Impact wrench (air) repair

Pouring transmission fluid into the intake and letting it soak in for a spell will oftentimes free them up.

Ivan, I've a couple of air rattle guns & when they've done that I've just squirted a load of wd-40 or similar into them and spun them by hand & they've come good. Mine also sit idle for months at a time.

I would fix it, even though I have not yet been in an air tool either. Just a matter of time until I get the excuse. :-)

Do you squirt air tool oil into the fitting just before connecting up the air *every* time?

Is your air dry, or full of water? If the latter, it will rust which could be your problem.

What happens if you switch between forward and reverse a few times? Does that break it free (with addition of oil, of course).

Good Luck, DoN.

With that little bit of work, it's probably something dried up and stuck. I'd try with the air, and pull the trigger. And then do some percussive maintenance (whack it with a brass hammer) to see if you can get the stuck part to loosen up.

They typically have an oil hole, but it's likely beyond that.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Is this worth tearing into? Could something be gummed up, not letting air flow to wherever? I'm generally good at fixing things but I've never been inside an air tool. All advise appreciated. BTW, the gun does not have that many hours on it.

9 years with maybe changing two or three sets of wheels per year.

Thanks, Ivan Vegvary

all you get is air out of the exhaust. No rotation.

to wherever? I'm generally good at fixing things but I've never been inside an air tool.

years with maybe changing two or three sets of wheels per year.

Ivan, it's usually gumming of the old oil and is usually a quick repair. I like to relube with Marvel Mystery Oil for reassembly.

Get the manual, note the parts in the exploded view for reference, and note the way the vanes sit in the cylinder. One edge will usually be more rounded. Soak the metal parts in lacquer thinner for half an hour, brush them with it using a nylon brush and let them dry. Relube and reassemble. All done!

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Check the condition of the vanes, and the bearings.

The air tools I used to rebuild would get cupped on one side (presumably they'd get cupped on both if you go both ways equally -- the impact wrenches were used in manufacturing, so they mostly drove one way, and the grinders -- well, they always go one way). If the vanes aren't nice and flat where they're obviously supposed to be flat get a set of vanes and replace.

Mostly I spent my time disassembling, cleaning, replacing vanes if necessary, and reassambling. But if you spin the bearings and get grindy noises instead of a smooth "whizzzzzz" then replace them, too.

I'd tell you to make sure the impact head is in good shape, too, but it doesn't sound like that's your problem, and we never got that far into the tools anyway so I have no experience.

Never force anything! get a bigger hammer.

and all you get is air out of the exhaust. No rotation.

flow to wherever? I'm generally good at fixing things but I've never been inside an air tool.

years with maybe changing two or three sets of wheels per year.

We use impacts in production and have in-line oilers filled with air tool oil or trany fluid. Just a tiny amount will keep even the cheap impacts running. A good impact will run forever if kept lubed. Don't crack it open until you try lube in the air input. Let it sit aftyer a good dosing if necessary.

and all you get is air out of the exhaust. No rotation.

flow to wherever? I'm generally good at fixing things but I've never been inside an air tool.

years with maybe changing two or three sets of wheels per year.

your compressor may need to be drained of condensation. Everytime you start using your air tool, put a a few drops of air tool oil into the air fitting hole. Don't do this with a DA sander.

Has the tool been lubricated in use? Air tool oil is preferred - ATF works in a pinch, but MMO is a better alternative (all I used in my air tools for YEARS.).

If soaking some MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) doesn't free it up, take it apart and clean and oil everything well and it should work. I've had mine apart several times over the decades, and replaced broken hammers and all kinds of parts. Back then any part for a CP734 was available off of just about any good tool jobber's truck.

Turn it a little with a 1/2" wrench and try again.

jsw

Others might disagree.

Could be a better alternative, then again, could be pure hype....

But I've been using transmission fluid in my air tools for for about 35 = years now and have had a problem exactly once, with a cheap Chinese POS = that came as part of a package deal along with a backup compressor that = I had bought at Sears.

Kind of makes me wonder why it keeps breaking.....

Back when the CP (Chicago Pneumatic) plant was still in Utica they supplied "air tool oil" to the dealers and companies they sold through. They would bring in bulk 55 gal drums and had a machine that then filled whatever container the customer specified. The oil used was all the same regardless as it was to CP spec. The bulk oil supplied came from the Marvel Oil Company, and was SURPRISE : Marvel Mystery Oil. When they were closing the place down I was still driving for a company that did paint work for them and they were clearing stuff out by the dumpster load. One of the items they were disposing of were cases of oil in old sears logo containers. I remarked that it was a shame that it was getting thrown out, went back got the paperwork for the stuff done and came up to find the load off and the door closed. Hit the next delivery, opened the door and found a PALLET with 20 cases of oil on it, in the back !!! I am still using that oil in the shop oilers.

Disagree with what? That Air Tool oil is preferred, or that ATF is an acceptable substitute?

And what's your point??

now and have had a problem exactly once, with a cheap Chinese POS that came as part of a package deal along with a backup compressor that I had bought at Sears.

And how hard do you use it?

OK jerk. That 734 was 20 years old when I bought it. It was used by a race-team pit crew on CO2 for several years. Then I used it every day

- and I used it hard. I rebuilt it twice in 26 years. Plus replacing one hammer unit that broke. And that was running 125-150 PSI line pressure on farm equipment, trucks, industrial equipment AND cars.

That CP is still in my tool box - and it was made back in the fifties.

Why?

Dang. I was just gonna try to fix a DA I got with a bunch of stuff. Air goes through, but no rotation.

The admonition NOT to oil a DA is dependent on what your usage of it will be AND how well it is built.

Usage wise - If you're doing prep for paint type work with it the oil can mist out onto the item and get embedded in the material. Oil under filler/primer/paint is NOT a good thing. If your using it for other work then oil away. However you can oil a DA and still use it for final finish work. Add a few drops of oil to the inlet, then wrap a rag around the air outlet and run it till oil stops coming out. If you have one of the good DAs it will likely have a filtered outlet just for this situation. In that case you remove the filter, oil the gun and run it. Wipe off the oil and install the filter.

I have a couple of guns in the shop right now that seem to have vane issues when at low power. Will probably pull them apart and see if it's sticking vanes or poor finish on the barrels. One is a newer IR and the other is a IR knockoff that someone gave me because they got it for a gift, but don't have air in the shop!

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Clare, Marvel Mystery Oil is repackaged ATF.

Air oil is repackaged hydraulic oil.

You got the repackaging associations wrong.

It all works. The "magic" is in being able to sell two ounces for five bucks of an oil that normally retails for five bucks a quart.

LLoyd

I passed up a gallon of it at $9.95 at the local Schucks AP several years ago, and I'm still kicking myself. Ditto WD-40 at that price. Evidently, in 2008, PepBoys had MMO gallons for $4.95. Wish I'd seen it. I always have an extra $5 to drop on a deal.

P.S: Lloyd, learn to shop. Whoever you go to that's selling MMO for $2.50/oz is selling it for _way_ above retail.

-- Truth loves to go naked. --Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Lloyd, you can use MMO as ATF if you like, but it will get real expensive when you need to rebuild the transmission. It is a TOTALLY different composition. Two similarities. It is a petroleum based lubricant, and it is red in colour.