Relining Compressor Cylinders

Why would you need to line or reline your compressor cylinder?

Through the normal wear and tear of compression, cylinders lose the integrity of their bore. If this happens, lining or relining your compressor is a common fix. Lining or relining is a very delicate process and must be performed very carefully so that the integrity of the cylinder is not sacrificed through the process. We have been relining compressor cylinders for over 30 years. If you have a compressor cylinder that already has an existing replaceable liner, that’s not a problem. We can clip it out, machine a new one, and install it.

What is the lining or relining process for compressor cylinders?

There are two different types of liners that you could fit into your compressor cylinder, shrink fit liners and wet liners. Shrink fit liners are press fitted to the master bore within the cylinder body. If you have a compressor cylinder that is fitted with a shrink liner, then we will be able to manufacture a replacement liner to take its place. We can remove the previous shrink fit liner by clipping out the old liner through the use of a boring mill that makes a single cut down the length of the bore within the cylinder. This process weakens the wall thickness of the shrink fit liner until it finally breaks and relieves the interference fit, or the press fit. To be able to install a shrink fit liner on your compressor cylinder, we will freeze the liner in liquid nitrogen. The valve ports are then cut with a hole saw after the shrink fit liner is installed within the cylinder body.

The other type of liner that you are able to repair your compressor cylinder with is called a wet liner. Wet liners are slip fit liners, meaning that there are typically o-ring seals on the outside diameter of the liner in order to seal it to the master bore within the cylinder. To hold the liner in place, there are anti-rotation pins or flange that are captured by the head of the cylinder. The valve ports for a wet liner are cut prior to the liner being installed within the compressor cylinder. We are able to duplicate OEM wet liners.

Why should you choose us for this repair service for your compressor cylinder?

We take all compressor cylinder liners and hone them in order to be able to obtain the proper size and finish. We can take your compressor cylinder, determine if the cylinder would be a good candidate for the lining or relining process and then determine what type of replacement liner that it should receive. If the compressor cylinder is not in the proper shape to be lined or relined, then we offer another repair service, metalizing your compressor cylinder. We also offer a pickup and delivery service if you are unable to take your equipment to one of our locations.