Decided to bring my old 1962 Worthington "Blue Brute" compressor in for some routine maintenance today including an oil change and full tune up. I installed the new plugs, points, condenser, (capacitor) rotor, and bead blasted the cap internals. The engine started right up and ran very well so I snapped this photo with the engine running about 850 rpm as per the pneumatic governor control: All normal at this instant. No sooner had I got my phone back into the holster on my side I heard an audible "Pop" from the compressor. Having not moved a step I grabbed the ignition switch and flipped it to off just as I seen a pool of oil growing around my feet. Turns out the main supply line for the compressor section ruptured and it quickly let go of several gallons of oil it contained: Given the compressor was right over my trench drain which I'd just cleaned and washed last month, I grabbed a bag of oil dry and dumped it downstream of where the oil was running to dam it up. I then threw down a lot of oil dry to start soaking it up. I was going to change this oil anyway, just wished it could have been just a bit more controlled. I did get the engine oil changed with a new filter to no fanfare so didn't photo any of that. I'd had the radiator repaired last fall and the coolant mixture is fresh and full so did not mess with that.
Continuing: Got to digging in the shop and found a section of 1" R-17 hose and fittings so will make up all new hoses tomorrow. When the radiator was out last fall I'd built up two new hoses while it was apart but didn't have the proper fittings to do the one that burst today. Prior to tuning the engine, I'd decided to have a looksee in the fuel tank. It is amazing what people store in these things apparently. Photo is looking down through the filler hole: After fishing with a magnet and vice grips: No idea how long those have been in there.
The old compressor is still dripping oil from the frame rails. Surely not going to rust now..... Going to have to pressure wash the thing clean I'm thinking. The line that ruptured is the supply line to the oil filter and is pressurized at discharge pressure which is 100psi. It originates at the lowest portion of the oil reservoir which is just shy of 14 gallons capacity. Air pressure inside the vessel actually "pushes" the oil from the reservoir, through the filtration, then the aftercooler, then on to the compressor section. Regardless the entire path is pressurized at the 100psi setting and when that line ruptured it got rid of a lot of oil on short order. I've used about 60# of oil dry so far and just shoveled and broomed up a new application this morning.
Good thing it happened when you were standing there not in a blast hood she would have been done by the time you got it shut down
Got to looking at the manual tonight and the only shutdown sensor installed is for air discharge temperature. Nothing for oil level on either the engine or compressor. Given the compressor section uses a large line it would seem to reason it would have destoyed itself on short order had I not as you say been "standing there". Nothing should be hurt as it didn't run but about three seconds before it was switched off.
Think I'm going to route one of the oil lines a little different path to be secured from abrasion. I'll need to purchase a 1" female JIC swivel as don't have one on hand but will be in Peoria tomorrow and will stop at a hydraulics vendor. .
Peoria did not have fittings to work with my crimper setup at either of the two hydraulics shops I've used in the past prior to purchasing my machine. Either could make a hose up but that costs a bit more than I can do it in house for. I then called an online supplier I've used for years and the fittings along with some depleted stock will be here on Friday. Need to round up three five gallon pails of SAE 10W non detergent engine oil also for the compressor section. Surprisingly, that is not a locally available product any longer. Don't know if a guy could run AW32 hydraulic oil or not, but the manual specifically states SAE10W non detergent motor oil. I've got a good contact at Worthington and will speak with him today to ascertain which way to go. Once I get it all buttoned up and back together I'll hang it from the gantry and pressure wash the snot out of it underneath.
Looked in the manual and they say this compressor assembly weights 4375# dry. Of course it has about 20 gallon of gasoline in it, seven quarts of oil, 4.5 gallons of engine coolant as normal. I have the end panels off as they were bent up when I purchased the compressor and I've not worked with them yet, but this photo as shown has to be about 4400# and the gantry did not struggle: Pretty greasy on the underside and this will be a great way to clean it up prior to a nice repaint.
