So my air compressor stopped working. When I turned it on, it just gave a mild hum.
It was a free gift from a guy I built some models for, but was still less than a year old. Cheap Chinese junk at its best.
I decided to have a go at fixing it.
First of all, the 4 bolts holding the cylinder head on were very loose, they have spring washers but these are made out of chinesium, and are totally flat. The compressor would make a horrible rattling sound at times, so I think the loose bolts were the issue here.
Took apart cylinder and cleaned up the grease and oiled the bearing.
Next moved on to the motor side of things, where the problem was more or less obvious.
The capacitor, also chinesium, had exploded.
This is a pretty cheap fix, so I'm glad I can get it running again. It actually works , as after I turn it on and it hums, I give the piston a nudge and it starts pumping.
The best bit is that I can now play with it to get it working better. Re-greased the cylinder, oiled the bearings, tightened up all the fittings.
I will also clean up the mess of wires and add a cooling fan for the motor.
One other thing I found was the tank was full of brown water, quite a lot.
So just wanted to encourage anyone out there to have a go at servicing your own gear. Prolong the life and get it working better.
