Compressor rehab
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I've been wanting a larger compressor for my home garage for a while. My 33 gallon Craftsman oil-free unit has been OK but it's 20 years old and for sandblasting and trying to remove large nuts it barely does the job. It's loud too.
I could have picked up a cheap 60 gallon from TSC but I figured I would have to fix a bunch problems on it to soup-it-up. I started looking on craigslist for a used 60 gallon with belt drive and I found one for $150. Ad said it runs well and the picture looked OK. I jumped at it, but there was a twist. |
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The guy said he had lots of calls and someone offered $200 but I was just down the road from him. He said he could meet me in an hour at the gas station if I could pay $200. I thought it would still be a good deal if it was in good condition so I agreed.
I tell myself to look things over real well before buying and not to be blinded by shiny new toys but I didn't take my own advice. I just told the guys to take my money and load it in my truck. I decided to change the oil before starting it and I'm glade I did. The oil wasn't oil, it was muddy water. I changed the oil wired it up and ran it til it stopped at 125psi, then I drained the oil again. Muddy oil came out. Changed the oil a second time and figured that would be fine because it was running well. But then I thought, where did the mud come from? The only logical place is through the intake and past the pistons. So I decided to pull the head. Here are the cylinders. They are crusty and scored. |
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Here is the bottom of the head. The intake reed valve on the right is rusty and has pin holes in it. Replacement reeds are $17 for a complete kit.
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The valve plate is a muddy mess. but it cleaned up real nice with a brass brush and some PB blaster. I'll put it back on as-is when the new gasket kit arrives.
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The good news is it actually ran fine and there was no water in the tank, not a drop. Although the pistons and rods look pretty good after cleaning, the steel cylinder sleeves are quite scored so I plan to replace the rings for $30 and hone the crap out of the jugs. It's only scored where the rings traveled, the skirt area still has crosshatch. The crank bearings are tight and smooth and the journals are all smooth but I may use some 600 to shine them up, they are a little stained.
If this were a car (or a cub) i'd bore it out and replace the pistons or re-sleeve it but it just has to pump some air to run a few of my hobby tools. |
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The pump is a Devilbiss model CAC-4029 used in Craftsman and Porter-Cable and probably many others. I like the simplicity and sturdiness of it but the air cleaner is pathetic which I'm sure is the reason the pump is so dirty inside. The filter is like a thick chunk of wool with a poor seal around it (bottom center of pic). I plan to cover the filter opening with a heavy piece of aluminum and drill a hole to attach a filter element. I'm open to ideas.
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It won't last long. Piston air compressors are no different than piston engines. Cheap hone job, and 600 grit paper on the crank journals will last a short time, but not long. That compressor isn't designed to be rebuilt. I'd start pricing new compressors. (Just the compressor itself, not a new complete unit.)
Sorry you got a bad deal. In the future, be wary of guys who suddenly jack price on you. On a quick note, of coarse the area where the piston rings didn't run still has a crosshatch. What exactly do you think wears a crosshatch out of a cylinder wall? It's not the aluminum piston..... |
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I promise, with that much dirt rolling through that thing, the piston is far from "tight" in the bore. Do what you want, but I don't think that compressor pump is worth throwing any money into. Like I stated earlier, a piston compressor is just like a piston engine. It will last according to its build, and its required speed. So, if it was an engine, sitting idling at the speed the compressor runs, under a similar demand, that's how long it will last. I've done what you're doing. They don't last long after they've been abused like that. |
Just for clarity, I'm not trying to be mean... I'm just telling you what I know, and see. You can hone it, put new reeds, gaskets and rings in it, and it may last a while, but it probably won't last long, as much dirt as has been ran through it though. It may quit on you when you're in the middle of using it one day. I've also seen compressors knock for years before throwing a rod out of the block. But they weren't used often either. Depends on what you plan to do with it. It's your money, time and investment.
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