My Garage Machine Shop

[driver]

As the engine will use full pressure lubrication and journal bearings there will be no need to inject oil with the fuel or use pre-mix. The smell of half-burned castor oil will be missing from the equation, but I think it will have other redeeming qualities.

You can get teh smell very easily by getting castor oil from the drug store and adding a small amount to the gas, 1/2 oz. per gal should be sufficient. I use it in my sports racer for effect. Brings back old memories.

 

[dr_clyde]

Hey A_PMech,

Your photobucket photos aren't showing up...

 

[A_Pmech]

Hey A_PMech,

Your photobucket photos aren't showing up...

I noticed that. I guess I'll have to pay Photobucket again.

 

[Strouty]

Always looking for ways to get our money.

I am standing behind you while I type this.

 

[Alamedasam]

Wow! What a fantastic shop!

 

[A_Pmech]

Wow! What a fantastic shop!

Thanks! It's changed a LOT since I took those photos. I'll have to take some new ones soon...

 

[1/2 Cup]

One awesome shop, looking forward to your updates.

 

[Firebrand]

Totally impressed with your tool collection, skills, and project results! Time for an update, please! Very much planning a dual sided shop upgrade like yours with both wood and metal instead of them split like they are now.

 

[Bib Overalls]

I guess I'll have to pay Photobucket again.

Flickr is a lot better and it is free.

 

[A_Pmech]

It's been a while since I updated this thread and boy, there are a lot of updates to catch up on!

A few weeks ago we finally got around to prepping my Quincy 5120 for installation. I need way more air than my little IR compressor can make and this machine will do the trick.

I hadn't run this machine since I bought it and I wasn't sure of it's condition. Hooking it up to power, it wouldn't start!

Delving into things further, I finally decided to remove the drive belts and start the motor unloaded. Upon applying power, the motor accelerated slowly and seemed to be running a lot slower than it should.

Using a coil wound around a bolt and a multimeter with a frequency setting, Xarrax, my partner, and I were able to determine that the motor will only accelerate to exactly 600 RPM. Hmmmm! 1/3rd of synchronous speed... I think a couple of coil groups are backwards!

I double-checked my wiring and it was indeed wired correctly as a low-voltage delta per the lead numbers! Fearing a failed motor, I megged out the windings and everything checked out. Looking more closely, it became apparent that the previous electrician had mis-identified several leads of the motor as several lead numbers didn't correspond to the correct delta groups.

Looking online, I found an excellent method of identifying delta connected motor leads using a 12 volt battery and a meter. I ripped off all the lead numbers and followed the procedure. Here's the Youtube video:

I re-connected everything with the proper lead numbers and it runs!

I decided to give it a once-over and do a valve job while it was easily accessible. This thing has 12 valve cages to do!

 

[1953mercury]

Nice job of trouble shooting. I need one that size, keeping my eye on Craigs list. Mike

 

[Nighttrain]

You lost me at a coil wrapped around a bolt. But great job on that!

 

[bergs]

thats a serious compressor. how loud is that beast?

 

[A_Pmech]

Nice job of trouble shooting. I need one that size, keeping my eye on Craigs list. Mike

That's where I found this one some time back.

You lost me at a coil wrapped around a bolt. But great job on that!

We used the magnets on the sheave to induce a voltage in the coil. Using the frequency function of the multimeter provided the rotational frequency in Hertz.

thats a serious compressor. how loud is that beast?

Fairly loud!

 

[Strouty]

Are you trying to motivate me? I guess I should get my little baby quincys running.

 

[A_Pmech]

Are you trying to motivate me? I guess I should get my little baby quincys running.

Consider it official: There's a fire under your ***!

I'm headed to the local Quincy dealer tomorrow to pick up new valve springs and head gaskets.

 

[A_Pmech]

Xarrax and I made a trip to the nearest Quincy distributor today for new valve springs, head gaskets and valve seals. While we were out, our new air receiver showed up! If things go halfway right, we might get the compressor building air this weekend.

 

[Strouty]

Does Xarrax have two uncles named Xamot and Tomax? Either way, that is one hell of a name!

I touched my compressor today.

 

[A_Pmech]

Does Xarrax have two uncles named Xamot and Tomax? Either way, that is one hell of a name!

I touched my compressor today.

Not that I'm aware of! Most people miss the symmetry.

Touch it more often and it might fix itself.

 

[A_Pmech]

While we were at the compressor company, we got a tour of their shop. Both of us gravitated towards this cut-away of a Quincy 325:

 

[nkachur]

Wow, that is a massive reciever... and the compressor, what a beast.

Congrats on getting another project well on the way completion.

 

[A_Pmech]

I decided to dig a little deeper into the machine than I planned, so I won't have it running this weekend. I was able to get all of the valve parts sandblasted today, along with some other chores.

Tomorrow I'm planning to grind the valves and reassemble all of the valve cages. Here's what most of the pieces look like, minus the gaskets, springs and valves themselves.

 

[outtaplace]

Apmech:

Cool rebuild on the Quincy! Can't wait to see it done.
What are the specs of your compressor??

I recently bought a 5 hp, 60 gallon vertical Quincy new for my garage. Not nearly as industrial as yours but it serves my purposes. I really like the Quincy's quality.

 

[A_Pmech]

Wow, that is a massive reciever... and the compressor, what a beast.

Congrats on getting another project well on the way completion.

Thanks nkachur. I still have way too many projects!

Apmech:

Cool rebuild on the Quincy! Can't wait to see it done.
What are the specs of your compressor??

