2024 CS4 SETUP

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F6Hawk

F6Hawk

Member
Feb 2, 2023
679
439
Florida
So I received my CS4 on 19 Feb 2024. Took the case apart to install an hour meter (which didn't work like I wanted it to, so ordered a different one).

Removed the small pre-filter and installed my homemade one with color-changing silica beads in it. (Two 3/4" PVC caps, tube wrapped with electrical tape to make a snug fit. Intake end has holes drilled in it, output end has a 3/8" brass pipe fitting to mate with the brass elbow into the compressor head).
1708412447665.png


Had some rusty water inside the bag when it arrived. No large debris in the water tank, but I flushed it about five times with tap water until it ran clear (was a little murky at first). Then put some Dawn dish soap in the reservoir and ran it for a couple of minutes, then began flushing it. After several fill/run/flush cycles, it was running clear. Then I purged the system completely of water, and finished by filling it with 250 ml of distilled water.

Connected some LED strips to the coolant hoses to make the water flow easy to see when running. Soldered them to the pump contacts so that they come on when the power switch is switched on.
1708412487812.png



Also added a 4-sensor temperature logger, but one sensor (to the motor) is faulty. Waiting on the seller to get back to me on a replacement. Have the sensors on the Head, Coolant tank, Motor, and Ambient air for tracking purposes. (Temps are - MHCA - Motor, Head of cylinder, Coolant tank, Ambient)
1708412532951.png

(Start of the 2-hour break-in run)


1708412565630.png

(Temps after 30 minutes)


Currently running the compressor for two hours with no load, though I saw nothing about that in the owner's manual, only saw it here on AGN. Where did this info come from?

1708412771791.png




Sadly, mine is one of the non-fluted cylinders. Darn the bad luck!

Parts:
Hour meter #1: (returned because it is too large and the backlight won't come on when the power switch is turned on) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C539D7R8

Replaced with this one. Smaller footprint, allowed me to install it in the back of the lower case, as opposed to the top cover, which would require disconnecting wires every time I opened the case:
Hour meter #2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2XZ3SYV

Plastic tube for pre-filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZM5BCQJ

Silica for pre-filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFJQQ7Q

Big air filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBM4BB84

Small air filter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M8KTS9B

Temperature logger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C39TKV4X

LED strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014V4RO2W
 
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Looks pretty good. Two thoughts:

Your pre-filter is really too small to do much vapor removal at the speed the pump runs at. Member @TheCurtster built one that was four feet long and it dropped the incoming air charge RH down to 10% from about 30%. While that is a a good reduction, it still leaves enough water vapor in the air to require post compression drying, which he does as well - his pre-filter simply helps the post compression filter last longer. But his pre filter is probably more than 25 times bigger than yours when you consider both length and diameter . . . . https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/moisture-how-big-a-deal-is-it.1303888/page-3#post-1672088

Something seems off on the temperatures you are reading, especially in the one at the 2 hour mark. Ideally, the recorded head temperature should be higher than your coolant temperature, as the coolant can't remove more heat than is in the head. So (assuming the leads aren't labelled wrong) the head temperature reading is not recording the hottest spot on the head, either by just location, or additional air cooling effect. The head temperature near the point of compression should be a good bit higher than the coolant temperature - and do also note that the compressed air charge will be even hotter than that there, as it is the source of heat for the head.

It will be interesting to see those temps after a real compression run . . .
 
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Thanks for the input, @AlanMcD . I realize the pre filter is small, but just trying to do what I can to remove moisture here in FL. (If f find the desiccant turning pink very rapidly, I might do a larger pre-filter external to the unit, but wanted to try and keep everything within the original footprint) My first 8 minute fill produced zero moisture when bleeding, and the first (small) filter element post-pump was dry as well (I stacked the two post filters so as to be able to open the tiny one and dry it out as needed).

I thought the same thing about coolant and head temps (my sensor for the head is just after the banjo fitting as the air leaves the head), but if you look at the numbers under pressure, they make more sense. But just to make sure, I'll take the cover off and verify the connections.
 
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I use this filter. I have about 20 hours on it with no issues. Joe has some interesting information about filters that sold me on this model.

www.topgun-airguns.com

Pre-Order Alpha In-Line Moisture Filter – Sept 7, 2024

When Filling a PCP airgun or airtank from a Shoebox, Alpha, Omega (or similar inexpensive high pressure compressor without a true water separator filter), a quality in-line moisture filter should be used to remove all oil, water and particulates from the air. This is an absolute must to prevent...
www.topgun-airguns.com www.topgun-airguns.com
 
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maxtrouble said:
I use this filter. I have about 20 hours on it with no issues. Joe has some interesting information about filters that sold me on this model.

www.topgun-airguns.com

Pre-Order Alpha In-Line Moisture Filter – Sept 7, 2024

When Filling a PCP airgun or airtank from a Shoebox, Alpha, Omega (or similar inexpensive high pressure compressor without a true water separator filter), a quality in-line moisture filter should be used to remove all oil, water and particulates from the air. This is an absolute must to prevent...
www.topgun-airguns.com www.topgun-airguns.com
Click to expand...
I'm using a Hill. Media needs to be changed every 10 hours or 3 months, so I bought 7.5 LBS 4A Molecular Sieve. Vacuum sealed them in mason jars. Should last me quite some time.
 
