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1986 Atlas Copco restoration....

Cj7renegade85

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Jul 31, 2014
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Hello all, hope this is in the right place.

This is my first post on this forum, even though I stalk this site every chance I get. I find myself constantly reading posts and learning a gamiet of topics.

Anyway I do a fair amount of rebuilding, and fabricating on my 1985 cj7 jeep, and my daily driver 1985 vw jetta diesel. Also did a fair amount of work on my old 1990 Harley FXR....

enough about me this is what I got.

Lately I've gotten into powder coating, so I need a way to get to bare metal quickly. So logically a media blasting setup is in order. However I did not have an air compressor to support it.

After searching Craigslist for days since a new one was not in the budget, I came across a real gem.

An 80 gallon, 5 hp, Atlas Copco from 1986. The price was a steal even though it needed a little restoration.

I started today to clean up the compressor, and the motor... Still have a ways to go but thought maybe some of you would enjoy watching my progress and providing some insight, because this is the first compressor of any size I ever owned....

How she started out...





Before cleaning of the moving parts...











After a cleaning with Marvel Mystery Oil



Need to powder coat pulley..









Much more to do but it's a start... Stay tuned!!
 
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Garage Junky

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Great start on the resto. That motor is shining up really nicely.

Love your screenname by the way, I had an 81 Laredo that I miss dearly.
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Hey Cuda just watched your YouTube video amazing work your doing over there, top notch. If you were closer I'd love to come watch...
 

CudaChick1968

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Awwww, thank you Cj! I'm honored you devoted some time to me. :D << curtsey >> I can't see where you are from your profile but if you ever get to northwest Tennessee give me a call. I'd be happy to show ya whatever Powder **** I have on hand at the time. This weekend would be stellar .........

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... but they're shipping out Monday or Tuesday so ya better finish that Jeep and haul azz. LOL
 

dodge610

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Awwww, thank you Cj! I'm honored you devoted some time to me. :D << curtsey >> I can't see where you are from your profile but if you ever get to northwest Tennessee give me a call. I'd be happy to show ya whatever Powder **** I have on hand at the time. This weekend would be stellar .........

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... but they're shipping out Monday or Tuesday so ya better finish that Jeep and haul azz. LOL

Totally awesome as usual leanna I will never be in your leauge.
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Your multi color is ridiculous, that's real patiance. People who never powder coated simply don't get it. I'm in central jersey, that's a long way for powder lol
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Jul 31, 2014
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Found a bit of time so I made some progress...

My buddy and I wired it up real quick to see if it actually works.. Lol. It ran like a top....


Pulled the motor off...



Pulled the compressor...



Looking naked...



Little bit of rust..



Pulled the pulley off the motor.. Little thinking required, sort of like a puzzle...



Going to need a gear pulley to get the pulley off the compressor that one is on there really is good.

Started sanding down the tank really taking less time then I thought just started but seems that it will work out well....

 
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Cj7renegade85

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Jul 31, 2014
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Update....

I discovered a hair line fracture in the motor pulley bushing. No big deal just need to find which one fits... The search is on.

I was able to get the compressor pulley off by using a gear puller.. I can't believe how easy it was once I had it clamped down... Goes to show you always need the right tool...







Did some further sanding on the tank. Coming around nicely, Prepping for paint...



 

bsaint

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Apr 26, 2010
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Manchester, CT
Ive never seen these units belt driven. Ive only seen them direct drive. Pretty cool. Maintain that unloader. Its like 400 dollars to replace when it goes out.

Like this.

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Cj7renegade85

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The hose that goes from the unloader to the switch is messed up, is that a replacement part? Or better yet can I just thread in a new line or does it have a check valve or something?
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Figured I would let everyone know the latest...

Once I got the electric motor pulley off, I noticed the outside bushing was cracked. After a little research I was able to find the proper ones from granger. I went with the name brand Wood's pulley which was twice as much as the knock off however. I'm a big believer in you get what you pay for...

New pulley, came with a nice deep grey powder coat, and fresh hardware..



And here is the bushing, a beautiful machined steel...



Here is the compressor pulley after I sanded off any surface rust...







I really like how the steel bushing looked so I replicated it on the compressor pulley with powder coat...



Look how close it looks...



I've still been sanding the tank it's coming along nicely but slowly, stay tuned for when we pant it..
 
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Cj7renegade85

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It's been a few since I updated this, just wanted to let everybody know where I am at.

I have completely Sanded the tank down to bare metal, and have found someone who can make me a replacement decal for the front.

