I need help please guys.

[Sho_Shane]

Ok I really think I have found the van for me. But I need some help to make sure Im making the right choice.

I found a 97 Ford F350 that have 170K on it but is in REALLY good shape. There is not a dent on it or a scratch in the paint. The van was bought brand new to be setup for carpet cleaning.

It has a Prochem Trailblazer in it. The Trailblazer that is in it has 3000 hours on it and it runs like a dream. I mean this thing seems to be in AMAZING shape. To be honest I dont know if 3000 hours is a lot?

Here are some pics of it:

I have used a Prochem Legend but never a Trailblazer and I dont know how the 2 compare, I really want to know everything about the Trailblazer. Where can I find the specs for a Trailblazer?

So what would yall pay for this van and setup in great working order?

 

[Todd the Cleaner]

here you go:

http://www.prochem.com/Upload/KCPro...0-a2f7-a86dae8d8e25_67-945302_TrailBlazer.pdf

Page 5 has the specs.

 

[Sho_Shane]

Ok so it will only go to 1000psi? If this is true why does it have a 3000psi gauge on it?

Also what kinda heat will it give and what kinda blower is on it?

 

[Dewitt]

Y not call and speak to a prochem rep?

 

[Todd the Cleaner]

Ok so it will only go to 1000psi? If this is true why does it have a 3000psi gauge on it?

Also what kinda heat will it give and what kinda blower is on it?

The pump will actually put out 3000 psi, but your heat exchangers are limited as to how much psi can pass through them. Prochem puts a 1000 psi safety shutoff sensor in their machines. On my machine I actually re-plumbed everything and I can actually turn my machine up to 3000 psi for pressure washing. I have a 5000 psi gauge on my machine, the gauge maximum makes no difference on what the pump or machine is capable of.

I didn't read the entire manual but the machine does have 2 heat exchangers to heat the water, one that pre heats and then the exhaust heat exchanger, I would guess you can expect temperatures of 200 to 230 degrees. I could not see what size blower that machine has in the book, but I think it has a 36 blower. You will need to confirm the size of the blower with prochem or the seller you are buying the unit from.

 

[Sho_Shane]

Todd you are just a great guy. I mean I know that Im new and ask dumb stuff but you always answer in a kind way with helpful advice. Thank you.

 

[Stephen Meyer]

Todd is a great guy

 

[SRD]

Prochem is notorious for underspeeding their machines first thing i would do is crank up the rpms youll get alot better performance.

 

[rstrick]

3000 hrs is about like three years of good work! I put about 800 a year on my unit a year.

 

[theshining247]

can't go wrong with Prochem IMO. I love my blazer XL and it has almost as much suction as a watercooled big boy hydramaster that i've used for years. Simplicity and easy to get parts. If i were you I would bring it to a prochem service center or you could actually bring it to a good briggs and Straton mechanic and they could tell you what your getting into. If the seller doesn't want to let you check it out then beware.

 

[dgardner]

what kinda blower is on it?

Shane, according to Prochem's part number for the blower, it's a Sutorbilt 3MP, basically equal to a Roots 33 URAI.

 

[Todd the Cleaner]

Shane, according to Prochem's part number for the blower, it's a Sutorbilt 3MP, basically equal to a Roots 33 URAI.

Hey Dan, I know all about Roots blowers and their sizes, but with Sutorbilt blowers what do the letters after the numbers stand for?

 

[dgardner]

Hey Dan, I know all about Roots blowers and their sizes, but with Sutorbilt blowers what do the letters after the numbers stand for?

Roots uses the second digit to indicate the rotor length (32, 33, 36) while Sutorbilt uses a letter (3H, 3M, 3L) which corresponds to high, medium, and low pressure. The H blowers are the shortest rotors, and they are rated for the highest pressure (and vacuum), and the lowest cfm, while the L blowers are rated for a lower pressure but higher cfm. So:

3H blower = 15 psi, 16" hg, 149 cfm
3M blower = 12 psi, 15" hg, 200 cfm
3L blower = 7 psi, 14"hg, 350 cfm

If you are happy with 14" hg, then a 3L will get you the most bang for the buck, it's only 50 cfm behind a 45 (or 4M). If you wanted the same 350 cfm as a 3L but insisted on 16" hg then you would have to run the 45 which is bigger and heavier.

