Air compressor rebuild

[lohan808]

Howdy fellas,

I have an old circa 97 Campbell hausfeld 26 gal compressor that just went kaput. It's the oil less motor compressor type model is WL611102AJ. They have discontinued the product and no parts are available otherwise I would repair it meself.

Was hoping for some thoughts on keeping the tank and just putting a new pump and motor assembly on it. C/H is no help staying their "engineering has no recommendations" go figure. I don't really have $500 or more to blow on a half assed replacement new unit.
I don't use it commercially, just mainly tires and cleaning chainsaws.

Suggestions welcomed...thanks again.

 

[blades]

sort of a pain to convert that, as most of those are motor compressor all in one assembly. If there is enough mounting plate area for a separate motor & compressor head it might be ok. those oilless units are basically throw away units. heck even some of the smaller oil type ones are not much better with alum. cylinders and no steel/? sleeve. This is an area where you pony up and cry once. Besides my 2 Quincy units and huge Westinghouse unit here at shop ( they are almost as old as me) I have a Campell Hausefield at home but it is a separate pump motor unit ( 30 gal 5hp peak takes 20 amps to run it) and a oilless pancake as well as a oil type one- couple gallon tanks- convenient to toss in truck when I need to run to the offspring's places for whatever.

 

[Dub11]

Howdy fellas,

I have an old circa 97 Campbell hausfeld 26 gal compressor that just went kaput. It's the oil less motor compressor type model is WL611102AJ. They have discontinued the product and no parts are available otherwise I would repair it meself.

Was hoping for some thoughts on keeping the tank and just putting a new pump and motor assembly on it. C/H is no help staying their "engineering has no recommendations" go figure. I don't really have $500 or more to blow on a half assed replacement new unit.
I don't use it commercially, just mainly tires and cleaning chainsaws.

Suggestions welcomed...thanks again.

So I was in the same boat as you a while back. Then I saw a few of these videos.

And decided not to.

 

[timg]

So I was in the same boat as you a while back. Then I saw a few of these videos.

And decided not to.

Good reminder Wayne. Always like the visual's especially with no bodily harm or carnage has ensued.

 

[lohan808]

Yep just gonna eat crown this one. 23 years of off and on service is good enough. Dang it piling up the clams now...

 

[Dub11]

Yep just gonna eat crown this one. 23 years of off and on service is good enough. Dang it piling up the clams now...

I went from a second hand 50 gal Craftsman to a 5 gallon Bosnitch lol. It is quieter and lucky for me I sneak the saw into work to blow them off.

 

[lohan808]

I went from a second hand 50 gal Craftsman to a 5 gallon Bosnitch lol. It is quieter and lucky for me I sneak the saw into work to blow them off.

Haha! Heck on good days I bring in a saw and file the chain and rakers on the clock! Nothing beats double dippin'

 

[Dub11]

Haha! Heck on good days I bring in a saw and file the chain and rakers on the clock! Nothing beats double dippin'

We have them posters saying "increase productivity at work" and what not.

 

[nbbt]

@lohan808
Ive had good luck finding substitute compressor setups from Master tool repair. Here is a link to get ya started --> https://mastertoolrepair.com/search.php?keywords=WL611102AJ

https://mastertoolrepair.com/air-compressor-parts-by-brand-c-271.html

 

[Al Smith]

Quincy is probably the "Cadillac " of compressors and Campbell Hausfeld the "Chevy " . Oil less became popular but my personal preference is with oil not without ..Just keep an eye on the oil level if it does use oil and use compressor oil not 10 W 30 motor oil .
Often if you look on things like Craigs List old compressors come up for sale usually at negotiable prices because the owners aren't smart enough to repair them .There might not be anything wrong with them for that matter . I've got a 3 HP Craftsman at the house I've had for decades I landed for 50 bucks .It's developed a leak in the tank but no more than I use it it's not that big of a problem .If it gets real bad I'll find the leak and weld it up .--more--

 

[Al Smith]

--at my shop,22 miles away I've got a two stage Quincy head that came over on the Mayflower belted up to a 5 HP single phase motor dumping into one or two 60 gallon tanks depending on how much air I need .I built it up from parts and doubt I have more than $125-$150 in it .I'll just say running both tanks I never run out of air .If memory serves it comes on at 145 PSI and off at 180 but it will blow 200 if I want it to ,which I don't .

