Its like 14 below here in the colo rockies. My compressor spits air out the valve on top every couple minutes or so. Its not pumping enough air. The brakes release. I guess its to cold for the valves. What can i do to remedy this? I'am losing money waiting for warm weather. OSI
Add some Brake Line Antifreeze to the main system through the compressor input line to the main reservoir! Be careful not to strip anything out because you can't feel your hands! Also remove any ice that may be forming in the air dryer valve! I had one freeze up open, and that was a real trip! Keep and hair dryer or heat gun handy, because your going to have frozen lines all winter. TIP: I mad an adapter out a an old glad hand, some fittings and a 4" X 2" fitting. Filling the fitting with antifreeze for brake lines was just the right amount! That will keep your trailer brakes from freezing up! Once a week below 20 degrees!
You can buy a kit with an antifreeze bottle to meter the alchohol into the system too.Many trucks come from the factory with it in the colder climates.Ron G
It sounds like your describing the unload governor for the compressor. It's unloading the compressor at a low pressure and losing air out the exhaust port on the governor. Replace the governor. They come pre-set, no need to adjust. You definitely should have a good air dryer with the electric heat element connected to ignition circuit to keep the purge valve unfrozen.
"the valve on top" Bendix compressors on Cats have a pressure relief valve threaded into the compressor head. Is that whats blowing off? if that went bad pull it out and stuff the valve with tinfoil to plug it until you get a new one.
Muffler: No thats the pressur relief valve in case the gov sticks open (our CL Mack was NOTORIOUS for the gov sticking, and the foot valve not operating the rear brakes)! That keeps the compressor from becoming peices parts under the hood!
you should either dribble some brakeline anti-freeze through the compressor intake hose (go really slow so you don't blow the compresspr head off) or take a plug out of the main air tank and pour some airline anti-freeze in there, this way the anti-freeze goes through the whole system.
compressor Something I heard the other day was, add regular antifreeze to the air line system. This was a trucking outfit and he said he used the brake line anti freeze and would eat the Orings ot of his boosters, then someone told him about regular antifreeze. I havent tried this and I dont know if this is the proper thing to do, but he has 10 trucks and thats what he does. A few years ago, I went to buy a truck and it was colder than crap, I think someone didnt put enough antifreeze in the radiator, so everything was cold, the owner had a propane weed burner and he took it and just heated up the block, oil pan, compressor, everything that didnt have a wire hooked to it, it started right up and pumped air. I guess you never get to old to learn new tricks
If the truck has an air dryer don,t put Air brake antifreeze in the compressor output line , it will turn the dessicant to gue , if you have to run bypass the airdryer and add airbrake antifreeze to the out put, the old methlehydrate with out additives dryed out seals, the new stuff should have lubricants added, engine coolant antifreeze might be OK to keep the system from freezing but I would think with out a good air dryer it would dilute quickly, air dryer service is often overlooked , I believe the desicant is supposed to be chsnged one a year on over the road trucks maybe every 1500HRs for seasonal trucks?
I use rubbing alcohol, it's basically the same thing as air line anti freeze. It sounds like your air gov., sometimes you can lightly tap in with something and keep it from sticking. Of course that depends on the type of gov. and compressor.