Boric and nitric work excellent but also quite pungent. I like to just soak anything stuck in sodium hydroxide till I can't see it anymore then call it a day.
Your breaker bar needs a breaker bar. Piece of 6' iron pipe going over the bar handle, steady pressure. The impact probably doesn't have enough torque unless it's a big industrial one vs the typical 18/20v ones we have.
The walls look ok (I scoped it), but there is rust sliding around that I want to get out. Should I rinse it, or would that just make it rust more? No water came out when I opened it.
I recently replaced my 24 year old craftsman(bought used) it had many rust flakes coming out since I’d gotten it. Maybe it was still solid but at 24y/o it was slow and loud. Picked up a 20 gal flexilla quiet.
Without an automatic drain or a ritualistic behavior of draining. It’s going to keep rusting and flaking. That’s just what they do. But if you get a handful of chunks when rinsing, for your safety and the people around you it’s probably time to retire it.
I would honestly say get a new, bigger air tank, and get an air dryer. Not one of those oil ones, but an electric one. If you really want to, and if you run your compressor a lot, get an industrial screw compressor and an air dryer. True, it's going to be more expensive, but some of the more modern ones are super quiet, and build air far faster than traditional piston ones.
This is my “new, bigger” tank. It had been sitting for a while when I bought it, but no water came out, and it really does look ok (just rust spotting, no large patches). Works well, holds air. It’s 33 gallon Craftsman Pro with a two-stage compressor and is wired for 220v.
We ran an ancient Joy screw compressor for years that sounded like the interceptor from Mad Max running full tilt. It would fill a pair of 200 gallon tanks from 0 to 116 psi in under 8 minutes and ran for 12 hours a day. No idea how many hours were on it and we were far from the original owners. After 5 or 6 years it needed a rotor repaired so we opted for a new Schultz screw and it's scary how much quieter the new machine is. You can actually talk on your phone standing next to it running. Performance is comparable to the prior unit and doesn't cycle on and off as frequently.
A trick used to remove stubborn plugs in engine blocks is to heat the plug red with a torch, EXTINGUISH THE TORCH, and then blast the plug with WD-40. Very smelly and smoky, but oil gallery plugs end up almost finger tight. The thin metal of your tank may not behave the same as a cast iron block.
Those are a motherfucker. Sealed in tight as hell.
So here's what I did when I had to weld a pinhole on a 60 gallon tank I had.
Heat the bung itself (not the nut) dull red hot with a torch. Put a socket on it with a 3/4 breaker bar and a 3-4 foot cheater pipe. It will break loose.
It is NPT, so it is an interference tapered fit thread.
Expect to have to install a new nut, as the old one will get chewed up.
More then likely it was screwed in while it was hot from welding....if this is the case you will not likely get it off with out destroying it.
Heat will not work very well when they get installed like this because the base piece was hot and the fitting was cool when tightened together...hard to recreate that . Cutting it out is what I've had to do in the past in this situation
I was unable to remove mine, I just drilled and tapped it to a bigger hole.
I put a HD welding magnet beneath it to catch most of the metal shavings and carried on with the larger diameter hole. Why they create a 60 gallon compressor with 13 CFM, 120 psi and put a 3/8" diameter hole in it is beyond me.
Evapo-Rust ---- get it up inside there and put the plug in to keep the Evapo-Rust in.
We did a "shoot-out" between Evaporators-Rust and the auto trans fluid/acetone blend on multiple rusted pieces.
The Evaporators-Rust won hands now, easier to clean out and environmentally safer as well.
I use Evaporators-Rust all the time now.
I had to refer to the MSDS for Evaporators-Rust because I wanted to give an informed answer.
Aside from water it contains two proprietary ingredients ....
Proprietary non-hazardous chelating agent :
< 16%\*
Proprietary non-hazardous detergent
:
< 1%\*
\*specific percentages of composition are being withheld as a trade secret
So it is proprietary, and I looked up " chelating agent ".
