Compressor down

My compressor has died. Well, it runs, and provides some compressed
air, but not really enough to drive my rattle gun, probably because
it's leaking around the pressure control valve thing. Before I toddle
off to machinemart to buy another one, does anyone think it might be
repairable?

 

Probably yes, I'd have thought. Machine Mart sell all sorts of spares
for their compressors.

Can you take apart the bit that's leaking? It's not just some perished
O-rings or something, is it?

 

Probably not worth repairing, particularly if it's the pressure valve.
My 1st compressor died a death when the cooling fan broke free and
shredded the wiring, so I returned it (under warranty) and bought a
better one.

If it's a cheap compressor, replace it, if it's an expensive one,
repair it.

HTH

Paul.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

You'd need to pull it apart to effect a diagnosis.

Assuming it is fucked, I've pondered in the past adding another tank to
my compressor to up the size of the reserve. Anyone tried this?

It'd probably be putting the cheap-shit motor above its duty cycle
filling the new reservoir, but I don't know if that would kill it either
(a) quickly, or (b) really fucking quickly.


--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

How long's your piece of string ?


Leaf valves ?

Beware - that happened to me, the replacement MM parts were from Clarkes
and one of them broke and fucked the bore - Clarkes turned around and
said that they couldn't have been installed correctly (almost impossible
to do it wrong)

 

Hmmm... I know that Halfords are meant to be pretty good about
exchanging broken hand tools, but I don't think you'd get away with that.

Just smother it in liquid gasket, tighten it up again, and wait 24 hours
before you use it.

Alternatively, wait until Aldi have their compressor on offer again, or
just buy yourself a new one from wherever's cheapest at the moment.

 

It works quite well. Bearing in mind what you say about the motor's duty
cycle, check out if the model above yours used the same motor.

 

If it is leaking at a joint a bit of PTFE tape should fix it.
If the part is knackered take the part to Machine Mart, they usually
have suitable replacements.

 

Good thinking.

 

Most things are repairable, give the right time, tools and interest.
;-)

I bought a small (10l) Bambi silent compressor from my old co but 10l
is really too small for most workshop jobs. So I bought a new / broken
24l Wolf Air jobby off eBay. I turned a threaded collar and
epoxy-screwed the broken parts together again. However, due to a bit
of a design fault it split elsewhere and a phone call to Wolf had an
updated one in the post the next day for a tenner.

I later melded the Bambi pump onto the Wolf cylinder and now have
reasonable capacity for_shorts_bursts of the rattle gun and it's so
quiet I don't even have to turn the radio up when I'm using it (noise
is an issue with my tinnitus).

Re yours ... if the leak appears to be coming from a joint but you
can't unscrew the part then I've used what looks like
slightly_thicker_than_usual Loctite thread lock called 'Rocol - Foliac
Threadseal XS' but I can't see why any threadlocker wouldn't also
work. Unscrew the fitting as far as you can, apply the thread locker
and then work it into the joint but un/re screwing the joint a few
time (and ideally with the joint positioned so gravity helps not
hinders).

If you don't bother to fix it and depending on the capacity I might
swap the remains for some beers. ;-)

T i m

 

Thanks for your (and others) advice.

The leak isn't coming from a joint, but appears to be from the
pressure regulator/control valve. I really need to get it apart and
see what I find. After all, I doubt I can make it more broken...

 

Depends how many ping-fuckits are inside...

I took the Elefant's petrol cap apart (in situ) the other day to see if
the breather was blocked, because the sighing noises were getting on my
nerves.

*Six* springs, FFS, including one that was so small I couldn't pick it
up with my fingers, and a matching ball bearing. It's a miracle I didn't
lose any of them. Next time I need to do that, I'll be taking the cap
off the tank first and working on it in a high-sided container.

 

Ah, the old Team UKRM rattle gun's still going strong then?

 

Or rather Clarkes do

 

heh, my FJ1200 does that from the tank breather.

It's either that, or it's trying to tell me to pull my finger out and
get the front end back together ..

Paul.

 

It was alright when it left here ...

I blame garble groups ...

Paul.