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Ta-Ta Toothie said:
I'm using a Hill. Media needs to be changed every 10 hours or 3 months, so I bought 7.5 LBS 4A Molecular Sieve. Vacuum sealed them in mason jars. Should last me quite some time.
Click to expand...
3A is better than 4A for trapping water, from what I understand. Haven't bought any replacement yet, but when I do, I plan on getting the 3A.

https://www.amazon.com/Wisesorb-Molecular-Desiccant-Dehumidifier-Absorbers/dp/B09QGM9X7G/

www.jalonzeolite.com

What's the difference molecular sieve 3a 4a 5a 13x - Jalon

What’s molecular sieve? Molecular Sieves are synthetic crystalline zeolites in which the atoms are arranged in a definite pattern. Internally, the structure has many cavities inter-connected by smaller pores of a uniform size. These pores are only able to accept and pass to the cavities...
www.jalonzeolite.com www.jalonzeolite.com
 
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F6Hawk said:
3A is better than 4A for trapping water, from what I understand. Haven't bought any replacement yet, but when I do, I plan on getting the 3A.

https://www.amazon.com/Wisesorb-Molecular-Desiccant-Dehumidifier-Absorbers/dp/B09QGM9X7G/

www.jalonzeolite.com

What's the difference molecular sieve 3a 4a 5a 13x - Jalon

What’s molecular sieve? Molecular Sieves are synthetic crystalline zeolites in which the atoms are arranged in a definite pattern. Internally, the structure has many cavities inter-connected by smaller pores of a uniform size. These pores are only able to accept and pass to the cavities...
www.jalonzeolite.com www.jalonzeolite.com
Click to expand...
I couldn't find a definitive answer between the 2 when I pulled the trigger, so I'll have to settle what I got. I'm sure it will be fine. I may just replace it sooner.
 
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And this article claims 4A is slightly better than 3A at removing water. Guess just pick a flavor...

The differences between molecular sieve 3A and molecular sieve 4A-OIM Chemical

Many people often have questions when purchasing molecular sieves. Which molecular sieve should I choose? 1. We often receive inquiries from customers about whether to use 3A molecular sieve or 4A molecular sieve? Whats the difference betwe
www.oimchem.com
 
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Ta-Ta Toothie said:
And this article claims 4A is slightly better than 3A at removing water. Guess just pick a flavor...

The differences between molecular sieve 3A and molecular sieve 4A-OIM Chemical

Many people often have questions when purchasing molecular sieves. Which molecular sieve should I choose? 1. We often receive inquiries from customers about whether to use 3A molecular sieve or 4A molecular sieve? Whats the difference betwe
www.oimchem.com
Click to expand...
Awesome, great find! I haven't come across a site that breaks it down for dummies quite like that one does. Looks like 4A is the way to go. Thanks for sharing!
 
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F6Hawk said:
@AlanMcD - To support your statement above about pre-filtration, here's what my tiny filter looked like after 2 hours of break-in run plus 8.5 mins of pumping straight to gun. It's working, but it sure won't last long. Now I will have to explore drilling a hole in the top of my compressor and fabricating a much larger external pre-filter.

Before:
View attachment 437639

After:
View attachment 437638
Click to expand...
I made the external 4 foot (actually 2, 2 foot sections joined to make 4 feet) desiccant tube described earlier. You won’t need to drill any holes in your compressor case. Just run the suction tube out through the slot where the power cables exit the case.

 
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TheCurtster said:
I made the external 4 foot (actually 2, 2 foot sections joined to make 4 feet) desiccant tube described earlier. You won’t need to drill any holes in your compressor case. Just run the suction tube out through the slot where the power cables exit the case.
Click to expand...
Ahhh, good point, thanks for sharing that! I had seen your PVC setup before, but didn't realize how you ran the tubing.

Did you use 3/8" vinyl tubing? Or 1/2"?

Also, how often do you need to swap/regen the desiccant beads?
 
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Ta-Ta Toothie said:
And this article claims 4A is slightly better than 3A at removing water. Guess just pick a flavor...

The differences between molecular sieve 3A and molecular sieve 4A-OIM Chemical

Many people often have questions when purchasing molecular sieves. Which molecular sieve should I choose? 1. We often receive inquiries from customers about whether to use 3A molecular sieve or 4A molecular sieve? Whats the difference betwe
www.oimchem.com
Click to expand...
Online wisdom suggests to cook the material at 450° for an hour before using, and for regeneration, about 2 hours.
 
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F6Hawk said:
Ahhh, good point, thanks for sharing that! I had seen your PVC setup before, but didn't realize how you ran the tubing.

Did you use 3/8" vinyl tubing? Or 1/2"?

Also, how often do you need to swap/regen the desiccant beads?
Click to expand...
I used 3/8 tubing and a trip to Ace Hardware for various fittings. I probably have $20 in the pipe and fittings, another $10 in desiccant.
As far as the life of the beads, I can’t honestly comment on that yet, as I’ve only used it once, to fill my 6.8 liter bottle from 0-4500 psi. The ambient air obviously enters through the blue filter, and the beads in that area are still the same color.

Curt
 
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