The last letter is simply the current revision level - a 3LL is older than a 3LP. They change letters when they make a significant improvement in the model.

 

[Todd the Cleaner]

Roots uses the second digit to indicate the rotor length (32, 33, 36) while Sutorbilt uses a letter (3H, 3M, 3L) which corresponds to high, medium, and low pressure. The H blowers are the shortest rotors, and they are rated for the highest pressure (and vacuum), and the lowest cfm, while the L blowers are rated for a lower pressure but higher cfm. So:

3H blower = 15 psi, 16" hg, 149 cfm
3M blower = 12 psi, 15" hg, 200 cfm
3L blower = 7 psi, 14"hg, 350 cfm

If you are happy with 14" hg, then a 3L will get you the most bang for the buck, it's only 50 cfm behind a 45 (or 4M). If you wanted the same 350 cfm as a 3L but insisted on 16" hg then you would have to run the 45 which is bigger and heavier.

The last letter is simply the current revision level - a 3LL is older than a 3LP. They change letters when they make a significant improvement in the model.

Thank you. One more question I have always wondered about, and you would think I would know this by now, but what does the psi rating mean on a blower? I know pounds per square inch, but how does this relate to vacuum and what is the significance of it?

 

[dgardner]

Thank you. One more question I have always wondered about, and you would think I would know this by now, but what does the psi rating mean on a blower? I know pounds per square inch, but how does this relate to vacuum and what is the significance of it?

These blowers are not always used for vacuum service, sometimes they are actually used as blowers, for instance supplying air to a fluidized bed, pond aeration, to supply breathing air into a mine, etc. For us pressure rating is meaningless.

Both ratings really refer to pressure drop across the inlet-outlet.

Vacuum service pressure drop is atmospheric (30"hg) at the outlet compared with lower pressure (say 16") at the inlet. 30-16 = 14, so we would say there is 14" hg vacuum at the inlet. Vacuum in this definition is still positive pressure, just less pressure. Converted to psi, 14"hg = 6.85 psi, so in vacuum service a 3L blower is rated for about 7 psi pressure difference.

Pressure service pressure drop is atmospheric (30"hg or 14.7 psi) at the inlet compared with higher pressure (say atmospheric plus 7 psi) at the outlet. 14.7 + 7 = 21.7 (at the outlet) and 21.7 - 7 = 14.7 (at the inlet), so we would say there is 7 psi at the outlet. Again pressure at the inlet is still positive pressure (0 psi or 30" hg), just less pressure. So, in pressure service the blower is rated for the same 7 psi pressure difference - surprise! We are really saying the same thing either way!

 

[Sho_Shane]

Well I dont think the guy would lead me wrong. He really seems like a good guy. The van is in amazing shape for being a 97. Only down fall is I have to drive 5 hours one way to look at it.

Also He says its a trailblazer but on the Specs I downloaded from Todd's post it shows a pic. On the pic of the front panal it shows there should be a Diverter Valve Knob. But on the pic of the system I'm looking at I do not see one. What does that mean?

 

[dgardner]

Also He says its a trailblazer but on the Specs I downloaded from Todd's post it shows a pic. On the pic of the front panal it shows there should be a Diverter Valve Knob. But on the pic of the system I'm looking at I do not see one. What does that mean?

If you read through the manual, it mentions that several items (including the exhaust diverter) are optional, and may not be installed on your system.

 

[Sho_Shane]

Well guys here are all the pics he sent me last night. With the van having 170k but he says it runs like new. It has working AC, Heat, and he says everything down to the stock Radio works like its suppose to. You guys can see what the TM looks like and to me it looks like a new one but has 3000 hours on it.

Im going to look at it on friday. I need to know what its worth, what would yall pay for it?

 

[Nutstyle]

Whats his situation?
I would go 1000-1500 for the van and around 3000-4000 for the machine.

 

[Todd the Cleaner]

I would say $6000 maximum. Try to talk him down to $4000-$5000. Looks like a nice setup as long as everything runs as good as he says. Looks like it has been well taken care of.