Needing to run to the oil supplier for the compressor oil this afternoon. The manual for the compressor section calls for SAE-10 non detergent oil. I assume they are referencing engine oil. This is not a rotary screw design, but rather a vane type compressor so planning to stay with the original type oil. It doesn't put any oil in the output air and any condensate readily drains from the trap so it must work alright. I've looked into using AW32 hydraulic oil but that is really not recommended citing the additive packages to the base oil. SAE-10, and SAE-10W aren't that readily available around here any longer but can be ordered I've found. I did order three five gallon pails for this job and it should be here today, as will the hydraulic fittings to button it up. Wanting to get this wrapped so I can move to my water truck oil cooler issue.
Received the fittings today and laid out the lines but got no further. The oil did not show up as it was coming from a different warehouse than ordered from? Oh well. Tomorrow I'll get the hoses crimped and tied in permanent and they should outlast me. I removed the former reusable fittings from the original lines after measuring them. The hose readily collapsed under the prying of a narrow screwdriver being so old and brittle. Into the solvent tank they went and low and behold they cleaned up looking almost new. I'll throw them in the basket blaster and clean them up further but they are ready to be reinstalled onto fresh hose now.
That’s a heckuva gantry. I need one like that. It’s on my list of things to do. At this rate I’ll need to live to a 150 to do them all....or stop chasing drill rigs all over the place!
Thanks. I looked for quite some time till finding this one from a manufacturer whom built an addition and installed a bridge crane eliminating the need for this. They don't come around often but I put "dibs" on this one four years prior to their addition becoming functional. I can lower this one about six feet from where it is now, and elevate it about two more, but it won't go under my lights if higher. Know what you mean about the projects. I've got stuff to do I've long forgotten about.....
Got the new hoses strung this morning. Kinda stiff stuff using 100R17 hose which has a 1/2 bend radius of 100R2 hose. 1" hose is stiff any way you look at it. I was not able to run the hose the way I'd envisioned but did improve upon the original routing. Given the compressor was built in 1962 and the original hoses were the same spray painted color, (blue) from the manufacturer, I'd say they were original and these should outlast me. Here are a couple photos. this first is the thermal mixing valve which keeps the lubricating oil near constant in temperature, and the compressor oil filter assembly: This is the other end that is the supply from the sump: I routed both hoses on top of the axle beam where the originals were one over, one under: Nice to be able to do this in the shop as the $$$ are so much less than the hydraulic shop would charge. Found this while the compressor was "hanging": I'll pull this Ubolt off the unit and get four new ones made.
This is another project I'll be working with. It is a vacuum pump, not an air compressor. I purchased this over a dozen years ago after a guy gave me a former anhydrous tank for retrieving waste engine oil to use in my boiler. I was going to mount it up on the tank and power the pump with a Briggs "Vanguard" engine but never got around to it..... In the second photo one can see an electrical switch which cycles on vacuum. This could be used to control an electric clutch on the engine cycling the main pump although I understand the pump can run against it's maximum capacity unaffected; just consumes more power.
Just under 14 gallons of oil in total and the reservoir gauge is well into the green but does not go to overfull when the oil warms so calling it good.
Had a cooling system problem with this compressor out on a job and traced it down to the water pump carrier housing corroded badly. Hard to find gaskets for the old Continental B-427 engine but Olson's Gaskets set me right up with the correct ones. With the casting removed from the engine, I found the effects of several years of "city water cooling which is a LOT of corrosion as shown. This is the front of the engine block, and back of the water pump carrier housing: Front of block just after carrier removed: Back of pump carrier just after removal: Same areas after some clean up to see what I actually have to work with: Those photos are after a bit of "elbow grease" on the front of the cylinder block with 80 grit sandpaper on a hard block, and a stiff wire wheel on a portable grinder to the carrier housing. Both are pitted badly and as can be seen on the back of the carrier housing. The side of the carrier housing you see in the photo is paper thin, deformed, and cracked from the rust spreading between it and the mating face of the block. At this point I didn't think I could make a repair by welding, or brazing as the metal would fall away with just about any heat so considered an epoxy alternative. More in the next post.
Remembering a product from years ago, I ordered up a kit of Hysol 1C epoxy which is a high heat structural adhesive I've used in the past. I sandblasted the carrier housing clean, mixed up enough of this product to smear, coat, and build up the low areas, allowed to cure overnight and then block sanded the surface flat. Using these gaskets from Olson's Gaskets: Everything bolted back together. I did use a thin bead of RTV on both sides of the black gasket shown on the left to seal against the block and carrier housing: So far with a couple of hoses replaced and the housing to block sealed up, the engine is retaining it's coolant. I didn't think to snap a photo of the carrier housing repaired but it was quite smooth and flat afterward. I'd be lost if I didn't have so much stuff to work on "all the time".
