Air dryer filter
- Thread starter Deville
- Start date
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Air dryers have dessicate cartridges which are changed according to the PM information. For those who don't have one, like me, I looked for excessive water in my air lines and rebuilt the air dryer, treadle valve and replaced the governor.
The cartridges are either spin on (sometimes expensive) or internal in the big can. The latter you may need a good filter strap and a big vice to break it free.
The cartridges are either spin on (sometimes expensive) or internal in the big can. The latter you may need a good filter strap and a big vice to break it free.
Deville
Not a Member
So IF I have one it is internal. So I would have to drain the air out of the system & than losen the bolts on the botton of the air dryer & remove that cover. When In take that cover off, does it just come off like a cover, or are there pieces to it that come out that I should watch for that I need to put back in a certain order?
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Most likely you have a bendix air dryer, and if it looks like a big can on the frame rail, then it is most likely an AD-9. If it has a spin on type filter looking thing on top, then it is something else. They still install AD-9s on trucks.
Bendix has a chart, Air Brake Component chart that shows the common types of components and you can find it at their website. ALSO I would recommend that you grab the AD-9 repair manual, it is there too. If you need them and can't find them, PM me and I will send them to you.
It is not an easy as just popping the cover off and replacing the can. The ones I have rebuilt have been a PIA to get the dome off and then the canister itself I had to use a web filter wrench with a ratchet to get it free. Once I did the first one, the others were easy for me.
I should have written an article about rebuilding one but never thought about it. I think I have done maybe 15 rebuilds so far but next time I will do detailed pictures and step by step stuff for people to follow.
guido4475
Not a Member
The Bendix AD-9 is known as the workhorse of the air dryer industry.The other one, more commonly used, Wabco system saver 1000, has a spin-on filter, similar to an oil filter.I found it easier to just replace the AD-9 with a reman every year, before winter.They can be found from Freightliner on sale for around $100.00, and it is alot easier to remove the whole thing than to fight with the dessicant inside.Plus, the whole thing has been gone through to begin with.It's something like 4 bolts, 3 airlines, and a plug, and it's off, ready to swap, if I recall correctly.I also replace the air governor at this time, a $15.00 part.Better to be safe than sorry..
Deville
Not a Member
This sounds like a lot of work. Not that I don't enjoy a challenge, I think this might be too much for me to go into blindly. I need to see it done or help some one do it to get an idea of what i'm getting into. I can't find any you tube videos about it, so I think when I go for my next PM which os coming up soon I will have my Mechanic check it out.