RTAA LIP seal failure

[icy78]

RTAA-SB-18 says the LIP seal kit is for 100 ton compressors. (From July 1998.)
In the discussion it starts: the 70 to 100-ton compressors are unloaded via internal porting in the compressor.
This leads me to think the 70 ton is included.
Then later under units affected it says the infant failures of the lip seal could affect any 100-ton compressor on the RTAA 130 to 400 units built after U 97A......

So is the 70 ton included?


Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[JCN]

The 100 ton compressor on those chillers were more susceptible to the lip seal failure due to running unloaded or part loaded for long periods of time. The 70's can have lip seal failure, but weren't as prone to it as the 100's.

Hope this helps. In the kit, you will have two new solenoid bodies. I recommend ordering new coils and doing the piston at the same time. Might as well, since you have to pull the gas out of the compressor anyway.

[Dan0721]

JCN ⬆ GOT it right. The 100 ton is more prone for lip seal failures. I had one recently that I did on a 100 ton. Not too difficult to do, also replaced solenoid coils for load and unload. Then did the male unload/load piston.

[icy78]

Thanks guys. I actually did the lipseal kit about 5 years ago on this. Then today I was back and verified the unload solenoid energizing but not unloading. (I had a compressor B overload fault)
Anyhow , I was reading some lit just to get my head in it and thought whoops! This is a 70 (x3) and I did the sealkit. So thought I'd ask.

Do you think it's worth pulling the SVs and kit and checking for blockage?

I watched it run for a while and it always struggled with stepping down. At shutdown it stopped at 80% once. Then started again at 80% successfully.
I won't have a piston handy but possibly the SVs. I think I removed the pill filters when I did that but not sure. Only done one piston and it worked but that's 9 years ago now on anther machine.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Dan0721]

Wow, if it's starting that loaded then yeah it sounds like you're clogged up on that unload solenoid. You can perform a quick test to see if your piston is stuck. So you may not have to replace. If you connect one side of your gauge manifold to the male piston pressure cavity and the other to suction side. You can manually relieve that oil pressure through your manifold and back to suction. That should immediately drive that piston back and unload the compressor, you're just manually bleeding to suction. That will confirm that the piston isn't stuck. If that checks out then I'd be replacing the solenoid valves and coils.

[drivewizard]

You can take those pill filters and throw them away also, that will help speed things up a little. They are only there to filter manuf debris.