Can this compressor be saved? (Horrors inside)

[PSYKO_Inc]

So I got this 1968 Sears 1 1/2 hp compressor on Craigslist for $10 last week, with the pump locked up. Pulled the head off today and here's what I found. Looks like it was left out in the rain at some point and due to the air filter being on the top, the cylinders filled up with water. These pics were taken after scraping out most of the sludge, and pouring some MMO into the cylinders to hopefully break loose the rings. I'm a little worried about the extent of the rust damage to the sleeves, can they be saved, what's the best way to clean them up? Haven't looked inside the crankcase yet, but hopefully no more nasty surprises.

 

[7thDimension]

Yeah, I've fixed an old craftsman like that, which was almost as bad, works great now and puts out a lot of air.

Just pull the pump housing apart, pull the crank and piston, wire brush everything except the bearing surface, maybe use one of those dingle-ball hones on the cylinders. Get a gasket and reed valve kit, and you should be good to go...

 

[sberry]

Good project as long as you don't want to depend on it. If I really wanted to use it would test run the motor and take almost everything else apart. You get the pump to run something else shates the bed till the rod falls out of it etc, tank has a hole, regulator cracks, even works till you put it to work. As soon as you are on a roof the belt breaks.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

7thDimension, thanks for the insight, glad to hear I'm not the only one who has dealt with this issue. Was hoping not to have to pull out the crank, but it's probably for the best. Plus it costs me practically nothing to dink around with this thing but I could end up with a working compressor if I do it right.

sberry, I know what you mean. If I were doing this for my job, I'd go out and get a new one with a warranty, and write it off as the cost of doing business. But I'm just a guy that likes to tinker around in the garage in my spare time, and I think it's fun to try to make something out of nothing.

As long as the tank holds air, I think should be able to get this project off the ground. If the pump can't be saved, I found a v-twin "3hp" Chinese pump on eBay for $75 which I may pick up. I've got an old Dayton 2hp motor, which is probably "5" Chinese horsepower so it would just be a matter of figuring out the right motor pulley. Also actively keeping an eye out on CL for a similar compressor for cheap/free to rob parts from, maybe even hook up a second tank for more reserve air.

 

[Showkey]

Those old Craftsman compressors are infamous for rusty tanks......starts bubbled paint with pin hole rust on the very bottom.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Those old Craftsman compressors are infamous for rusty tanks......starts bubbled paint with pin hole rust on the very bottom.

Shhhh don't say that, I don't want to give it any bright ideas

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

If time is not an issue... Tear it down, clean it up, hone the cylinders and clean the rings, clean and dress the valves, drop $10 on a roll of gasket media, cut your own and slap it back together. Takes about 5 hours for a rough job on most makes. Worst case you lost an afternoon/evening, otherwise you now have a serviceable pump, then you can consider spending another 5-20 hours going over it. Paint, lines, better job on valves and cylinders, etc.

Absolute worst case, it's garbage, or you ruin it. But you learn a bunch, and you apply that to the next deal you come across.

Most important part is new relief valves, because if the tank is rotten nothing else matters.

 

[kctyphoon]

Doesn't HF or Sears sell a cheap honing tool? Maybe you could try that, or a stiff toilet bush with the handle cut down and inserted into a drill.. I'm just guessing, I've never had to deal with something like that, but thinking if you can clean the bulk of the **** off the cylinder walls and maybe let it cycle w/o the head on? Attempt to let the rings clean the little bit left behind before you go nuts taking it all apart..

 

[bonneyman]

If time is not an issue... Tear it down, clean it up, hone the cylinders and clean the rings, clean and dress the valves, drop $10 on a roll of gasket media, cut your own and slap it back together. Takes about 5 hours for a rough job on most makes. Worst case you lost an afternoon/evening, otherwise you now have a serviceable pump, then you can consider spending another 5-20 hours going over it. Paint, lines, better job on valves and cylinders, etc.

Absolute worst case, it's garbage, or you ruin it. But you learn a bunch, and you apply that to the next deal you come across.

Most important part is new relief valves, because if the tank is rotten nothing else matters.

^^^This sounds like excellent advice to me.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Thanks for the advice everyone, hopefully I can get it to break free, and then torn down fully to see just how bad it really is. Probably going to pick up a 3-arm hone off Amazon, and I also found a gasket set for around $28. After doing some research, it looks like the pump is a Campbell Hausfeld VT(something) so parts seem to be readily available. With all the rust horror stories I'm hearing, I'm a little worried about the tank, gonna have to pull out one of the fittings and have a look inside before I pressurize it.

 

[032484]

I have the same compressor only 2hp I got it for $75 with a hose. They come up on craigslist often for cheap at least where i am located. I would just look for a pump on craigslist or a parts compressor unless you have the time or want to repair it.

 

[bdelmar2]

I have the same compressor also, never checked hp but looks exactly like yours.

