Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Warmest morning since Friday; this morning's low was 9*. Wind was really blowing at 3:30, but by the time I left for work at 4:45, it had pretty much died down.

 

multiple 2 baggers in March, hooda thunk it?????????????? welcome to new england

 

We can only hope, but dont count on it. (end of the talk that is)

 

When it rains it pours.
Last Friday I got up and things were off to a great start, THEN the water coming from the faucet turned a dark brownish Orange

About 5 minutes later my tenant who rents my lower level text me and asks "Is the water in your toilet brown" ?????

OH !@#$%
I head down to the pump shack and do some checking.

Pump pressure is good but flow is down and water is nasty dirty at the well head.

Well is 800 Ft deep in good hard basalt.

Got the well guys in here later in the day and no real good ideas other than a bunch of theories.

Pump was replaced in Nov 2007 and we have had issues with fine plastic chunks in the faucet screens from the gitgo. (Noticed it about 6 months after new)

The pump guru said the issue was due to "Upwelling"

The pump sits at 720 feet in an 855 foot hole.

Static water level is 500 feet.
220 feet of water over the inlet.

The story was that the large head of water was causing the rotor stack to float and wear the impellers on the top of the case ????

They came out and installed a restrictor to "load the pump"

I was not sold on the story, but not much was able to be done.

Called a couple other pump gurus and got varying stories.

So here we are at 9 years and 4 months with a dead pump.

After doing some research on things I believe there is something far more sinister going on.

After the new pump was installed there was always noticeable purring/rattling noise at the well head that had never been present with the prior pump. (Installed in 1984)

I am near certain that there was cavitation happening, and this is destructive.

As of this morning the water is much much more clear and so we are getting a plan together to fix things.

Different well GURUS

Arrrrrgh

 

i think im gonna have a blizzard party

 

since it was kinda frigid out side this past weekend, i'm continuing to work on the Atlas engine in the shop. needed to add compression shims to all four cylinders to bring the top of the piston to 31/32 (.969) to hopefully give us 400 PSI compression. We'll see because the Atlas guy that's been helping with parts and advise is thinking that might result in low compression and excessive smoking. But he's not sure what to set it too, the one he did like ours was 20 years ago.

If I have to add shims after the engine is fully assembled, it will be a bit more difficult and probably be a days work for 2 guys. A couple of pictures from yesterday.

 

I will RSVP right now-NO

 

I'm likely not leaving the house until Wednesday afternoon at the earliest.

 

this is what I started with.



the engine was complete, but hopelessly seized up with water getting in the vertical exhaust. it last ran around 1950, and had been in frame rebuilt shortly before that. The machine shop used a 70 ton press to remove one piston, after months of acetone/atf soaking. Then we struck gold, because pressing the rest out and having custom 7.5" X 27" sleeves cast and machined and machining the cylinders to accept them would have probably cost $20,000!
Slightly used replacement cylinders, pistons, rods and rings were found from a 6 cylinder engine in Seattle WA, at a cost of shipping (about $1,200). The crankshaft was polished, and the replacement cylinders were honed and reassembled. The heads were given valve inserts, and replacement valves where needed. The spray valves and high pressure fuel pump were sent out for rebuilding.

At about 8 tons, the engine was brought into my shop on a forklift capable of moving 26 tons. All told, we have about $7500 in materials and purchased labor into it at this point, and I'll need it lifted onto a trailer for the return trip and lifted onto its concrete foundation in the Engine Building at the museum.

There are probably only a couple dozen surviving Atlas engines of this type, and only 3 on the east coast that we know of. Our 4HS464, a 4HM652? at Mystic Seaport, and one in the Smithsonian. Yea, that rare!

 

That is awesome! I hope you take a video when you get it running. I worked for a manufacturing company, running it's vehicle maintenance department for 32 years. It had it's own powerplant. I worked in the powerplant for 8 years after a downturn in the business made them consolidate employees. They used to generate their own power with 6 Cat 399 and 398 diesels. Now they use a 5MW gas turbine. I love the old stuff. So simple and really cool to see run.

We still run the Cats weekly to exercise them just in case they are needed. I have a video. I'll try to find it.

 

Here's the link. If it doesn't imbed, just click the link.

 

Well, latest and I think final numbers for all the CH*T that's coming tomorrow....I'm really UNLIKING this.
Jay, you & I are gonna get hammered, I think....I hear 20-24" posssible.


Adult beverages √
Eggs, milk, bread √
Gas for the sn*wblower √
Sn*w blower chute & scoop and shovel sprayed with slick spray √
Aleve for sore muscles √

 

Dammit, that has me in 18-24" area

 

blizzard WARNING now got beer???

 

Stella.

 

Coincidence?

 

those of you with meader bros pellets need to get MORE beer

 

'zard WARNING gonna get hammered. Must get way more TP.

 

Sacrifice a sock, David.

 

I like the beer, NOT the coincidence.