In this guide we’ll walk you through everything there is to know about glycol pumps.
From the basics of how it works to step-by-step repairs and troubleshooting, you’ll gain a solid foundation of knowledge on how to operate and maintain Kimray’s glycol pumps.
Use the table of contents to skip to different sections of the learning path
Kimray’s Energy Exchange Glycol Pump is a durable, low-maintenance solution for recirculation of glycol in your dehydration system. With a repair kit and this guide, you can safely and effectively maintain your glycol pump.
Before any service, be certain that the valve is fully isolated and that all pressure upstream and downstream has been relieved. Use bypass valves or fully shut off the process. Be sure that any operating or instrument gas lines have been disconnected.
Consult your company’s safety guidelines and requirements. Follow all regulations and wear all necessary PPE.
How to Disassemble an Energy Exchange Glycol Pump
Remove any plugs from your suction or discharge blocks.
While standing to the side of the glycol pump just in case there’s any discharge, slowly open your needle valves to relieve any trapped pressure.
Remove your check valve caps and the O-rings.
Use needle-nose pliers to remove the check valves.
Use a pick to remove the upper and lower O-rings from all four check valves.
Use the seat puller and a wrench to remove the suction block seats.
Remove the O-rings from the suction block seats.
Remove the discharge block from the main piston body.
Use the seat insert tool and mallet to remove the discharge seats from the discharge block.
Remove the O-ring from both discharge seats.
Remove the suction block from the main piston body.
Remove the (2) O-rings from the backside of the suction block.
Flip the glycol pump upside down and loosen the fitting from the pilot piston discharge tubing.
Remove the tubing from the main piston valve housing.
Remove the pilot piston discharge tubing.
Remove the legs closest to the main piston valve housing.
Loosen the bolts to remove the main piston valve housing
Remove the O-ring from the main piston valve housing.
Use needle-nose pliers to remove the Main Piston "D" slide.
Put the main piston valve housing in a vice and remove the "D" slide guides.
Use two wrenches to loosen both ends of the needle valve assembly tubing. To prevent the fitting from breaking, hold the fitting elbow with one wrench and use the other to loosen the fitting cap. [Repeat on both sides]
Replace the legs and flip the pump right-side up.
Loosen the bolts on the pilot piston valve housing.
Remove the control tubing.
Remove the O-ring from the pilot piston valve housing.
Turn the tubing elbow to protect the threads before loosening the bolts on the cylinder head.
Slide off the cylinder head and remove the O-ring.
Then remove the cylinder. [Repeat on both sides.]
Use a wrench to hold the piston rod in place and loosen the nut from the other side of the piston.
Slide off the piston retainer and remove the O-ring and (2) back-ups.
Remove the O-ring from the piston retainer groove.
Remove the piston rod gland from the body.
Then remove the O-ring from the piston rod gland.
Flip the pilot piston gland over and remove the (2) O-rings located in the communicating hole grooves. [Repeat on both sides.]
Work the piston rod from side to side to jar loose the piston rod seal retainers.
Remove the O-ring and backup from the piston rod seal retainer. [Repeat on both sides.]
Slide out the piston rod.
Loosen the bolts and remove the pilot piston caps.
Remove the backup from each of the pilot piston caps.
Tap the pilot piston with a mallet and slide it out of the glycol pump.
If the piston bearings don’t come out on their own, put the Kimray seal retainer tool into the pilot piston hole and tap with a mallet to remove them.
Remove the O-Ring and back-up from both pilot piston bearings.
Place the pilot piston valve housing in a vice.
Remove the needle valve handles with an hex wrench. If the handle is rusted, the head on the hex screw may break off. If this occurs, use the handle of a wrench to break it off. It will then need to be replaced.
Loosen the needle valve caps, and then remove the needle valve bonnet.
Remove the needle valve cap and unthread the stem.
Remove the "D" slide guides.
Remove the backup and O-ring from each needle valve bonnet.
Now that the pump is fully disassembled, run your parts through a parts washer. If you don’t have access to a washer, get each part as clean as possible.
Check your piston rod for any scratches or scoring. If you can feel the scoring with your fingernail, the piston rod needs to be replaced. If it only has light scratches, they can often be smoothed out with 220-grit or finer Emery cloth.
Check your piston rod for any uneven wear or ripples that you might feel on the surface.
