Crane LIne pump-motor shaft coupling

Haughton

I am working on a Crane Line Oil Burner/Boiler that was probably made in 1956. The model number of the burner is 4868. Commercial Standard CG-441277 C575

The shaft coupling is rubber about 3 inches long and about 3/4" square on both ends and hollow for the shafts. I have included a picture. I am trying to locate two of these rubber couplers.



Thanks for the info in advance.

lchmb

curious

Does it for some reason require the square ends? Are both round opening's the same size? Could you maybe use a Beckett coupling (cut to fit)?

Haughton

Work around possible with fan replacement but would rather find coupling

I can make one of those work but I would have to replace the fan because the fan that is in it is socketed for this coupling. I have two of these to do and would like to find this particular coupling.

billtwocase

you are best to

replace the burner fan so you can use a standard coupling.  I'm not sure if Sids still stocks these

billtwocase

I'd like to help you out

but I only found 1 of these in stock. I would check with a Sid Harvey for couplings or a new burner fan. 

Haughton

Thanks BillTwoCase, I sent them an email

Thanks Billtwocase,



I sent an email to Sid Harvey. I am working on one of two heating units in a duplex so I thought that I would get a second one to replace and not have to worry about that one. This burner would fire and run good at about 103 psi for twenty minutes or when the thermostat would kick it off. When it fired up again the flame was a little weaker and run for about two minutes at 80-85 psi and then after that it would drop fairly quickly down to nothing. When I would kick it on again it would shoot up to 70 psi and very quickly drop down to nothing. When I showed back up the next day it would start all over again running for twenty minutes. Multiple service technicians could not figure this one out and told me that I was not getting fuel out of my tank and blew out the lines and told me that my tank was blocked up with sludge. I cracked the line at the tank and I got a good flow of clean oil and pulled the filter and found that was clean. Along with putting on a gauge I installed a clear vinyl line off of the pump input so I could visually witness the 18 inches of head pressure going to the pump. I new that a shaft or hub was slipping and that it was heat related. That rubber warmed up and it would ratchet on the start up load and the more it ratcheted the more it would warm up and ratchet more. The service company told me that they would send two guys at $180 per hour to remove the tank from the house and clean it but I might want to think about just replacing the heating unit as opposed to spending money on cleaning the tank. The house was built around the tank and removal would have been a major deal.

Haughton

Still coming up with dead ends.

Talked to Sid Harvey twice. First time no luck then talked to someone who told me it was a Guardian Coupling. Contacted Guardian Couplings said that the smaller coupling that billtwocase posted was one of theirs but not the other one or at least not one that they have any info on. Maybe I need to buy that one from you billtwocase.

Steamhead

If you're gonna keep that boiler

you need to upgrade the burner. In 1956 fuel was cheap so if the burner produced soot or smoke it didn't matter. With a new flame-retention burner, you can run with a firing rate 10% smaller, minimum. 20-25% smaller is common.



Is this the small steel-tube unit, or a cast-iron model? What is the boiler's model number?

Haughton

billtwocase did you get my email

I sent you an email about buying that coupling from you. Did you get it?

billtwocase

I will have to check

my e-mail, and help if possible

Haughton

Torrington centrifugal blower fan (coupling?)

Steamhead:



Sorry for the delay in replying, I had not been back out to the unit until now. I have posted a pic. Heavy cast iron doors, does that mean it probably a cast unit per your question? The boiler is called a Crane Sunnyday 15 Boiler. Boiler no. 15-3. 67,000 BTU/hr oil, 66,000 BTU/hr gas, 0.9 gal oil/hr, and then it says 110,000 BTU/hr. again in the gas column (???).  Maximum W.P. water 30lbs., Valve cap lbs/hr 89. This is in a duplex rental owned by my Aunt. I know that it is probably very inefficient and because of that the tenants are paying a lot more for heating than what they could be. I would love to convince my Aunt to put some money in to this upgrading it but this would be a tough sell because she is very reluctant to put any money in to this. I had some one tell me to look in to a Beckett burner for this to improve efficiency. I tried to find more info on this.  Steamhead, if you could supply me with more information on this my ears would be wide open and I would love to sell my Aunt to upgrade this but is I say it would be a tough sell.



BACK TO THE COUPLING



I went back to the unit and removed the fan.  Stamped in to the fan (centrifugal blower wheel) was 524 Airotor, Torrington Manufacturing, Torrington, Conneticut.

Pat. No. 2,272,695

icesailor

Old Burner:

That must be one of those old Torrid Heat 1725 RPM things, though maybe not.

I'd replace that burner with  Carlin EZ-1 or a Beckett AFG (I prefer the Carlin).

By the time you futz around finding a part that is unavailable, you will be ahead of the game. That shouldn't be a time consuming project. And It is an absolute guarantee that it will pay for itself.

Consider my long lineage of ancestry from the Northern British Isles and you will understand where I am coming from. That boiler looks like it has been well taken care of. If the chamber is intact, and the flame isn't bouncing off the back wall, that should be a nice set-up for your aunt or relative. New would be nice, but, I'm not one to change a boiler when the customer is unwilling to spend. But to change the burner is a very cost effective upgrade and people are far more willing to make an improvement that doesn't break the bank.

Consider that.

If any of us professionals here had done the run around time that you have done, and had to charge for it, it would have covered the cost of the new burner. Seriously consider the up grade. I promise you that it will pay for itself.  

billtwocase

That's

an ABC burner made for Crane. I still got you in mind for that coupling, just scanning my customer base to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot. I would also make sure your pump is not binding here and there. That does look to be in nice shape. Early 3 pass American made boiler

icesailor

Early Crane:

And it would really save money with a new burner. A burner with a 3450 RPM motor. Not a 1725 RPM.

Haughton

Burner Efficiency

Any rough numbers on burner efficiency from what is there now to one of the recommended burners?  Do the pumps run the same pressure and gain the efficiency from improved combustion due to increased blower air from the doubling of the rpm?



Thanks,



T. Haughton

billtwocase

burner upgrade

a Beckett AFG works nicely in one of those. You will probably gain close to 10% efficiency with it. The chamber is a very thick brig chamber roughly a 14x14. That's something I would do without a doubt.