I have a 30 year old 7.5 HP 80 gallon T-30 compressor that was taken out of service about 25 years ago due to a broken Reed valve. The unit was drained and stored indoors. I need a compressor for my new shop and really do not want to spend $3,500.00 on a new one. Cylinders are good and a high and low pressure valve assembly is about $300.00. So here it is, with heat I removed the 2" reducing bushing and with near steam pressure washed the receiver until clear water drained and let it dry. The bushing was rusty enough that some of the threads pulled on it. The bung will be ok. I had planned to inspect the tank with a fiber scope. Well utilizing a flashlight I observed what appears to be continued rust covering the inside surface opposite the bung hole despite a 4000 PSI wash. I can do a hydro test wait the pressure washer but I'm not sure if it's worth proceeding. I have no experience in this situation. I certainly don't want a tank exploding. Please offer some suggestions.
Is it pitted or just surface rust? It would be best to use a borescope to see what the bottom is like. That's wear water would sit and cause the worst rust.
I would run it. There are guys that "inspect" tanks, but that's just a stamp for the insurance man. I think the borescope would be a waste of time, there's going to be rust on the bottom. I can see that from here, even without the borescope.
I would run it. Make sure you set a blow off valve on the bottom. Set the timer for 30 seconds for a 3 second blow and dump some rust converter in there and coat everything. Clean the screen on the blow off occasionally. Most compressor tanks that are taken out of use have some sort of rust.
I appreciate the advice gentlemen! I stand corrected, $3,500.00 will buy a new I-R compressor which from what I have seen and read are no where the machine they used to be and are considered junk from India by many with a high failure rate at low time. A Good Quincy or Champion will be 5-7K. Like everything else but salaries have doubled since COVID. Just a quick story, in a previous life nearly 40 years ago I had a customer that had a Thomas 6 gallon pancake compressor that came apart and went through the sheetrock ceiling coming to rest in the attic. I certainly don't to experience that with a 80 gallon at 175 PSI. That just might ruin ones whole day.
If you are nervous do a pressure test. Once you get it filled with water it will take very little more water from your pressure washer to get it to test pressure. Do not overpressure beyond test pressure. Post a picture of your tank data plate and someone will give you the proper test pressure. It is a code tank, right? Shamrock with a U (stands for unfired) in the center?
It will probably be fine sound the bottom with a tapping hammer when the boiler inspector comes out to look at our tanks they use a scope of sorts on the bottom not sure how you could get that done in your area even There is probably only small percentage of catastrophic failure caused by rust out we get rust holes in truck air tanks often. I have seen the results of the end cap unwelding on a 120 gal Horizontal that was way over pressure from a combination of factors pure luck it didn't kill anybody the end cap is still laying 300 yards from the shop the main tank went though a block wall and another shed Make sure the pressure relief is large enough and functional Eaton Polar air is a very good USA made compressor fairly affordable and repairable
Yes it is an ASME coded tank with a welded on plate.
An inspection mirror may be enough to see the bottom. I suggested a borescope because many people have them already or they can be rented pretty cheap. If the tank is pitted on the bottom I wouldn't use it. Surface rust no problem. Hopefully the tank was drained regularly. The consequences of a tank failure, especially ar 175 PSI could easily kill you or someone else.
I appreciate all the advice! Well I believe the jury is in with a verdict on the tank. Additional examination reveals large rust flakes coming lose. The pic of the dial caliper is not in good focus but several pieces are nearly 1/8" thick. So I think the tank might be good for a burn barrel. Now the question is would it be prudent to cut the pump/motor mount off and weld it to a new $ 900.00 ASME receiver since another $300.00 will replace both pump valve plates or just replace the whole compressor. If replacing it based on very mixed reviews I-R is mostly junk. Thank you...
If a qualified welder did it would be best but I think it would void the ASME certification. Techically once a vessel is certified you can't weld on it. Even simple things like ladder mounts. I don't think anybody would ever need to inspect it though unless it failed. Some tanks come with mounts already on them.
Well the decision is in to purchase a new 7.5 HP 80 gallon vertical compressor. I have two I-R T-30 7.5's in service now. Commonality is the goal so it might will be another I-R which I am reluctantly pondering. Here is the million dollar question. Any forum members have recent experience with the I-R T-30? I am trying to make a decision not solely bases on what may be biased opinions on random websites. Thanks...
Yeah. I purchased six of the Honda powered T-30’s when I worked for big oil. We had good luck with them. We took one to St. George for a tank farm project. The fab shop made an aluminum roll cage for it so four guys could lift and wrestle it onto a plane. It was abused hard. No complaints.