Check the outside surface of your piston where the O-ring and backups are placed. If you see a groove where that O-ring was setting, it will need to be replaced.
Inspect your piston rod seal retainer for any groove where the O-ring used to set. These are very critical since a lot of glycol pump failures occur when wet and dry glycol mix through this area whenever it’s compromised. If the surface where the o-ring set shows wear or ripple, it will need to be replaced.
The piston rod gland will need to be replaced if the surface where the backup sits shows any groove, if excessive wash outs are present, or if the communicating holes are damaged. If this surface gets damaged, it could result in leaks between the body and the gland.
Check your pilot piston for any scratches, uneven wear, or ripples. If you can feel the scratches or ripples with your finger, it will need to be replaced. If the scratches are very light, they can be removed with 220-grit or finer Emery cloth.
The check valve caps will need to be replaced if the clearance between the cap and the check valve is too much. Take a check valve and slide it into the cap and check for side-to-side play. Make sure that the check valve goes in and out freely. If there is interference between the cap and the check valve, clean the check valve cap with the appropriate-sized reamer.
Make sure the communicating hole is clear. This can be done with an air nozzle or an awl.
Put the seats in the discharge block, then take a straight edge and lay it across the seats. They should be close to flush with the block surface. If the seats are sitting too low, it may cause a leak between the block and the body.
Check for wear on the top of the body due to the seat’s impact. Sometimes after a continuous hammering of the check valves on the discharge seats, the seats can wear on the body surface.
Removable Seat Suction (x2) and Removable Seat Discharge (x2)
They’ll need to be replaced if there is excessive wear on the seats, if the segments of the collet on the suction seat are bent, or if the check valve doesn’t fit freely in the seats.
If you are rebuilding one of the newer style glycol pumps, the port plates on the main piston housing and the pilot piston housing will be replaceable. If you have the older style glycol pump, the surfaces on the port plates will need to be refinished. To do this, use 220-grit sandpaper to buff out any gouges or deep scratches on the face of the port plate. Apply pressure, keeping the port plate even on a flat surface. Go back and forth three to five times and make sure that all of the scratches have disappeared.
Rotate the piston housing 90°. Lightly press and sand one more time. This will show if there are any more deep scratches to be sanded.
After sanding the port plates, use the air nozzle to make sure the inside orifices are all clear. Repeat this process for the main piston housing.
Insert the pilot piston seal retainer with the beveled side facing in on both sides of the glycol pump. Push them in until you feel a mechanical stop.
Reassemble the pilot piston bearing using the (2) O-rings and (3) back-ups.
Use a light-gravity motor oil to generously lubricate all of your O-rings and back-ups during assembly.
Insert the pilot piston bearing assembly into the pilot piston body.
Repeat this assembly for the second pilot seat retainer.
Place the pilot piston cap over the bearings and seat the O-rings in place. This prevents the O-rings from getting pinched later when you install the pilot piston caps.
Attach one of the pilot piston caps to the glycol pump body.
Use oil to lubricate the piston rod and then insert it into the main piston body. Push it until it’s flush with the pilot piston bearing.
Then attach the second pilot piston cap.
Use a screwdriver to move the pilot piston back and forth, making sure that it moves freely. If the pilot piston is stuck, loosen the bolts on the pilot piston cap until it moves freely and then tighten the bolts and check it again.
Install the main piston and make sure that it moves freely through the glycol pump body.
Insert a back-up, O-ring, and second back-up into both of the piston rod seal retainers.
Place another O-ring around the outside of the piston rod seal retainers.
Lubricate the O-rings and back-ups on the seal retainers with oil, then install them into the piston rod gland.
Lubricate the piston rod with oil to prevent damaging the seal retainer O-rings.
Make sure that the index pins are in the body, then slide the gland and the seal retainer assembly onto the piston rod and align the index pin with the hole on the gland. [Repeat these steps on both sides.]
Place a back-up, O-ring, and second backup around the outside of the piston.
Place the piston seal retainer on top of the piston assembly.
Lubricate the O-rings and backups with oil and place the piston seal retainer and the piston assembly onto the piston rod.
Thread on the lock nut with the bevel side facing out and tighten it while holding the piston rod still with a wrench on the backside of the piston. Make sure that the gland doesn’t move out of place when tightening the lock nut. [Repeat this step on both sides.]
