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Small oil-less compressor failure?

Had this small el cheapo compressor for about 10 years, and used it a lot, undersized for the uses I put it to really but easily luggable with only 10 liter tank. It has an electric driven oilless compressor - supposedly 8 cfm! It is very noisy but that is its nature. It has just started an extra intermittent rather unhealthy noise (still pumps OK and achieves its max ~118 psi pressure) and I wonder if anyone here had experience of the failure modes of these oil-less compressors? What is liable to go first, bearings, cylinder components or what, anything sudden and catastrophic?! I dont expect it to go on for ever! C+

Reply to
Charlie+
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I've seen one where the whole cylinder assembly broke away from the main casting, needless to say it didn't work very well. No idea how long it took to get like that but it wasn't very old, it was kept in a shed and used to power points at a local miniature railway and only got investigated went it stop working properly.

Reply to
David Billington

Check the tank for cracks by any welds for the handle/feet/mounts. Those little pumps can rattle themselves apart in the strangest ways.

Reply to
Cydrome Leader

On Mon, 5 Oct 2015 16:02:22 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader wrote as underneath :

Good suggestion! I will take a close look, yes it always has vibrated a good bit! C+

Reply to
Charlie+

On Mon, 05 Oct 2015 10:17:38 +0100, David Billington wrote as underneath :

That sounds dramatic ... and terminal!! C+

Reply to
Charlie+

My neighbour got it as he is a member of the miniature railway club and he brought it round to me with a view to my welding it back together, I viewed it as terminal as the work to weld is was likely more than the cost of a new one. I had been given a small integral motor/compressor not long before, a decent old 1/2hp oil lubricated one of solid construction, so gave that to my neighbour and he mounted it in place on the tank in place of the original 2hp or 3hp airless unit. He uses it for blowing things down and filling tyres so the smaller capacity is not an issue and it's quiet and runs smoothly compared to the original unit.

Reply to
David Billington

On Mon, 05 Oct 2015 11:40:09 -0700, Gunner Asch wrote as underneath :

No GA this is a low friction single cylinder piston + conrod arrangement with direct in-line drive from 1.5hp motor, not much to it, but what the "low Friction" means i dont know without pulling it apart, perhaps PTFE or chrome lined,?, it has to be proof from water, the outside of the cylinder is cast Al. and forced air cooled from a ~10" shrouded fan on the back of the motor. Made in Italy, branded Cosmo. Might easily be one of the in-line bearings running out of life as you say! Iv had a look at all the welds as suggested upthread and there is no sign of any break or crack anywhere. C+

Reply to
Charlie+

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