Can someone enlighten me on what causes these GD Trilobe blowers to fail?

[Cleanworks]

I just wasted $6k on a new blower that wasn't needed.

After installation of the new blower, took it to a job. Less than a hour in the job, the same symptoms came up of the bogging down on full throttle/load, and the belts smoking and stretched. F$%*!!!

Parked the truck and admitted defeat. This was the most expensive misdiagnosis I've ever done. Not a fun lesson in business to learn

Submitted myself back to JD and they checked it out and tested it. I was impressed by the technician that worked on it. I think they fired the JiffyLube tech that worked there last time I had it serviced. They found that there was a gap in the spark plugs too big that caused plugs to burn hot/lean from the way the plugs looked. The tech said that it made the engine work too hard, causing the bogging down, giving the reason it seemed like the blower was seizing. The vac release valve was sticking a few seconds before opening properly, enough to add to the problem.

The only good news is this wasn't my fault. Well, it was my fault falsely diagnosing and buying another blower, but the cause of all this wasn't. The plugs were falsely gapped and never checked before JD's tech installed them at the 2khr service I had them do 700hrs ago.

So...do you guys know anyone that might want to buy a blower with 2700hrs on it? I'm have no desire to store it in my building

In your original post you said you had 2 mechanics look at your engine. First thing a mechanic does is check the spark plugs. Better fire those 2.

 

[FB19087]

Can someone enlighten me on what causes these GD Trilobe blowers to fail?

This blower doesn’t have grease ports to lubricate it. And spraying a lubricate in the cups isn’t made for lubricating it. It’s made to get any water out of the impellers or turbines. Whatever they’re called lobes

mikeysboard.com

 

[BIG WOOD]

In your original post you said you had 2 mechanics look at your engine. First thing a mechanic does is check the spark plugs. Better fire those 2.

Car mechanics.

Nobody pulled plugs. The combination of belts stretching and burned rubber smell with the machine bogging down convinced them the blower was the culprit and engine was fine.

Like I said, it was a very expensive lesson learned

 

[hogjowl]

Until tomorrow

 

[FB19087]

Car mechanics.

Nobody pulled plugs. The combination of belts stretching and burned rubber smell with the machine bogging down convinced them the blower was the culprit and engine was fine.

Like I said, it was a very expensive lesson learned

I could be wrong but I'd be willing to bet that the relief valve had more to do with it than improper gap (if it had anything to do with it at all)

Improper gap can cause misses and the like but your description doesn't indicate a poorly running engine. It describes an engine trying to overcome stress. Why I asked about the relief valve and the exchanger.






*I'd expect a "car mechanic" to pull plugs long before a tm tech

 

[Dwain Ray]

X

 

[FB19087]

It's possible the engine wasn't producing the power needed....how far off was the gap
I'm assuming the two times it was checked they at least ran it through the rpm range where this would usually be evident

I'm still going with stuck relief (especially since the bogging is a recent issue according to OP)

I know I've smoked some belts and bogged an engine with it too high

 

[Dwain Ray]

Blowers are positive displacement, what goes in has to go out and vice versa when sucking without or with a stuck relief valve they will continue to pump down till the engine stalls belts slip or tank collapses higher the lift the more power required

 

[Lamesalegend]

Hey Big Wood, This is big of you to share this. I myself have come to the conclusion to not beat myself up about misdiagnoses. We have all had plenty of parts replaced that turned out to not be the problem. Sucks that it was so expensive. But you sharing this with us helps

 

[Luky]

So if im doing the math right you've gone thru 5 belts in 2800 hours?? you're getting on average 560 hours on a belt?? and you feel this is good??

