iamdub
Full Access Member
You knew exactly the info I needed. Thank you!
I’m back with an Esky this time
- Thread starter Snowbound
- Start date
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You knew exactly the info I needed. Thank you!
iamdub
Full Access Member
I’m sure you’ll appreciate this @iamdub. I made a small press with a 12ton jack for up north. There’s been a few times where I needed a press and didn’t have one. So I made this from 6” C-channel and some 1/4” angle iron. Thing works awesome.
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Hell yeah. I scored a used-once and like-new HF 12ton for $80 about a month ago. I believe I have the stock to make a slightly smaller brake like yours. Thanks for the idea and details!
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Gonna get to the Caddy later tonight. Just want to take a minute and tell you the latest battle I’ve been fighting. You may recall when I shared these pumps.
They don’t have enough lift to pull water from quarry so they get fed by this Pioneer pump.
This pump is driven by this motor on this platform.
You need the back story for any of this to make sense. Those of you who don’t even give a crap, just run along and come back 2mrw when I update the Caddy progress.
Still with me? I’ll try to get right to the point. We have 2 quarry pumps that feed raw water to the plant. Each pump has its own 8” suction line that goes down about 40’ into the quarry and has a cage, not a screen, around the end that also keeps line about 6’ off the bedrock and out of the mud and muck. The discharge of the pumps are 8” and Y together into a 10”.
So the genius’ decide to feed this 10” Pioneer pump with both suctions, that are in separate buildings mind you, and then feed the 4 big Grundfos pumps from that. First issue, pumphouse is too small, so they added on to it. Second issue, this big ass Pioneer pump is going where old pump was- not happening. Gotta remove this pump and concrete platform.
Here’s the add on with Grundfos pumps set in place.
Removing the old pump, the base was poured in the concrete. I started busting it out when the “40 year guy” had an “ideal”, as he always says. [emoji849]
Gets the forklift under the corner of the pump base where I had it chipped out and tried to lift it free. I’m shaking my head saying this is a bad idea. But no 40 year guy is gonna listen to a 15 year guy, I’m just a junior.
“I tried to tell you”
After a couple hours of carefully extracting pump without doing any more damage. And that was a couple hours of senior ******* getting earful from “junior guy”.
Cornered the project manager and explained to him how screwed up it is that they want to use these old rusty 8” lines to feed the new pump. The hoses in the quarry were put in over 15 years ago and the metal line is even older. So we had a meeting and I was asked how I would do it. So I made a sketch and showed them exactly how I would have it done. As you can see, I included a provision to bypass the Pioneer pump if needed and we can open the suction for the Grundfos and hopefully as long as suction is flooded, they will lift and pump.
So that is what we did. Minor tweaking where needed, space being the limiting factor. Also had to move breaker box, transformer and disconnect that were in the way.
Moved to this wall but I can’t find the picture. If it matters, you can see it in upcoming video. Yes, there will be a video!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They don’t have enough lift to pull water from quarry so they get fed by this Pioneer pump.
This pump is driven by this motor on this platform.
You need the back story for any of this to make sense. Those of you who don’t even give a crap, just run along and come back 2mrw when I update the Caddy progress.
Still with me? I’ll try to get right to the point. We have 2 quarry pumps that feed raw water to the plant. Each pump has its own 8” suction line that goes down about 40’ into the quarry and has a cage, not a screen, around the end that also keeps line about 6’ off the bedrock and out of the mud and muck. The discharge of the pumps are 8” and Y together into a 10”.
So the genius’ decide to feed this 10” Pioneer pump with both suctions, that are in separate buildings mind you, and then feed the 4 big Grundfos pumps from that. First issue, pumphouse is too small, so they added on to it. Second issue, this big ass Pioneer pump is going where old pump was- not happening. Gotta remove this pump and concrete platform.
Here’s the add on with Grundfos pumps set in place.
Removing the old pump, the base was poured in the concrete. I started busting it out when the “40 year guy” had an “ideal”, as he always says. [emoji849]
Gets the forklift under the corner of the pump base where I had it chipped out and tried to lift it free. I’m shaking my head saying this is a bad idea. But no 40 year guy is gonna listen to a 15 year guy, I’m just a junior.
“I tried to tell you”
After a couple hours of carefully extracting pump without doing any more damage. And that was a couple hours of senior ******* getting earful from “junior guy”.
Cornered the project manager and explained to him how screwed up it is that they want to use these old rusty 8” lines to feed the new pump. The hoses in the quarry were put in over 15 years ago and the metal line is even older. So we had a meeting and I was asked how I would do it. So I made a sketch and showed them exactly how I would have it done. As you can see, I included a provision to bypass the Pioneer pump if needed and we can open the suction for the Grundfos and hopefully as long as suction is flooded, they will lift and pump.
