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compressor issue (sorry, long)

volaredon

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Oct 7, 2012
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I have run into this before with other compressors I have worked with over the years, mine never seemed to do this but now it is;
First let me say that my compressor is an Emglo 1987 vintage, 5HP 220-powered, 80 gallon upright with a 2 stage 4 cylinder pump. I am not sure I think it may be a "GU" model? (I used to know exactly what it was>> but I CRS any more
I bought used about 10-12 years ago and it has been fantastic; never misses a beat, even when I do a decent sized sandblast project (not that often any more) it never lets me down; I have never had to stop work and wait for it to catch up as with my Dad's old compressor...('70s vintage 25 gallon single stage Sears on wheels made by DeVilibiss)
I have definitely gotten my $500 worth of use from it.
All it has needed was oil changes, a couple sets of air filters (having it mounted in my shed away from the garage and the dust has helped keep it from ingesting dust and fumes) and the outlet tube from the 2nd stage to the tank split on me so I went to the local hydraulic hose place and had a stainless braided hose made up for it. not bad for that many years of good service The PO owned a body shop at one time and this was his "backup"/"makeup" unit. He retired and sold the building and didn't need 2 compressors at home.
The issue is that it discharges a white gooey oily sludge with the air, but it is never down on oil level, doesn't knock, and still builds up pressure/ keeps up just fine like it always did. it has just been having this problem for a few months now; probably the last 10-12 times I have used it... I don't use it as often as I used to.
I have 2 water seperators in the shed in series, right where the outlet is and they always fill up with this ****, never used to. I admit i dont always blow down the tank (drain the bottom) as much as I should, probably do that once evret month or 2 (more in the summer when it is hot n humid out but still not dailya s I should) but in the 10-12 years I have owned it, that has always been the case, this white oily gooey **** is much more recent than that.
is this a sign of weak rings?
I guess the good thing may be that being this seems oily, maybe it serves to rust proof the innards of the tank (LOL) ? Maybe not....

back when I bought this, I directly talked to a rep at the Emglo factory in Pennsy. about it on the phone; they even sent me some literature on it at the time
it seems like their customer service really had it together then... there is a local compressor dealer that sells Emglo among other brands, who offered to buy it from me for more than I paid for it, about 2 years after I had it; it was supposedly "that" good and well built of a unit, in his opinion. It still builds pressure, the system gauge is as good a "compression gauge" as you can get (comparing to working on an engine) so I know the issue cant be that severe of an issue to resolve.
If anything. the buildup *may* be a little slower than before it started doing this but for what I use it for (and the frequency/duration that it gets used) it sure doesn't effect me when I use it

The issue I have is this; I know that DeWalt or jenny bought out Emglo (buyouts are often bad things, often making a shell out of a formerly great company) so I am concerned about internal parts availability for this compressor unit... at least the motor, belts and controls/popoff are parts that do not have to come from Emglo. but internal compressor unit parts do, as far as I know. I have rebuilt many engines from lawnmowers to cars over the last 30 years so i have no doubts that I can do a compressor head;

upon rebuilding a compressor;
1) can they be bored out?
2) is it often that they need this or can they usually be honed and standard sized rings etc be put back in?
3) the answer to #1 will answer this are oversized parts available?
4) is the manufacturer themselves the only source for rings bearings pistons and such or do any of the aftermarket autmotive companies (Perfect Circle, Sealed Power etc) make parst for these?

If the cyls are worn to a point of being tapered, out of round etc, while I know that the cylinders come apart seperate from the crank case on this unit, I don't suppose it would be worth replacing the cylinder to restore clearances for what a new compressor could be bought for.
What parts seem to be the more common ones that go bad on a compressor? I do not imagine them running as hot as an engine since they don't ignite fuel within the cylinders
 
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volaredon

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I was looking on CL a little while ago and saw that someone has a compressor unit (only; no tank or motor) identical to this one for sale. (I have only been lookin at mine for several years, I can tell them apart from say a Quincy or Champion)
I have an inquiry out to the seller, to ask what they know about it, and if they may have the motor, plumbing and such with it; I like having spare parts around. my plan is to pick this one up if I don't get beat to it by another buyer, bolt it to my base so I have a compressor to use while i tear this one down.

Ever since I have had my compressor, it has been in my shed next to the house as space in my attached garage was more of a premium then before I built my 30X36 detached. so it has been isolated from fumes and dust I may kick up while using it, as a side benefit. Now that I have a 2nd garage it is more isolated; my big garage is at the opposite end of the house from the shed and attached garage so it is more isolated LOL
I run an air hose across the yard to feed the garage when I need air.