I feel pretty good about the number you came up with, I don't run my belt to a pulp, always remove one link when the belt is getting wobbly. Never had a broken belt!!!
When the belt is getting thinner, I toss it out and replace it with a four feet section. I went through five couplers from TB Woods. It takes less than a minute to replace the belt, for coupler replacement, I need about 10 minutes since shafts can be pulled apart with an actuary motor. I share this for comparison, I'm familiar with standard belts and the timeline for their replacement. I may be OCD about my truck mount, I over-maintain it, I'm always game for spark plug changes, oil changes for a water pump, blower, and the engine as needed, and even more often. I'm proud that I'm one lucky bastard that spends zero hours and zero dollars in repair facilities. I believe that almost 600 hours doesn't sound bad at all.

 

[BIG WOOD]

It's possible the engine wasn't producing the power needed....how far off was the gap
I'm assuming the two times it was checked they at least ran it through the rpm range where this would usually be evident

I'm still going with stuck relief (especially since the bogging is a recent issue according to OP)

I know I've smoked some belts and bogged an engine with it too high

the gap was at .05 when it should be at .039-.0433

The reason I never thought of the vac relief was I remember staring at that gauge multiple times and never noticed it going over 14. When the machine sat, waiting to go to the shop, that's when it showed to the technician

 

[BIG WOOD]

Hey Big Wood, This is big of you to share this. I myself have come to the conclusion to not beat myself up about misdiagnoses. We have all had plenty of parts replaced that turned out to not be the problem. Sucks that it was so expensive. But you sharing this with us helps

Thank you. This has been very embarrassing and financially frustrating for certain. I'm glad I'm not the only one out there who's made a mistake similar to this. I'm glad I could help

 

[BIG WOOD]

In your original post you said you had 2 mechanics look at your engine. First thing a mechanic does is check the spark plugs. Better fire those 2.

I don't remember you ever saying in the beginning of this thread to check the spark plugs. No need to slap me in the face with inaccurate expectance of what a good mechanic should do.

As for JD, I was lucky the tech found those problems. VERY LUCKY!!!. Because I found yesterday he didn't know how to properly adjust the vac relief. There was a 3rd nut added to adjustment. I called to ask why he did that and he said when he went to tighten the lock nut, the BOLT WAS SPINNING, so he put on the 3rd nut to lock the adjusting nut. This was after they decided to lecture me on how my vac should be set at 12.5, when my manual says 13. FKING IDIOT! We pay these companies TOP DOLLAR for their so called CERTIFIED SERVICE!!!!

So that left the nut against the spring to move. On top of that, he put my lid on the recovery tank backwards, allowing water to go over the middle baffle and right through my BRAND NEW blower.

So I had to stop what I was doing, clean blower filter, and run fresh water through the blower to rinse out all the cleaning detergents that went through the blower and heat exchanger. I WAS SO PISSED OFF.

Now you guys know why I didn't go to JD first to diagnose this problem.

 

[hogjowl]

Everyone is so pissy!

 

[Cleanworks]

I don't remember you ever saying in the beginning of this thread to check the spark plugs. No need to slap me in the face with inaccurate expectance of what a good mechanic should do.

As for JD, I was lucky the tech found those problems. VERY LUCKY!!!. Because I found yesterday he didn't know how to properly adjust the vac relief. There was a 3rd nut added to adjustment. I called to ask why he did that and he said when he went to tighten the lock nut, the BOLT WAS SPINNING, so he put on the 3rd nut to lock the adjusting nut. This was after they decided to lecture me on how my vac should be set at 12.5, when my manual says 13. FKING IDIOT! We pay these companies TOP DOLLAR for their so called CERTIFIED SERVICE!!!!

So that left the nut against the spring to move. On top of that, he put my lid on the recovery tank backwards, allowing water to go over the middle baffle and right through my BRAND NEW blower.

So I had to stop what I was doing, clean blower filter, and run fresh water through the blower to rinse out all the cleaning detergents that went through the blower and heat exchanger. I WAS SO PISSED OFF.

Now you guys know why I didn't go to JD first to diagnose this problem.

No reflection on you Matt. I'm just saying if spark plugs were the issue, the first 2 mechanics should have found it.