Oil usage in PD blower - where did it go?

[DrLewinstein]

Hey, Team,

Had a 40 hp PD blower lock down from lack of oil. Used 1.5 gallons of oil in 1 year. No evidence of leakage. Would a blower conceivably use 0.5 ounces of oil per day, sending it out with the air? There is a question of whether the blower was ever actually filled with oil, though it seems unlikely that it would run for a year without it.

Any Sherlock Holmes types out there?

thanks

DrLewinstein

 

[ashtree]

Your correct in saying that it wont run for a year without oil. It probably would not run for an hour.
It has probably lost the oil through the internal case seal between the gearbox and the blower chamber. Some of the blowers in the size you are talking about do not have a proper seal but a labyrinth set up instead. This provides a degree of sealing but oil will leak out into the blower chamber, particularly when hot even more so if the blower gets very hot.

Many blower manufacturers recommend a 6 month or 2000 hour oil change period depending on the service conditions.
Sounds like some routine service inspections should have been done. Whilst you are there you should be checking the air filter and the drive belts if its belt driven.

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[DrLewinstein]

Thanks, Ashtree!