Gauge for HF air compressor

[The_Auto_Tech]

Was wiping down the air compressor the other day with a rag and some brake cleaner and of course wiped the face of the gauge which clouded the plastic immediately. At this point I'd like to just replace the gauge with a little bit bigger and and easier to read one, maybe liquid filled. Anyone know what size the thread is? Also thinking of getting a 90 degree fitting so I can face it outwards to be able to read it easier too.

 

[The Cobbler]

probably 1/4 npt , could be 3/8 npt measure the od of the stem of the gauge

 

[engineer2]

You could try polishing it out with a headlight restoration kit or similar.

Gauge will likely be 1/4 NPT or 1/8 NPT. Just buy a mechanical gauge off of Amazon. Something like Ashcroft, US Gauge, Winters, Wechsler, or Wika should be decent quality or go no-name Chinese to be cheap. Mechanical gauge normal pressure should be around mid-scale for best accuracy. No need for liquid-filled. They are for high-pulsation applications but are inaccurate as temperature changes.

 

[pepi]

Its just a pressure gauge, easy to find any size, 200 psi will give the needle a wide sweep...... impress your frineds LOL

Ebay, or Surplus sites will be a better place to start to look.. amozon if lazy.

For shits & grins put this on, 20 bucks Ebay

The point being, they are not hard to find, any size and nothing special to know, other than back or bottom mount .....

FWIW, there are plenty of fittings available to mount whatever pressure gauge you find.

 

[pattenp]

HomeDepot and Lowes sell gauges.

 

[Bondo]

Was wiping down the air compressor the other day with a rag and some brake cleaner and of course wiped the face of the gauge which clouded the plastic immediately. At this point I'd like to just replace the gauge with a little bit bigger and and easier to read one, maybe liquid filled. Anyone know what size the thread is? Also thinking of getting a 90 degree fitting so I can face it outwards to be able to read it easier too.

Ayuh,.... 1/8" NPT or 1/4" NPT are the most common, 3/8" NPT slightly less so,....

Knowin' Which compressor ya got would help,...

 

[pattenp]

I'm surprised with your handle being Auto Tech that you didn't know brake cleaner has some of the same ingredients of paint stripper, so don't use it on painted surfaces and some plastics. Acetone is another one that's bad on clear plastic.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I'm surprised with your handle being Auto Tech that you didn't know brake cleaner has some of the same ingredients of paint stripper, so don't use it on painted surfaces and some plastics. Acetone is another one that's bad on clear plastic.

Wasn't really thinking about it at the time. Was simply wiping the compressor down and cleaning it up and accidentally wiped the gauge face. We all make mistakes.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

The reason I asked if anyone knew what size the HF gauges were is so I didn't have to let all the pressure out of it just to check the gauge size and then fill it back up if I needed it before I found another gauge. Either way I ended up just letting all the air out of it. I installed a T-fitting on the bottom of the compressor, an extension piece, and ball valve to manually drain the compressor along with an automatic drainer on the other side of the T-fitting. I also installed a new gauge with a larger face, 0-200 PSI. It was 1/4" NPT. Also did an oil change as it's been about a year. Thanks for the help.

 

[James-W]

The reason I asked if anyone knew what size the HF gauges were is so I didn't have to let all the pressure out of it just to check the gauge size and then fill it back up if I needed it before I found another gauge. Either way I ended up just letting all the air out of it. I installed a T-fitting on the bottom of the compressor, an extension piece, and ball valve to manually drain the compressor along with an automatic drainer on the other side of the T-fitting. I also installed a new gauge with a larger face, 0-200 PSI. It was 1/4" NPT. Also did an oil change as it's been about a year. Thanks for the help.

I haven't changed the oil in my compressor for about 10 years now. It is easy to do, doesn't cost very much at all, but I haven't changed it. The reason is because I don't use all that much these days. I doubt it has 30 hours of run on it in the past 10 years. I suppose there may be condensation in the oil and if so I should really replace it. Maybe I will do that when it warms up this Spring.

 

[38 Dodge Coupe]

HF sells gauges- I purchased one to replace a cracked lense on my ridgid air compressor. Style wise on the gauge it was a pretty close match. The fit was perfect .

 

[ghlkal]

For shits & grins put this on, 20 bucks Ebay

Now, _that's_ a gauge

 

[Zippercat]

Toothpaste will also polish many plastics, including taking minor scratches out of eyeglasses.

 

[The Cobbler]

you mean there's supposed to be a lens cover over the gauge?
at least one my compressors that get used hard at work, in & out of the vans probably is missing .

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I haven't changed the oil in my compressor for about 10 years now. It is easy to do, doesn't cost very much at all, but I haven't changed it. The reason is because I don't use all that much these days. I doubt it has 30 hours of run on it in the past 10 years. I suppose there may be condensation in the oil and if so I should really replace it. Maybe I will do that when it warms up this Spring.

Mine definitely has a lot more than run time than that. lol I used it enough in the first year I bought it that it easily paid for itself. If changing the oil once a year keeps it running well then so be it.

HF sells gauges- I purchased one to replace a cracked lense on my ridgid air compressor. Style wise on the gauge it was a pretty close match. The fit was perfect .

I ended up finding my new gauge at Menard's. HF had the style and size I wanted, but for some reason BAR was on the outside and PSI on the inside. Menard's had the same gauge, but PSI on the outside, so I went with it.

 

[engineer2]

We all make mistakes.

I changed oil in one of the work air compressors Friday afternoon. Come in Monday and they say "No compressed air!" Forgot to reset the low-oil switch.DOH!

 

[gungatim]

Its just a pressure gauge, easy to find any size, 200 psi will give the needle a wide sweep...... impress your frineds LOL

Ebay, or Surplus sites will be a better place to start to look.. amozon if lazy.

For shits & grins put this on, 20 bucks Ebay

The point being, they are not hard to find, any size and nothing special to know, other than back or bottom mount .....

FWIW, there are plenty of fittings available to mount whatever pressure gauge you find.

LOL, I have that same gauge on my compressor! they must be common, I got mine at a yard sale and the guy had half a dozen of them...think I paid $4 for it...

you can polish the plastic face out if it's worthwhile, I've done that to oxy/acetylene guage faces, but for a cheapo HF gauge I wouldn't waste my time. find another...

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I changed oil in one of the work air compressors Friday afternoon. Come in Monday and they say "No compressed air!" Forgot to reset the low-oil switch.DOH!

Haha! I remember years ago I changed oil on a shop compressor (we had a couple of them) and forgot to turn it back on. Everyone upstairs was wondering why there didn't seem to be much pressure in the lines...