I have a old compressor i got at a scrap clean up.The water pump had went out he the owner said he couldnt find one and didnt need it any more. The water pump was off and i think i hauled it off . I wanted a compressor bad and figured i could make something work. The exhaust was cut off about flush with the hood and had a good can with a weight on top off it . I Thought no way could it be removed i was wrong and its stuck. I cant recall the brand but it has its own engine. I may try to repower it some day.
If it has an SAE flywheel housing it won't be too bad to repower. I thought seriously about repowering this one to a 4-53 series Detroit which was the diesel engine optioned variant but it runs so well and now holds coolant, I've elected to run it as it is. Got to be careful with these older units too as virtually nothing is available for the air ends any longer. Mine is a rotary vane type compressor; not a rotary screw type. Vanes and filters are about the only parts available any longer.
Gave the old girl a bit of a workout this morning. About 2.5 hours of constant blasting stopping only to refill the blast pot. I'm using my small 100# capacity pot as it's a lot easier to empty if the compressor were to give problems or not be able to finish the job. Here I was blasting three John Deere mower decks. Two I got completed shown here: I'd just finished the underside of the third deck when the abrasive feed started becoming very erratic. Kinda/Sorta like very wet abrasive trying to be pushed down the line but I knew that wasn't the case. I stopped and looked at my pot and could see a stream of abrasive shooting in a horizontal stream from the bottom of the blast pot. After cutting the air off, and ascertaining the problem I found this media flow control ball valve to be the culprit: This is a 1/2" full port valve and I don't have a spare so going into Peoria to hopefully acquire one. I've never really looked but this is a brass valve and I purchased the pot in 1994 so it's done a good job for a long time. I assume it's brass as a cast iron or steel valve would rust? This gets adjusted with each media change so kinda important to have..... Guess I'll finish up the job tomorrow. This is the first time trying out my new RPB Nova forced air blast hood too. I really like it and my wife says it makes me look as attractive as an English Bulldog: Nothing gets inside that hood for sure but it's kind of a bitch to don the thing as I wear glasses and the front door is sealed up. I'm sure there is a way to open it but I've not really looked yet. If you open the front door flap, there is a sealed inner lens. If this comes open easily, it will be much easier to put the glasses on after the hood is over my head. Never did the compressor coolant temperature exceed 180 degrees on the gauge, nor was there any coolant leaking external so I'm happy as the rust repair seemingly works.
Purchased a new brass "full port" ball valve at Menard's and installed the same. Should be good to go for tomorrow morning to finish up this project. Going to dump some of the hardware into a tumble blaster yet this evening to have that done. Customer picked up both decks I'd finished and was really pleased, so off to a good start. Checked the coolant level in the air compressor and no change from when cold this morning. Checked the oil too but as usual, it's not moved on the stick either. I suppose I can call this repair a "wrap" as it seems to be holding out.
