Gas powered air compressor trouble shooting

Aggie06

Aggie06

Under the lump, there’s a twenty gauge pump
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
678
Messages
2,405
Loc
Balls Deep South Texas
Air compressor in question is a ***an TAC-2T 5.5 hp. I replaced the carburetor, fuel line, fuel tank, coil and coil wire, and plug. I made sure to regap the coil this morning, but my problem is still happening.

The issue is the compressor will run 30 secs or so and then dies. The plug looks fine.

I’m thinking it’s possibly the cheap Amazon carburetor, but I feel like I’m missing something obvious.

I thought it might be the pilot/unloader valve. I pulled it apart, and as far as I can tell everything looks fine and was lubed.
 
When it starts to die will starting fluid save it?

30sec sounds like carb running dry. Have you verfied the fuel system is getting stuff to the carb?
 
arse_sidewards said:
When it starts to die will starting fluid save it?

30sec sounds like carb running dry. Have you verfied the fuel system is getting stuff to the carb?
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Haven’t tried hitting it with starting fluid.

I have fuel in the bowl. The fuel line they sent with the tank is pretty soft. Maybe it is collapsing under load?
 
Without seeing and hearing it, hard to guess

Take belt off.

Put inline spark tester. Here's the one Schucks carries.

That rules out pump and most of the ignition.

Coil gap isn't super important. Business card on flywheel and bolt it down. More important it doesn't rub. It could be at the max adjustment away and it'll still run.

I'd guess it's not filling the carb and just running out of fuel or the throttle control is doing something odd.

We had an older one with Honda engine that was a constant headache so just put a manual throttle on it. Set it to maybe 2500 rpm and left instead of it the control running wide open to pump and idle when bypassing.
 
The pilot unloader wouldn't kill it. That just unloads the head and dumps it to atmosphere when the tank is at pressure. If it weren't unloading, it'd over-pressurize the and pop the safety unloader. You have an air/fuel/spark problem.
 
Steve300xcw said:
There a low oil shutoff on that thing?
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TrailTamer said:
Make sure there’s oil in it. The low oil shut off may be what keeps turning it off after flinging around the little amount of oil left in it.
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For once I changed the oil before starting this process, so it’s good and at the correct level.
 
Fuel cap off - same symptoms

It still dies with starter fluid

Here is what the inline spark tester looked like. I did swap out the cheap chinesium plug that came with the new carb for the recommended NGK plug.


 
Is the video frame rate playing tricks with it? It should be a constant flashing in time with the engine.
 
It has been in a humid storage unit for 3-4 years, so I wouldn’t count random failures out of the equation.
 
bgaidan said:
Have you disconnected the oil level sensor and any others that could be shutting it down? Temp sensor?
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Negative. Haven’t messed with anything else. Had a few minutes to throw the spark tester on after my kids got home. I will try again in the morning.
 
Steve300xcw said:
Some of those motors call for more oil than the dipstick calls for. I know a guy who now has a spare plate compactor because of that :laughing:
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I was wrong, found the second plug looking for the oil sensor. Why they hid it is beyond me. It does have a dipstick. The oil was close to the middle.

bgaidan said:
Have you disconnected the oil level sensor and any others that could be shutting it down? Temp sensor?
Click to expand...

You get a prize. I unplugged the oil sensor and it runs fine. Turned it off, plugged the sensor back in, and it runs fine.

Etyler2 said:
That looks like a sensor. Overtemp? or low oil cutoff.
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Looks like it’s the oil sensor.
 
TrailTamer said:
Make sure there’s oil in it. The low oil shut off may be what keeps turning it off after flinging around the little amount of oil left in it.
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I've seen them go bad too. Unplug and try running it. Though normally it just won't start at all or barely fire up, not run 30 seconds.
 
I just had a manual fuel shut off valve stop flowing... whether debris or collapsed or **** itself I don't know... but it would let enough fuel thru to fill the bowl when it wasn't running, but would only run for 20 seconds.

Check the solenoid fuel valve as well if it has one....
 
are you warming it up with the tank drains open so that it's entirely unloaded and not just halfass unloaded?
lots of them can't make pressure until the engine is warmed up

ETA: lol
I no read thread before reply
 
AKnate said:
Weird it would run that long. The ones I've seen fail wouldn't start at all or just run for a couple seconds.
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Yeah, it’s really strange. We do have constant humidity, and the storage unit this was sitting in isn’t the best. So, I’m not shocked that a random electric component crapped out.

On a side note, it ran for about 45 mins nonstop without a hiccup yesterday.
 
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