My Compressor Finally Died

[Norm's Coupe]

Forgot to mention one thing since you are trying to keep the cost down. It is possible to rebuild your old compressor motor. It's not that expensive to do, if you do it yourself.

Before buying my present compressor I had a little 3 HP with a 15 gallon tank on it. I ran that thing so much that the flapper valves broke. I bought a rebuild kit and rebuilt the motor. Was easy, just pulled the head and the valves were right there. Replaced the valve plate and the head at the same time. Cost was only about $50 or $60 for all the parts. All you need is to find a compressor shop, give them you model number and brand name. Then they can probably get you the parts needed for the rebuild. I don't think it took more than an hour or two to rebuild it.

[Joe Flanagan]

Thanks Norm, I will look into that. Something burned up, that's for sure. I haven't pulled the top off it yet.

[billwillard]

I would look at the motor before I took the compressor apart. Smoke wouldn't come frpm the compressor.

[Joe Flanagan]

That's what I mean. The motor is on the top of the unit. It's a vertical tank. Smoke was coming from the vents on the shroud that covers the motor.

[Norm's Coupe]

If the problem is with the electric motor, you could have a short, or simply burned it out from use. Either way, if you wanted, you could probably fix it a lot cheaper than buying a whole new compressor. If the short is just in the outside wiring, that's easy to fix. If the motor is shot, you could just put a new motor on it. I would pull the cover, then start it up again to see where the smoke is actually coming from, then shut it down right away after it started smoking. Just keep your hands away from the fan.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I believe Joe has a direct drive unit..not at all on level with everyday use..that is for the once in awhile tire checking and maybe asmall brad gun...

the motor is commonly electric whereas the compressor is the PUMP and the pump is usually service with complete top end kits like Norm mentioned where the reed valves either break or suck a rivet...

[Norm's Coupe]

Not sure, but think Tim and I are on the same wave link.

On my single stage unit, the electric motor is separate from the air pump motor. The electric motor drives the air pump piston from the bottom of the air pump, and also the cooling fan.

With the above in mind, if something got pulled into the crank on the piston, or the piston froze, it could jam the electric motor shaft and make the electric motor overheat, causing the smoke. Or.......the electric motor is just going out on you for some reason.

If you want to try and repair it, it's best to just pull the plastic cover and inspect both motors. Then if you don't see any damage, start it up to see where the smoke is coming from and if the piston is working. I was hesitant at first to tear into my old one when it broke. But.....once I got into it, they are real simple to work on. At least the air motor is. If you pull the head off the air motor, the valve reed plate then comes out, exposing the piston below it. Then you can see if the piston is jammed or broken too.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Norm...ya killing me...it is a pump..not a motor no way it in itself will drive anything...

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim,

Mine has an electric motor and a pump. If ya like I can dig out the instruction book a little later and post the diagram. It's on my new one, but it's the same system as my old little one had.

[Plymouthy Adams]

you keep say air motor Norm..it is not an air motor..an air motor recieves air from a compressor pump and through pressure of air through a small orrifice in the inlet end it forces vanes out of the rotor grooves against the body and causes the rotor to spin..

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim,

To me anything that has a piston and valves in it, is a motor. Air motor or otherwise. But.........I did say air "pump" motor in the recent post.

[Joe Flanagan]

Just popped the top of my dead compressor. There is a belt in there so I guess that's direct drive? Also, the electric motor has black burn/soot marks on the outside of it. I don't know if you should be able to turn the fan by hand but you can not and it makes a really ugly noise when you try. Like I said, when I bought it I had more enthusiasm than knowledge. And I can tell you that this model will take an awful lot of abuse before it dies. Not that you want to go that way. It has been very frustrating working with an under strength compressor.

[Don Coatney]

Engine;

A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion.

Such a machine distinguished from an electric, spring-driven, or hydraulic motor by its use of a fuel.

Motor;

An electrical machine that produces or imparts motion. A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power.

Pump;

A machine or device for raising, compressing, or transferring fluids, or gasses.

Sorry Norm but you are once again incorrect.

[JerseyHarold]

If it has a separate motor and compressor connected by a belt, you should be able to replace just the motor. The quickest course of action is to buy a new compressor.

Being the frugal guy that I am, I would hold onto the old unit and check flea markets and yard sales until I found a motor for a few bucks, then fix it and keep it for non-critical uses like inflating tires.

[martybose]

Joe' date='

Running two compressors, or an extra tank like Don mentioned is done all the time in manufacturing companies. You just have to plumb them right to do it. I've been in plants that have had 5 or 6 compressors all hooked together for when they need more air supply.[/quote']

Our shipyard has a bank of three 40 horsepower compressors with their set point about 5 pounds apart that can handle the "normal" usage, and a pair of 300 horsepower ones that we add when we are blasting a ship hull. All of them feed through driers into a storage tank that is about 15 feet in diameter and about 100 feet long. The feed line to the yard is 6" ID pipe.

Marty

[Norm's Coupe]

Engine;

A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion.

Such a machine distinguished from an electric, spring-driven, or hydraulic motor by its use of a fuel.

Motor;

An electrical machine that produces or imparts motion. A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power.

Pump;

A machine or device for raising, compressing, or transferring fluids, or gasses.

