02-07-2016, 10:26 PM
Over two years ago - how Time flies - I killed the Motor on my big Compressor and bought a little one as a stopgap - http://golbornevintageradio.co.uk/forum/...p?tid=4212
I did fit a new Motor to the old Compressor but one way and another I never got it really fettled. Anyway, I fitted the 'New' Compressor with a decent Gauge, added a Connector and plugged in the Garage Air Supply. In retrospect that was a mistake as I'm sure these little Amateur ones are really designed to be used a few times a year for blowing up the Car Tyres and after a couple of years abandoned at the back of the Garage. Of course I plugged it in and left it to it. The Garage Distribution leaks down and even if I didn't use it a couple of times a day it would run to fill the Tank up again.
It just about lasted out the Guarantee then expired. The symptoms were that it continued to run but the Tank Pressure never got above around 40 PSI. The problem was easy to find once I took it to bits - one of the Outlet Valves had broken off. The Valves actually consist of flat pieces of Shim Steel which cover the appropriate Holes - 3 for Inlet and 3 for Outlet', like this:-
Of course no Spares are available so I turned up a little Brass Pug and bunged up the Hole. That worked fine so I pressed on, although I expect it wasn't quite as efficient as before.
Last Week it expired again
So, it was time to get a bit more serious. Once again one of the Outlet valve Leaves had broken off, and I doubted whether one would suffice.
Step one was to drill out the Rivets - three Copper ones.
Second, ponder what to do. The ideal would be to replace the Shim - 7 - 8 thou, call it 0.2mm - but I hadn't got anything suitable.
I considered a Steel Ball but again I hadn't got anything suitable. Finally I decided that Disc Valves would be the best bet. That's pretty normal for this sort of thing in my experience. They're usually Steel Discs sometimes backed up by a light Spring. Inertia does most of the work.
So, I turned up three 'Plugs' and filed the side that fits in the Hole to a Square to allow more flow.
I replaced the Rivets with a couple of M4 Screws, Nuts and Locktite, and 'Adjusted' the Bracket which limits the travel to allow for the thicker Valves.
I had to file down the Heads of the Screws to clear the Piston. Actually that didn't work as on first assembly as the Piston still touched. However, an attack with the Dremmel and a Burr widened and deepened the Indentations in the Head and that sorted it.
So, does it work? Mostly. It's slower than it was no doubt due to the extra weight of the Valves. It gets there in the end, so I still have a Portable Compressor of sorts.
While I was at it I thought I might as well have a look at the old Compressor. It actually proved to be quite straightforward. Some new Oil in the Sump, a new smaller Pulley which was more the suitable for the Belt I had and a bit of jiggery-pokery with the Outlet Fitting and it works fine. OK, it's a bit slow, but on the other hand it's very solid.
Maybe one of these days I'll have another go at both of them.
Alan
I did fit a new Motor to the old Compressor but one way and another I never got it really fettled. Anyway, I fitted the 'New' Compressor with a decent Gauge, added a Connector and plugged in the Garage Air Supply. In retrospect that was a mistake as I'm sure these little Amateur ones are really designed to be used a few times a year for blowing up the Car Tyres and after a couple of years abandoned at the back of the Garage. Of course I plugged it in and left it to it. The Garage Distribution leaks down and even if I didn't use it a couple of times a day it would run to fill the Tank up again.
It just about lasted out the Guarantee then expired. The symptoms were that it continued to run but the Tank Pressure never got above around 40 PSI. The problem was easy to find once I took it to bits - one of the Outlet Valves had broken off. The Valves actually consist of flat pieces of Shim Steel which cover the appropriate Holes - 3 for Inlet and 3 for Outlet', like this:-
Of course no Spares are available so I turned up a little Brass Pug and bunged up the Hole. That worked fine so I pressed on, although I expect it wasn't quite as efficient as before.
Last Week it expired again
So, it was time to get a bit more serious. Once again one of the Outlet valve Leaves had broken off, and I doubted whether one would suffice.
Step one was to drill out the Rivets - three Copper ones.
Second, ponder what to do. The ideal would be to replace the Shim - 7 - 8 thou, call it 0.2mm - but I hadn't got anything suitable.
I considered a Steel Ball but again I hadn't got anything suitable. Finally I decided that Disc Valves would be the best bet. That's pretty normal for this sort of thing in my experience. They're usually Steel Discs sometimes backed up by a light Spring. Inertia does most of the work.
So, I turned up three 'Plugs' and filed the side that fits in the Hole to a Square to allow more flow.
I replaced the Rivets with a couple of M4 Screws, Nuts and Locktite, and 'Adjusted' the Bracket which limits the travel to allow for the thicker Valves.
I had to file down the Heads of the Screws to clear the Piston. Actually that didn't work as on first assembly as the Piston still touched. However, an attack with the Dremmel and a Burr widened and deepened the Indentations in the Head and that sorted it.
So, does it work? Mostly. It's slower than it was no doubt due to the extra weight of the Valves. It gets there in the end, so I still have a Portable Compressor of sorts.
While I was at it I thought I might as well have a look at the old Compressor. It actually proved to be quite straightforward. Some new Oil in the Sump, a new smaller Pulley which was more the suitable for the Belt I had and a bit of jiggery-pokery with the Outlet Fitting and it works fine. OK, it's a bit slow, but on the other hand it's very solid.
Maybe one of these days I'll have another go at both of them.
Alan