Air Compressor won’t stay running

Help Support CattleToday:

JMJ Farms

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
4,812
Reaction score
24
Location
Middle Georgia
I've got an Ingersoll Rand wheelbarrow air compressor. About 3 years old. Has worked flawlessly from Day 1. Now all of a sudden it will crank up (purrs like a kitten sometimes, runs rough sometimes) run about 5-10 seconds, and switch off. Here's what I've done.

Drained gas and replaced.
Changed compressor oil.
Changed engine oil.
Cleaned air filter.
Cleaned carb as best I know how.
Cleaned carb bowl.
Cleaned sediment bowl.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
 
JMJ Farms said:
I've got an Ingersoll Rand wheelbarrow air compressor. About 3 years old. Has worked flawlessly from Day 1. Now all of a sudden it will crank up (purrs like a kitten sometimes, runs rough sometimes) run about 5-10 seconds, and switch off. Here's what I've done.

Drained gas and replaced.
Changed compressor oil.
Changed engine oil.
Cleaned air filter.
Cleaned carb as best I know how.
Cleaned carb bowl.
Cleaned sediment bowl.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
J... you said nothing about the fuel filter....
 
Had a pressure washer that would do that. Was about to pull my hair out, swapped the spark plug and that fixed it.

Next time it quits give it a sniff of ether. If it starts up momentarily, you know it's fuel related. If not, ignition.

What motor is on it?
 
X2 on the spark plug if that doesn't fix it check needle and float in carb. You can also play with the choke to see if that helps to narrow down a fuel problem.
 
callmefence said:
JMJ Farms said:
I've got an Ingersoll Rand wheelbarrow air compressor. About 3 years old. Has worked flawlessly from Day 1. Now all of a sudden it will crank up (purrs like a kitten sometimes, runs rough sometimes) run about 5-10 seconds, and switch off. Here's what I've done.

Drained gas and replaced.
Changed compressor oil.
Changed engine oil.
Cleaned air filter.
Cleaned carb as best I know how.
Cleaned carb bowl.
Cleaned sediment bowl.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
J... you said nothing about the fuel filter....

I'm about to show my ignorance but the only fuel filter I'm aware of is the one in the sediment bowl. Is there another one?
 
Atimm693 said:
Had a pressure washer that would do that. Was about to pull my hair out, swapped the spark plug and that fixed it.

Next time it quits give it a sniff of ether. If it starts up momentarily, you know it's fuel related. If not, ignition.

What motor is on it?

Talked to a mechanic friend of mine and he suggested trying the spark plug as well. So with you, SmokinM and him, that's 3 people. So that's first on the list in the AM. It's a cheap try. Will try ether or gas rag if that doesn't work. Seems to run a little longer when it's cold so maybe it is the spark plug.
 
SmokinM said:
X2 on the spark plug if that doesn't fix it check needle and float in carb. You can also play with the choke to see if that helps to narrow down a fuel problem.

Float seems good but I'm no small engine mechanic. Need to check needle of spark plug doesn't fix it. Sure hope it does. That would almost be too easy!
 
JMJ Farms said:
callmefence said:
JMJ Farms said:
I've got an Ingersoll Rand wheelbarrow air compressor. About 3 years old. Has worked flawlessly from Day 1. Now all of a sudden it will crank up (purrs like a kitten sometimes, runs rough sometimes) run about 5-10 seconds, and switch off. Here's what I've done.

Drained gas and replaced.
Changed compressor oil.
Changed engine oil.
Cleaned air filter.
Cleaned carb as best I know how.
Cleaned carb bowl.
Cleaned sediment bowl.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
J... you said nothing about the fuel filter....

I'm about to show my ignorance but the only fuel filter I'm aware of is the one in the sediment bowl. Is there another one?
He//
idk...you should know better than me, your looking at it.
 
If it runs right even if a few seconds that pretty much rules out carb. Sounds more like an electrical problem. Change plug and if that does not work the coil could be a problem as both of those could act up when they get hot..
 
callmefence said:
JMJ Farms said:
callmefence said:
J... you said nothing about the fuel filter....

I'm about to show my ignorance but the only fuel filter I'm aware of is the one in the sediment bowl. Is there another one?
He//
idk...you should know better than me, your looking at it.
If it's got one it ain't readily visible. Line comes straight from tank to carb. Small filter in sediment bowl is good. End of line in tank has a built in type of filter but it's clear as well. Gonna put a plug in it and go from there.
 
You say it runs better cold? Does it run well until the engine gets good and hot? If so I would wonder about the coil. Have you done the basics and made sure you have good fuel flow from the tank and a good spark at the plug? I can't say on the filter but you should be able to tell by tracing the line.
I am too dull Not to use the KISS principle.
 
Spark plug solved the problem. Guess I didn't think of it because it was running smooth most of the time but only for 5-8 seconds. I thought it was starving for fuel. But it was the plug. Experience I won't forget so I'll know next time! Thanks to all of you for your help.
 
JMJ Farms said:
Spark plug solved the problem. Guess I didn't think of it because it was running smooth most of the time but only for 5-8 seconds. I thought it was starving for fuel. But it was the plug. Experience I won't forget so I'll know next time! Thanks to all of you for your help.

It is always the simpleist things we overlook. Glad you got it runing.
 

Latest posts

Top