Piston rings leaking on air compressor

[Black Forest]

I thought I might rebuild my old compressor. More for my own enjoyment actually. My new compressor is great. Much better.

Here is a picture of the reed valve system used. I wonder if any of you might have a better system? This is a 3 cylinder pump so what ever I do will have to be on all three cylinders.

Tomorrow I will pull a head off and measure the cylinder and piston to see if I can locate any rings to fit.

[Black_Moons]

Yes. And I have always understood that the detergent step was crucial - solvent alone is not sufficient. The process at the big three involved some extremely stiff brushes to mechanically clean the bores. I always wanted to get one of those, but it didn't work out

I always cleaned blocks with solvent, then with powdered laundry detergent and hot water. And then, with lots and lots of WD40. I think that is one of those extremely rare cases where WD40 is actually an appropriate product to use. It does a good job of displacing the water.

Yep, Iv had an old transmission with gunk in it. Cleaned it with gasoline, then laqure thinner, yet still some sludge refused to move/dissolve, even after soaking.

Hit it with soapy water, and it went away no problem at all.

[oldtiffie]

I thought I might rebuild my old compressor. More for my own enjoyment actually. My new compressor is great. Much better.

Here is a picture of the reed valve system used. I wonder if any of you might have a better system? This is a 3 cylinder pump so what ever I do will have to be on all three cylinders.

Tomorrow I will pull a head off and measure the cylinder and piston to see if I can locate any rings to fit.

Good result BF.

But it seems that no matter how you (or I) try there doesn't seem to be any or much chance of redirecting the thread back to your topic - leaking compressor.

But please do keep us (me anyway) as to progress and what you find on your older leaking compressor as I'd be interested to see it.

[Dave C]

Built many a race engine here, if your batting two for two on both the main engine and the back-up engine shooting craps and then counting on a pot and pan cleaner to save your hide you just might want to analyze your build technique's and parts choice a little more carefully --- but just a suggestion...

You might want to read my posts a little closer. This was not my idea, it was the boss's and it was his engine. It was the first, and only time I personally had seen it done, and I have never done it or recommended it myself.

[A.K. Boomer]

Sorry but thought I read the post pretty thoroughly --------

"We built a new Chevy engine for the owner's modified dirt car, and after the routine break in run up was completed, it was still smoking pretty good"

and; "the back up engine popped a valve head off during it's break in run"

and again if my math is correct - that's two for two... does not take any abacus to figure out that somebody's spilled the gruel...

logic dictates - just might want to analyze your build technique's and parts choice a little more carefully --- but again just a suggestion, nothing to freak out about...

[Dave C]

Sorry but thought I read the post pretty thoroughly --------

"We built a new Chevy engine for the owner's modified dirt car, and after the routine break in run up was completed, it was still smoking pretty good"

and; "the back up engine popped a valve head off during it's break in run"

and again if my math is correct - that's two for two... does not take any abacus to figure out that somebody's spilled the gruel...

logic dictates - just might want to analyze your build technique's and parts choice a little more carefully --- but again just a suggestion, nothing to freak out about...

Please explain how the boss blowing pixie dust into his own engine, or a defective valve, has anything at all to do with my build techniques.

[Black Forest]

Please explain how the boss blowing pixie dust into his own engine, or a defective valve, has anything at all to do with my build techniques.

Let me think,,,,,,you built two engines they both blew up in pre-race testing. Hmmmmm........Give the man a sign!

[plunger]

I would also take it apart and see if I could fix it. Its in my DNA.Even if I had a new one. Its actually what gives me enjoyment.

[TGTool]

The life of this thread has both astonished and amused me. I frankly didn't expect this much heat and was surprised to find actual light (reference to Cat service procedure, even severely dated.) Nobody, least of all me, claimed abrasive was a substitute for an actual rebuild. Of course it won't reproduce the crosshatch of an actual hone. That's beating a dead horse. BF originally posted about a dead air compressor with the diagnostic hint that the rings didn't seal since he was getting pressure in the crankcase. That tells nothing yet about the serviceability of the valving which we won't know until the compressor can seal the piston. And the choice was whether to give up on this one and replace it, or do something that would hopefully be not expensive and not so time consuming that he'd have been better off with a new one. The Bon Ami bit is a low cost gamble that has some non-zero probability of making enough difference to compress air again for a while.

And some contributors would probably be happier if they lightened up. (See thread about sense of humor)

[Dave C]

Let me think,,,,,,you built two engines they both blew up in pre-race testing. Hmmmmm........Give the man a sign!

Let's see,,,, Early 1960's, two engines are built. A high dollar component (valve) fails and holes a piston in one engine. The second engine is assembled per bosses instructions to try chrome rings. The rings do not seat, so the boss does his BonAmi thing and the rings seat. The engine not only does not blow up, it goes on to win a race. Now you want to give ME a sign???? Nothing like attacking the messenger.

[A.K. Boomer]

So was the engine burning oil so bad it was fouling plugs or what?

went to a few "bon ami" miracle site posts and most all the guys are not only saying don't do it but also that it does not help in oil burning and mostly only effects the upper compression ring... for what it's worth...

All that being said nobody's calling you a liar Dave, just wondering if you could have dumped in a can of octane boost to make up for the de-rating that the gas went through due to all the extra oil burning and still won the race while keeping other components from shelling out in the long haul...

then the big miracle in a can would be octane boost - not ground up limestone...

keep in mind like I said before of the extra advantage of getting ahead of the competition and laying down a hefty smoke screen to mess with their lines lol

it's all good and Im not doubting what you said... your a good sport.

[Black Forest]

Let's see,,,, Early 1960's, two engines are built. A high dollar component (valve) fails and holes a piston in one engine. The second engine is assembled per bosses instructions to try chrome rings. The rings do not seat, so the boss does his BonAmi thing and the rings seat. The engine not only does not blow up, it goes on to win a race. Now you want to give ME a sign???? Nothing like attacking the messenger.

I have so many signs draped around my neck I can't stand up straight!

[oldtiffie]

Originally Posted by Dave C

Let's see,,,, Early 1960's, two engines are built. A high dollar component (valve) fails and holes a piston in one engine. The second engine is assembled per bosses instructions to try chrome rings. The rings do not seat, so the boss does his BonAmi thing and the rings seat. The engine not only does not blow up, it goes on to win a race. Now you want to give ME a sign???? Nothing like attacking the messenger.

I have so many signs draped around my neck I can't stand up straight!

Would one of those signs or emblems be "666"?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=google&rls=com.microsoft:en-AU:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7IRFC_enAU360&gfe_rd=cr&ei=XcXKVaiCJa_u8wfKmp3ACA&gws_rd=ssl#q=666

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=666&rls=com.microsoft:en-AU:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7IRFC_enAU360&biw=1536&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CEYQsARqFQoTCLST-tTUoscCFQcepgodzmMCeQ

[TGTool]

Would one of those signs or emblems be "666"?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=google&rls=com.microsoft:en-AU:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7IRFC_enAU360&gfe_rd=cr&ei=XcXKVaiCJa_u8wfKmp3ACA&gws_rd=ssl#q=666

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=6...FQcepgodzmMCeQ

Vaguely possible but probably not. I think that's someone long since ejected from the forum for raising too much hell.

[Glug]

Curious to hear what you found in regard to the piston, rings and cylinder.