So that is what we did. Minor tweaking where needed, space being the limiting factor. Also had to move breaker box, transformer and disconnect that were in the way.
Moved to this wall but I can’t find the picture. If it matters, you can see it in upcoming video. Yes, there will be a video!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
We got the divers out and dropped in the new hoses and attached to the new 10” suction line. Flooded the suction with the north quarry pump and started the Pioneer pump for the first time. Check valve which is really a flapper valve in pump suction was bad. Shut it down and wait for parts.
Finally, new valve comes in, swap it in and try it again. Got it. But issue is anything that swims or floats past that suction line gets sucked up. The Pioneer can handle it, it’s what it’s designed for. But once it passes the Pioneer and hits the Grundfos pump stack, it sounds terrible. The pump stack is tight tolerance stainless impellers and sounds like it’s gonna explode when something hits it. And it’s at least an hourly thing. So now we are working on an in-line, self backwashing strainer that we have no room for but like everything else, we’ll make it work.
So anyway, video time. I wanted to let you hear this Pioneer. It’s cavitating pretty bad. We’ve run the numbers and the 10” suction should be plenty. We have the Pioneer on a VFD (variable frequency drive) so when I turn it down, it’s not as bad. Problem is the Grundfos are an on demand system meaning the pumps ramp up and down and only run when needed. We have it set at a pressure of 65PSI so when there is no demand, it can be only running on one pump at 45%. When the demand is there, it can be running on 4 pumps at 72%. We usually see 1700GPM but have capability of doing 2500GPM. So where’s the problem you ask? The Pioneer just runs. So when the other pumps are ramping up and down, on and off, the Pioneer stays constant. I’m working on wiring the VFD for the Pioneer off a pressure switch so it will ramp with the Grundfos maintaining 18PSI. So I’m hoping it won’t sound like this after I get it tweaked.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Finally, new valve comes in, swap it in and try it again. Got it. But issue is anything that swims or floats past that suction line gets sucked up. The Pioneer can handle it, it’s what it’s designed for. But once it passes the Pioneer and hits the Grundfos pump stack, it sounds terrible. The pump stack is tight tolerance stainless impellers and sounds like it’s gonna explode when something hits it. And it’s at least an hourly thing. So now we are working on an in-line, self backwashing strainer that we have no room for but like everything else, we’ll make it work.
So anyway, video time. I wanted to let you hear this Pioneer. It’s cavitating pretty bad. We’ve run the numbers and the 10” suction should be plenty. We have the Pioneer on a VFD (variable frequency drive) so when I turn it down, it’s not as bad. Problem is the Grundfos are an on demand system meaning the pumps ramp up and down and only run when needed. We have it set at a pressure of 65PSI so when there is no demand, it can be only running on one pump at 45%. When the demand is there, it can be running on 4 pumps at 72%. We usually see 1700GPM but have capability of doing 2500GPM. So where’s the problem you ask? The Pioneer just runs. So when the other pumps are ramping up and down, on and off, the Pioneer stays constant. I’m working on wiring the VFD for the Pioneer off a pressure switch so it will ramp with the Grundfos maintaining 18PSI. So I’m hoping it won’t sound like this after I get it tweaked.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
Did you at least get a raise for the good idea? Or an attaboy?Gonna get to the Caddy later tonight. Just want to take a minute and tell you the latest battle I’ve been fighting. You may recall when I shared these pumps.
They don’t have enough lift to pull water from quarry so they get fed by this Pioneer pump.
This pump is driven by this motor on this platform.
You need the back story for any of this to make sense. Those of you who don’t even give a crap, just run along and come back 2mrw when I update the Caddy progress.
Still with me? I’ll try to get right to the point. We have 2 quarry pumps that feed raw water to the plant. Each pump has its own 8” suction line that goes down about 40’ into the quarry and has a cage, not a screen, around the end that also keeps line about 6’ off the bedrock and out of the mud and muck. The discharge of the pumps are 8” and Y together into a 10”.
So the genius’ decide to feed this 10” Pioneer pump with both suctions, that are in separate buildings mind you, and then feed the 4 big Grundfos pumps from that. First issue, pumphouse is too small, so they added on to it. Second issue, this big ass Pioneer pump is going where old pump was- not happening. Gotta remove this pump and concrete platform.
Here’s the add on with Grundfos pumps set in place.
Removing the old pump, the base was poured in the concrete. I started busting it out when the “40 year guy” had an “ideal”, as he always says. [emoji849]
Gets the forklift under the corner of the pump base where I had it chipped out and tried to lift it free. I’m shaking my head saying this is a bad idea. But no 40 year guy is gonna listen to a 15 year guy, I’m just a junior.