While I did not photograph anything pertaining to this I'll go ahead and post it up in the auspice of safety related. As mentioned this was my first use of the air compressor powered fresh air breathing apparatus. I've never had one of these in the past and have used my "Wilson" branded forced air mask for many years which uses an ambient air pump to supply it's mask, or head gear. This has always worked well and it's 110VAC powered air pump is placed into a known good ambient air area separate, or distant from the blast area, (in this scenario). With this new breathing setup, air is taken from the blasting air compressor, regulated and filtered before being supplied to the user. If you have ever been around air compressors you know the discharge air is hot and can approach 185 degrees on a warm day before cooling is undertaken. Air and lubricating oil both exit the air end of the compressor whether a rotary screw, or a rotary vane type. This very hot air and oil mixture can generate carbon monoxide which is lethal to anything that breaths. Even small amounts are cumulative to the body. While a "stripper" filter removes the oil from the air just before discharge, this filter cannot remove any CO gas present. The compressor discharge air is monitored via external equipment which constantly samples air compressor output air and alarms if CO is detected. I don't have the proper type monitor as of yet. These things are $$$ but in reality a necessity if doing anything with breathing air using this type setup. Before use I wanted to ensure this type of setup wouldn't put me into an early grave so I stole the CO monitor out of the kitchen at home: I placed this monitor inside the supplied air hood with the compressor running and making air. I let the air compressor run holding 125psi for about 1/2 hour while I got everything set up for blasting and the CO monitor never did sound off. It was in the exit stream of the forced air into the headgear so thought I'd be safe. This thing when it senses CO, really screams as if an angry wife whom took excepting by catching you "red handed" doing something you shouldn't; and then don't let up for quite a while. I then "Velcro" attached the monitor to the rear underside of the blast shield, (green cape material shown earlier on headgear) which is still in the air stream and started blasting. As mentioned, this never did sense any CO emissions from the air compressor so I pressed on for the approximate 2-1/2 hours till the valve wore through. All in all kind of a pain in the hindquarters to have the blast hose, breathing hose, and electric cord powering the CO monitor all attached to you in some form but it did prove the point being the compressor is safe to use as a breathing air source. I don't mind spending upwards of $2K for a good CO monitoring tool if it will be used, and something like a portable monitor fits that mold. Bottom line is I ain't done terrorizing my kids through spoiled grand kids yet and want to remain around to continue on the path.....
I did alot of blasting years ago and always wondered about how fresh the air really was. We had one guy that never wore the gear just used a face sheild. It was a big blaster the tip may have been 3/4 . It didnt need that big of one but we used a compresser with a 8.71 Detroit.
I did the same for years also. Just a mask and face shield. Nothing large scale however. Always used silica sand as the media. I purchased that Wilson setup in the early 1990's for the spray painting operations I had going at the time. You had to have an external air source for some of those coatings and although cumbersome to use, they worked well. Always seemed strange to me why you could not use a compressed air source for breathing as well as paint spraying? Insurance reasons I suppose but these things nowadays are marketed for that purpose and are very commonplace. So far I'm quite impressed. No smell at all to the air supply, and it's warm or cold dependent upon the thermostat setting on your belt. They say this will change as the filters age through use. I've never done any blasting that took several hours or a shift myself. Always had employees whom would depaint things and some wore the equipment, some didn't, but I never had problems myself.
I have always thought about getting into blasting as a job but i dont know. On a large scale you would need to think about getting rid of the sand and need a way to store stuff once blasted to keep dry then alot of people want paint i dont want to paint others stuff. I did have stuff blasted one and a half hours drive. He would call before he blasted and say you need to be here before i close today. He did a good job and was far on the price. Before i found him i was wanting 16" wheels done most said they got $15.00 a wheel at the time wheels were new under $35.00 that made new wheels about the best way to go.
I am looking to do very little in shop blasting of large items. Really looking to be more of a mobile type affair. I also don't want to do the paint work afterward. I do have a small gasoline powered vacuum cleaner that works well for sucking up blast media, but typically use coal slag which is itself inert to the ground. The paint and rust stripped off, not so much. If it matters I lay and stake down plastic tarps but they cannot contain everything; only a tent will do this which is being looked into. Kind of costly but they are easy to erect and take down if willing to spend the money. I have a filter box from one of the body shop tearouts years ago and a flexible duct pulling out and into cleanable filter socks really helps. If you erect a tent over a large tarp on the ground and pull the dust with a filter bank, it's really not too bad for cleanup. I well understand the scenario of the wheels. With China producing things so cheaply it is hard sometimes to justify keeping the original citing cost. However, there is usually a compromise in quality of both paint, and material.
Finished up this morning without fanfare or problems. Got to do a few small parts for the same owner that have been tacked on but they are at my leisure to accomplish. Hope he picks this stuff up yet this afternoon as it's bare steel now. Initial layout of air lines, breathing filter, and blast pot: Parts to finish up on: Same parts blasted clean: Bag of fine coal slag from Menard's. NEVER AGAIN!!!! I swear they scooped this up out of the mud as it took me over an hour to purge, then wash and dry the inside of my blast pot after dumping this crap in. Clogging was immediate too. Lots of clumps and damp what appears to be mud contained in that mix.
