Air Compressor Identification help

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The following pictures of a air compressor I obtained out of an old shed. After some cleaning of cobwebs, wasps nest and alot of dirt, new pressure switch, pressure gauge, some plumping and wiring, draining and refiling with new oil..the thing "putters" right along. The problem is I don't know what kind of compressor it is. I do have the following info: the electric motor is GE, 1 1/2 HP single phase 115/230 volts - 20.8/10.4 amps; 1740 rpm (Label is still on the motor so I have all the info as far as the electric motor is concerned). On the compressor motor, which I have been told is a 2 stage compressor, there is a small ID label on the side opposite the flywheel with the "320TV and D164371" stamped on the bottom part of the label. If there was any other info on the label it wasn't stamped and has disappeared. On the bottom part of the motor it has a large "1" and below that "7293" cast into the housing (these are on the side facing the electric motor. On what I am calling the motor head, on the edge that bolts down to the bottom part, "1729" is cast on the edge and "92K14" on the facing. On the very top of the motor there is a what looks like "174.." or 17K.." the 3rd nbr is too rusty to id. There is a small diamond with what looks like a 8 or B, again too rusted to tell. All this is mounted on a 30 gal. horizontal tank. I have not had any problems with it running, seems to be ok, but how does one tell or measure the output of the compressor, the psi/cfm rating. Hopefully I can get the pictures attached correctly. Thanks for any help. Attached Images
Reply:Kinda looks like a Brunner. Older than mine though, mine is from the early 60s I would guess that one is older. Looks like tank is an add on because the colours don't match. In Canada the tank must have a date of manufacture on it, dunno about the states.If it is 2 stage one of the cylinders should be smaller. That is the high pressure one. What you could have there is a dual cylinder single stage with external plumbing between them, hard to tell from the pictures.You could try and get in touch with Nizar at www.atmosphair.net. He could help you identify it if it is a Brunner. They also carry parts for them.
Reply:Does the pressure gauge work?Let the unit run till it shuts off, then read the gauge. That should tell you the psi rating of the unit. I see an intercooler.The unit will be more cost effective running it on 230v as it draws have the amps as it will on 120v. Much like a welding power source.A filter for the air intake would be wise.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Two stage (judging by the intercooler pipe and different size cylinders.) The pump is probably good for 175PDI, give or take (most two stage units are designed to run up there, though some are designed lower). My main concerns would be: condition of the safety valve and control, condition of the tank, and condition of the plumbing. THEN condition of the pump.Air compressor 101:The tank should have a tag on it indicating manufacturer and maximum allowable working pressure. It should (but won;t necessarily) have a "U" stamp on it, indicating that it was constructed to ASME standards, and the date of manufacture. If not, REPLACE IT. If so, open up the tank (pull the piping and the inspection plugs), clean it out, and take a good look. You should probably find someone experienced to help you here. You need to look carefully at the condition of the tank, especially at the bottom where condensate tends to collect and pit the shell, around nozzles, and around where mounts attach. Look for pitting, thinning, grooving, cracking, etc. Excessive rust (especially loose or adherent scaling) is bad.If there is any concern, have the tank checked by a reputable competent person. This may involve ultrasonic thickness testing to identify thinned areas, get the actual metal thickness, and calculation of allowable service pressure.After this, perform a hydrostatic test on the tank to at least 125% of the maximum allowable pressure (jurisdictional requirements require many of the tanks I deal with to be tested at 150%, but 125% is not uncommon) This requires filling the tank COMPLETELY with warm water (not hot. about 80 to 90 deg F, or a few degrees above air temp if it is hot), venting ALL of the air. Trapped air is bad. If the tank fails during test, you ant a water leak, not an explosion. Water doesn't compress, so stores no energy. Air does compress and stores a lot of energy. Hold the pressure for 15 min or so, then look for leaks, bulges, etc. You will need a suitable pump, pressure gauge, and valving to do this. Not hard to set up us you have plumbing parts around, but requires planning if you don't.If the tank is OK, replace the safety valve. They arn't usually worth recertifying. They are cheap (McMaster, MSC, Grainger, etc all stock them). The pressure setting should be less than the MAWP, and the relieving capacity should be greater then the maximum air rate for the pump. If the motor is 1.5HP, this means you have an air rate less than about 8CFM. THIS IS YOUR PROTECTION IF THE CONTROL FAILS. The controls fail. The switch contacts can fuse up, the mechanism can hang up, a hunk of crud can plug the sense port..... The safety valve is CRITICAL to preventing death and dismemberment. Hydrotesting and visual inspection show that the tank is, to a pretty high level of confidence, suitable for the operating pressure. The safety valve helps insure the safe pressure isn't exceeded.Then, check the control and plumbing. Switch contacts clean? No crud to hang it up? Spring is good? Unloader provisions work? Piping is solid? Connections tight? Flex connection from the pump is good? Wiring is good? Pressure gauge good (they are cheap. I'd replace it if I wasn't dead sure)? Drain valve on the tank to get condensate out (If I can't install an automatic drain, I use a ball valve. Generally set tanks on 4X4's or 6X6's to get clearance and reduce noise transfer, and shim up the end far from the drain 1/4" or so so the moisture works to the drain end. Drain every operating day, or more frequently if you get more than a small spit)?If that all checks, then worry about the pump itself.  If it makes air, likely to be good. If the rings are worn, you will get more oil carryover, and this will need to be dealt with eventually, as the oil vapors in the tank are an explosion hazard and make a mess, but a small bit is normal even on a new compressor. Leaky valves reduce capacity and lead to overheating of the pump, but if the valves hold tight, you are good to go. If they don't, they can sometimes be dealt with by cleaning (remove, clean and inspect, reinstall if good), and sometimes will need replacement.EDIT: I forgot one thing... Get an intake filter on that thing. NOTHING eats a compressor faster than unfiltered intake air.
Reply:That does have an intake filter, by the way. That intake bell is supposed to have a horsehair disc in it and then another screen to hold it in.
Reply:Thanks for the replys; I am just guessing, but the tank is probably fairly new. The label on the tank does not have a mfg name on it; indicates 30 gal. horizontal, no. 12781A; 15-409; non code. On the side of the tank is stamped P078; no other markings that I could find. I have replaced all the plumping with the exception of the one piece that has the fins on it. The pressure switch is new. Min. on is 35 / max off is 240. 100-125 psi w/unloader. Mfg and modelis LEFOO, mod. LF17. New pressure gauge. Right now comes on at 90 and shuts off at 125. It holds real good. I guess my main concern was trying to id the pump; hp/cfm. Other than that everything works just fine. Once again, thanks for the replies.
Reply:If it is dual stage you should notice that one cylinder will be smaller than the other. This is important to answering your question because a dual stage will be good up to 175psi but quite a bit less flow.I believe my Brunner A-212 is good for about 14cfm with the pulleys I have on it but the 2 stage unit I have of the same vintage is only about 8 cfm.
Reply:looks kind of like this one.....i saw in another forum , reminded me of your post....link attached.i thought it might be a kellog like in the paint shop i worked at as a kid.http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...LkF5m6M-qEocMI some of the pump bolts and plumbling line up , same amount of fins on tha jug & head looks the same..........crank case looks same ...??? Attached ImagesLast edited by woi2ld; 04-16-2010 at 09:33 PM.        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:woi2ld, that looks pretty close doesn't it - a friend of mine told me of a air compressor repair shop 'bout 40 miles from where I live; gonna take some pic's to them and see if they can id it. It is running ok I just like to kinda know what I have. Thanks for the info.