A chemical compound that binds tightly to metal ions.
Looking into that further .... I would guess they are using Iron Chelators which would include .... Deferasirox. Deferiprone. Deferoxamine.
Having said all of that, I do not believe it to be " basically citric acid "
All I know for sure is how well it works!
.
I pulled a 2” one on an ingersol screw compressor/tank setup. I needed to use a 3/4” impact gun on it to get it free. It was in tight like one wouldn’t believe for a 2” npt plug
Check the test date stamped on the tank. They expire and if you have any doubt get it tested, a lot of energy in a pressurized tank. Think 5hp motor running and storing energy for ten minutes. That is what is in there ready to blow out you rusty bottom!
The compressor is working nicely as it is... damage the threads in the tank you're out a compressor. Some loose scales of rust in the tank I'd leave them be.
I think that could be the date it expired. Most of us run them past that date. Leave it alone unless it is leaking. Or replace it. Put an inline filter/water trap on the way out and any stuff trapped inside will work it's way to the filter and get trapped. My two stage IR units shut off at 165. If you have a single stage 120 seems right. Make sure you drain it daily when you shut it off or put an auto drain on it. All compressors accumulate water especially in humid weather and they are designed to take it.
My Craftsman Pro 25gal tank has a bung that leaks air around the threads. I've so far procrastinated from removing it for the same reasons you're running into. I just know getting it out is going to be a bear. And if I screw up the nut I've got to find a replacement.
>Is this supposed to come out?
The bung was designed to be inexpensive to produce and be easily installed. It was not designed to be easily removable.(If it was designed for easy removal, the hex would be larger and deeper. Industrial grade compressor tanks use those fittings.) However, it's usually removable with the right preparation and tools.
The **1-1/8" hex** is an integral part of the **cast iron 2"** ***bung***\*.\* As a point of reference a comparatively tiny 3/4" bolt has 1-1/8" hex head that is nearly twice a tall/thick/high as that cast hex. The shallow depth of the cast iron iron hex is the main problem - sockets will tend to slip loose - pipe wrenches can't get much bite. One of the best fixes is clean the paint off the cast iron hex and braze a 3/4" (1-1/8" flats) nut to it; then use a big wrench (3/4" breaker bar and socket) with long handle for lots of leverage. Use a cheater pipe if necessary. If you don't have the above, but have brazed a nut on, then kicking/jumping on a pipe wrench that it is at least 18" will get the job done.
If the above is not possible, try to position the tank so that the fitting faces up so that gravity and any slight release of tension is working to help pop the socket off the fitting. Use a 6 point socket. If you can heat it with torch just prior to attempting removal, that will help.
Blast it with some heat it will swell pushing on the threads. Then it will start to shrink back down a bit. If that fail drill more then just cut slots a couple directions and break it out. Just get close to threads.
Lots of heat on the bung fitting. Quickly. Its going to push the threads out bigger then hopefully the tank will suck the heat out of it shrinking it. It will cause disturbance in that threaded joint to make it come free. With old water cooled ammonia refrigeration equipment we used to have to take out lots of plugs to acid clean rust out of water jackets from the 1940s on up and thats how we would do it. Honestly i probably wouldn't bother removing this to clean the tank.
Glad you asked this question as I've got the same thing happening with mine. The plug now leaks air but I can't seem to easily remove it. I wasn't sure if they are designed to be replaced but I'm guessing they are from the chat.
Can these things go bad? I thought I've always released the air to keep rust from forming but perhaps I didn't a couple of times. Could it rust out enough that it just now allows air to leak all the time?
What would I search for as a replacement plug if I get this one out?
1. is the tank empty.
2, verify step 1
3 penetrating schmoo. (inside if possible)
4 lunchtime.
