Air compressor tank failure...

Dale_I

Dale_I

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Never had a large tank fail, but my 60 gallon vertical air compressor tank... she was a-hissing when I came into the shop this morning. Closer inspection shows what looks to be rust through the weld of the drain fitting on the bottom.

I thought I would try to remove the approx 50mm plug in the bottom, which is tapped for a 1/2" npt to install a drain (I do have a drain installed and it automatically purges air from the bottom of the tank twice a day, 30 seconds each time). I have removed the fittings except for the actual plug and I'll be danged if I can get it out.

A 30mm socket fits the plug and when I used a breaker bar I thought I was going to break the bar. I was getting worried about messing up the flats so I got my air impact driver out and laid onto it for a solid 3 to 5 minutes and it ain't budging.

My suspicion is that the plug is fairly well rusted on the inside. I was hoping to remove the plug and (hopefully) get a hand inside where I might be able to clean up the rust a bit and lay down some JB Weld on the interior, hoping that it would seal enough to hold my 135 psi.

Wisdom of the list....

What are the chances I might get that plug out? Anyone ever remove one from an air tank?
Should I abandon my DIY fix and just break down and buy a new tank? ($500+)
Another thought would be to try to silver solder the pinhole from the outside. The leak appears to be a crack-like fracture right where the weld hits the tank, which is a fairly common place for these to fail. I'm not convinced it would hold from the outside and even if it did... how long it would last.

Fear: Inside of the tank is trashed and I just wasted a bunch of time and effort pulling a plug for nothing.

The tank is an Ingersol Rand vertical 60 gallon with a 5 hp 2-stage compressor. Model SS5L5 if you want to know. These were cheap compressors using oversea motors that were kind of known for catching on fire. I replaced my motor, but I'm glad I pay attention to my equipment. I heard it sounding "off" and investigated. I found burned wires and could smell the cooked insulation.

I replaced the motor and need the 18cfm at 90 psi of the pump. Both are operational and in good shape. Getting a new tank seems to be the reasonable choice, but the cheapskate in me doesn't want to spend the money. I've only had this tank about 12 to 15 years. Looks like new on the outside. But, the local compressor guy says that they aren't lined and do rust through. Some last 10 years, others last 30. Just depends on if the welds internally allow for a place for condensation to create a pool of water to sit there and rust.

Comments... opinions.... etc...
 
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My thoughts: if it's bad enough to rust through in that spot it's bad enough to be almost rusted through in a bunch of spots.

I'd trash it, myself.
 
Dale_I said:
is tapped for a 1/2" npt to install a drain (I do have a drain installed and it automatically purges air from the bottom of the tank twice a day, 30 seconds each time). I have removed the fittings except for the actual plug and I'll be danged if I can get it out.
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I think this was this a typo??? water is more dense than air, and settles to the bottom of the tank, the drain purges water from the tank, no???

shoot a little PBblaster on the drain threads, let it soak a while, and see if you can break it loose. Get a longer breaker bar if you have to, and put a 4ft pipe on it for leverage. If that doesn't work, buy a new compressor.
 
Perhaps, yes, no, may work, and of course you are :rolleyes:
Put the impact gun away, it will just rattle and stretch the fastener without moving it if its rusted that bad.
Mix up 1/2 cup of ATF fluid, and 1/2 cup of Acetone, and apply it to the plug, do this several times, then let it sit over night.
The next day, take your breaker bar, but do not yank on it, or jerk it, trying to get it to break free, but rather apply pressure and HOLD steady for a minute or so and wait for it to give up. Alot of times this will remove even the most rusted or stuck fastener.
Take a deep breath, apply steady pressure, then as you exhale, push or pull through.
You may also try using heat to create room for the penetrating oil to work its way in.
Let us know if you get it off the tank.
You do of course know that the inside of the tank is probably toast right :nuts1:
 
I'd have to say that I'd be reluctant to trust the rest of the tank if I found a pinhole. Usually a pinhole is the tip of the iceberg.
 
I'm not sure what a comparable compressor from Harbor Fright would cost - and some of theirs are rated for 125 lbs (the one or two I looked at once upon a time). And I don't know how well made their motors and compressors are. It might be cheaper to buy their compressor for the tank and throw everything else away if yours is better.
 
I just went thru this problem with a Johnson compressor from 1929. I tried patching the tank several ways from the outside to no avail, too much rust, the tank was shot. I bought a new compressor and tank. I HATE THIS NOISY POS. It's a cast iron oil feed and makes a damn racket. I can't stand to be in the garage when its running.
My recommendation; don't do what I did. Buy a new tank and keep your old compressor.
 
