A lot of centrifuge crud

Sidewinded_idi

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just curious when you guys think it’s too much. This last batch had about 1/4 inch of buildup, do you think that’s too much or fine to keep running?
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Shadetreemechanic

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To keep running the centrifuge, or keep running the oil in your truck?
I occasionally get that kind of buildup in my fuge after leaving it on all night. I think its still filtering at that point.
I did check the fuge one morning and found that it had built up so much sludge the drive jets clogged. It didn't seem to have hurt anything to have that happen so I don't worry about doing it.
When I get a lot of build up like that, I do like to clean it out and run it another couple hours to make sure I have gotten everything out. As long as the inside of the fuge eventually stays clean I will burn anything in my IDI.
 

Sidewinded_idi

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To keep running the centrifuge, or keep running the oil in your truck?
I occasionally get that kind of buildup in my fuge after leaving it on all night. I think its still filtering at that point.
I did check the fuge one morning and found that it had built up so much sludge the drive jets clogged. It didn't seem to have hurt anything to have that happen so I don't worry about doing it.
When I get a lot of build up like that, I do like to clean it out and run it another couple hours to make sure I have gotten everything out. As long as the inside of the fuge eventually stays clean I will burn anything in my IDI.


Yes the fuge, I’ll never stop running it in the truck. Have close to 10k trouble free miles now. I use a torch cleaner on my jets every time I clean. Any recommendations to adding a 100psi relief valve Incase it rises when I leave? I’ve came home to it spinning at 120psi and noticed the more it mixes the pressure changes so I’d like to add something with a set limit
 

Thewespaul

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I would add that relief valve, you can let it run up to that pressure but it’s just a lot of restriction, just makes it harder on everything.
 

Shadetreemechanic

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I have a pressure relief valve teed in just before the pressure gauge. I usually have it set to bypass at 130 and at that pressure it dumps back into the barrel.
My routine is to get the system up to pressure when I am in the shop, let it run for an hour or so, then leave it overnight.
I would like to plumb in a pressure switch that would shut down the motor with a sudden loss of pressure to the system, but haven't done it yet and have had no issues. My high pressure line from the pump to the steel fittings going into the fuge is a 300 psi hydraulic line so I am not real worried about a rupture.
 

Sidewinded_idi

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I have a pressure relief valve teed in just before the pressure gauge. I usually have it set to bypass at 130 and at that pressure it dumps back into the barrel.
My routine is to get the system up to pressure when I am in the shop, let it run for an hour or so, then leave it overnight.
I would like to plumb in a pressure switch that would shut down the motor with a sudden loss of pressure to the system, but haven't done it yet and have had no issues. My high pressure line from the pump to the steel fittings going into the fuge is a 300 psi hydraulic line so I am not real worried about a rupture.
What relief valve do you use? Only ones I’ve found are for water heater blow off valves.
 

Shadetreemechanic

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looks just like this one, link. I don't remember where I got it however. Insert flathead in end to adjust pressure. It failed about a year ago and I found that the whole thing comes apart and there is a replaceable washer inside.
 

Sidewinded_idi

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looks just like this one, link. I don't remember where I got it however. Insert flathead in end to adjust pressure. It failed about a year ago and I found that the whole thing comes apart and there is a replaceable washer inside.
Cool that’s exactly the one I was looking at. So it works pretty good? I’m still going to use the ball valve I just wanted something in case the pressure jumped
 

Shadetreemechanic

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Works great. You will need to turn the max pressure way up when you get it. I have a clear line running off it back to the tank so I can see when it is bypassing. That is how I figured out the gasket went bad in it last year.
 

leswhitt

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I would run that in the centrifuge longer, that's a good bit of sludge still. How many passes did you have on it at that point?
 

CaptTom

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Can you guys post pics of your centrifuge set ups?

It sounds like you're centrifuging round and round in the same barrel? Wouldn't it be faster to divert the cleaned oil into a clean barrel v circulating? Then do it again into another clean barrel?
 

leswhitt

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My setup is to suck about a 1/2 inch off the bottom of my tote, centrifuge, and deposit on the top of the tote. Through natural recirculation, I'm confident that most, if not all, of my oil passes through the centirifuge. Since I use a 250 gallon tote and go for 30+ passes, using the same barrel allows me to flip a switch, go to work, and just let it spin on its own all day. When I get home, I clean out the fudge, flip the switch again, and let it run all night then repeat the cleaning process before going to work. With a 100 gallon per hour fuge, I'll do that for 72+ hours.

If I was going from one barrel to the next, I'd have to have a timer set up to keep my pump/gauge from running dry. Plus, I don't think it'd get it much cleaner, if any at all.
 

Shadetreemechanic

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I have a 55gph centrifuge on a 55 gallon barrel. I generally let it run 10 hours per session.. My check used to be to clean out the fuge after 10 hours and run it for a few more, but I don't do that anymore. After 10 hours its about as clean as its going to get.
As Leswhitt noted, a single pass system would require more electronics or babysitting.
 

Shadetreemechanic

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This is not my setup, but it was put together the same way by a friend of mine. Power steering pump run off electric motor sending pressure to top mounted fuge.

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