Air compressor cuts out:

[bulldogchesty]

I have been having trouble with my air compressor motor. It works great for a while and then it won't come back on. I need to keep pressing the reset on the motor to restart. Any ideas?:head_smack:

 

[commando1]

Sounds like the motor is overheating.
Several causes.
1. Low oil level. Check your oil.
2. Too much load. Your compressor may be failing and causing excessive drag (load). Disconnect your compressor and run the motor.
3. Motor is failing. Internal short?

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[bulldogchesty]

Thanks Stan. Oil level is good. I have a big industrial fan blowing on it and that didn't help. I did have it apart once, maybe I didn't put the washers in the right order. I have been trying to find a parts breakdown with no luck.

 

[commando1]

Hmmm.. Sounds like Grainger time for a new motor.
Or how good are you at rebuilding electric motors.
May be as simple as brushes? I'm not that good on these things.

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[bulldogchesty]

I can rebuild almost anything,( not bragging ), with the parts diagram.

 

[bulldogchesty]

I'll check Graingers site.

 

[Big_John]

I'm not real good at AC motors, but it sounds to me like the starter is screwed up. There's a ring with contacts that provides power to start the motor turning. As the RPM builds, this ring pulls away and the motor runs like any other ac motor. They use starters like that on compressors where there's a high load (the pump under pressure) that the motor has to turn as it starts.

Look at youtube and I'm sure there's some DIY videos on rebuilding AC motors. Do yourself a big favor and find out how to discharge the capacitors so you don't get knocked on your butt.

BTW, there are no brushes in this type of motor.

Depending on how big the motor is and its quality (read country of origin) you may just want to buy a new motor.

 

[bulldogchesty]

Thanks. I just finished watching a few of them.

 

[bulldogchesty]

I may have found the problem. Looks like burnt points.

 

[Big_John]

I'm not sure, but that could be a sign of a weak capacitor.

 

[bulldogchesty]

Thanks Big_John.

 

[commando1]

BTW, there are no brushes in this type of motor.

Ouch...
Hey! I said I didn't know much about these spinny thingies.

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[F Preston]

From the photos it looks like an induction motor - centrifugal contacts may need burnished; did it to my 1965 Dayton sump pump motor after replacing the bearings.

 

[bulldogchesty]

I did clean up the contacts and put it back together. It seemed to work fine. We'll see how it works when I get the belts on. Thanks for the help all.