Introduction

When I started down the CNG trail in 2006, there was no way to know what I was getting into. I sure wish I knew then what I know now. With that I have been tortured by Fuelmaker products for years and in the winter of 2009 that torture came to an end. Well let me back up and start with the events that lead up to the purchase of the MCH-5. In the spring of 2009 I purchased a Phil refueling appliance to help my C3 offset my refueling needs. It became quickly apparent that the little Phil was way undersized for my needs. It was taking about 14 Hrs. to refill my bi-fuel Cavalier and I had three of them. So after about nine months of this nonsense, I decided to make a one time purchase of a big compressor. This is another reason that CNG cars will only be a hobby and never catch on. No one in there right mind would spend $11,000.00 on a CNG compressor.

The Story

At the time there were not many options available, at least not like today. I did realize that a dry sump Fuelmaker style compressor was completely out of picture. After my Hybrid C3 project I realized that scuba compressors could be used to fill an NGV. So I began looking at large Bauer scuba compressor. I watched Ebay for some time looking for a used scuba compressor, which I could rework. Then one day I saw a CNG Compressor on Ebay. At the time there was no details about the manufacturer. So I contacted the seller and acquired some information. It took about a week and a half to work out a deal to purchase his "Demo" model instead of the Ebay auction model. However the deal got done, money exchanged and the unit got shipped. When the unit arrived it needed some setup and rework to get it running in my environment. Some of the connections and panels needed switched. A three phase AC inverter with a electric contactor switch had to be retrofitted. There was some plumbing connections to my Desiccant dryers that needed to be made. I also had to add a bank of water Separators and filters to extract every last bit of water vapor from the natural gas stream. So it has now going on 3 years of use and here are some observations and problems I have run into along the way. Over all I am happy with the MCH-5. After years of being tortured by the Fuelmaker C3 & Phil compressors, the MCH-5 has been pretty much trouble free. After the inter-cooler fix, the only maintenance I do is to change the oil, check the belt and check for loose bolts and fittings. The MCH-5 just runs and runs.