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+--- Thread: New Powertech Sump Pan (/showthread.php?tid=77)
New Powertech Sump Pan - travelite - 10-26-2014 20:29
I had an unusual failure recently. I'm new to air bag suspended generators. I've never played around with the two pressure regulators feeding air to the fore and aft air springs, but someone must have. I arrived at my bus some time ago to find a puddle of oil on the floor under the generator. Seems I've been driving with very little air pressure in the front air bags. In addition, the rubber bump stop mounted to the floor of the enclosure and designed to support the engine sump pan had sheered off. This allowed the oil drain petcock to rest firmly against the enclosure tray. I guess over the miles the force and vibrations were too much for the welded on sump pan threaded bung. The weld attaching the threaded bung to the sump cracked and began leaking! The sump pan has to come off to repair the weld. Odd failure! I now know to pay particular attention to the pressure in those air bags and to make sure the resting rubber bump stops are in place and secured properly! This is my first mess-up with this bus!
[attachment=34][attachment=35]
As you can see, Vantare didn't mount the genny on a sliding tray, so how am I going to get the damaged sump pan off? I'd like to insert a jack under the sump, disconnect the fore air springs, lift the front of the generator, and crib under the air spring mounts to gain access and clearance to all the sump pan bolts. Here's the low profile jack I found; it's a Mat Jack 1, max air pressure is 120 psi. It can lift 1.5 tons to a height of 2.5 inches. It's deflated height is 3/4":
[attachment=36][attachment=37]
This past Friday I had a chance to give it a try. I disconnected the fuel pump and tied it out of the way; I removed the air hoses and air fittings from the top of the air springs; I then removed the two top bolts releasing the air springs from the engine support mounts. I plumbed the MatJack 1 with air via a pressure regulator and slowly lifted the front of the Kubota. I then packed cribbing between the engine mounts and the air springs for support. This gave me enough room to reach around the backside of the kubota to release all the sump pan bolts. After unbolting the oil pump strainer the sump came right out:
[attachment=38][attachment=39][attachment=40][attachment=41][attachment=42]
FOR EXTRA CREDIT: Where are the main bearing caps?
RE: New Powertech Sump Pan - davidbrady - 11-07-2014 12:15
Well, it took two days but I was successful in removing the old sump pan and installing a new one. If my physical dimensions were slightly different I would not have been able to complete this job - only someone with long lanky arms like me could have the reach and slenderness to get in there! A very difficult job... And, after its all bolted up and torqued what do I find out? Vantare's 3/8 NPT oil drain ball valve doesn't thread into the barely accessible sump ban bung! A quick call to Powertech reveals that the bung thread is metric and most likely straight and Vantare ran a NPT tap down it for a tapered fitting! Turns out the pitch on the metric thread is very very close to the 3/8 NPT as is the diameter such that you can get a seal once tapped. So, do I remove the entire thing and tap it on the bench or do I grease up a tap and contort myself into the small opening to do it in situ?
I should have been a surgeon!
RE: New Powertech Sump Pan - davidbrady - 11-07-2014 17:37
A little digging turned up this M16x1.5 (male) to 3/8 NPT (female) adapter. I'm in business again.
[attachment=63]
RE: New Powertech Sump Pan - travelite - 11-13-2014 15:27
A friend suggested doing away with the fittings and ball valve and instead fitting a section of hydraulic hose with a JIC plug at the end. I had a section of hose made up today; it's a much better solution:
[attachment=68]
RE: New Powertech Sump Pan - cubeman - 05-23-2019 15:47
David, Were you able to raise the Generator without disconnecting the exhaust or coolant lines ?
RE: New Powertech Sump Pan - davidbrady - 05-26-2019 19:40
Yes, there's easily enough slack/flex to pick it up a few inches. No need to disconnect the exhaust or coolant lines.