Air regulator type question

[F5 Dave]

I bought a ring seal leak tester as on eBay they were affordable. The issue is that I can't seem to get a reasonable pressure up. My kart guy has one that looks the same and seems to run to 30 PSI, but mine won't do much more than 8 and dies when you plug it in to the cylinder. If you turn it up it blows ok but no longer starting on zero.

so I'm guessing its a problem with the regulator (or somewhere else). I've taken the thing apart and blown out some fine debris but no improvement. Any ideas?

[unstuck]

I would be thinking regulator issue too.:scratch:

[Ocean1]

I bought a ring seal leak tester as on eBay they were affordable. The issue is that I can't seem to get a reasonable pressure up. My kart guy has one that looks the same and seems to run to 30 PSI, but mine won't do much more than 8 and dies when you plug it in to the cylinder. If you turn it up it blows ok but no longer starting on zero.

so I'm guessing its a problem with the regulator (or somewhere else). I've taken the thing apart and blown out some fine debris but no improvement. Any ideas?

What sort of fine debris, there shouldn't be any at all...

Reg looks like a standard mini-reg, Norgren colours. If there's no obvious damage or assembly issues I'll find you another one to try.

PS: make sure the arrow on the reg body is pointing the right way...

[F5 Dave]

Thanks Ocean, just fine white powder, clutching at straws perhaps. Yes arrow facing in. Don't mind throwing some more money at it, just a bit lost what to do next.

[Ocean1]

Is a 1/4" bsp thread?
I'll have a look next time I'm in the workshop, range will be 0-8Bar for anything I've got that small though.

[F5 Dave]

Erm I haven't unscrewed it from the body, not sure how to grab it to avoid damage

[Ocean1]

Erm I haven't unscrewed it from the body, not sure how to grab it to avoid damage

Looks like you've got to remove that first gauge before the reg, eh?

And then I'd hold the reg lightly in the vice across the two 1/8" gauge ports, (with the in-hex plugs in) and take to the manifold body with a crescent. It's just a barrel nipple, shouldn't put up much of a fight.

[F5 Dave]

ok I'll give it a shot

[Ocean1]

Found a PRV in the spare PRV department, if you PM me an address I'll see if I can drop it off.

[F5 Dave]

PM sent. Well I pulled the reg off and gently blew through system but equalised at 10 psi. Odd,

[carburator]

PM sent. Well I pulled the reg off and gently blew through system but equalised at 10 psi. Odd,

Im kind of scratching my head here, the first gauge generally will only show the pressure output of the air supply
set to normally about 20psi for the % gauge to give a figure

( note most testers are used with the motor at bottom dead center not TDC )
in the a/c world we do it at TDC or rock the motor upto tdc to get the most pressure in the system and force the rings out..

[F5 Dave]

I was cautious as a mate always used to say; listen to what people say, but don't listen to what people say. But I must be wrong and it's not the regulator. I shouldn't have said it was in the first place. Ocean was kind enough to supply another, once I got an adaptor or two I tried it last night. Same thing. You wind it till the right leakage gauge is zeroed, but that drops the pressure to 9 psi. Too low IMO .

So either the pressure gauge is lying, which I doubt as the pressure falls away when plugging in as so low. Wonder if ther is a badly drilled restriction between the 2 gauges, or can adjust the leak gauge upward?

[F5 Dave]

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=leakdown+tester+images&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari#biv=i%7C0%3Bd%7CBWGVq4sJRb1ffM%3AWel l a spell of insomnia & some time to watch good ol youtoob guess what., most of these kit things run about 15psi. Mine still was a bit odd though. Most have a restrictor between the 1st & 2nd gauge. Went for a look and min didn't

. So I turned a bit of nylon & drilled a 1mm hole then pushed it into place. There was a change in section as If something was meant to be there. I then tried it. Only goes to 10psi but holds pretty good when trying a small leak by pushing the outlet valve. Guess the 2nd valve dictates the pressure the test will be.

so tried my old reg back on & it still drops as soon as there is a leak. Ef faulty. Thanks for the replacement Ocean, I owe you something.

Will try on engine tomorrow .

[Ocean1]

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=leakdown+tester+images&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari#biv=i%7C0%3Bd%7CBWGVq4sJRb1ffM%3AWel l a spell of insomnia & some time to watch good ol youtoob guess what., most of these kit things run about 15psi. Mine still was a bit odd though. Most have a restrictor between the 1st & 2nd gauge. Went for a look and min didn't

. So I turned a bit of nylon & drilled a 1mm hole then pushed it into place. There was a change in section as If something was meant to be there. I then tried it. Only goes to 10psi but holds pretty good when trying a small leak by pushing the outlet valve. Guess the 2nd valve dictates the pressure the test will be.

so tried my old reg back on & it still drops as soon as there is a leak. Ef faulty. Thanks for the replacement Ocean, I owe you something.

Will try on engine tomorrow .

Occurred to me later that it might have to be a non-downstream relieving version, which that isn't. But I couldn't make that work in my head, so I'm glad the real world agrees with me.

Owe me? Don't think so, it's just junk from the "experimental failures that might come in handy one day" dept.

[F5 Dave]

Well thank you indeed