Parts are picked up by the owner and he is very pleased. All good and going to get setup for the next iteration which will show up later in the week. Though I didn't photo the small parts, (nuts, bolts, washers, pins, lifting arms, etc.) 15 minutes in the tumble blaster made them look clean and bare steel ready for finishing. I didn't photograph but discovered a small oil leak in the oil cooler section. It appears to be leaking at the crimped fitting on the return side of the compressor oil cooler. I'll have to make up a new hose for this. And to think I installed that hose back in 1980, or 1981, so been on there a while..... While I was down for an afternoon, I went ahead and pulled the lifter gallery covers from the engine. As usual very clean engine internally due to good maintenance routines and after allowing an overnight cool, will adjust the valve clearances. I did purchase new gaskets from Olson's Gaskets for this at the same time as the others: I am very pleased the coolant is staying in the engine now. No drop in the coolant level at all after the good and thorough workout the compressor unit has seen and subsequent cooldown. The coolant level has not moved in the radiator, and nothing on the floor concerning coolant.
Found all the valve lash clearances set at .016 for some reason. They are supposed to be .017, and .022 on the intake and exhaust valves. Don't know why they were set even, and tight, but the engine has never presented any problems nor ran imperfect. I did adjust to specifications and the engine runs the same as prior to these adjustments. Thinking back; years ago I had a high school agriculture class do a tune up on this compressor when their shop compressor was down and mine was being utilized for their shop. That is probably when the lash was last run and that's been almost 40 years ago. However with the valve lash at a known value I can now plainly tell the light "rapping" I hear and have always thought was valve lash is in fact piston slap in the #5 cylinder. A sounding rod placed against the cylinder block when the engine is working plainly, and easily reveals this audible sound. The engine must be getting tired and to the best of my knowledge has never been overhauled, or rebuilt. It had about 1300 hours when I purchased, and now has a bit over 5635 operating hours, so plausible the engine is tired. The same sounding rod placed against the lifter valley covers sound like the light ticking it should over all the valve locations. I absolutely hate the thought of running to destruction but the cost of engine parts for these old Continental engines is getting astronomical, so may entertain doing just that. I do know of a good 4-53 Detroit Diesel engine I'm going to acquire to slip into this compressor once a decision is made to repower it. It may run another 1000 hours also as it really doesn't use, or leak any oil at all. With the coolant issue resolved, I'm comfortable getting it out onto a jobsite once again for the mobile type work I'm planning. Of course I could purchase a new air compressor but really don't require new anything. Used, but good equipment depreciates, and expenses just as new does so no need to bear the burden of heavy expense. Never have lived life "Keeping up with the Jones" and live life debt free by choice. Of course a lot of stuff I can repair myself so that helps a bit too. No longer funding college educations for the kids gives me a little room to "play" in the shop as I wish.
I had several rims blasted back then i was wanting to have white spokes on every thing but after seeing so many crack on trailers and not caring about looks i used GM 8 hole wheels. The spoke wheels rust and pit more than the factory wheels. I would like to have a blast cabinet. I built one out of a washer tank it worked ok but was hard to see into because of the shape someday i will buy or build another. My skid steer engine is noisy i tryed adjusting the valves but its engine is hard to get at i think maybe the rocker arms are worn and the feeler gauge isnt getting in the grove.
Trailer wheels these days are not the best quality. They don't have near the strength designed into them that vehicle wheels do. They are not rated for automotive use either; only trailer usage. I've seen the spokes torn loose many times from the rim, and welded several back together to get someone home. I built a jig/carriage for blasting wheels in a cabinet using a couple of conveyor rollers from a module transfer cart. With one roller powered via external gearmotor from a commercial smoker rotisserie unit, the wheel sits onto two rollers and rotates round and round slowly. The rotation of the wheel is dependent upon it's physical size but is usually quite slow. I aimed three #3 horizontal discharge blast nozzles angled at the rotating rim for complete blast coverage. I start the rotation, enable the abrasive stream for about three minutes, reverse the wheel on the rollers, blast another three minutes, and remove a perfectly clean wheel. The flat spray abrasive nozzles ensure everything is abraded. I built this cabinet from a demountable head 55 gallon drum and it works well for wheels up to 17.5". The lid is mounted to hinges and the latch is a simple over center affair.