But, all the cool kids are switching to compact rotary. Stacked VMAC G30’s and such. But, I’m old school and like hearing the two stage reciprocating units chugging away at 100 decibels and rattling the entire job site.
If I was closer, I could ultrasound it for you and provide quantitative data. Tanks big or small, I inspect them all. Then, we could down a couple cold ones,… chat about air compressors.
For $150 on amazon you could have some piece of mind. Not to steal work from Coaldust. I know you found some flakes, but that happens in all tanks. I would still run it. It will probably outlast whatever you would buy to replace it. https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Thickness-Gauge-Industrial-882-Steel/dp/B09HTXKJPB/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eU5UJZFNEXCbPVElJsEDCF8ERDu1pxSZtHw_CK70gqa2NdJIP6vsC_jgfEfjqJuACh_HlHCPe2ps1xOhGtgOPHuba9mXYtf1C2cjIK7A-0ZV8HyIN44NsVf3Kj6prXxfVFnJDtRnvr5W7bQvAWshPakhlWSKqJTO-64jlkPDpQw9reeJd874ZIHmPUTJSWCbBx54f6mtJG4bW82JPukKIMXfTfF77dmvK12TRWYXWCc.7xXjdyjUmcL00l6m7E8EUwgaKo06p0YZjE1cWcm9FZE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Ultrasonic%2BThickness%2BMeasuring%2BInstruments&qid=1755051345&sr=8-3&th=1
That's interesting, I'll look that up out of curiosity. We use very little air until we blast in a cabinet with a 22 cfm nozzle which is still slow on larger items. I wish I had 50 CFM for that as that would really suck up the abrasive. It is a 36" cabinet with siphon feed not pressure. I thought the screws were for continuous use only?.
Well it's time to update this thread. It's been a year and with a new to me Haas VMC, I need to get this compressor problem solved. I hydrotested the tank and did an ultrasound test. I am satisfied with the results. However, I missed a deep gouge in the cylinder where the broken Reed landed. So the pump is trash. A new pump is 2K and by many considered Indian junk. The new T-30's are not what they used to be. A lot has changed in the air compressor business. It appears all manufacturers have nearly doubled their prices while going to extreme measures to cut cost and get into the big box stores. A Saylor-Beale will be 10K, a Champion with a slow RPM pump will be about 7K. Anything under that is considered not a true industrial grade unit and a glorified home owner compressor. So the saga continues.
What about a Quincy? There was a farm store here that sold some Quincy models and I recall they had a 5 year warranty plus you could get an extended warranty and the pump was rated for I think 15,000 hours. Looking online some Quincy models are rated for 30,000 hours with proper maintenance. DV Air Systems also have very good compressors. They used to be Devilbiss, then Devair. Kaiser is another one. https://www.dvsystems.com/en/
Quincy appears to have avoided the normal Enshittification of modern manufacturing. Yeah, but wow. Over $5k for a 30 gallon truck mount, two-stage, 100% duty cycle.
What the price of emglo/jenny compressors these days. Thats what id buy there made right handy to me dad had one since 93 and it runs everyday with out a complant
Post of pic of the cylinder damage. Maybe easy to patch and make it functional. Since you have a Haas VMC, you should have the ability to oversize it, patch weld/bore/hone, and/or sleeve it. It's an air compressor...not a Powerstroke. Edit: Thinking about it, we've repaired machine tool ways, quill bores, and half nuts with metal filled epoxies. I forgot the name of the exact epoxy we used 20 years ago but it was filled with a mix of bronze, brass, and other wearable metals. Good stuff. To be honest, if clean the gouge well and etch it with acid, I think even JB Weld might get you functional. Once the rings set, they ride on the metal and the epoxy just acts to reduce leakage.
Devcon is probably better than JB weld. Belzona has some great epoxies but not that easy to get. There are epoxies for building up wear in pumps and things that would likely work good for a compressor.
Well here is some pics of the carnage. Sadly the cross hatch pattern is still good as the unit only has at most a few hours use per week for 5 years.
I would hone it, and slap a new reed and new rings on it. You might be surprised.
Can you feel those scratches with your fingernail? If not I'd do the same, rings and the valve and you'll be good to go and a whole bunch of beer money left over. Joe H
Yes the gouges are deep.
