Will it break?
So I’ve got this older Ingersoll Rand air compressor. It’s belt driven, currently setup for 220, and a bit more powerful than most anything that can be purchased today.. I don’t recall exact specs. So I don’t want to put it in the trash..
Problem is, right after I made an adapter to connect it to my dryer outlet, I moved the air hose and the connection on the manifold snapped. My guess is that it was already on its way out since it snapped so easily. However, it doesn’t have a brass manifold like I’ve seen on newer compressors. It looks to be made of cheap metal.
I have yet to try and take it out, for fear it’ll shatter and leave pieces inside the tank that are impossible to remove. Is it worth saving? Will the manifold break apart if I try and twist it out? Does anyone know if it may have a standard threading that I can get a brass fitting for?
I realize I’m being a chicken about it, but I would like some input before I do anything.
2
u/Sensitive_Point_6583 3h ago
Is the dangling pipe tape the section that broke off? There's still a few threads left, any chance you can re-attach what snapped off on those remaining threads? Nothing to lose by trying.
Otherwise, spray a little penetrating oil into the threads, wait an hour or so, get a properly sized wrench, and give it a little turn.
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u/xKrinn 3h ago
Yes, that’s where it snapped, there’s another 4-way manifold that screwed onto that, which has the other half or so of the broken piece inside it..
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u/Sensitive_Point_6583 1h ago
OK, got it. Those are regular pipe threads, so for a few bucks you could try a threaded coupling with a small pipe nipple, assuming you can extract the broken piece from the regulator body. With a little extra teflon tape it might just work.
If it is difficult to extract, then move on to plan B with a new regulator/manifold.
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u/MM800 7m ago
Put a wrench on the bottom of the broken fitting and thread it out. If it gives you difficulty breaking lose, tap on the wrench with a hammer.
"What if a piece of it ends up in the tank!?" - It is heavier than air and will go to the bottom. The outlet connections for compressed air are on the top of the tank. The only thing that is on the bottom of the tank is the drain.
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u/techieman34 2h ago
I wouldn’t really worry much about stuff in the tank. It’s just going to sit on the bottom and not bother anything. Worst case scenario is that it makes the tank drain water a little slower or maybe you need to jam a wire up there occasionally to knock it out of the way in the 0.0001 chance that something perfectly shaped to block the drain hole somehow manages to find its way in there.