“I tried to tell you”
After a couple hours of carefully extracting pump without doing any more damage. And that was a couple hours of senior ******* getting earful from “junior guy”.
Cornered the project manager and explained to him how screwed up it is that they want to use these old rusty 8” lines to feed the new pump. The hoses in the quarry were put in over 15 years ago and the metal line is even older. So we had a meeting and I was asked how I would do it. So I made a sketch and showed them exactly how I would have it done. As you can see, I included a provision to bypass the Pioneer pump if needed and we can open the suction for the Grundfos and hopefully as long as suction is flooded, they will lift and pump.
So that is what we did. Minor tweaking where needed, space being the limiting factor. Also had to move breaker box, transformer and disconnect that were in the way.
Moved to this wall but I can’t find the picture. If it matters, you can see it in upcoming video. Yes, there will be a video!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Of course not. It cost them more money to drop a new bigger line. It’s 40’ sections of reenforced poly hose that is 200’ out into the quarry and 40’ down. I’m sure the divers that coupled the hoses together and attached it to the cage and our suction pipe and the hose itself wasn’t cheap. All I ever get is, “yeah, that’s a good idea Jim”. And then they have to explain the additional cost to the higher ups.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
Figures. Maybe they should've asked the 40 yr guy.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Esky update time. Didn’t get a chance to do this yesterday.
So we know the compressor clutch took a dump and I found metal shavings in orifice tube.
So I had to replace condenser along with the other components because you can’t flush a ‘96+ condenser and get it clean. You also can’t flush thru an expansion valve either so I bought a new one. Front uses the orifice and the rear ac uses an expansion.
This past week has been hot as hell and 600% humidity so I didn’t get started on this until Saturday after work. It’s still hot and humid in garage.
With my favorite beverage condensation on the work bench I started removing the condenser first to make sure I have the correct unit.
Appears to be the correct unit so onward we go. I didn’t want to make a mess flushing the lines so I decided it would be easier to just remove every line and hose and flush off vehicle.
No, I didn’t remove rear lines, I’m running low on my energy pods. Here you can see the lines that go to the rear, the one goes to evap for front, there’s another that’s just lower than that one with the stud sticking out for the high side. Figured I can do my flushing from here and hook up hose to the back to catch the flush. Front evap was easy to do so I just left that hard line attached and flushed them as a unit.
I had to clean the cooling stacks in radiator because it was filthy. You can see in picture above how dirty it was. I guess i didn’t get a pic after I blew it from the engine side forward, sprayed it down with condenser cleaner, followed my water and then blew it again. But here’s new condenser in place.
I’m OCD when it comes to closed loop systems. Wether it be ac, hydraulics or air, I don’t leave things open to exposure to contaminants or moisture. I like to use foam ear plugs but I didn’t have any left so I just used vacuum caps where I could fit them and anything too big I just use latex glove and zip tie.
Now lines are clean, condenser is in and everything is sealed up, time to pull the compressor.
You can see how bad this clutch got smoked.
Time for my refurbished bracket and new idler to go in as well.
By the time I got compressor and bracket mounted, and finished my beverage that was getting closer to boiling by the minute, I figured the lines had enough dry time so I put the entire front system back together. Just the rear lines weren’t connected but they were sealed off to keep from saturating the desiccant in the accumulator.
I went to the rear to tackle the expansion valve. But before I get into that I want to share how much of a be-otch the rear lines were to disconnect from expansion.
I soaked them with PB Blaster, used heat gun on high setting about 50 times, tapped chisels between mounting flange and expansion, small pry bars, more heat, more PB, stepped up my game to Kroil penetrating oil, more prying, more heat, tapping on it with a hammer to jar it, more beverages, more swearing, took my last energy pod and finally got it off!!
I think I spent 2-1/2 hrs on getting the lines off trying not to crack the rear evap lines, break the rear line itself or the mounting block.
Then the little 6mm mounting screws that held the expansion on were a ***** to remove. Takes a 3mm allen wrench and I was desperately trying to not round it out. If I would have had to drill the screws I most likely would have had to take the rear evap out because they were seized in the expansion block itself and there’s no way to pry it off from underneath. But I kept working at it for about 4 beers time but got em.
Flushed the rear evap, let it dry for about 45 minutes then installed new expansion using a generous amount of anti-seize on mounting screws and also on the stud that holds the line mounting block on.
