4.3 How To Repair

Repair procedures on WOODCO USA IBOP's become necessary if leakage occurs during testing or when service time indicates inspection as a good practice. Disassemble the unit and inspect the internal parts for wear (erosion from continued pumping through the IBOP) and/or corrosion.

Before performing any repair steps, you should study carefully the cutaway drawing (Fig.1). This drawing shows the relationship of all the parts.

Rarely does the release tool assembly require repair except for corrosion or abuse. Replace bent or broken lockscrews and release rods. Clean rusted threads (tool joint threads by wire brushing, lockscrew hole threads by chasing with a 5/8-11 hand tap).

Break out the center connection of the IBOP like any standard tool joint. On the rig do this by installing the IBOP into the drill string temporarily. Break the middle connection and then break the lower connection. Break the connection in a shop by any standard method.

With the center connection broken, unscrew the upper and lower bodies by hand and remove the dart and spring (smaller sizes also have a spring seat, see Figure 1).

Measure the spring to determine if it has become damaged or compressed (See Table 2 for spring lengths). Replace damaged or compressed springs.

Examine the dart and seat at the same time; these fit together to affect a seal. Should either the dart or the seat show damage, such as fluid cutting or corrosion sufficient to cause pitting, then replace the damaged parts. Use the following special steps to remove a damaged seat. 

NOTE: Do not remove a damaged seat until you have a replacement on hand for immediate installation so that rust cannot occur in the seat pocket of the upper body. Some small sizes of WOODCO USA IBOP's do not have a replaceable seat because it would weaken the center connection. See special notes at the end of this section for repair details on a non-removable seat.

Without loose internal parts installed, screw the upper and lower bodies together, hand tight. Stand the unit on its pin and carefully knock out the removable seat (See Figure. 7). Use a 3/4" O.D. steel bar ( with square cut ends) as a "driver." Use a bar long enough to hold and strike while extending through the upper body I.D. and resting against the shoulder made into the I.D. of the seat. Strike the bar with a medium hammer ( approximately 4 lbs.) and "knock" the seat out of its pocket and into the empty cavity of the lower body.