1927 Flat Belt Champion Compressor w/ riveted tank. Will it pump again?

[wrenchguy]

The riveted tank passed my hydro test so I'm using it in this refurb. I believe the whole thing is original from factory as you see it.
Century motor runs, hoping to get the compressor pumping again.











Taken apart and understanding how things work.
Some cleaning and painting progress.

Pressure switch.




Pressure diaphragm.




Mechanical unloader.


Filthy motor, but runs. Cleaning and adjusting starts tomorrow.





Tank and table legs/brackets.


Degreased compressor.


Baremetal top.


Painted tank.



Todays video.

 

[rlitman]

What exactly is your "hydro test"?

 

[wrenchguy]

I'm installing 2 new 125psi popoffs. Took it to 250psi with pressure washer, disconnected p-washer and it held 250psi or more 15 minutes.
edit, i filled the tank with water the day before.

 

[rlitman]

I'm installing 2 new 125psi popoffs. Took it to 250psi with pressure washer, disconnected p-washer and it held 250psi or more 15 minutes.
edit, i filled the tank with water the day before.

Holding pressure is not a valid hydrostatic test for a cylinder. What needs to be measured is the deformation under pressure.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I always get a kick out of how large electric motors were back then - a 1/2 horse motor today would be a fraction of the size of that one.

 

[930dreamer]

That's a beauty.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I'm installing 2 new 125psi popoffs. Took it to 250psi with pressure washer, disconnected p-washer and it held 250psi or more 15 minutes.
edit, i filled the tank with water the day before.

Good looking compressor project you have going wrenchguy. Those Champions are nice. I used a similar test method on my old Wayne compressor a few years back. The original tank is something that just couldn't be replaced and after a thorough visual inspection I figured if it held at least double the hydor pressure the compressor could possibly put out it should be fine for the intermittent domonstration use I would run it for.

My pump took a little persuasion to get it pumping air but it works fine now. The little jugs sure don't put out much volume. I have only built full pressure in it once, to test the regulator, since the restoration though. It's mostly just for looks and demonstration so it only runs a few minutes at a time these days. Ed.

 

[wrenchguy]

orc, any idea on year of yours? i note the welded tank..... Would the mfg'er cert tag still be soldered on? A century and flat belt, what else could you ask for! Wayne's like that gotta be very uncommon.

 

[jabberwoki]

Wow thats a beauty.
Cannot wait to see it finished, looking forward to more progress pix.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

orc, any idea on year of yours? i note the welded tank..... Would the mfg'er cert tag still be soldered on? A century and flat belt, what else could you ask for! Wayne's like that gotta be very uncommon.

I never have found any info on the early Wayne compressors that would help much with dating it. The Century motor S/N wasn't traceable to a date either. I always have assumed mid to late 20's but could be off. The only tag on the tank is that S/N tag sloppily/barely welded on. I'm using a leather belt on it and the only adjustment is by the motor mount slides. A spring tensioner would be an upgrade. Ed.

 

[don long]

I love the old compressors. I've done 2 of them in the past couple of years. The first one was a portable unit with an old Briggs ans Stratton gas motor mounted on a wooden trolly and the second was a tank mount with the same motor as your sand the flat belt.
I really like the rivett tank you have and enjoyed your videos.

Don

 

[wrenchguy]

Some progress.
PSA, Guys know your compressor tank condition and drain after each use. They are a potential bomb. Do your research when buying any used compressor.


Century motor video.

 

[wrenchguy]

Pressure switch operation video.

Progress.


Drain and know your compressor tank condition. Research & understand cushioned mounting for tanks that have any welded pieces on it to combat stress cracking.

 

[don long]

That tank is lookin killer wrenchguy

 

[wrenchguy]

It compresses air ok, now I can refinish the compressor unit and finish this project up.
Todays running video.

 

[wrenchguy]

Edit, looks like i gotta find out why so much oil coming out the 1st pressure receiver port that takes a line to the unloader. It's the petcock looking thing bottom center in the above photo. Bad seals or rings somewhere.

 

[wrenchguy]

Champion puking oil, but found my Alemite pneumatic greaser.


puking oil video.

 

[wrenchguy]

Learning more each day about saving it.

Todays vid.

 

[Farmer J.]

Nice look inside there Wrenchguy!
That sludge and grit is awful stuff. I've found it a few times inside gearboxes and axles usually softened it up with diesel and eventually flushed it away but sometimes a solid layer of sediment at the bottom of it. It's very tempting to stuck a pressure washer in there, but not kind to bearings!
Look forward to your progress as you get the old thing cleaned up and running. PS, loved the background music in your video, good choice!

 

[wrenchguy]

Detailing progress.

Need help locating 3 different sizes of old school "split copper crush gaskets". Maybe modern new style "solid" copper crush washers would work???
Old style gasket/washer.

 

[larry4406]

On your copper washers, maybe you can make from a copper sheet and then anneal it?

 

[wrenchguy]

They gotta start out kinda thick and compress alot for seal.
I found some exacts at a couple places since posting above.

 

[wrenchguy]

Done.




video.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

A real 'killer' restoration of that Champion wrenchguy. Unexpected, kind of awesome, but definitely interesting paint and graphic theme. It works, nice job. Ed.

 

[y'sguy]

Great restoration and explanation. Turned out beautiful.

 

[motorcitykid]

That is awesome! I love my little Port o Champ, I have a couple old Century motors that are fantastic. Almost dead silent and super smooth. I keep grabbing little motors because some aren’t really big name brands now but are amazing motors. Job well done on the Champion.

 

[yhprum]

How did I miss this thread? Now I have to add something else to my garage gear bucket list!

 

[johnre]

Interesting read on the repulsion start induction motor on this thing:

Repulsion-Start Induction-Run Motor

A repulsion-start induction-run motor consists of a stator carrying a single-phase exciting winding and a rotor which has a closed type armature winding with a commutator and brushes.

www.tutorialspoint.com

 

[wrenchguy]

Interesting read on the repulsion start induction motor on this thing:

Repulsion-Start Induction-Run Motor

A repulsion-start induction-run motor consists of a stator carrying a single-phase exciting winding and a rotor which has a closed type armature winding with a commutator and brushes.

www.tutorialspoint.com

because old & obsolete now, there are collectors for repulsion-start induction-run motors out there. imagine that.
psa, know your pressure tanks condition, look into hydro testing it. its can be a bomb! "killer" "littleboy"

 

[Packard V8]

Champion experts, please explain the separate cast base reservoir used on them. The photo shows the high pressure output plumbed into one side of the base and the one-way valve coming out of the other side, with a drain petcock in the center.

I have a base which came with a Quincy. I'd love to see it reunited with a compressor unit.

jack vines

 

[wrenchguy]

Champion experts, please explain the separate cast base reservoir used on them. The photo shows the high pressure output plumbed into one side of the base and the one-way valve coming out of the other side, with a drain petcock in the center.

I have a base which came with a Quincy. I'd love to see it reunited with a compressor unit.

jack vines

i stumble thru a explanation of that base the best i could in the video. it basically provides pressure to the switch and bleed itself so motor doesn't start againist pressure. no drain petcock there.