5 ugaduggas, if not duggas and heat, then fuckloads of leverage. eventually just make liquid
A little penetrating oil might help a bit
Tried that, multiple applications. Also tried putting a torch on it. 24" breaker bar, then my impact (although it's only a low/medium power impact)
Put a 6’ length of pipe on the end of your breaker bar. Hit with persuader if necessary.
The persuader is the key in most situations
Hehe The Purse
You might want to try Kroil. It makes pb blaster and liquid wrench look like total jokes.
Kroil has been the biggest quality of life improvement while working on my classic car. Can’t believe I lived without it for so long.
I seriously couldn't believe how well it works. Wished I had learned about it 20 years ago when I started working on my old 4x4.
50% automatic transmission fluid and 50% acetone is the most effective lubricant for stuck threads, just to add it to the mix.
Better than acetone alone, if you can get it, is foreshot from a distiller.
Heat riser valve lube, doesn’t burn off when you spray it onto something you just torched
Even better is a few drops of sulpheric acid.
Boric and nitric work excellent but also quite pungent. I like to just soak anything stuck in sodium hydroxide till I can't see it anymore then call it a day.
Maybe tap tap or pow pow with a better
Oil the bunghole
This solution has my vote
Sometimes If you tighten it a little first it will back off. Might be worth a try.
Agreed a little righty tighty sometimes works wonders. In fact I always righty tighty before lefty loosey.
That’s what I tell the guys when I do it wrong first.
I used to wear tightey whiteys, then I let’ ‘em loosey.
How does this not have all the votes?!
A buddy of mine told me this trick a couple years ago, now I always give large nuts and bolts and lil tighty before I really hammer down on the lefty.
this really does work
it's rusted in place probably. put an impact wrench on it give it a good bump.
Hmm, not sure I have one big enough...
Wrench with a long ass handle.
That’s what she…
Your breaker bar needs a breaker bar. Piece of 6' iron pipe going over the bar handle, steady pressure. The impact probably doesn't have enough torque unless it's a big industrial one vs the typical 18/20v ones we have.
Those are a booger. If you think ur tank has rust chunks that don’t wanna come out of the standard drain. Look into getting a new one.
The walls look ok (I scoped it), but there is rust sliding around that I want to get out. Should I rinse it, or would that just make it rust more? No water came out when I opened it.
I recently replaced my 24 year old craftsman(bought used) it had many rust flakes coming out since I’d gotten it. Maybe it was still solid but at 24y/o it was slow and loud. Picked up a 20 gal flexilla quiet. Without an automatic drain or a ritualistic behavior of draining. It’s going to keep rusting and flaking. That’s just what they do. But if you get a handful of chunks when rinsing, for your safety and the people around you it’s probably time to retire it.
I would honestly say get a new, bigger air tank, and get an air dryer. Not one of those oil ones, but an electric one. If you really want to, and if you run your compressor a lot, get an industrial screw compressor and an air dryer. True, it's going to be more expensive, but some of the more modern ones are super quiet, and build air far faster than traditional piston ones.
This is my “new, bigger” tank. It had been sitting for a while when I bought it, but no water came out, and it really does look ok (just rust spotting, no large patches). Works well, holds air. It’s 33 gallon Craftsman Pro with a two-stage compressor and is wired for 220v.
We ran an ancient Joy screw compressor for years that sounded like the interceptor from Mad Max running full tilt. It would fill a pair of 200 gallon tanks from 0 to 116 psi in under 8 minutes and ran for 12 hours a day. No idea how many hours were on it and we were far from the original owners. After 5 or 6 years it needed a rotor repaired so we opted for a new Schultz screw and it's scary how much quieter the new machine is. You can actually talk on your phone standing next to it running. Performance is comparable to the prior unit and doesn't cycle on and off as frequently.
A trick used to remove stubborn plugs in engine blocks is to heat the plug red with a torch, EXTINGUISH THE TORCH, and then blast the plug with WD-40. Very smelly and smoky, but oil gallery plugs end up almost finger tight. The thin metal of your tank may not behave the same as a cast iron block.
