T-80 is a little noisey?

[Ragnor]

I was test running my dredge a little yesterday and noticed the t-80 has a little tacka-tacka noise towards the top of the head before it builds pressure. After it builds pressure it seams to quiet down. It builds pressure fine and I am pleased to find that my new regulator functions properly.

Now I'm wondering if that noise may indicate a worn wrist pin or bearing, or is it 'normal' for these pumps to have a little piston slap before they warm up?

 

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[njcommercialdiver]

check the bottom cap bearing screws by the mounting bolts , I had a t80 that they loosened up and made a similar noise but mine didn't go away, so maybe yours is on the edge of what mine was, didn't get much on them, maybe a 1/2 turn.

if that isn't the problem, you can take the top apart carefully, it wont rip the gasket and you can move the piston assy to see if it has excessive play in any direction

 

[winners58]

they sometimes make a little noise, it reached pop off pressure? had one that made noise like the piston slapping, just needed a new diaphragm
might check for mud daubers, one time I had tic-tic noise it was a screw holding the intake reed had worked loose
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/d...ow-remove-exhaust-plate-head.html#post4572486

 

[njcommercialdiver]

I had an old one that mud daubers moved in when the previous owner had it, and i took it apart before using it and found 3 tubes in the head

 

[Hoser John]

Sticky flapper valve inside the head from exhaust being sucked into the head. Check air filter and clean extremely well with dawn/oxy style soap also. Rotate engine exhaust straight up to eliminate carbon monoxide in your air and check engine filter also. By god I've seen some NASTY gummed up messes that required a screwdriver to pry the filter out. Exhaust kills engines, compressors and worst of all you! Please don't become crawdad/critter food as ez to do -Tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[Ragnor]

they sometimes make a little noise, it reached pop off pressure? had one that made noise like the piston slapping, just needed a new diaphragm
might check for mud daubers, one time I had tic-tic noise it was a screw holding the intake reed had worked loose
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/d...ow-remove-exhaust-plate-head.html#post4572486

It may have to do with the reeds. I have not heard the valve "pop-off" and in my testing I noticed it gets a little low on pressure when I am breathing heavy under exertion.

 

[Ragnor]

Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like I'll be pulling it apart and checking things out. This one does have the long breather tube up in the air, but I also noticed it has very little suction on the air intake tube.

 

[njcommercialdiver]

the flapper valve going bad is fairly common, and easy to fix. they are 6-8 bucks for a new one. I always keep a spare in my parts box. little pieces break off the end of the flapper and it progressively looses compression. I think the whole rebuild kit I bought from smokefoots was 39.95 or 49.95 and it had everything that needs replacing including the felt washer for the pulley side

 

[Ragnor]

What kind of torque am I looking at on the head bolts? Just 'snug' or 'tight' or is there a specific torqueing requirment?

 

[njcommercialdiver]

honestly I don't know, I always made mine snug "tights tight and too tights broke"

 

[Ragnor]

Sticky flapper valve inside the head from exhaust being sucked into the head. Check air filter and clean extremely well with dawn/oxy style soap also. Rotate engine exhaust straight up to eliminate carbon monoxide in your air and check engine filter also. By god I've seen some NASTY gummed up messes that required a screwdriver to pry the filter out. Exhaust kills engines, compressors and worst of all you! Please don't become crawdad/critter food as ez to do -Tons a au 2 u 2-John

Well it looks like you nailed it right on the head John. Inside the pump looks as carbon'd up as the inside of an engine. No filter or seal where the intake snorkle enters the pump either. I cleaned it up inside and reasembled it. But that piston is super sloppy. I am uploading a video and I'll post that when it's ready. To get peoples take on that situation.

 

[Ragnor]

Here are pics of the inside of the pump as well as the video showing the slop in the piston. I don't know exactly what to expect as far as the piston goes, but if that was a car motor it's about to have a rod through the block.

 

[Ragnor]

This much slop can't be good can it? It seams even beyond shimming to me if it's a conventional rod journal. Do I need to pull the pump off and disassemble?

 

[winners58]

diaphragm looks new maybe it was rebuilt and the connection rod didn't get screwed on to the eccentric bearing.
looks like you will have to find out. the 4 screws on the bottom hold the bearing caps.

http://armadillomining.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?cat=84

 

[winners58]

when I rebuilt mine the eccentric didn't come with a set screw so used the old one found out it was different
and has to go tight into the divot on the shaft ended up having to run a tap through to make it work
on this Tnet page Bonaro has the part numbers if you need bearings; http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/443413-t-80-compressor-parts-2.html#post4314629

.

 

[Ragnor]

Thanks for the sploded views

 

[Ragnor]

results of pump disassembly

Well, as I suspected the bearing journal is fried. I'm tempted to try JB welding it back into shape, but I suppose i should just spend the money and do it right. But all expendatures now are cutting into my fuel budget. My savings is running low and I have not found any sources of income lately.
Anyone need an 1881 Marlin? It's hardly used, but it does have teeth imprinted in the butt stock and a skull shaped dent in the magazine tube
(Just a joke, not trying to sell without upgrading.....just calm down)
Anyway here is a couple pics and a video of what I found.
I guess it must have spun a bearing and then was half assed repaired to end up like this.

video =



Hmm, looks like eccentric is closer to $100.... dangit!

 

[winners58]

eccentric with bearing $70 @ Compressor Parts - Dredge Sales, Dive Equipment, Mining Supplies and Metal Detectors - ArmadilloMining.com

or just the bearing @ 6206-ZZ 6206 ZZ Radial Ball Bearing 30x62x16 | eBay
and for the two end bearings @ 6202-ZZ 6202 ZZ Radial Ball Bearing 15x35x11 | eBay

 

[Hoser John]

OMG TOASTED ....man that is about the ugliest mess I've seen. John

 

[Ragnor]

Well, I half fixed it pending a full rebuild. I expect the JB weld is stronger than the original billet eccentric. I have not run it as i was busy with getting my econo-car running also. However I cleaned it up real well inside, aligned everything better than the original job and reassebled the pump. spinning the pump over by hand shows a dramatic improvment in pump efficiency. I really expect the bearing to hold. I may disassemble it and re-inspect the JB weld after I run a tank of gas through the dredge to do a timed fuel consumption test.



Having R&R'd the pump and knowing what is inside and the quality of materials I am very tempted to melt down one of my honda engine blocks and pour my own eccentric from harder materials.