Today I was finishing the rebuild of the Qunicy air compressor, with one of the last items replacing the old compressed felt filter with a new paper filter.

   The dealer was out of the Quincy part, so he sold me a Solberg F-19P-100 air filter /silencer for the same price.  After install, it was so quiet I thought the unloader had quit working.  Nope, pumped fine, but you can stand next to it and carry on a conversation.  So,  as a test I pulled the filter off my 2 cyl Lister and put this one on.  It made a noticable difference on the Lister as well.  The silencer part of the Solberg impresses me as much as the filter.

   Now for the tough part.  I played with it so long, the parts house was closed when I got back to buy another one.  So, do I leave it on the Lister, or put it back on the compressor?  I have to leave Sunday to take the compressor back to the ranch,  so it will be two weeks before I can get another one.  I feel this is the best 36 dollars I spent on the job.

  As some of you may remember I have retired and am in the process of moving back to west Texas.  My wife says she is still having fun working and took a job in Big Spring, so over the weekend while I was out there we went driving through to get some chores done.  On the main drag is a large shop, engine and pump rebuilders.  I was caught with no camera and the shop was closed for the weekend.  On the front line painted up and ready to go were two Ajax singles, an older Arrow single, a FM Z single, and the cutest little FM Z, about 1 1/2 HP. Behind that was a line of pumps, and behind those was a line of mostly FM singles and an Ajax twin in for rebuild.
 
  This weekend I will be back out there with another load.  The plan is to take a camera, and go when the shop is open.  That Arrow caught my eye and I have to know what they want for it.  The Ajax twin makes me drool, but I haven't figured out a likely use for an engine making 54 HP and weighing over 4 tons, at least nothing that the wife will agree to.  She seems to think that 5 engines and two in the process of rebuild should generate all the power we might ever need.

  I may be forced to part with 2 or 3 to make room for some new toys.  My Lister ST2 is a good runner now, but air cooled engines are loud and  one of my brothers is pining over it for backup power.  That Arrow calls to me.  Will post pictures sometime next week.  Now I have to go build the next load and get out of Houston before the hurricane comes in.  Like the old fool I am, I've moved all my generators to the west and have nothing left here if the power goes out - make that when the power goes out.

  On the road visiting family before deep snow sets in.  In southern Illinois I came across a bone yard in the country for old pump jacks.  One still had an engine on it.  Long story short, 4 hours later I heard it run.  12 HP Witte diesel, single horizontal, twin flywheels, top mounted radiator.  Serious rust but clean inside, starts on second flip.  A hundred dollar bill and it was mine.  The rest of the story, I'm now in northern Ohio and still two stops to go til we get home.  I'm am counting on a brother-in-law to get it to his place til spring when I can return with a truck, and he had a hungry look in his eye.  But I know where he lives, so all should be ok.  I will post pictures when back to Texas.  The only problem I saw was the exhaust consisted of about 14 inches of 2 inch pipe, welded in, and it made a serious thump on each power stroke.  I purely hope the head can be salvaged, a replacement would be hard to find.  As it is, it is not even close to quiet.  I may just cut it back some, weld on a fitting, and add a muffler to it without ever trying to take the pipe off.