I have a 2nd air compressor related question....
My cousin used to be a maintenance guy for a company that has since folded, and he has a 60-80 gallon air tank in his garage that he has offered me. (company folded and "threw everything out" when they left the building)
I was thinking of putting this 2nd tank into my rafters of the detached garage and running 2 tanks with this compressor; not that I need that much more capacity given the amount I useit, but the price is right so I am not wanting to turn it down... what do you guys think?
 

DekeT

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Boring out a cylinder for a compressor is going to be a problem for finding parts that are compatible. I would stick with just honing out the cylinders and getting new rings. If you are not hearing knocking then the crank and piston pins are probably good enough. As you mentioned compressors do not take the beating engines do.

The white foamy output to me indicates moisture getting into the crankcase. What is the color and texture of the crankcase oil? If you are not getting a lower oil level with substance coming out the exhaust then something is getting inside your pump. OR maybe you are getting so much ring blowby that the water vapor condensed from compression is mixing with the oil producing the foam.

IMHO you most certainly need new rings. That is not asking much for a compressor that you have had for so long. Don't mix the valves and while it is open you can inspect the condition of the crank and pistons. Most manufacturers don't even spec the allowable clearance for pistons and cylinder so I presume from that it is not a critical dimension.
 
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volaredon

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oil level is good (between add and full) and looks in good shape; I went out today for a closer look to ID the exact model of pump (it is an Emglo "W") as I found a couple of parst sources via a Yahoo search; a "rebuild kit" is $180-some; a "valve kit" is $110, IDK if the valve kit would be included in the rebuild kit; I see bearing shells not unlike whata car engine would have and they want $6.49 for each HALF! take that times 4 connecting rods, that means 8 "halves" which is another $50.... seems like they like to sell rings "per piston" not "per unit" the last 318 Dodge I did, I seem to remember a set of rings coming that included enough in one ring set to do the whole engine... NOT one hole at a time....

when I went to the shed for that closer look I discovered that the outside of the pump esp towards the flywheel side is getting a "mist" coat of oil on the outside of the unit; I never noticed that before in all the years of having this unit.

a whole new pump assy is still available for a whopping $1200 I certainly am NOT going that route;

Emglo has a bunch of pumps that look identical; even some of the single stage ones look like this one from the pic; the biggest differences between the 2 stage ones like mine seems to be piston stroke; most are the same 2-1/2" diameter bore from the breakdowns and spec sheets I see. This one seems to have the largest stroke and also the latgest CFM displacement of their line... no wonder I have never been able to "out work" it...

Another question I have is that they rate a few of their pumps at different outputs for being run by a 3HP electric motor vs a 5 HP elec motor vs an 11 HP gas engine; what would that have to do with anything? different size flywheels for different power sources? they also do list a min/max compressor RPM in the specs... mine has the 5HP electric...
my compressor is an Emglo model w5-80v
 
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Sureshot

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No experience but I would try to do a blowby test on each cylinder and fix the problem one. Make a flat plate that bolts in place of the head with a port to feed the air into it.
 

bsaint

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Parts are NOT an issue with any Emglo pump. If they don't make the part directly, they make a retro kit. And they are still located in Somerset. They are owned by a nearby company from the same town - Jenny.

White oil in the crankcase is, as someone said, water. Its also possible the pump isn't running hot enough or water vapor is getting into the crankcase (blowby.) How comfortable are you taking it apart? I'd buy a gasket kit, take off the head and pull the cylinder off. Look at the rings to see how much shiny the sealing surface is.

I've never had to bore out a cylinder with an Emglo. If its that bad, at that point might as well just buy a replacement cylinder.
 
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volaredon

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Parts are NOT an issue with any Emglo pump. If they don't make the part directly, they make a retro kit. And they are still located in Somerset. They are owned by a nearby company from the same town - Jenny.

White oil in the crankcase is, as someone said, water. Its also possible the pump isn't running hot enough or water vapor is getting into the crankcase (blowby.) How comfortable are you taking it apart? I'd buy a gasket kit, take off the head and pull the cylinder off. Look at the rings to see how much shiny the sealing surface is.

I've never had to bore out a cylinder with an Emglo. If its that bad, at that point might as well just buy a replacement cylinder.

yeah I just left the local compressor/garage equip dealer and he too has said that there is rarely a ridge on these and that oversize parts arent available anyway
I found a "rebuild kit" for my unit online for ~$180 the local guy said around $150... (old price sheet so he couldnt be exact) so I had him order it.
surprisingly, it dont come with the bearing shells for the rods though or the main beatings; just the rings gaskets and valves....

and the oil in the crankcase isn't where the white **** is/ its in the tank and in the traps after the air leaves the tank....
 
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