Compressed air

[GeoffWillis]

Well, it's me 7 months to get the injection pump rebuilt, and start the re-assembly. When I started cleaning up the engine components, I realized I needed (Ok wanted) compressed air to dry off cleaned parts, blow out passageways etc. After about a 3 month delay, I've finished the plumbing of the compressor and stockpiled all the parts (Water pump, lift pump, timing belt, cam/crank shaft seals...) necessary to rebuild put the engine back together. Below is a link to the compressor plumbing. More to follow as I actually re-assemble the engine!
Geoff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157623854023315
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/_/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png

[GeoffWillis]

My bad, here's the correct link..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31277813@N06/sets/72157623854023315/

[HybridIIA]

Very nice job piping! I went through this many years ago. The only comment I have if you live in a humid area and are worried about dry air is to add a riser off of the main line for each air drop. Below is a photo of one of my air drops.

[SafeAirOne]

Nice job with the compressor/lines setup. Oh, and thanks for making me feel a little better about the 4(+)-month overhaul of my 2.5! ;)

[GeoffWillis]

Very nice job piping! I went through this many years ago. The only comment I have if you live in a humid area and are worried about dry air is to add a riser off of the main line for each air drop. Below is a photo of one of my air drops.

Remember the saying "When you're up to your a$$ in alligators, it's hard to remember that the reason you're in swamp in the first place is to drain it"? Well, I've been trying to plumb the garage for compressed air for 2 months, and I only started down this road to rebuild my Rover engine. I've hung 1/2" galvanized steel piping all over the garage with drops for air through out. I just can't seem to seal the darn thing. Every time I run the compressor, I get air leaks at the joints and the unions, and can't seem to get rid of them. Originally, I used plumbers Teflon tape at all the joints, which leaked real bad. I went to home depot and they said the tape works fine for water, but for air they recommend pipe dope. I removed all the Teflon tape and substituted pipe dope and while it's quite a bit better, it still leaks. I've only run it to 50 psi, not even close to the 125 psi the compressor is rated at, and it still leaks.
HELP! What is causing the leaks??? Is it that I used galvanized vs black pipe? I know the zinc coating is soft, and can deform and have burrs, could it be that simple? If you look at the photos, I've used unions every where to make sure everything lines up, and was happy with it till I fired up the compressor. I just want to finish this so I can get back to the business of fixing the darn truck!
Thanks,
Geoff

[SafeAirOne]

I'd get a bigger pipe wrench (or use a cheater pipe) and tighten the snot out of of the joints--pipe threading is tapered and should be pretty tightly wedged into the unions and bends.

[HybridIIA]

What is causing the leaks??? Is it that I used galvanized vs black pipe? I know the zinc coating is soft, and can deform and have burrs, could it be that simple? If you look at the photos, I've used unions every where to make sure everything lines up,

Using galvanized pipe shouldn't have anything to do with your problem. As far as assembly, it should be no different than black pipe. Pretty much all of the galvanizing is removed from the ends when it is threaded anyway.

As a note, the use of unions isn't to make sure things line up, they are primarily used for ease of assembly and to allow future removal of sections/components w/o dismantling everything. Unions seal with a face to face contact, so it is pretty important that the sections of pipe being connected are in-line. Before tightening the unions, I would recommend that the wall straps/hangers are loosened or removed in that area, then tighten the union, then reattach the hangers/straps.

I agree in using pipe dope, it should seal better than tape. Make sure you use enough and start applying at the beginning of the thread at the pipe end. Ideally, you want the valleys of the threads completely filled with dope. If you use too much, the excess can just be wiped away after tightening. And probably most important, as Mark said, make sure you are tightening enough.

Good luck... and believe me, it will be worth it in the end. My compressor is probably my most used tool.

[scott]

why not copper w/ sweated joints?

[GeoffWillis]

Well, I looked at copper, and it wasn't that much more expensive than the Galvanized steel. I guess I liked the "Erector set" like feel of the various pipe lengths. The copper would require I "Plan it out", cut everything to length, and that just wasn't going to happen! Using the steel pipe, I was able to modify everything till I got it just right, then go back and seal it all up. I just ran the system up to 140 psi, and got a few small bubbles at one of the unions, but I'm calling it good, gotta get back to the rover!
Geoff