The gouges may be deep enough to easily catch your fingernail but I agree with all above that a light hone to knock the high spots down may get you back in business. That's a pump worth saving. Here's my thoughts: That cylinder looks like the primary or low psi cylinder so it's maybe making half of your total compression cycle, like 60-80psi max. That little psi shouldn't leak too much through those scratches. What air does get past your rings should vent through your crankcase vent (I assume it has a decent size vent because of different sized pistons- just make sure it's clean). Unlike a gas/diesel engine that needs perfect sealing rings for 1) full psi for clean combustion, 2) prevent combustion byproducts from contaminating the oil, 3) and prevent oil from getting into your combustion chamber, your rings are really just for compression efficiency. The only downside I see from a light hone and leaving the scratches is you might have some oil coming into your air stream but only you will know if that's problem for your setup. I understand pump oil is non-detergent to help prevent foaming and let particles settle out (unlike motor oil that needs the suspension to let the filter do the cleaning) so you might want to try a heavier non-detergent oil. And you may have to check it more often until you get used to how much oil it consumes...but I don't think it will. As you know, it's worth the effort to save this pump. Like said above, what do you have to lose?
I wonder if a "good" welder could TIG that with silicon-bronze then bore and hone it?
Probably. But by the time you invest in all that, I wonder if it's cheaper to buy an individual cylinder jug from IR.
Got a parts list for your compressor? Ingersoll Rand Cylinder,5.50"T30 Replacement Part H6338 • Compressor Now Parts Sales Ingersoll Rand Cylinder,5.50"T30 Replacement Part H6338 Is An New Replacement Part. Other Options May Be Found By Searching H6338. compressornow.com Ingersoll Rand Cylinder,4.00"T30 Replacement Part 37128535 • Compressor Now Parts Sales Ingersoll Rand Cylinder,4.00"T30 Replacement Part 37128535 Is An New Replacement Part. Other Options May Be Found By Searching 37128535. compressornow.com
Might not be too expensive to rebuild the compressor pump. Could save a few thousand $$$$ over buying a new one.
A new pump is $1,800.00. I may have found a used cylinder for $80.00. Using new OEM parts, cylinder,rings, piston, valve plate and gaskets is almost that. I-R parts are insanely expensive. Some have said to just go buy a DeWalt and run it. When it takes a dump replace it. That mentality goes against my way of doing business.
I’m no help here but, i think it’s a terrible shame what’s become of IR. They at one time were true industry leaders in everything pneumatic now a joke of a company. And what’s extra sad is that it’s so typical of American industry. I have the same compressor and it’s really been great. Hope it stays that way. FYI, when i got mine, bought used, it was full of water up to the middle of the tank (vertical) where the air discharges.
I would hone and run it as is. If crankcase vent airflow is to high, I would consider installing a sleeve. Any type of epoxy filler or welding repair I suspect will end poorly.
Why bother fixing this one if the tanks deemed good get another compressor head to bolt on it
Well here is today's update. I pulled the jug and plan to take it to a automotive machine shop as I don't have a 4" hone. The piston has stainless valve remnants fused to it with a small gouge on the periphery at the top. I think it will clean up. The valve plate is shot. I can't believe how the valve remains fused to the plate. I could not scrape it clean. I put a wire wheel to it and where the foreign material came off the plate is pitted at the sealing surface. So I will labor on...
Yeah, it's got some damage but lap it good, then blue it and do a light lap to see where it will really seal against the reed valve. This looks like the intake (suction) side for the low pressure cylinder where the sealing is least critical. The main sealing surface to worry about is on the output or topside of your plate where it's always holding the higher pressure from back leaking. Again, you might be losing some efficiency if you re-use this plate but hard to say until you try it. When you take the jug to the machine shop, see if they have a surface grinder for your plate. A few passes with it would probably do wonders.
Good idea! The plate was surface ground originally. My other question? Assuming the jug is useable, I already have the high pressure head off. Should I do a complete overhaul, bearings, rods or just patch it up? That's the typical million dollar question. Every time I have tried to cheap it I have been bit on the arse. So I rarely do it. By the way I'm about 95 miles South of Austin. SAVE TEXAS!
That one had some bad luck but there are thousands of old compressors that run every day for 50 or 60 years and are still going strong. If any thing replace the reed plate and be done with it. I meant the other reed plate, that's the weak link in the chain. Joe H
If anything, I'd clean/wash out the crankcase really good to get any metal particles out that may have escaped past the rings as I think those are splash-lubed (and don't have an oil pump). At worst, I'd pull the rods apart to inspect the crank bearings but there's a good chance you'd be doing more harm than good. I wouldn't replace any bearings unless you see or feel visible damage because again, pressing on new bearings without the right equipment is probably doing more harm. Like Joe H said above, those old compressors are built like a battleship and will run a long time with minimal TLC. If it was me, I'd just hone the jug, lap the plate, clean it all up, and splurge on some good IR/Quincy/etc. oil. That's my old stomping grounds as I grew up in Floresville....many, many moons ago. Hopefully we'll get some rain soon and the temps stop being triple digits.