- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
Does anyone know who the mfg is of the mast used on these gensets? Or where I could find seals for it? I've spent the afternoon searching and came up with nil.
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TP-5A4-DC Genset mast seals
- Thread starter patracy
- Start date
- 16,784
- 24,129
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
http://www.tianhemast.com
Have you tried this place?
Also, are you sure you need seals? I worked on a system like this. We had to lube the mast, so the seals would stay pliable. When they dried out, the tubes lost air. Is there on the bottom of the mast, a large plug? We inserted a "wand" with holes in it, that was connected to a pressurized oilier. Sprayed oil in and then exercised the mast to distribute the oil.
Have you tried this place?
Also, are you sure you need seals? I worked on a system like this. We had to lube the mast, so the seals would stay pliable. When they dried out, the tubes lost air. Is there on the bottom of the mast, a large plug? We inserted a "wand" with holes in it, that was connected to a pressurized oilier. Sprayed oil in and then exercised the mast to distribute the oil.
- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
Doesn't look like the mast I have.
Yes, at least one seal is bad. It actually was pinched and split in two. Causing it to jam when trying to lift or retract. I tried spraying air tool oil in as well before removing the section in question.
Yes, at least one seal is bad. It actually was pinched and split in two. Causing it to jam when trying to lift or retract. I tried spraying air tool oil in as well before removing the section in question.
- 16,784
- 24,129
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
It would be interesting to see how Wil-Burt did the seals. On the AMG mast I used to work on, the seals were leather. They were formed under pressure, heat and with the leather soaked in water. The seals looked like someone had cut the bottom off, of a paper coffee cup. About an inch from the bottom. There was a hole in the middle of the seal, to bolt it to the bottom of each mast section. Then, a "seal spreader" was added to the seal. The mounting bolt passed through the spreader, then the seal, and into the bottom of the mast section. The spreader was made of a alloy, that appeared to be copper coated, but the metal was almost like spring steel. As long as the seal stayed moist, from oiling, it was pliable. The spreader kept the edges pressed up against the side of the mast tube. Thus maintaining a good seal, (in theory) and only allowing minimal leakage, (in theory). Our system was a bit more complicated as we had a air tank, regulators, and two compressors. One AC, one DC. Our mast was about 30.5 meters tall. Post a few pictures. Would like to see it.
- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
Here's a few pics of it. Also the seal they used.
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- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
Talked with Will-Burt and the mast is not one made by them. So I guess I'll be seeing what the seals (not at all a match, but close) I ordered will do.
- 16,784
- 24,129
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
Nice set up!! Great power gen portion.
Seals work for me too. I didn't like the leather seals GTE/Sylvania Corp used. But it worked, and still works. Yours, like the AMG, needs to be lubed every once in a while to keep the seals undamaged. And we found, that lowering and raising the mast 2-3 times a week, kept the moisture out of the mast tubes. When you keep it up too long, due to the mast pressure leaking and being recharged, that moisture can build up fast. When the weather freezes, it caused us problems. Often, the moisture ran down the sides or the tube, and then froze. The mast didn't want to come down, and we had seal failures. The seals you can live with. The compressors just runs longer. But should you want to retract the mast, that's interesting. I came up with a way to do it, but it wasn't "approved" by CECOM. Still worked.
What kind of lights are going to put on it? Or use it as an antenna?
Seals work for me too. I didn't like the leather seals GTE/Sylvania Corp used. But it worked, and still works. Yours, like the AMG, needs to be lubed every once in a while to keep the seals undamaged. And we found, that lowering and raising the mast 2-3 times a week, kept the moisture out of the mast tubes. When you keep it up too long, due to the mast pressure leaking and being recharged, that moisture can build up fast. When the weather freezes, it caused us problems. Often, the moisture ran down the sides or the tube, and then froze. The mast didn't want to come down, and we had seal failures. The seals you can live with. The compressors just runs longer. But should you want to retract the mast, that's interesting. I came up with a way to do it, but it wasn't "approved" by CECOM. Still worked.
What kind of lights are going to put on it? Or use it as an antenna?
- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
I'm going to be installing just some generic 12v DC LED flood lamps. For a number of reasons actually. First, I can run them off a deep cycle battery. Genset doesn't have to run. Second, they should have nothing more than a resistor inside of them, so no chance of switching noise or AC into any antennas on the mast. Then I'll be stringing a few different antennas from it. A 2M/70cm vertical antenna. Then a inverter V dipole for HF. I'm also thinking about pressing it into service for a quad 70cm yaggi array I plan on building.
Honestly I bought the lightset for the mast and was planning on using it for ham radio. If the generator worked, that was just icing on the cake. And I'm eating cake!
Honestly I bought the lightset for the mast and was planning on using it for ham radio. If the generator worked, that was just icing on the cake. And I'm eating cake!
- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
None of the seals I ordered would work. But I went to the local hyd shop and they think they've got the one I need ordered.
- 16,784
- 24,129
- 113
- Location
- Burgkunstadt, Germany
Do you need to oil/lube the mast?
- 14,639
- 4,820
- 113
- Location
- Buchanan, GA
Already did. The seals I bought are much less pliant than the orginal rubber ones. They simply wont compress down, let alone be smooth enough to slide freely if I forced them.
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