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Old 03-08-2011, 09:48 PM   #6
RussWhite
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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Following up......

Thanks Jim. Armed with the knowledge of how it should work, but knowing full well that it was not working that way, I decided to try again. I was able to disassemble the vlave. The parts were clean and the passages clear. What could be wrong? I verified the spool ( hope that is the right term ) piece was free to move and when I applied 12vdc with the vlave open it immediately was pulled to the bottom of the valve compressing its spring and sealing the hole in the bottom with its small rubber plug against the seat of the valve body. When de-energized, the spring easily forced the spool away from the seat and it looked to me like air should easily pass through ( normally open as Jim said ). But, everytime I put it back together it would pass no air in that state. So finally I would apply air pressure and watch it bubble in a small cup and saw the bubbles stop just as I tightened the two pieces of the valve body together. Hmmm, I looked some more and it appeared the the spool piece was being pushed down on the seat in the last few mm of valve body movement. On the end of the spool away from the seat end, there was a small rubber plug on that end too. I am guessing it was there to cushion the spool from smacking metal to metal when the solenoid was de-energized. But, this protruding "stopped" was contacting the other end and forcing the vavle to close when it was not supposed to. I saw no other way to make it work than to try remvoing the rubber plug. The plug was firmly in place and took a good pry with a tiny screwdriver to pop it loose. Under it was a spring. Maybe at one time that plug was free to move in its tiny hole and the spring would cushion the opening. But, at this point the spring had no use as the plug was stuck in that one position until I popped it out. I then put the valve back together and it flowed air de-energized, and did not flow air energized. The water separator is working now. Voltage it applied when the compressor is running and when setpoint it reached, the voltage drops and the air is very quicly exhausted from the bowl ( along with any water that is in there ). There is a very audible exhaust sound, similar to when the engine compressor reaches setpoint, but not nearly as loud. I am thinking a perfectly functioning valve with all its parts might not release the air quite as quickly. But I cannot see that this is a problem.
I have attached a picture of the spring and stopper I removed with a penny included for scale. I figure if it happned to me, it will be in some other Newell owner's future and maybe this thread will save them the purchase of a new valve. Russ
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