ABC Sunray

upstateben

Hello, I have a customer who has a ancient boiler with a ABC Sunray model 52A. I can't seem to find any info on this burner. It looks like a golden cup burner (on a pedestal/transformer on the side). I'm very well aware this is a low speed burner and needs to be junked soon. I'm in the process of having the customer get gas brought to the house and will be doing a boiler replacement in the spring. I'm trying to find a replacement transformer/ignitor and wasn't sure if anyone had any ideas it has a j box on the outside of the transformer and it used snap type sips for the ignitor wires. Thanks again for any help.

Bob Bona_4

I've worked on plenty of them back in the day. Had to use universal x former plates at times. Steamhead on here has a collection of FC parts, I believe. Can you find a used Beckett to do the job?

Steamhead

That 52A is a new one on me- is it "ABC/Sunray" or just "ABC"? 52A sounds like a plain ABC model number- Sunray had the DC, FC, LC, TC, GC, HC etc before the two companies were merged, and the high-speed versions had the -34 suffix.

billtwocase

Is the burner green? Sounds like Sunray's version of the "shell head" burner. Not a Bantam burner. 1725. Post some pics on here. Never was a good burner if it is. I can look for info on Monday.

billtwocase

Also could be a Weil Mclain burner if it has a gold cup. What boiler is it on?

upstateben

Hey thanks for all the replies. It a 1725 burner but it's also not a flame retention burner. It's brown in color. I cant remember the brand of the boiler. It sort of looks like a snowman but i don't think it is. It s a gravity hot water. I will grab a few pics today. I was going to stop back and see if one of the universal 6 way transformers might fit.

upstateben

Here's a pic of the burner. I changed the stack relay out with a rebuilt from sids. I think the problem may have been the ignition relay on the stack control (interrupted ignition). It seems to be running for now. I'd still love to figure out a transformer replacement just in case I need it this winter. The transformer was a France LEEW-2. I did inform the homeowners this would be the last year I would be servicing this anceint equipment.

Bob Bona_4

Wow. Just....wow. Grandpappys Sunray. Time to pull the plug.

Steamhead

Bob Bona said:

Wow. Just....wow. Grandpappys Sunray. Time to pull the plug.

Actually it's Grandpappy's ABC (Automatic Burner Corporation). This was made long before the merger with Sunray, which I believe happened around 1980.

If that's a coal-converted snowman, it's probably not more than 40% efficient on oil according to one of my Dead Men's Books. Even with a flame-retention burner these things are not efficient. Time to replace it. Is gas available in that house?

upstateben

There is gas on the street. There is a replacement planned for the spring. They still haven't decided if they want to stay with oil. Either way they will be looking at a huge savings. The boiler is a Kewanee type R. It's a gravity hot water system. They would like to zone the fist and second floors as well as convert to a pumped system. can't wait to get rid of this headache.

Steamhead

Not a snowman then- it's a steel fire-tube boiler, one of the better ones you could get in the late 1940s or so. You'll need someone with a cutting torch to get it out of there.

SWEI

Plasma cutters also work well.