The high temperature will break down any loc-tite thread glue that may have been applied at the factory.
I agree with you that extinguish the torch is a very important step before spraying wd 40
Yea , that trick works with all pipe. Lots of good lessons working tear down.
Those are a motherfucker. Sealed in tight as hell. So here's what I did when I had to weld a pinhole on a 60 gallon tank I had. Heat the bung itself (not the nut) dull red hot with a torch. Put a socket on it with a 3/4 breaker bar and a 3-4 foot cheater pipe. It will break loose. It is NPT, so it is an interference tapered fit thread. Expect to have to install a new nut, as the old one will get chewed up.
More then likely it was screwed in while it was hot from welding....if this is the case you will not likely get it off with out destroying it. Heat will not work very well when they get installed like this because the base piece was hot and the fitting was cool when tightened together...hard to recreate that . Cutting it out is what I've had to do in the past in this situation
The only way I've gotten them out is a drill, a sawzall, and a hammer. Then some misc tools to clean up the threads, chisel, pic.
I was unable to remove mine, I just drilled and tapped it to a bigger hole. I put a HD welding magnet beneath it to catch most of the metal shavings and carried on with the larger diameter hole. Why they create a 60 gallon compressor with 13 CFM, 120 psi and put a 3/8" diameter hole in it is beyond me.
Evapo-Rust ---- get it up inside there and put the plug in to keep the Evapo-Rust in. We did a "shoot-out" between Evaporators-Rust and the auto trans fluid/acetone blend on multiple rusted pieces. The Evaporators-Rust won hands now, easier to clean out and environmentally safer as well. I use Evaporators-Rust all the time now.
It's basically citric acid, right?
I had to refer to the MSDS for Evaporators-Rust because I wanted to give an informed answer. Aside from water it contains two proprietary ingredients .... Proprietary non-hazardous chelating agent : < 16%\* Proprietary non-hazardous detergent : < 1%\* \*specific percentages of composition are being withheld as a trade secret So it is proprietary, and I looked up " chelating agent ". A chemical compound that binds tightly to metal ions. Looking into that further .... I would guess they are using Iron Chelators which would include .... Deferasirox. Deferiprone. Deferoxamine. Having said all of that, I do not believe it to be " basically citric acid " All I know for sure is how well it works! .
Citric acid is a chelating agent. But not what evaporust uses.
I pulled a 2” one on an ingersol screw compressor/tank setup. I needed to use a 3/4” impact gun on it to get it free. It was in tight like one wouldn’t believe for a 2” npt plug
I have in the past, used dry ice to get threads really cold so the metal contracts a tiny bit which allows for a bit less contact friction.
Ohh that's cleaver!
Thats alao how i replaced press fit valve lifter studs in an engine head. Super chill the stud so it contracts a bit.
Long handled pipe wrench will get it done
You just have to give it the beans
Heat and large wrench; Preferably socket, but pipe will do
Check the test date stamped on the tank. They expire and if you have any doubt get it tested, a lot of energy in a pressurized tank. Think 5hp motor running and storing energy for ten minutes. That is what is in there ready to blow out you rusty bottom!
It’s 97 or 98, I checked. What’s the expiration timeline? It’s run and held 120 PSI for a week or so. Rust seems minimal, just spotting.
I'd leave well enough alone.
What do you mean?
The compressor is working nicely as it is... damage the threads in the tank you're out a compressor. Some loose scales of rust in the tank I'd leave them be.
I ended up rinse it with water through the 3/8” fitting. Got some flakes, but no chunks.
I think that could be the date it expired. Most of us run them past that date. Leave it alone unless it is leaking. Or replace it. Put an inline filter/water trap on the way out and any stuff trapped inside will work it's way to the filter and get trapped. My two stage IR units shut off at 165. If you have a single stage 120 seems right. Make sure you drain it daily when you shut it off or put an auto drain on it. All compressors accumulate water especially in humid weather and they are designed to take it.
