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Topic: Compressor (Read 650 times) previous topic - next topic

Compressor

Headed out this morning for our Laborers project in Stillwater. As is our practice, Jo Ann helped guide me out of the driveway, then she headed into town to get the mail and met me at a neighbor's business so we could hook up the Jeep. As I was making the left turn into his lot I noticed that air pressure was WAY down. After we got hooked up the air hadn't come back up. I fanned the brake pedal and the pressure kept dropping. I waited for an hour with the engine running, thinking that it would come back up. It didn't, so I finally broke down and called CoachNet. A mobile mechanic came out and figured out that the compressor has died. Fortunately we were only a couple of miles from home, so he aired me up and followed me home. A new Detroit-brand compressor is $3500, but an after-market one is only(!) $600. It will be here sometime Friday. If it comes early enough he will come out Friday and put it on. If not it will be Monday. Either way, though, he will do the work here.

Interesting sidelight: As the mechanic was getting ready to leave he asked if the neighbors had had sheep. I told him that we used to raise Katahdans. He said he bought some of our sheep and still has them. We sold our flock in 2009.

Re: Compressor

Reply #1 –
Quote from: kb0zke –
As the mechanic was getting ready to leave he asked if the neighbors had had sheep. I told him that we used to raise Katahdans. He said he bought some of our sheep and still has them. We sold our flock in 2009.
Bah bah humbug

Re: Compressor

Reply #2 –
I would sure start by replacing the governor-- a lot higher failure rate than compressors.  Also $15 bucks or so.

Re: Compressor

Reply #3 –
The governor was replaced this spring by the Springfield Detroit place. This guy seems to actually know a bit about engines. He disconnected the line from the compressor, then had me start the engine. He was checking for air movement, and there wasn't any. He's also bringing a new air dryer. The one I have is probably original and parts are hard to come by. He's going to replace it with a more common one. ScubaGuy put me onto that one when we were poking around last week.

Re: Compressor

Reply #4 –
Well, the two mobile mechanics just left, 2.5 coachbucks later. Of course, half of that was labor, trip charge, and mileage. They replaced the compressor with a reman unit ($525 vs 3500 for a Detroit brand), the air dryer with a new one, and a new hose from compressor to dryer. Pressure built up much faster than I've ever seen.

They also found and fixed a hole in the air pipe from the air filter to the engine that was letting dirt in. They also found, but did not fix, an exhaust leak. He said that it hasn't been there forever, but probably won't get real bad quickly, so we'll see what we're going to do about it.

Re: Compressor

Reply #5 –
If you had a leak in the intake side allowing dirt in, change the oil and filter IMMEDIATELY!

Re: Compressor

Reply #6 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
If you had a leak in the intake side allowing dirt in, change the oil and filter IMMEDIATELY!

I hope the mechanics told you to do this.  I would also take an oil sample and send it in if that isn't already part of your routine!
 

Re: Compressor

Reply #7 –
David, I second Brett's suggestion on changing the oil.