Also after removing the bottom most pipe fitting, for the drain I found debris in the pipe. I figured there was probably some rust and oil in the bottom of the tank. After trying to remove the large bungs on the side and failing, I decided to just flush it out from the top..... A minimal to slight trace amount of oil came out, and a bit of rust debris.... I flushed it for a good 40 min and eventually it ran clear.

Lastly I plug all holes and filled it with 8 gallons of vinegar. Vinegar is known to break down rust, and is often used during restoration of old gas tanks....

Here is some pictures...

$25 worth of vinegar...



Plugged up..





Rust left behind from the draining....



And the fill up...



I will be rotating it every 12 hours or so...
 

Fixnair

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Jan 5, 2013
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476
Location
Sapulpa OK
I would be leery of that motor. Look at the label closely. Does it list the motor as 5 HP or 5 peakHP? That compressor needs a true 5 HP motor to make it work. A 5 peak HP motor will only produce 3 HP continuously and will overheat the windings and smoke after a few minutes of running. Also it should be 1800 RPM, not 3600 RPM. The motor you have just looks too small to be a 5 HP single phase 1800 RPM motor.
That is an excellent compressor though. And as someone already mentioned pay some attention to the discharge unloader/check valve. If it doesn't work right the whole outfit will not function properly.
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Big things took place here today...

After draining the vinegar and flushing it out for a good couple of hours, gave it a light sand, dusted it off, then gave the beast a MEK bath....





My buddy is much better at painting then I am so he came over for a few hours and we painted the big girl up.. Take a look


Started with a nice primer...











Then went with a red that closely matched the original color and matches my tool box and sand blaster...









So what does everybody think?
 
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Cj7renegade85

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Jul 31, 2014
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I looked at the plate it says 5hp I snapped a picture so you guys can get a better look at it... Now what are you referring to about the check valve and pull off? Where as that located and how do I make sure it's working?

Pics of plate






 

RonJitsu

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It was fun painting the tank last night. Learned a good lesson though in destroying my clothes and shoes, and having my nose clogged with red paint.... Next time I'll wear a mask and coveralls...
 

RonJitsu

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For those that enjoy the compressor ****... We will be moving on to this once the Atlas Copco build is done..
Kellogg American 331TV / AJAX 5 HP

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RonJitsu

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I posted this over in my Kellogg thread, but it's more relevant here. I found a manual for the 1990 Atlas Copco LE series compressors.

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Cj7renegade85

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Quick update... After painting it, I wet Sanded it with 600 grit. Then used a 2k two part clear coat with a matte finish. I plan on assembly this weekend....

Some pictures of my buddy applying the clear...






A real mutt camels beware...



 

RonJitsu

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She's all back together and running great after a couple hours of work today.

Here is Doug working on some of the last details...

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And here she is all done:

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RonJitsu

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New Pulleys, belt, hoses, plumbing, and hardware installed. New wheels too, which make moving it much easier. We still have some cleaning to do on the pump itself, but she's running smooth so far. We have a new "Atlas Copco" decal for the front of the tank on the way.

For those dying to hear about the performance of this big girl...
A 0-160 PSI run showed 15.05 CFM.
&
a 100-160 PSI run showed 13.46 CFM.

Thats pretty decent considering the pump is rated for approx 10 CFM.
 

RonJitsu

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Guys, I know that this is only an Atlas Copco, and not an all mighty Kellogg American compressor.... But I thought the work we did would spark at least a few comments... Here's a couple side by side shots to show the magnitude of before & after. Note: we still have some work and cleaning to do on the pump itself.

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C96

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Nov 30, 2013
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Fixed it for ya!....Lol

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Cj7renegade85

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Seems almost more stable with the wheels gives it a wider footprint, also if I need to ride it to work the wheels make it easier...

Now about that picture, Ronnie nearly went off the road when he saw that. Must admit pretty funny.
 

ppgcarl

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Oct 13, 2014
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great job on the restoration. I just picked one up today just like it, someday I hope mine looks that good! Do you happen you know what the model number is?
 

454cid

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West Michigan
Seems almost more stable with the wheels gives it a wider footprint...

I too think it's a bad idea to use casters. They may make for a slightly wider footprint, but it's not supposed to just sit there, either. It's designed to be bolted to the floor. If you really want it to roll around, it could be bolted to a larger platform with wheels, I suppose.

One of these days, I hope to find a nice one like that....... right now, I've got a broken oil-less that I can't get parts for!
 

RonJitsu

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Central NJ
I found the son of Dougs compressor on Craigslist. Picked it up a few days ago. It's only 60 gallons compared to his 80. Here's a side by side picture of the two.

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