I think my air compressor pump is shot

[gtae07]

Posted a while back about a Husky 60gal compressor with a blown head gasket. I repaired it (made a new gasket) and reassembled. No leak there, but now the compressor is taking forever to fill (10+ min from 120 to 150 psi) and I see oil mist sometimes “chuffing” out the vent cap. I assume my piston rings are failing.

Is this just time to replace the pump? HF carries one that will probably work; I’m not in a huge rush as I don’t need the compressor for a few weeks, but I don’t want to be sending good money after bad either.

 

[Augus7us]

I've never actually worked on a compressor but I'd guess if you could swap the rings it would be a lot cheaper and I'd bet more reliable than an HF pump. If you can get them I imagine they wouldn't be that expensive. Try giving husky a call, I have a cheap lowes push mower and I lost the gas cap. Lowes pays some company to answer the phone and look up parts for you. Had my back ordered gas cap in two weeks.

My question is, is there a way to test this before hand? Some kind of compression test? No idea but figured someone here probably knows.

 

[tboy]

Is this an oil less unit? I've seen them wear out the rings. We had an old crafstman that would not pump over 70 psi, took it apart and found the piston and "cup" to be very worn. $45 for a new piston (ring was pressed on there if I remember) and a new cup and it worked like new.

Even if not an oil-less type, I'd be pulling it apart and inspect, I bet you could figure out what has failed with a look inside.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Is this an oil less unit? I've seen them wear out the rings. We had an old crafstman that would not pump over 70 psi, took it apart and found the piston and "cup" to be very worn. $45 for a new piston (ring was pressed on there if I remember) and a new cup and it worked like new.

Even if not an oil-less type, I'd be pulling it apart and inspect, I bet you could figure out what has failed with a look inside.

X2. My friend's Craftsman had a disc instead of a piston with a rubber o-ring. It wore out after about 2 years of semi-daily use.

Tommy

 

[Bretny]

My 12-13yr old kobalt, prob the same as husky, CH and prob 20 other brands. I also did a head gasket on it. Its got metal pistons and rings. A gasket kit is prety cheap. $40 if i remember.

 

[gtae07]

It's an oil-filled unit. MY concerns with replacing the rings are the cost (it seems all the parts for this thing are fairly expensive and by the time I'm finished I might be able to just replace the entire pump for the same cost) and whether the cylinder walls are damaged (in which case, why replace the rings just to damage them again?).

 

[fitter30]

Pull air filter turn compressor on put your thumb over intake this takes the load off compressor if compressor makes some horrible noise piston , rod or bearings are bad. If its fairly quite might find a kit that has valve plate and gaskets.

 

[redmondjp]

Honestly, I think you'd be better off just replacing the pump for now. You may do the rings and then you'll find out that you should have also replaced the reed valves (if you haven't done this already with the head gasket the first time) and still not have any air.

I must be really lucky - my box-store IR 60 gallon compressor with an Italian-made aluminum pump that I bought new in 1990 is still working just fine, but I only use it every few weeks.

 

[SGKent]

some of those gaskets are specially cut to allow the reeds to work properly. Are you sure that the gasket isn't interfering?

 

[sberry]

Rings are usually slow to wear out. If you run it 20th the head off it will pool oil on top of the pistons if they are worn.

 

[gtae07]

You know, I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier... when I replaced the head gasket I cleaned burned **** off the topsof the pistons. It was nasty. That says to me I'm sucking oil up past the rings and thrn it's blowing air past them on the compression stroke.

I guess it's new pump time. Rings are about $50/piston and I have two. A new HF pump is a hair over $100.

 

[Bretny]

Mine had stuff on the pistons as well. I wouldnt think it was burnt due to no burning gas in the cylinder. A bit of oil is more than likely normal.