INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS

INVERTED WASHPIPE SYSTEM

Document Number: EPL-1485 Issue Date: November, 2002

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

INDEX
Description Page Number General ............................................................................................................. 3 Installation......................................................................................................... 3 thru 5 Change Out ....................................................................................................... 6 Assembly........................................................................................................... 6 thru 7 Maintenance...................................................................................................... 8 thru 9

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

GENERAL: Although this installation is simple and similar to a conventional washpipe installation, it differs in several distinct and critical ways. Instructions must be followed exactly for the unit to provide satisfactory service. These instructions apply to all inverted washpipe assemblies. Refer to your specific assembly drawing or illustrated parts list. INSTALLATION: All parts should be free of dirt / mud and all sub-assemblies should be filled with oil prior to installation. Mobil SHC 1000 Gear Oil or equivalent should be used (part number 7814046). The conversion and lube cylinders should never be filled 100%. The conversion cylinder should have at least 1 space between the piston and the mouth of the cylinder as indicated in Figure 1. The cylinder requires approximately .4 gallon (1.88 liter) of oil. When filling the lube cylinder, the chamfered top of the pistons should be no higher that the top edge of the sight cutouts in the piston guards. Figure 2 shows a cylinder being filled and indicates where the piston should be stopped. Figure 15 shows the position of the piston on full. The approximate oil requirements each for the small and large piston are .085 gallon (.311 liter). DO NOT OVERFILL! The reason for not filling completely is to allow the oil to expand with temperature increases. If the oils expansion is restricted, it will generate considerable forces and Figure 1 will damage the cylinders. The mud to oil conversion cylinder assembly is attached directly to the mudflow, typically at the top of the gooseneck. In some installations, adapters may be required. Take care not to damage any of the sealing components or the protruding quick connects. The lube cylinder assembly should be mounted to its installation bracket prior to installing. Then, install the bracket per the assembly drawing. Wherever its installed, the hoses need to be able to reach the washpipe without being in a bind or pinched. Place the washpipe packing assembly on the swivel stem. Apply a liberal amount of grease to the o-ring prior to installation and be careful not to roll or pinch the o-ring. If necessary, an installation tool (part number 655630) is available for the type of packing assembly you are using. Keep in mind that unlike 3
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Figure 2

Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

INSTALLATION: (continued) standard packing boxes, the box attaches to the gooseneck and the nut to the stem, thus the term inverted. When hammering the box and nut tight, be careful not to damage the quick connects protruding from the washpipe housing. Also, remember that the threads for the box and nut are left hand threads. Install the one-way check valve assemblies (part number 656442) on the washpipe assembly, shown in Figure 3. If it is difficult to access the quick connects on the washpipe due to its position, elbow assemblies (part number 656443) can be installed (Figure 4). The quick connects should allow installation of the check valves (and elbows) in only o ne direction, but as a precaution, each check valve is clearly marked to indicate flow direction. Check the direction prior to installation. If the check valve assembly is installed backwards, the system will not Figure 3 work properly. Attach the hoses per the assembly drawing. When attaching the hose to the conversion cylinder (Figure 5), an elbow assembly can be used if necessary. The line(s) from the conversion cylinder attach to the top and bottom quick connects of the lube cylinder (Figure 6). This causes the pistons to stroke inward toward the center of the dual cylinder when pressure is applied to the conversion cylinder. There are two ports in the middle of the lube cylinder. Each port is slightly shifted in the direction of the piston it is drawing oil from and each is labeled with a stamped tag. When attaching hoses, use the ID tags on the Figure 4 quick connects and hoses to ensure the correct hose is attached to the correct port (Figure 7 and Figure 8). As a reference, the side with the smaller piston / guard is the high-pressure side. This is shown in Figure 6. The high-pressure side feeds the top two ports of the washpipe (which provides back side pressure and lubricant to the first two packing rings). The hose from the lube cylinder is split with a tee to feed both ports on the washpipe packing assembly. These ports are labeled C. The low-pressure side (the side with the larger piston / guard, Fugure 7) uses only one hose between the cylinder and the third port of the washpipe. It is labeled D. 4
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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

