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Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:55 am
by timbo
Hello,

I don't realy know the differences between the KA and K model. I can't find much info
on the web. I contacted bauer germany but they where not verry helpfull. Got a brief reply that
everthing over 25 years old is to old to have info about. Strange that they don't have an archive.
They don't seem to care about there own history. I tryed the floating piston this morning after overnight
soaking and it moved a little bit. So I hope it wil come out in time. I found a parts list for the K14 model of 1965
on the bauer website but there are no part numbers.
The compressor has been dismantled once before,there are markings made on the cylinders to mark there positions.

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:15 pm
by timbo
I am not lucky today. Got the fourth stage piston out .
I gave my buddy a call who still works in a commercial dive gear shop.
He goes to bauer every two years to get his bauer certificat renewed. Told him about the stuck
piston. He told me that it could be stuck from not being run for a long time but it still would have to come out
pretty easy unless it is rusted sollid. Than its scrap annyway. When it does not you have a problem.
So I gave it a light tap today with a soft hammer and drive and it came out after some gentile taps.
Not a good sign and yes it is scorred. To much I think for it to work like it should. I have been looking for parts and there are
still parts that look like mine. Problem,I dont have bauer numbers and maybe the bauer numbers from 1962 are not the same as
today. If I press out the fourth stage and messure it all up would I be able to match with a more modern bauer part?
The prices go from 320 dollars to 450 dollars depending on the model. Not a verry cheap fix.

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Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:10 pm
by timbo
Hey Bill,little question. I have been reading posts on compressors on scubaboard.
There is a thread from someone who is looking for parts for a 1962 KA14 Mako.
This could be quite similar to my KA14. In the posts there is mensioned that augustindustries probably would have parts.
New or used. You mensioned you know these guys pretty wel. Would you mind informing about parts for me?
Maybe used or something new that would fit. If not no problem,I wil try to mail them. Calling from Belgium would be quite expensive.

regards

Tim

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:45 pm
by antique diver
timbo wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:10 pm
Hey Bill,little question. I have been reading posts on compressors on scubaboard.
There is a thread from someone who is looking for parts for a 1962 KA14 Mako.
This could be quite similar to my KA14. In the posts there is mensioned that augustindustries probably would have parts.
New or used. You mensioned you know these guys pretty wel. Would you mind informing about parts for me?
Maybe used or something new that would fit. If not no problem,I wil try to mail them. Calling from Belgium would be quite expensive.

regards

Tim
I'm a jump ahead... sent some info on your machine to long-time friend, Porter, at August Industries yesterday, and spoke with him today about it. (Bauer USA in Virginia even calls him sometimes for information :lol: )

He thinks the later models of K14 final stage piston will likely go in if you end up needing one. May take a just little bit of honing on the outer cylinder, but maybe not. Some good measurements are certainly in order first, after you press your old sleeve out.

BUT, before you do that, let's discuss the existing piston first. Looks from the photo like the scoring is on the slightly smaller (and maybe darker)lower end instead of main sealing part of the shaft. Am I looking at that right? If the shinier part of the piston looks and feels pretty good it might be usable. Might try smoothing just the scored part up with well oiled 600 or 1000 paper trying not to do any removal of the good smooth metal. Clean that off and the cylinder bore really-really well, then oil up the piston and see how if feels going into the bore to its normal position. Then, Ideally, should feel perfectly smooth and no binding when gently pushed back and forth through the normal stroke of piston. If it's close to that kind of feel you may want to try reinstalling it for a test run. That doesn't always work, but I have had some success with the process.

Keep me posted on your progress. You can contact the most knowledgeable Bauer guy I know of directly at [email protected]
and I'll help where I can too.

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:00 am
by timbo
Het Bill,thanks in advance for the info.
The smaller dark part is the top of the piston.
The shiny long part is the lower end. I wil give it a go but I don't have a good feeling
about it. We wil see how it goes. Wil be taking the rest of the block appart this weekend.
Is it the entire piston that seals or just the top part?

regards

Tim

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:09 am
by timbo
Any idea how to clean out the bore?

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 9:56 am
by antique diver
timbo wrote:
Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:00 am
Het Bill,thanks in advance for the info.
The smaller dark part is the top of the piston.
The shiny long part is the lower end. I wil give it a go but I don't have a good feeling
about it. We wil see how it goes. Wil be taking the rest of the block appart this weekend.
Is it the entire piston that seals or just the top part?

regards

Tim
Just looking at a new piston (haven't looked up the number to see what Bauer it fits), and the dark end was the lower end. I must have confused the two ends in the photo. I thought maybe the previous rebuilder had put it in upside down... my mistake.

