Oily Compressors (not)

Submitted: Saturday, Sep 11, 2004 at 21:10

ThreadID: 16210 Views:2268 Replies:2 FollowUps:4

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PerthGQ

G'day all, in reading some of the recent posts regarding the problem of dif' oil coming back from the air-lockers, a couple of offerings for consideration:

Most of these compressors are dry-lube so ingested oil is not healthy. Fortunately the oil is most likely (hopefully) being exhausted from the air-locker solenoid valve exhaust port, not from the compressor itself. This is due to the three-port configuration of the solenoid valve.

While nobody should expect to have any oil coming back to the compressor, as a precaution, mount the solenoid valve/s on a multi-port manifold, available from many places, remote to the compressor. The tube connecting the delivery port of the compressor to the manifold and/or external air receiver can be fitted with an inline check valve to prevent anything coming back to the compressor.

If it suits you to have the compressor under the seat or elsewhere inside, then you can still run a tube to the remote valve/s, under the bonnet etc, thereby preventing any oil problems inside the cab.

For what it's worth, the GQ has an ideal spot high up on the bulkhead, on the intake side of the donk, away from the exhaust heat, so that's where I've put it...couldn't put up with the noise.

Just my two bobs worth..Keith

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Reply By: sean - Saturday, Sep 11, 2004 at 21:55

Saturday, Sep 11, 2004 at 21:55

Keith

all sound like good advice. But what do you do about the loss of diff oil. If you use the locker alot then an fair bit comes out. Maybe mounting it higher up might prevent some of the oil loss, I am not sure. It would be really nice if ARB would provide some definitive info. Maybe thats why they have such short recommended service intervals on the locker (30,000 I think).

I have such problem on a recent front locker installation and am still waiting to see if ARB are going to answer my email questioning their proposed fix. Is it a common problem or is it a bunch of bad seals or something???. The locker does not leak down, but oil is getting back into the compressor line, and as you say, maybe not good for compressor.

Also on recent trip two vehicles had NEW ARB OME shockies with 40,000 & 3 year warranty. The shocks were fitted just before the trip. Both vehicles had the shockies fail, one within 300 kms of start of dirt and only less than 1000 or so kms from new, and the other not long after. Amazing is that ARB did/would not honor the warranty. One of the blokes has written to head office and is waiting a reply.

Also on same trip brand new airbags installed by ARB failed and ARB IPF driving lights rattled to bits and self destructed.

So with regard to the locker, I am not holding my breath becuae it seems to me if ARB honored their warranties then they might go broke. If I dont get a good answer from ARB I will lean towards having it removed and fitting a detroit. If the detroit works in a hummer, then I am sure it will work for me.

Sean

AnswerID: 76059

Follow Up By: PerthGQ - Saturday, Sep 11, 2004 at 22:18

Saturday, Sep 11, 2004 at 22:18

Sean,
Not good news on the ARB front from the sound of it. Any leakage/blow-back from the dif is unacceptable. There's obviously something wrong to have oil get past the poppet in the locker and into the airline. When the solenoid valve is de-energised (locker is disengaged) it vents the airline from the locker to atmosphere, so it acts like a dif breather. Hence there must be a seal problem on the locker poppet/piston. I would think the deign of the seal housing etc would be well proven so it would likely be bad seal materila/quality. Any noise from ARB on a recall?

It'll be interesting to see what happens from the ARB crowd. Keep us informed.

My thoughts were just on the compressor mounting but thanks for the info.

Keith

FollowupID: 335891

Follow Up By: Member - Brett H (QLD) - Sunday, Sep 12, 2004 at 08:45

Sunday, Sep 12, 2004 at 08:45

Reminds me of the time I bought new shocks from one of the big 2 4wd retailers. I ordered the shocks on the phone and then went to pick them up from the store etc etc. Got home and pulled the car apart to fit them only to find the salesman had given me shocks that had different mounting methods to the ones on the troopy..
I called up and told the bloke what was going on and he suggested I bring them back. (Did I mention that the original 4 shocks were off the car) After a few heated words and a fax directly to Head Office the shocks were replaced by courier a couple of days later.. A whole lot of un-necessary hurt for nothing.

FollowupID: 335901

Reply By: rock hoper - Sunday, Sep 12, 2004 at 10:15

Sunday, Sep 12, 2004 at 10:15

i had the same problem with that brand of air lockers.
so i started making my own air lockersThe air locker developed by L.C.4 X4 has an Pneumactic air ram that locks and unlocks the differential.

This is assisted by a spring that holds the locked differential in the unlocked mode and also assists in faster unlocking.

Other brands of differential locks use inferior "O" ring technology to engage the locking mechanism.

When in the locked position,they rely on no pressure too unlock the differential.As they do not have the patented L.C.4X4 "spring technology" there can be delays of up to one minute in the unlocking procedure

This can cause loss of steering and result in broken constant velocity shafts as well as personal injury.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PROBLEMS WITH OTHER BRANDS.

1. LEAKING "O" RINGS.

2.THIS CAUSES THE DIFFERENTIAL AIRLINE TOO ACT AS A BREATHER,RESULTING IN LOSS OF OIL.RESULT.DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE.

3.AS OTHER BRANDS DO NOT UNLOCK IMMEDIATELY UNTIL ALL PRESSURE HAS BEEN RELEASED, IT WILL STAY LOCKED,SOMETIMES FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD.

4.L.C.4X4 ARE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF TECNOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND AS SUCH HAVE MANY MORE PRODUCTS COMING TO YOU SOON.

i am a business and i will be advertising on this site soon .
i hope i solved your problems ......
sorry if i upset any one with this post .

AnswerID: 76087