I mentioned earlier if you drill it out you will flood the compressor with oil. If I remember right the hole should be 1/16" .