The lower end of these ringless pistons are made just very slightly smaller diameter. It can be felt by running your fingernail one direction and the other to feel the slight change. I just took a rough measurement and get about 0.0005" inch smaller at lower end. Couldn't find my micrometer, but just used my digital calipers, so don't take this as real accurate. The top end is the sealing part, but with 40 weight approx equivalent oil like Chemlube 800, who knows... sounds crazy but maybe it would seal upside down if the bore is not compromised too. That would be a really long shot, and would be hard for me to recommend, but you could try it if so inclined. BTW the Bauer USA recommended oil in the states is Chemlube 800, but Porter tells me that 30 weight oils are usually recommended by Bauer Germany. Not sure why, but with the good hp oil pump and older machine the 800 wouldn't hurt anything.

Get some really good measurements of all the different diameters and lengths of the piston and of the sleeve exterior diameter and length when you get it out, and maybe we can match something up if you need a replacement.

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:18 pm
by timbo
Pressed the sleeve out today. Inspected it in the light like a rifle barrel.
Its gone,there is a deep groove going from top to bottem about 4 cm long.
So I wil be in need of a replacement. New or used. The dimensions for the piston are
11,98 mm diameter and 89,97 length. The sleeve is 22,02 mm smal end and 27,72 big end.
Length is 85,09 mm. I wil be searching for a replacement on the web but all help is welcome.

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Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:44 pm
by antique diver
Thanks for the measurements and photo. I'll forward the info to Porter and I'll also look for something like that. The problem we may run into is that I think everything commonly available now has a longer large diameter segment on the upper end of the sleeve. That would require some machining on the top end of your outer aluminum cylinder body... is that something you could get done?

Also get a measurement of the length of the critical part, large diameter top

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:09 am
by timbo
Hey Bill,thanks in advance. The messurement I forgot is 5,01 mm.
My cylinder is in cast iron,not alluminium but the machining schould not be a problem.
I found a fourth stage for a K14 but it has o-rings for the seal.

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:31 am
by antique diver
timbo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:09 am
Hey Bill,thanks in advance. The messurement I forgot is 5,01 mm.
My cylinder is in cast iron,not alluminium but the machining schould not be a problem.
I found a fourth stage for a K14 but it has o-rings for the seal.
I'm guessing what you found looks similar to this one I found in my box of misc parts. This is typical of all the later models, which have incorporated the orings for a better seal. The measurements this one (a used one belonging to August Industries) are very close to your numbers except of course for the top flange length. The very slight differences I measure could easily be the variations in our measuring devices, and might fit your machine with the previously mentioned modification. Maybe the lower part of the top flange could be machined instead of your cylinder?
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Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:54 am
by captain
To me the piston looks fine, the sleeve can be cleaned up with a flex hone. I would do that, reassemble and then check output.

http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c1=1

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:14 pm
by timbo
The damage to the piston looks les bad on the picture than it is. I can't take a picture of the groove in the
sleeve but its bad an to deep to be honed out. Thanks for the tip though.
Hey Bill,this is indeed the type I have found online.
The machining would normally not be a problem. If I do it like I tought and you said I can do it in my lathe.
Is this piston and sleeve something you might consider of selling?

regards

Tim
Honing and then hard chroming the bore might be a solution if a replacement can not be found

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:37 pm
by antique diver
timbo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:14 pm
The damage to the piston looks les bad on the picture than it is. I can't take a picture of the groove in the
sleeve but its bad an to deep to be honed out. Thanks for the tip though.
Hey Bill,this is indeed the type I have found online.
The machining would normally not be a problem. If I do it like I tought and you said I can do it in my lathe.
Is this piston and sleeve something you might consider of selling?

regards

Tim
This piston set belongs to August Industries, so it is for sale. I'll ask Porter what it's worth and let you know.

I just have a bunch of their materials because I take care of a lot of field service at fire departments for them. I can't recall the history on this piston, and don't know if it was giving trouble in some machine and I replaced it with new, or whatever...??? It's been in my spare used parts shelf for 10 or 12 years or more. It feels pretty smooth going through the bore, but they do really need to be perfect, and sometimes the only way to be sure is to install them to test the results. I think he will consider the unknown and price it accordingly.

Not sure how hard the material is or if machining is realistic, so I'll ask about that too. Do you live in Belgium? Not the one in Wisconsin I take it?

Re: bauer compressor

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 3:14 am
by timbo
Hey Bill,thanks in advance. I am sure it wil be better than mine.
Yes,belgium europe.