Lubricate the inside of the cylinder walls with oil.
Remove the legs closest to the main piston valve housing so that there will be room to tighten the bolts on the pilot piston housing.
Coat the "D" slide in oil and place it on the main piston valve housing. The oil will keep it in place while you install it in the pump body.
Insert the bolts that hold the pilot piston valve housing in place.
Reinstall the legs closest to the main piston valve housing.
Install the tubing. Start with the shorter of the two U-shaped tubes with one end on the main piston valve housing and the other end on the pilot piston cap. Hand tighten the fitting caps so that they don’t cross thread and then tighten them down fully.
Install the longer U-shaped tube on the other main piston valve housing fitting and the pilot piston cap.
Place the upper O-ring and lower O-ring on both check valves.
Lubricate the check valves with oil and insert them into the block.
Put an O-ring on both check valve caps and install them onto the discharge block.
Verify that the check valves are moving freely by shaking the discharge block. If they are installed properly, you will be able to hear them moving back and forth.
Put the O-rings onto the suction seats and lubricate them with oil
Install the suction seats into the suction block with the suction seat tool. Tap the seat into place, being careful not to shear the O-ring (you should feel a little bit of resistance).
Place the upper O-ring and lower O-ring on the check valves.
Lubricate the check valves with oil and insert them into the block.
Place the O-rings on the check valve caps and install them into the suction block.
Tighten the check valve caps by hand with a crescent wrench so that you don’t over tighten them.
Verify that the check valves are moving freely by shaking the suction block. You should be able to hear them moving back and forth.
Place the (2) O-rings on the back of the suction block.
Bolt the discharge and the suction blocks to the pump body.
Thread the needle valve stems into the needle valve housing.
Place the O-rings and back-ups around the stem. The new style glycol pump has a groove in the needle valve body for an O-ring. If this groove isn’t there, do not use the O-ring provided in the repair kit.
Thread the needle valve assembly into the control valve housing. [Repeat steps for the other needle valve.]
Install the valve covers and attach the needle valve handles.
Congratulations! That concludes the repair of the Kimray Energy Exchange Glycol Pump.
The Kimray Electric Glycol Pump is an efficient, emissions-free solution for gas dehydration systems.
Like with all equipment, regular maintenance is key to extending the pump’s life and optimizing the efficiency of your system.
In this video, we’re going to show how to perform routine maintenance on the Electric Glycol Pump, including changing the oil, replacing diaphragms, and installing a complete valve kit.
Repairing the Electric Glycol Pump
As long as it is isolated from production, the Electric Glycol Pump can be repaired on site and does not need to be separated from the motor. As long as you have enough space below the pump to collect the used oil, you may choose to leave it in place. Note that we will not be repairing the motor in this video.
2.01 Motor and Pump
The front of the pump is the fluid end. The large center portion is the hydraulic section and the back of the pump is the crankshaft end. We will only be working on the fluid end. If you need help with the hydraulic section or the motor, contact Kimray Field Services.
2.02 Pump Sections
Important: This Fluid End Service is non Kel-Cell versions. Kel-Cell versions are indicated by a “K” in digit 5 of the pump model number. Non Kel-Cell versions are indicated by an “A” or “D” in digit 5 of the pump model number.
Tools
2.03 Tools Needed
1/4" hex wrench (oil drain plugs)
5/8” wrench (manifold bolts)
10mm torque wrench (diaphragm nuts)
1/8” hex wrench (to hold shaft behind diaphragms)
1” socket wrench (or adjustable) (inlet and outlet plugs)
Pick (to remove O-rings)
Something to collect used oil
Chemicals
Oil (2.75 quarts / 2.60 liters)
Grease
Blue medium Loctite (threads of diaphragm screws)
Anti-seize (threads of the inlet and outlet plugs)
There are 3 repair kits. In the video, we use the complete repair kit (RZBHSN). It includes the contents of both the Valve Kit and Diaphragm Kit.
2.04 Kit Comparisons
Changing the Oil
We recommend changing the oil after the first 500 hours of operation, and then according to the guidelines below.
2.05 Hours Between Oil Changes Chart
Changing the oil is simple.
Secure the pump. We are using a clamp on the table.
Place an appropriate vessel under the drain plugs to catch the used oil.
