I got a problem with a Bellows Valvair air control valve for a pneumatic cylinder, anyone know anything about these things?

Will trade plugs for help from someone who knows wtf they doing getting this running....

How bout' 1 plug for someone who can "make pretend" he knows what he is doing?:laughs:

Sorry Scott.....wish I could help.:(

not even sure if this is the problem Larry, it's a part on a new/old machine I just had shipped up from good 'ol Alabamia, sposed to make a motor move on a piston and not working...but when and if I get it working it will be the mother of all drilling machines...2 horse 3 phase 240 motors on it :eek:

The part I got a question on was originally made in the 50's.....and they still make it today too!

Maybe I get to check that out soon?;) Sounds pretty high tech for an old item......proof they don't make anything as good as they used to if you are getting one today.;)

Sounds as if the kajamastat is rubbing against the dianafram......:tm: .....is the electromagnetic phazemodulator getting enough oil?:rolleyes:

Plug now?:happy:

lol it's a pneumatic engine solenoid Larry.....I can't figure out if it's working properly or not for the life of me....you gotta tell me how it works to get a plug :smash:

Salty, I know exactly what you are talking about... is the solenoid not engaging the piston when you give it power??

u may need to call or email Geneva (switzerland) for a service manual.
Does it look like this ?

http://www.flowprod.com/bellows.htm
then email those dudes

Well ratehr than wait for your reply, the way those things work is you have a control valve and a solenoid that opens/closes the valve. If absolutely nothing is happening, and there is no air noises, it is your solenoid... you will have to order a new one. .If you give it power and there is a great deal of hissing noise, and nothing is mooving, you have a bad valve or worsecase scenario, your piston (pneumatic ram) is frozen. if thats whats going on, check to see of there are any bleed fittings on the valve assembly.. one might be open and letting the air pressure escape.
My guess is that its the solenoid.

Sounds like Eben earned a plug or 2 . He seems to be very familiar with this unit.
Im betting selenoid too. Can we see a pic of this thing?

That was what I said.....you just misunderstood because of all the technical lingo!:rolleyes: I should have dumbed it down for you Salty, I know how slow on the uptake you can be!;)

looks similar to this: http://patimg1.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=02641229&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fn ph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DP ALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2Fsrchnum.htm%25 26r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D2641229.WKU. %2526OS%3DPN%2F2641229%2526RS%3DPN%2F2641229&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=7540D3BEC086

Eben, it has 3 fittings on it and then 2 outlets to the plenum that go to the air piston... one fitting is the main air in, then the other two go into the switch side inside the plenum....air on the main side, 13 vac on either side of the solenoid depending on if either the limit swith or the foot pedal is pressed puts voltage on one side or the other....brass case is ground to the machine.. thing clicks, feel air exhausting out of the small port in the top which I assume is an exhaust port, but no air goes to the piston through the plenum cuz it doesn't move anywhere....I can take a rubber tipped air nozzle and push it into the holes for the air piston and make it move back and forth, but it doesn't work through the solenoid... here's what the whole thing looks like:

http://www.powerdrives.com/schrader_air_motors/overview.htm

I should mention also that the machine has two of these and neither one is working which is what is leading me to believe i'm doing something wrong.....the two small air line out the side of the plenum were all plumbed together and had a 3/8 male air fitting on it, but it doesn't go to anywhere on the machine so now I dunno what they for....

Salty, you say the foot pedal makes the solenoid click, so we know the pedal works..then you say that after you click open the solenoid, air rushes out, so we know the solenoid works.
The air that is exhausting is supposed to be going through your piston. The problem is that the air thats rushing out through that fitting is not being pushed down the piston....check to see if that fitting that the air is leaking from is ajustable... if it is , close it up and your piston will move.
if the fitting isnt ajustable, the fittings that screw into the housing might be missing, You will have to find a nut to close it up(preferably the right fitting from the MFG). The deal is that the bleed fitting is supposed to bleed just enough air so your piston moves at the correct speed and pressure.... If the hissing air has a nut and its open a bit, a thing to try is to crank up the PSI before you even mess with that bleed fitting and see what happens... you might have your compressor's PSI set too low and its only venting through the bled fitting..

I know its confusing but I'll anser more questiosn for you as you have them

call me 5082787128 before 9 i can explain over the fone easier...

I will do that...

Salty,
Sounds like Eben is the man, but just in case its an electric problem, Blanchard Electric on Greenleaf street in Whitman has been rewinding all kinds of motors and stuff like that for years. Good luck.

Salty,

Get in tough with Black Eye. He worked on neumatics for the Chair Force (:laughs: ) I'll pm you his number.

sweet thanks!

Blackeye worked with hydrolics in the airforece, but pneumatics are one million times simpler than hydrolics...

It's all ball bearings these days.

I've seen this before - you are leaking bumper fluid fropm the Finnegan pin... Big Job...

Geez JohnR....sounds like it is gonna cost him some plugs?;)