I recently bought a 5 hp, 60 gallon vertical Quincy new for my garage. Not nearly as industrial as yours but it serves my purposes. I really like the Quincy's quality.

Outtaplace,

This will be more of a "freshening up." The machine is in runnable condition from what I've seen so far, so I'm going to run it for a while and see how it does.

I've always liked the Quincy reciprocating compressors, especially the QR-25 line. They seem to put just as much attention into their other models though, from what I've seen.

This compressor is 25 HP or about 100 CFM at 175 PSI. It will be feeding a 500 gallon receiver.

 

[A_Pmech]

I managed to get most of the valves ground this weekend. I'll have to order a few new valve rings though. Here's why:

The valve on the left is a low pressure valve. Except for some minor wear, it's in good shape. The valve on the right is from the high pressure side of the compressor. It's worn about the same as the low pressure valve, but it's also suffering from pitting rust too deep to grind out. I'll be replacing the high pressure valves.

On the other hand, I removed 3 thou from the low pressure valves and they're good as new!

Moving along, I set up the valves and match ground the valve seats. I removed about 15 thou from the discharge valves and about 10 thou from the suction valves. There's enough seat material left for one more grind before the the valve seats would have to be turned on the lathe.

Here they are, ready for assembly:

 

[Strouty]

Looking good. I am nervous about taking mine apart.

 

[A_Pmech]

Looking good. I am nervous about taking mine apart.

Afraid it will become a "milk crate project?"

 

[Bigdukaaa]

Re: My Garage Shop

A_Pmech did you pour the concrete floor in sections by yourself and if so what size sections

 

[A_Pmech]

Re: My Garage Shop

A_Pmech did you pour the concrete floor in sections by yourself and if so what size sections

Dad and I poured the floor in 12' x 12' x 6"-8" sections using a 1/3rd yard tractor-mounted concrete mixer. We would form and pour one section a day.

 

[A_Pmech]

I haven't made any new progress on the compressor as I'm waiting on parts, but Xarrax printed up some new capacitor holders for one of the phase converters with his 3-D printer:

 

[Strouty]

Afraid it will become a "milk crate project?"

I all ready have too many!

I haven't made any new progress on the compressor as I'm waiting on parts, but Xarrax printed up some new capacitor holders for one of the phase converters with his 3-D printer:

Are you making a phase converter or a rail gun?

 

[A_Pmech]

Are you making a phase converter or a rail gun?

Just updating an existing phase converter. A rail gun sounds like fun though!

 

[Strouty]

I thought of you today, I was at a salvage yard and they had just finished destroying a nice looking clausing drill press. I was crying on the inside. They actually broke the casting off the drill trying to remove the motor. He offered me the pedestal, vertical pipe and table for $100.

 

[A_Pmech]

Oh dear, what have I done now?

Today, in the process of removing the cylinder heads for cleaning I discovered that my compressor has the dreaded Quincy Rattle. Xarrax thought it sounded a little loud and I was open to the possibility of a wrist pin failure, which is part of why I wanted to remove the heads. In any case, the high pressure pistons are shot.

For whatever reason, Quincy decided to use a double-row needle bearing for the connecting rod side of the high pressure piston wrist pin. While one would think this is a superior design, needle bearings can require more turning torque than a journal bearing under some conditions. Combine that with what I consider an undersized wrist pin land on the piston and the predictable result is the piston pin wears an egg-shaped hole in the piston wall.

Failure of the high pressure wrist pin is easy to diagnose as the compressor will clatter and sound like a diesel engine when running unloaded. Once under load, the high pressure cylinder always has enough pressure in it to keep the piston seated on the pin and the rattle goes away. I didn't have a chance to load this compressor up due to valve problems, so the rattle slipped by until now. A piston with .030 of play relative to the crankshaft grabs your attention.

In this photo, one of the failed HP pistons is on the left. An LP piston and rod is on the right:

Here's a close-up of the failed wrist pin bore:

Quincy wants $190 a piece for the HP pistons and two weeks delivery. That's a little strong for my stomach, so I'm going to repair these pistons such that they won't ever fail like this again.

In other news, the cylinder bores do look good!

 

[1953mercury]

Are you going to bush them? That should be a great machine when you get it together. Mike

 

[yaidunno]

Quite the compressor, and quite the impressive rebuild! What will the repair on the pistons consist of? Oil lite bushings honed to size?

I still can't get over the size of that thing! The lights must dim when that beast fires up

 

[Strouty]

Is this what I have to look forward to?

 

[A_Pmech]

Are you going to bush them? That should be a great machine when you get it together. Mike

Sorta!

Quite the compressor, and quite the impressive rebuild! What will the repair on the pistons consist of? Oil lite bushings honed to size?

I still can't get over the size of that thing! The lights must dim when that beast fires up

The current wrist pin is .875 x 2.875. Big Block Chevies use .990 x 2.930 wrist pins, if I recall correctly. I'll press out the roller bearings and install a bronze bushing in the connecting rod. Then, I'll re-bore the pistons to fit the new larger piston pin.

There's no light dimming that I'm aware of! My power company takes care of me.

I was just looking at your thread and it looks like you're making good progress with the barn. I wish I had a work crew like that!

Is this what I have to look forward to?

If yours rattles then maybe!

 

[Strouty]

So one of mine will look like half of yours?

 

[A_Pmech]

So one of mine will look like half of yours?

A 5120 is basically a V-4 made from two 370's. But all the QR-25's are very similar.