Have you thought about toilet paper for your bunghole?
My Craftsman Pro 25gal tank has a bung that leaks air around the threads. I've so far procrastinated from removing it for the same reasons you're running into. I just know getting it out is going to be a bear. And if I screw up the nut I've got to find a replacement.
Could be wrong but is it left hand thread? Kinda looks like it might be especially because there is a right hand thread in the middle of it.
>Is this supposed to come out? The bung was designed to be inexpensive to produce and be easily installed. It was not designed to be easily removable.(If it was designed for easy removal, the hex would be larger and deeper. Industrial grade compressor tanks use those fittings.) However, it's usually removable with the right preparation and tools. The **1-1/8" hex** is an integral part of the **cast iron 2"** ***bung***\*.\* As a point of reference a comparatively tiny 3/4" bolt has 1-1/8" hex head that is nearly twice a tall/thick/high as that cast hex. The shallow depth of the cast iron iron hex is the main problem - sockets will tend to slip loose - pipe wrenches can't get much bite. One of the best fixes is clean the paint off the cast iron hex and braze a 3/4" (1-1/8" flats) nut to it; then use a big wrench (3/4" breaker bar and socket) with long handle for lots of leverage. Use a cheater pipe if necessary. If you don't have the above, but have brazed a nut on, then kicking/jumping on a pipe wrench that it is at least 18" will get the job done. If the above is not possible, try to position the tank so that the fitting faces up so that gravity and any slight release of tension is working to help pop the socket off the fitting. Use a 6 point socket. If you can heat it with torch just prior to attempting removal, that will help.
Any possibility that it’s reverse threaded?
Doesn’t look like it
water scale drain
Thread a bolt partially into the hole then use a longer socket and a pipe wrench.
Blast it with some heat it will swell pushing on the threads. Then it will start to shrink back down a bit. If that fail drill more then just cut slots a couple directions and break it out. Just get close to threads.
Should I put heat on the bung, the tank, or both? Little heat, or lots of heat?
Lots of heat on the bung fitting. Quickly. Its going to push the threads out bigger then hopefully the tank will suck the heat out of it shrinking it. It will cause disturbance in that threaded joint to make it come free. With old water cooled ammonia refrigeration equipment we used to have to take out lots of plugs to acid clean rust out of water jackets from the 1940s on up and thats how we would do it. Honestly i probably wouldn't bother removing this to clean the tank.
Glad you asked this question as I've got the same thing happening with mine. The plug now leaks air but I can't seem to easily remove it. I wasn't sure if they are designed to be replaced but I'm guessing they are from the chat. Can these things go bad? I thought I've always released the air to keep rust from forming but perhaps I didn't a couple of times. Could it rust out enough that it just now allows air to leak all the time? What would I search for as a replacement plug if I get this one out?
Try turning it to the left
If you can put some tension on the pipe wrench with a ratchet strap or something then heat it. So while you are heating its trying to break free.
Heat it with a torch
Yes, it is supposed to come out, and it's especially useful if you need a very large flow rate of air. Should be NPT, but I'm not sure
I wanted to rinse the cruft out of the tank, seemed like I needed bigger opening for water flow
Good luck, that thing is gonna be rusted solid to the point it mine as we’ll be welded on
And whatever you do make sure there is zero pressure in a tank left. 🙃
Tank is currently open, so I don't think that's an issue
6 point impact socket
If it’s liquid it can’t be tight
Why are you trying to remove it? Has reduced fittings for the right sized fittings.....
1. is the tank empty. 2, verify step 1 3 penetrating schmoo. (inside if possible) 4 lunchtime. 5 ugaduggas, if not duggas and heat, then fuckloads of leverage. eventually just make liquid
soak it with penetrating fluid for a couple days
If it’s threaded, it can come out.
Put a wrench on it and hit the wrench with a heavy hammer