I attached my ac gauges, hooked up service port on gauges to vacuum pump and ran pump for 45 minutes. Closed the gauge valves, removed the pump and held vacuum on ac system for an hour. Vacuum stayed steady at 28”hg so I’m confident there are no leaks. While system is under vacuum, I used the service port on gauges to sucked 8oz of pag oil into system. Compressor already had 3oz in it and system calls for 11oz total.
Once that was done I charged the system with 26oz of Freon, that’s all I had. Gotta get more today and top it off. Need 40oz total.
Oh, and I always turn the compressor over by hand for about 2 minutes to make sure it’s not gonna hydro lock from the oil. Just a good practice that I always do.
Caddy has air, system is clean and new so hopefully won’t have to mess with it for a while.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So we know the compressor clutch took a dump and I found metal shavings in orifice tube.
So I had to replace condenser along with the other components because you can’t flush a ‘96+ condenser and get it clean. You also can’t flush thru an expansion valve either so I bought a new one. Front uses the orifice and the rear ac uses an expansion.
This past week has been hot as hell and 600% humidity so I didn’t get started on this until Saturday after work. It’s still hot and humid in garage.
With my favorite beverage condensation on the work bench I started removing the condenser first to make sure I have the correct unit.
Appears to be the correct unit so onward we go. I didn’t want to make a mess flushing the lines so I decided it would be easier to just remove every line and hose and flush off vehicle.
No, I didn’t remove rear lines, I’m running low on my energy pods. Here you can see the lines that go to the rear, the one goes to evap for front, there’s another that’s just lower than that one with the stud sticking out for the high side. Figured I can do my flushing from here and hook up hose to the back to catch the flush. Front evap was easy to do so I just left that hard line attached and flushed them as a unit.
I had to clean the cooling stacks in radiator because it was filthy. You can see in picture above how dirty it was. I guess i didn’t get a pic after I blew it from the engine side forward, sprayed it down with condenser cleaner, followed my water and then blew it again. But here’s new condenser in place.
I’m OCD when it comes to closed loop systems. Wether it be ac, hydraulics or air, I don’t leave things open to exposure to contaminants or moisture. I like to use foam ear plugs but I didn’t have any left so I just used vacuum caps where I could fit them and anything too big I just use latex glove and zip tie.
Now lines are clean, condenser is in and everything is sealed up, time to pull the compressor.
You can see how bad this clutch got smoked.
Time for my refurbished bracket and new idler to go in as well.
By the time I got compressor and bracket mounted, and finished my beverage that was getting closer to boiling by the minute, I figured the lines had enough dry time so I put the entire front system back together. Just the rear lines weren’t connected but they were sealed off to keep from saturating the desiccant in the accumulator.
I went to the rear to tackle the expansion valve. But before I get into that I want to share how much of a be-otch the rear lines were to disconnect from expansion.
I soaked them with PB Blaster, used heat gun on high setting about 50 times, tapped chisels between mounting flange and expansion, small pry bars, more heat, more PB, stepped up my game to Kroil penetrating oil, more prying, more heat, tapping on it with a hammer to jar it, more beverages, more swearing, took my last energy pod and finally got it off!!
I think I spent 2-1/2 hrs on getting the lines off trying not to crack the rear evap lines, break the rear line itself or the mounting block.
Then the little 6mm mounting screws that held the expansion on were a ***** to remove. Takes a 3mm allen wrench and I was desperately trying to not round it out. If I would have had to drill the screws I most likely would have had to take the rear evap out because they were seized in the expansion block itself and there’s no way to pry it off from underneath. But I kept working at it for about 4 beers time but got em.
Flushed the rear evap, let it dry for about 45 minutes then installed new expansion using a generous amount of anti-seize on mounting screws and also on the stud that holds the line mounting block on.
I attached my ac gauges, hooked up service port on gauges to vacuum pump and ran pump for 45 minutes. Closed the gauge valves, removed the pump and held vacuum on ac system for an hour. Vacuum stayed steady at 28”hg so I’m confident there are no leaks. While system is under vacuum, I used the service port on gauges to sucked 8oz of pag oil into system. Compressor already had 3oz in it and system calls for 11oz total.
Once that was done I charged the system with 26oz of Freon, that’s all I had. Gotta get more today and top it off. Need 40oz total.
Oh, and I always turn the compressor over by hand for about 2 minutes to make sure it’s not gonna hydro lock from the oil. Just a good practice that I always do.
Caddy has air, system is clean and new so hopefully won’t have to mess with it for a while.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
One other thing that I ordered but hasn’t shown up yet, a deslugger. I’ve heard they are worth the investment. Instead of me typing all this crap, here’s a link.
FWIW- Rockauto has the best price.
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FWIW- Rockauto has the best price.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