Sounds like you got good service from a low end compressor and rather than replace a major component I'd just move on and buy a new one that meets your needs. 60G HF compressor are $800 list and much less when on sale. Maybe do a patch job now and plan to replace when HF unit goes on sale.
 
just drive a large self tapping screw into the hole with sealant :)
( yes, seen it done before )
Actually, may be time to get a new tank.
 
playinatwork said:
I just went thru this problem with a Johnson compressor from 1929. I tried patching the tank several ways from the outside to no avail, too much rust, the tank was shot. I bought a new compressor and tank. I HATE THIS NOISY POS. It's a cast iron oil feed and makes a damn racket. I can't stand to be in the garage when its running.
My recommendation; don't do what I did. Buy a new tank and keep your old compressor.
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A friend who owned a structural steel fabricating plant was making a cylindrical something years ago, when I visited him. He told me his compressor was right outside his office and was too noisy, so he was making a muffler. He then explained that most of the noise from a compressor was from the intake side. I recently bought a small compressor from California Air Tools (for nail guns and inflating tires) that was billed as being extremely quiet. When I plugged it in it was as noisy as the old pancake sears compressor I was replacing, and when I looked over the instructions, I saw the intake filter was missing. Made a phone call and this closed can w/ a pipe nipple arrived by mail - it had only a 1/4" hole in the side of the can and a short plastic hose press fit into the hole. They called it a muffler. I screwed it into the compressor's air intake and the blessed thing is almost silent.

Put your hand over the intake of your compressor while its running. If the noise drops significantly, a muffler will help.
 
Anything looking like a crack would prompt me to trash the tank. At 135 PSI there is nothing inert about air and it is a potentially fatal disaster should it suddenly let go. At the very least see if you can get it inspected and certified. My old Coleman compressor tank started making creaking noises when it was fully pressurized which was making me a bit nervous and then the electric motor quit in a shower of sparks. I was glad in a way that the decision to replace it was made for me. My wife surprised me with a 125 PSI rated vertical compressor from HF for $159 on sale. Had it a couple of years now, no complaints.
 
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wjbertrand said:
Anything looking like a crack would prompt me to trash the tank. At 135 PSI there is nothing inert about air and it is a potentially fatal disaster should it suddenly let go. At the very least see if you can get it inspected and certified. My old Coleman compressor tank started making creaking noises when it was fully pressurized which was making me a bit nervous and then the electric motor quit in a shower of sparks. I was glad in a way that the decision to replace it was made for me. My wife surprised me with a 125 PSI rated vertical compressor from HF for $159 on sale. Had it a couple of years now, no complaints.
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^this.

Dale, I admire the desire to make repairs and keep it in service--but there is immense mechanical energy stored in that tank when pressurized, and it could release catastrophically (sending shrapnel). If you can see inside with a scope and verify that the failed weld is the only corroded area, then perhaps a certified welder can do repairs for you without damaging the tank wall in the heat-affected-zone of the weld. But best approach is to replace the tank.
 
wjbertrand said:
At the very least see if you can get it inspected and certified.
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The way things go nowadays, it will cost more to recertify it than buy a new tank. Don't they have to drill the wall to check thickness to do that?

BakerBoy said:
^this.

Dale, I admire the desire to make repairs and keep it in service--but there is immense mechanical energy stored in that tank when pressurized, and it could release catastrophically (sending shrapnel). If you can see inside with a scope and verify that the failed weld is the only corroded area, then perhaps a certified welder can do repairs for you without damaging the tank wall in the heat-affected-zone of the weld. But best approach is to replace the tank.
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I agree completely. Except with the 'see inside with a scope' part. The whole bottom of the tank will be rusted from condensation. I don't think he will be able to tell sound steel from weakened steel.
 
SMSW said:
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I agree completely. Except with the 'see inside with a scope' part. The whole bottom of the tank will be rusted from condensation. I don't think he will be able to tell sound steel from weakened steel.
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Or the whole tank won't be corroded. Some tanks are spray coated on the interior with a lining (like Pepsi cans are, to avoid corrosion). Then, the only area that corrodes can be where the last weld(s) were made or where there were messy/uneven surfaces (like at welds).
 
I'm a cheap SOB and I really enjoy fixing old things to work right again. Heck, I spent far longer than it was worth today disassembling, cleaning, polishing and rebuilding a couple old sets of carbs.

I said that to say this: there are some things I just don't screw around on. Tires is a good example. Compressors is another. Time for a new one, IMHO.

Get an ultrasonic cleaner while you're at it too. Those things are like magic.
 
I drilled and tapped a rusted drain hole bottom of my tank and replaced with a larger draincock maybe 20 Year’s ago, still holding.
 
To me trying to patch a rusty hole in a compressor tank is like playing Russian Roulette. You may win the first and second round and be able to brag about it, but eventually everybody will say "I told him so".

Sent using Tapatalk
 
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If you know a good welder asj them if they can patch it. A quality weld from outside can easily hold that pressure. Borescope the tank to verify it's the only place rusted. Just holesaw out the bottom.

Once patched, fill with water, add just enough air to pump up too twice the pressure and hit welded area with hammer.

;) Yes!!

The water will not store energy. If there is a weak spot it will crack, a cup of water will spit out and then the rest will trickle.
 
As a side note, what's the quietest compressor out there? I totally get that the old ones were super quiet...ff
 
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