RIP mr air compressor

[KartFab]

So, over the weekend, my air compressor died. Now this was my baby. its a 2012 ingersoll rand 3 hp electric driven with 60 gallon tank. I got it for $125 because the dude that got it broken. Turns out it had been dropped (a fin or two broke but no big deal). The guy had tried to wire it up to 120 volts... uhhh nope that wasn't working.

Long story short, I wired it up correctly to 220v, and put some pb plaster in the cylinders to unseize them. Fired up and has worked ever since (2 yrs).

It started making a different noise about a month ago, and I didnt think much of it. I check the oil, that was good, everything looked fine....... then yesterday it just seized up and the motor kicked on the overheat switch and turned off.

Any bets on what broke? Im thinking bearing went out. Who knows... blehhhhhh

 

[mckutzy]

Always check the motor first. The bearing should last a good long time, but they just dont handle well in a compressor for the most part.
With the motor dismounted, check to see if it has a rough spin, if there is an unusual sound or tick while spinning by hand.
Obvious signs of overheating, smells... ect
Typically the motor might have a bunch of dirt or dust buildup and it closed the airgap for it to operate easily.
Did you grease the motor frequently via the nipples,and did you vent the grease aswell?

 

[KartFab]

Motor is fine, the pump seized (flywheel stopped turning) and the motor startted humming like it was trying to engage, which triggered the overheat switch like 5 seconds later. Ill pull off the belt and check motor but im 99% sure its the pump. (only $350 !!) Will have to tear into it sometime this week.

Motor needs grease? eeehhrrrrr...ummmmmm yeahhhhh about that.... No service done to motor whatsoever.

 

[Hellion]

I've got a 24 year old Craftsman (DeVilbiss) 3.5 hp 25 gal compressor that just recently semi-digested its cooling fan. New squirrel cage cooling fan is en route and that sucker should be up and ready for its march to the half century mark. No issues with operation aside from this incident....<knock on wood>

Rebuild that sucker!

 

[KartFab]

Well, from bad advice on a forum (not this one) i read that you can put just any old type of motor oil in the compressor. WRONG. (I had put some 5w30 in it).... I emptied the old oil and it had some little metal flakes in it (FML), but the compressor still does load and run. I got some ingersoll rand air compressor oil now.

After a bit of reading, and investigating, I cant really seem to find if/where to grease the bearings on the electric motor.

So for the pump, I am going to disassemble and check for carbon build up as well as the line from the head to the tank.

Apparently, if you use petroleum based lubricant (which i have for the past 2 yrs) you get tons of carbon build up, and its usually the wrong viscosity so you get some bad consequences. Just how bad is to be seen.

Well, just glad that it runs at this point. Im still curious about the electric motor though, and what to service on it.

 

[mckutzy]

Typically Baldor motors we worked on used Mobil 1 blue lithium grease... Most pillowblocks and other type of bearings have a similar grease used.
That'll do for those motors...
If the motor doesn't have grease nipples... you will have to disassemble the motor to get the rotor out....
Then you might aswell just replace with new...
Also... some types of motors have endbells that have grease passages cast into the housing... but havent got the outside hole drilled through and installed with the nipple....
Could see about redrilling the housing, and grease that way.....

 

[Denny]

Well, from bad advice on a forum (not this one) i read that you can put just any old type of motor oil in the compressor. WRONG. (I had put some 5w30 in it).... I emptied the old oil and it had some little metal flakes in it (FML), but the compressor still does load and run. I got some ingersoll rand air compressor oil now.

After a bit of reading, and investigating, I cant really seem to find if/where to grease the bearings on the electric motor.

So for the pump, I am going to disassemble and check for carbon build up as well as the line from the head to the tank.

Apparently, if you use petroleum based lubricant (which i have for the past 2 yrs) you get tons of carbon build up, and its usually the wrong viscosity so you get some bad consequences. Just how bad is to be seen.

Well, just glad that it runs at this point. Im still curious about the electric motor though, and what to service on it.

At the very minimum use a straight 30 weight oil. Ingersol used to sell a 30 weight synthetic for use in compressors, very very expensive. Since the latter part of the 1980's Ingersols have pretty much been junk compared to the older ones. They started underrating their motors, the 3hp became the 5hp, the 5hp became the 7.5 etc. etc. They got around the power issue by underdriving the compressors. The newer motors no longer have a place to oil the bearings the older motors had a spring loaded cap you flipped open to add a few drops of oil every 100 or so hours then they had little plastic plugs you pried out to add the oil. Now it is all sealed bearings. A buddy of mine works for a Ingersol dealer.

Denny

 

[mindymogul]

Hence why with tools I always say the older the better. '63 Snap-On 6' Roller Box, ALL air tools are Snap-On and from the 60s-80s, electric tools are Black & Decker / HFT. '73 Ingersoll Rand 125gal 220v compressor, all hands tools are old Craftsman or Stanley... or 3M. I've learned that new crap just doesn't last worth a **** so why even bother?

 

[Denny]

Snap-off and Bluepoint are the crappiest pieces of junk ever sold period. They don't even make good paperweights. I have had better luck with Harbor Freight than either one of those brands. I wrenched professionally for 26 years.

Denny

 

[Poboy kartman]

Back in the olden days....Craftsman were pretty impressive...it took a ton of effort to break one.

But SnapOn ...Snap Off....the Snapper! (Sorry....I get distracted easily) still makes some good tools...but the run of the mill hand tools have always been overrated and overpriced.

I agree on HF hand tools....just a little common sense...and the fact you can buy multiple SETS for Snappy prices makes "lifetime warranty " useless.

 

[Flyinhillbilly]

I'm still a professional wrench, I still use snap on tools, I also use whatever tools I need to use to get the job done. No tool snob here, but my favorite is my 16" LeBlond lathe made in 1914. Not only is it incredibly well built, it has some aesthetics going for it too.

 

[mindymogul]

I just go by whatevers cheaper. IE about 80% of the snapon tools in the shop were free, and I never paid retail price for all tools I have. Beauty of CL and clueless 20 something trophy GFs...