oldnslo makes several valid points - like most things, the
KISS method is almost always better - but sometimes you need an "evil device" or three to make things
usable (like QD's, durnit...
JJ, as mentioned earlier I have several sets of DHH's version of 1/2" "AG" style QD's, here are my observations -
If all the crap that's inside were gone, you'd get a 15/32" dia. flow path - WITH said crap, (and this is a "SWAG", as I call it -
Scientific
Wild
Assed
Guess ) -
MAYBE somewhere around 1/4".
I have a couple of things with older, non-import QD's of a couple different types - they don't fare much better.
The ones I have been talking about have a "three-legged spider" inside for the ball spring to push against, and a type of retaining ring I haven't seen before, and therefore haven't either bought or invented a tool for - so we will
NOT be getting a "dis-assembly report"
Near as I can tell from cautious observation - with the two halves locked into each other, their respective check balls appear to move away from their seats about 3/16" - so in the center, there's still about 1/4" dia. still blocked -
A 15/32" dia. hole has an area of 0.1726 sq. in.
Subtract 1/4" dia. center, area of 0.049 sq. in.
Leaves an area of 0.1236 sq. in.
Which equates to a circle of dia. 0.1983" - which is just a bit larger than an
equivalent 3/16" diameter path.
Since circle areas are related to a square root function, half diameter = 1/4 the area - so you would be getting less than
1/4 the flow thru these QD's than you would thru a plain 1/2" hose, assuming the same pressure -
One of the problems with that assumption is that the restriction of the QD will cause a
LARGE pressure drop across the QD, and the larger the pressure differential the greater the flow - so to me, it's likely that
PART of the "problem" may offset
PART of the flow drop - been a while since I needed to "cogitate" on this, so I may be more than slightly rusty
To
FURTHER muddy the waters, let's assume that
ONE of the halves of a QD pair has a
WEAKER spring than the other - That condition will cause the two check balls to
NOT be evenly pushed back from it's seat - this would make things even
WORSE. (Like we needed
THAT...)
Now I'm starting to wish I'd
never opened this can of worms - halfway considering a redesign of some of my stuff to just
do away with QD's - Instead, just shut 'er off, normalize pressures and hook-unhook with JIC's and a (quickly used) pair of wrenches... Steve