Use a ¼" hex wrench to remove the two drain plugs.
Then open the top cap to accelerate the flow.
Once the oil has drained, replace the drain plugs and fully tighten.
Replace the cap for now to keep contaminants out of the body while we finish the repair. We’ll add the new oil last. If you are only performing an oil change, you can add 2.75 quarts (2.60 liters) of oil now.
Disassembly: Removing Check Valves
2.06 Outlet and Inlet Valve Assemblies
We'll start by removing the discharge (outlet) and suction (inlet) check valves.
If you are only replacing the diaphragms from the diaphragm kit (RZCHSN), you can skip this step and begin with removing the manifold.
Use a large adjustable wrench or 1" socket wrench to remove the three discharge (outlet) check valves.
The valve outlet assembly twists off and separates from the plug. Discard the assembly but keep the plug.
Remove and discard the O-ring from the outlet plugs.
Use a large adjustable wrench or 1" socket wrench to remove the three suction (inlet) check valves.
The valve inlet assembly twists off and separates from the plug. Discard the assembly but keep the plug.
Remove and discard the O-ring from the inlet plugs.
Disassembly: Manifold
2.07 Manifold Parts
Next, use a 5/8” wrench to remove the 8 bolts around the manifold, then remove the manifold.
Inspect the manifold for signs of excessive wear. Place a straightedge across the surface to check for warping. A worn or warped manifold should be replaced.
Blow air or brake cleaner through the inlet and outlet holes to clear any debris or buildup.
Disassembly: Diaphragms x3
2.08 Diaphragms2.09 Diaphragm Assembly
Next, we’ll remove the diaphragms.
First, use a 10 mm wrench to loosen the screws. You’ll need to stabilize the shaft behind the diaphragm before you’ll be able to fully remove the screw.
To do this, lift an edge of the diaphragm to expose the hole in the shaft behind the diaphragm.
Note: you may need to manually turn the pump shaft to move the diaphragm out farther to reach the hole.
Insert a 1/8” hex wrench through the cross hole to keep the rod from spinning.
Unthread the screw fully and remove the diaphragm.
Keep the diaphragm clamps and bolts but discard the diaphragms.
Repeat this for all three diaphragms.
Assembly: Diaphragms x3
Place the diaphragm clamps on the new diaphragms.
Apply blue medium Loctite on the screw threads and start it by hand.
Use a 1/8” hex wrench to hold the shaft in place and tighten with a 10 mm socket to 60-in lb (5 ft lbs).
Make sure the diaphragm is seated in the machined groove.
Repeat this for all three diaphragms.
Assembly: Manifold
Insert the eight bolts with washers into the manifold and tighten by hand.
Start with the four center bolts and move outward in a crisscross pattern.
Torque bolts to 50-ft lbs.
Assembly: Discharge (Outlet), Check Valves x3
Place a backup ring over the outlet seat.
Install the O-ring.
Then the second backup ring. Make sure the cut portion of both backup rings are flush together.
Place the outlet seat onto a slip-resistant surface and stack the valve disc and valve spring on top. The valve disc should be beveled side up.
Align the tabs between the outlet plug and seat. Lock the pieces together by pushing them down firmly and then rotating the plug clockwise.
Verify that the cut portion of both backup rings are still flush together and apply grease.
Install the final O-ring on the plug.
Apply anti-seize to the threads of the plug.
Insert the assembly into the top of the manifold. Tighten until solid contact occurs.
Repeat with all three outlet check valves.
Assembly: Suction (Inlet), Check Valves x3
Next, we’ll assemble and replace the inlet check valves.
Place the retainer ring onto the seat.
Add the valve disc, bevel side down, followed by the spring.
Snap the spring retainer onto the seat under the groove.
2.10 Retainer
Slide an O-ring over the seat
Slide the retainer ring against the retainer and place a backup ring around the inlet seat.
Next, install the O-ring on the inlet plug
Add grease to the O-rings.
Attach the valve inlet assembly to the inlet plug by twisting them together.
Apply anti-seize to the threads of the plug.
Insert the assembly into the front of the manifold. Tighten until solid contact occurs.
Repeat with all three inlet check valves.
Oil & Start Up Procedures
Lastly, remove the oil cap and add 2.75 quarts (2.6 liters) of oil. Be sure the oil cap is clean before replacing it.