 

[JB-PlantHeirloom]

I have been keeping my 15+ year old Colemate going because it is better then anything new for under $700. If I can not find the part on E-Bay or the big A, I make it. At least for me, if an air compressor can not do at least 6 CFM at 90 psi, it is worthless for impact tools.

I have been finding good stuff here:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/

 

[r7000]

the oil-less compressors are throw away non-rebuildable consumer grade items.
if it lasted ~20 years you got your use out of it and should be happy.
my recommendation... not having $500 to blow on a new good compressor, would be to hit harbor freight using their 10% or 20% coupon along with opening up a HF credit card and pick up one of their ~20 gallon size portable compressors. I just bought their 4200psi big pressure washer with their coupon and credit card discount; not sure if you can find a better deal price wise anywhere else on on air compressor.

do know some of their compressors, which are attractive psi wise and price wise, are oil less. But they still have traditional oil lubed compressors. For home use like you described not sure of anyone else having a better choice on compressors and better price than HF. Also know any of the HF compressors are probably not rebuildable either.

this is probably what I would buy for myself currently if I needed to: $280 https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...i-oil-free-vertical-air-compressor-64858.html

what i currently have, circa 2001... currently on sale @ @240, https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...i-oil-lube-vertical-air-compressor-64857.html

this one might be the most economical currently @ $170 https://www.harborfreight.com/air-t...i-oil-free-portable-air-compressor-64294.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools-compressors/air-compressors-tanks/air-compressors.html

and then if you have the desire, if your old tank is still good, reuse it and just remove all the compressor parts and put a simple valve and tee on it that you can quick couple the hose to from the new compressor and wala 20 gallon portable tank when you want or extra capacity in addition to the new compressor.... rather than buying a 60 or 80 gal full size non-portable compressor for $1000.

 

[Al Smith]

A little off track but two of the most interesting compressors from a bygone era .One is a Gordon-Smith conversion using a Model A ford engine using a special cylinder head .It ran on number 1 and number 4 cylinders and compressed on the inside two .The other I've seen on farms decades ago was a check valve that installed in the spark plug hole of a tractor engine .It would blow up a tire but it took a lot of time but a better option than a hand pump which would take a month of Sundays to blow up a tractor tire . I did however once use the "smog pump " from a Chevy on a 1/2 HP motor with no pressure tank and a clip on air chuck and it did pretty good for a bunch of junk bolted together .It would put out 100 PSI but not much volume .That was back when I didn't have much money . Fact I use one of those vane pumps as an aerator for my sewage system .

 

[lohan808]

Update:
I bought a husky 30gal with belt drive twin piston oil sump. It works just great and now my saws are CLEAN again. Thanks for the input.

 

[blades]

Old brigs flat head check valve(home made) in sparkplug hole washing machine motor to spin it, enough pressure to blow up tractor and car tires took awhile though. years later got a 2 stage refrigeration piston compressor free. not much volume, made a small tank from 8" schedule 40 pipe welded 1/4" plate ends on would go over 200 psi. likely could have gone higher psi wise until something went bang. never tried for that though. have 6 compressors at present from a little pancake HF unit to 55 cfm Westinghouse

 

[Al Smith]

On the subject of DIY I do have a twin cylinder "Speedarie " two stage head with a 10 HP 3 phase motor ,mounted on a 120 gallon tank that's a works in progress .I'm going to need to build a larger rotary phase converter because my 5 HP DIY is not large enough .Not bragging but I'm kind of an electrical savant and can think outside of the box .I also could use either an 18HP Briggs twin or a 15 HP Wisconsin twin but no more than I need a portable I just rent them .

 

[Xr650jkallen]

I have been running a Kobalt quite series compressor from Lowes for the past two years. I believe I got in on sale for under $300. So far I have been impressed with it, it may not last forever though. It is an oil-less design, so take that for what it is. It fills up fast and keeps up with a die grinder.