Maintenance of Reciprocating

Compressors

.
1
 - Components of Compressor -

CRANKSHAFT PISTON ROD

CROSSHEAD PISTON

CONNECTING ROD
CROSSHEAD GUIDE FRAME CYLINDER

2
 - Installation Flow -
Crankshaft

Main Bearings

Disassemble
Crosshead & Connecting Rod
Assemble

Coupling / Alignments

Rod Packing

Piston

Bar-over Test

Compressor Valves
3
- Location of Bearings -

MAIN BEARING
CROSSHEAD PIN
CRANK PIN BEARING BEARING / BUSH

CROSSHEAD SHOE

4
 - Disassembling of Main Bearings -
Disassemble frame tie rod W ie r Rope

Eye Bo l t

Uppe r me ta l

Remove the cap with upper

metal

Se t Sc rew Lowe r Me ta l

Install special tool into oil hole

of crankshaft D isassemb l ing Too l Crank Shaf t
To Turn

Turn the crankshaft and remove

the lower metal
Lowe rMe ta l

5
- Assembling of Main Bearings -

Assembling lower metal

Assembling crankshaft

Assembling upper metal with

cap

Tighten the upper cap by torque

wrench
(820 N-m)
6
- Construction of Crosshead & Connecting Rod -

7
8
 - Assembling of Connecting Rod -

Assembling of connecting rod can be done by the

opposite flow of assembling.
However, tightness of big end bolts are controlled by its
elongation.

So, please measure its length before and after

installation.

9
 - Disassembling of Crosshead -

After disassembling of piston and connecting rod.

Tilt the crosshead by 90ﾟ and take out crosshead from
window of crosshead guide or compressor frame.

10
 - Assembling of Crosshead -

In case of assembling of crosshead, please take care that there are

two type of crosshead shoes.
One is “C”shoe and the other is “O” shoe.
And after assembled to the crosshead guide, clearance between
crosshead and crosshead guide to be recorded.
Planned clearance is 0.20 – 0.29mm and the using limit is 0.40mm.
C Shoe

C learance
O Shoe

C Shoe O Shoe

：Measu r ing Po in t

11
 - Measurement of Crank Arm Deflection -

1. Set the deflection gauge

(special dial gauge) between 0ﾟ

each crank arm at 0ﾟ position.

2. Turn and measure the
movement at 90ﾟ, 180ﾟ, 270ﾟ. 90 ﾟ

3. For example, if the measured

deflection is 0 – +0.06mm,
180 ﾟ
jack up the turning gear at the
half of the measured value of
0.03mm.
4. Adjustment limit is 0.03mm
270 ﾟ
and using limit is 0.06mm

12
 - Construction of Cylinder -
CYLINDER LINER SUCTION VALVE
PISTON ROD SUCTION VALVE UNLOADER
PACKING

DISCHARGE VALVE PISTON CLEARANCE POCKET

13
- Construction of Piston Rod Packing-
● Piston rod packing Packing case

Tie bolt
Rod packing Gater Spring
14
 - Assembling of Piston Rod Packing -

There are three types of packing.

・Butt-cut type (a)
FRAME S IDE
・Step-cut type (b)
・Backup ring (c)
Please take special care for the
direction & combination of (a) R1
No .1&2
T1 R0

packings.
Incorrect direction or
combination will cause the R3 T5 R0
No .3&4
leakage of gas.
(b) (c)
After assembled to packing case,
please measure the side clearance T5 T5
No .5
and record it.

15
- Construction of Piston -
● Piston ring
●Rider ring

● Piston rod ● Piston nut

16
 - Assembling of Piston -
Assemble piston rod & piston
REMOVE THE NYLON SL N
IG
rings to piston CHA N
I BLOCK
AFTER INSERT ING ROD
CYL INDER

ROD PACK N
I G PROTECTOR

Set piston rod wrench to piston

nut & set protector for the
threaded portion of piston rod
LENGTH a WE G
I HT
P ISTON ROD WRENCH 1ST A/B : 2145 1ST A/B : 208 kg

Then, hoist the piston assembly a

and install into cylinder

P ro tec t ing Cap

Inserting the piston assembly, fo r P is ton Rod Pack ing

install the rider rings to piston

Screw in the piston rod to

crosshead
17
 - Assembling of Piston -
Adjust the screw travel by
markings on piston rod and
crosshead by using divider.
Then, tighten cross nut.
The reference length indicated
on window of crosshead guide

Measure the clearances between

piston & cylinder liner for four
directions

Assemble cylinder cover

Carry out bar-over test

(End clearance, runout)
18
 - Assembling of Piston Rings -
(1) Two PPS ring form one set.
In case of exchange
exchange as set not one
ring alone. P iston R ing P iston Body

(2) At installation, install the

piston rings in the direction
parallel with piston axis.
Don’t install from direction D irect ion "a"

“b”. D irect ion "b"

(3) After assembled to piston,

measure and record the side
clearance.
(4) When assembling, locate
the two rings 180ﾟ apart
each other.
× ○
19
 - Maintenance of Rings -
(1) Wear limit of piston rod
packing is 3mm at the
height of the ring. In case
of replacement, do not
replace one ring alone. The
planed life of rod packing is
8000hrs, so maintenance
required within 8000hrs. In i t ia l Wear L m
i it

(2) The planned life of piston

ring is also 8000hrs
however, only for initial
P iston
operation, we recommend
you to overhaul at 4000hrs
P iston R ing
to estimate the actual life.

20
 - Maintenance of Rings -
(1) The wear limit of rider ring is by the
bottom clearance between piston and

Gap
cylinder liner becomes 0.5mm. The
planned life is 8000 hrs, however, for
initial maintenance, we recommend you
to carry out overhaul at 4000hrs to
estimate the actual life.
(2) To determine the life, please plot the
clearance versus operation time like the
0 .5
m m
below graph.
Wear L m
i it

×
i en t ion

× ×

×
Dm

Tm
i e
L i fe Expec ted Next Check 21