INSTALLATION: (continued)

Figure 5 Figure 6

Figure 8

Figure 7

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

CHANGE OUT: When it is time to change out the washpipe assembly, disconnect the washpipe from all external connections. When hoses and fittings are disconnected, make sure to attach the dust covers to prevent damage or contamination of the fittings (Figure 9). Remove the used washpipe assembly as normal (left hand threads). Make sure the check valves and elbows (if required) are removed along with the washpipe assembly. Fill the new/rebuilt washpipe assembly with oil and install per the initial installation instructions. Make sure it is filled with oil prior to use. Install clean check valve assemblies and elbows (if required). Reattach the hoses per the assembly drawing. Any mud in the check valves, fittings, and hoses will render the system ineffective. Remember to check the tags to make sure the connections are made properly. After completing change-out, disassemble and THOROUGHLY CLEAN ALL USED AND CONTAMINATED PARTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The quick connects and check valves are high-pressure Figure 9 components with small orifices. Mud will become trapped in them, harden and impair the units future operations (blocking flow or contaminating the oil). THESE PARTS SHOULD BE THROUGHLY CLEANED WITH DEGREASER UNTIL ALL CONTAMINATES ARE REMOVED. Any damaged parts should be removed from service and replaced. ASSEMBLY: Once the components are clean, reassemble the check valves and elbow (if required). Make sure that they are assembled with the quick connects in the correct positions. Be aware that some connections are face seal connections, not NPT. They do not require extreme torque or pipe sealant. Pay close attention to what type of fitting is being attached when assembling to prevent damage to those parts. The packing assembly is assembled like a standard unit with a few exceptions:
1. Do not grease the packing rings installed in the packing box, but do grease the packing ring in the packing nut as would normally be done. 2. Prior to sliding the packing over the washpipe, apply a light coat of lube oil to the packing ring for lubrication. 3. When installing the spacers, make sure the ports face the openings in the packing box (Figure 10). 4. Install the quick connects into the spacers. If possible, the quick connects (with bushing and coupling) should be filled with lube oil prior to assembly to minimize air behind the spacers. Also, the 1/8 NPT threads do not require much torque. Be careful not to snap the fitting off while installing (Figure 11).

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

ASSEMBLY:(continued) Install the setscrew as usual to prevent the packing and spacer from falling out of the packing box. Do not fill the unit with oil until right before installation. In some cases, particularly with new units, the holes in the housing may not line up exactly with the holes in the spacers. If necessary, hand grind the openings in the housing (Figure 12) to ensure that the fittings will screw in properly.

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

MAINTENANCE: Over the course of standard operation, the system will use oil. Every time the pumps are turned off, the pressurized lube oil between the seals is forced out past the seals to relieve the pressure (since it cannot return to the cylinder due the check valves). This oil lubricates the packing rings and flushes mud away from the sealing edge. This is only a small amount of oil, but the process happens every time the pumps are shut down, so eventually the lube cylinder will run low on oil. The pistons should be inspected daily to check the oil usage. If either lube piston has traveled over half way inward (Figure 13), a refilling should be scheduled. WARNING MAKE SURE NO PRESSURE IS BEING APPLIED TO THE SYSTEM BEFORE DISCONNECTING THE HOSES! To refill the lube cylinders, detach the hose going to the cylinder in question (via the quick connect). It will be the middle connection, closest to the piston requiring oil. Attach the transfer pump to the quick connect (Figure 14) and fill the cylinder until the top of the piston is at the top of the sight in the guard (Figure 15). DO NOT COMPLETELY FILL! Detach the transfer pump and reattach the hose.

Figure 13

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Inverted Washpipe System

Document number Revision Issue Date

EPL-1485 0 November, 2002

MAINTENANCE:(continued)

Figure 14

Figure 15 9
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