Sorry Norm but you are once again incorrect.

Well Don...........I'm not going to split hairs with you and Tim on exact definitions. It really doesn't matter does it, since you both got my drift anyway, regardless if it was the exact definition. It's like all the typos on the forum. We still get the drift of what people are talking about, and that in the end is all that counts. Isn't it.

Joe,

Even if you do fix it, it may not last that long before something else went wrong. That little 3 HP compressor that I rebuilt the air pump "Motor" (Word Motor for Don and Tim's benefit:D ) on worked great afterward. However, about 2 or 3 years later the fan broke. I could have bought a new fan and put it on. But.........it made a great excuse to simply buy a bigger new compressor. Especially, after my wife said we had to get another one as soon as possible so I could check her tires on her car.

[Flatie46]

You schooled up on compressors yet Joe or do you need to study the definitions before the test? You got that car blasted yet ? Back to the wire brush!

[Joe Flanagan]

I didn't want to get in the middle of the motor/pump thing. I've got it narrowed down to two choices, which will most likely be decided by funds. And space. And no, I don't have it blasted yet but I have thought about getting out the ol' wire brush. Oh, I'm schooled, all right. Entertained, too.

Jersey Harold:

Looks like I could just replace the electric motor (or whatever), but I think I'll be upgrading at least somewhat. Any opinions on using the tank on the dead compressor as extra storage?

[55 Fargo]

I have a single stage that puts out about 9 to 12 CFM. Mine is a Craftsman with a 6 HP motor that runs on 110 volts' date=' with a 30 gallon tank. Ran about $399. However, I bought that before KMart took over Sears. The one they are selling now in it's place isn't as powerful as the one I bought when Sears was still Sears.

The key to buying a compressor is how many CFM's it puts out. Check your tools to see what CFM is required to run them. Then buy the size compressor accordingly to fit those needs. Mine will handle a sand blaster and any other tool as long as you are only using one at a time.[/quote']

Norm, I have basically the same compressor, the Craftsman 30 gallon, mine was made by Devillbiss.

This 6 HP is peak rated isn't it, mine is the same, but is a running 2hp, it will keep up withsandblasting, but the compressor runs none stop once she starts.

Being a 110 volt, did npt think they could power a 6 hp motor, though that was for 220 volt, usually after 3 hp.

Maybe your compressor is different than mine, even though there both 30 Gallon Craftsman......Fred

[Joe Flanagan]

Fred,

They're now selling a 33 gallon Craftsman with 1.6 HP motor. Sounds about like the one you and Norm have.

[55 Fargo]

Fred,

They're now selling a 33 gallon Craftsman with 1.6 HP motor. Sounds about like the one you and Norm have.

Yah, sounds like the same, they can be run at 50 to 75 % duty cycle, in other words, 30 to 45 minutes out of an hour, I would run mine 15 minutes non-stop on 10 minutes off, without hesitation.

I can run air nailers, impact guns, lower cfm spry paint guns, my sand blast cabinet, and some DA sanders.

I would not use my machine commercially, and if I were to do it again would get a 5 hp, 60 gallon 220 volt unit at a minimum, something with 15 to 20 cfm at 100 psi.

To date I have not had problems with mine, but it reall is for occasional light.

to medium duty use.

I am sure I could paint my whole car, with an HVLP gun that needs only 7 to 9 cfm at 40 psi going into the gun.

I can prime a door and fender with it not even cyling on, if I did the whole front end, it would cyle on once or twice max, should keep up for a car, with a spraygun that does not demand too much air volume, the 30 gallon tank makes a difference.....Fred

[Joe Flanagan]

This is kinda sounding like the thing for me. I know it's not ideal. I'd like to go for the 60 but it is what it is. Aren't all 60 gallons 220 volts anyway?

[55 Fargo]

This is kinda sounding like the thing for me. I know it's not ideal. I'd like to go for the 60 but it is what it is. Aren't all 60 gallons 220 volts anyway?

All the 60 gallon compressor with a 5hp motor are 220 volt that I have seen.

Hereis a link explaining electrric hp on electric motors on 110 volt as well as 220 volt, and what true hp ratings are.

http://www.kevinsbrady.net/motors.pdf

[Norm's Coupe]

Fred,

They're now selling a 33 gallon Craftsman with 1.6 HP motor. Sounds about like the one you and Norm have.

Joe,

I know it sounds like the one I have. That's why I said in the first post that they are not selling the same compressor now, that I bought. Looks the same, but when you read the info on it, it isn't. It's not as powerful. I've noticed that with other Craftsman tools since KMart took over. They are not made as good as they use to be. It's been several years since I've been in a Sears store now because of that.

[Don Coatney]

All the 60 gallon compressor with a 5hp motor are 220 volt that I have seen.

Hereis a link explaining electrric hp on electric motors on 110 volt as well as 220 volt, and what true hp ratings are.

http://www.kevinsbrady.net/motors.pdf

Fred;

Very good link. Should be required reading for all. It says what I have been saying for years.

Walk into any electric motor shop and try and buy a 6 HP motor. There is not such a motor made but Sears and others use the "puff" theory to boost HP ratings way beyond there normal working capabilities. Norm should read the link but my guess is he will not. And he will continue to claim his compressor is 6 HP because the label says so.