Well, except it works that is, or probably still does. Haven't fired it up in years. Bought it for $60.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would worry more about the tank.

 

[pendragon1998]

Are you ever going to trust that tank not to blow up while you're standing next to it? I'm all for restoring and rebuilding old tools, but I draw the line at used air tanks. Maybe I'm passing up deals, but pressurizing something without knowing what is inside it alarms me.

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 to rebuild compressor but junk the tank.

 

[redmondjp]

No offense, but that whole compressor should just be scrapped. You can find those all day long on Craigslist for $50-150 in running condition. You're going to have that much money into parts for the pump alone.

 

[nynexit]

I also vote ditch the tank and rebuild the motor . Even if you find another one in mint condition you still don't know the condition of the tank on the inside. I'm in the process of doing this and decided to buy another new 20 gal horizontal tank made by Manchester tank (USA made and they come primed) also looking into reproduction decals , but that's my custom compressor adventure . Whichever way you want to go ,The savings isn't worth your safety. Have fun and keep us informed on the process ! There are lots of other threads on other restorations that can help.


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[theoldwizard1]

Are you ever going to trust that tank not to blow up while you're standing next to it? I'm all for restoring and rebuilding old tools, but I draw the line at used air tanks. Maybe I'm passing up deals, but pressurizing something without knowing what is inside it alarms me.

The good news is that air tanks typically just spring a leak. Catastrophic failure is not the norm.

Having said that, used tanks SHOULD be pressure test. The tanks should be cleaned and inspected outside (sandblast and careful visual inspection) and inside (clean gravel or steel fasteners inside and lots of rolling).

Home hydro pressure testing is not hard once you have gotten all the leaks sealed. There are a couple of good video on YouTube.

 

[pcmeiners]

"No offense, but that whole compressor should just be scrapped. You can find those all day long on Craigslist for $50-150 in running condition."
Very sound reasoning above... unless you live in a sparse part of the country, working compressors like this show up often and dirt cheap.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Tonight after letting the rings soak in MMO for a week, I was able to break it free. The pistons, rings, and inside the crankcase are all in surprisingly good condition. I think I'll run a hone through the cylinders and see what happens. So far I've got $16 invested, and all I think I'll need is a hone, gaskets, and reed valves to get the pump working. Sure I could watch CL for weeks to get a better deal on a working compressor, but at least this gives me an excuse to fart around in the garage for a little while.

 

[redmondjp]

If you hone it, don't overdo it. You just want to break the glaze on the surface without taking too much metal off. If you have deeper rust pits, you're not going to be able to get rid of those by honing - you'd have to bore oversize which means new pistons and rings if you can even get those.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Haven't had much time to do anything with the compressor this week, but picked up a second compressor sans motor yesterday for $5 on CL. Tank is probably too rusty to save, but the pump still turns and makes chuffing sounds like it's trying to move air. It looks identical to the other compressor, but has been repainted a few times. Going to try to swap the pump over tonight, change the oil, and see if it pumps.

 

[redmondjp]

There you go! That's the way to do it. Use 30W non-detergent oil in the pump (much less expensive than the same thing that you'll pay 4-6x for labeled "compressor oil").

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

You'd think 30w non detergent oil would be fairly common, but so far I've called O'Reilly and Napa and both were out of stock. Going to try Auto Zone next, but if they don't have it I'll have to settle for compressor oil from HF. Surprisingly, Lowes and HD don't even have compressor oil, I guess because all they sell these days are oilless loud **** compressors.

So anyways, I pulled the pump off the "new" compressor (I suppose that's accurate since it's a '73 model, and the "old" one is a '68) and proceeded to degrease and scrub 43 years of sludge and several layers of cruddy old paint off. Looks like hell but if it works I may decide to finish stripping off the paint and give it a coat of fresh rustoleum, I'm thinking either Verde green to match the original or maybe hammered silver.

 

[NUTTSGT]

How much water came out of the original tank when you drained it ?

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

Very little, maybe 2-3 tablespoons. Also surprisingly, the water was clear, very little rust in it. I'd like to pull the big plug out of the end of the tank and look inside, but it's stuck pretty good, and I don't want to risk damaging it.

 

[redmondjp]

In my area, the Walmart carries 30W non-detergent, and surprisingly enough, even my nearest supermarket did until a few years ago (no idea why).

 

[slip knot]

This seems like s good excuse to buy one of those cheap endscopes from Amazon. stick it down in there and check out the tank condition. I see a lot of people get worked up about old tanks but I've never seen or personally know of one that has exploded. mostly they just start leaking somewhere. seen plenty of leakers.

I commend anyone trying to learn something new. Redoing a compressor pump is great. keep after it and you'll wind up with a nice little compressor and some good knowledge that will benefit you on down the line.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I want to say 30w non-detergent oil is sold at my nearby Ace for lawnmowers.

 

[PSYKO_Inc]

I didn't even think to check lawnmower oil, thanks for the tip!