Old Champion Compressor

[dnail]

I recently acquired a very old Champion compressor. Vintage 1937. The compressor turns smooth as silk. I changed the oil. I sent the motor out for cleaning and I repainted the tank and installed a bottom drain. It looks great. My problem is this: On the compressor pulley (cast iron, two V belts, about 16 inches in diameter) there is cast an arrow indicating clock-wise rotation. The motor, 220 volt induction-repulsion, is turning in a counter clock-wise rotation. Before I put on the new belts, I need to know what is going on? Hard to believe that it has been running backwards for over seventy years. Can the compressor run in either direction? Could the pulley have been reversed some time in the past and the compressor really should run counter clock-wise? While it doesn't look like it happened, could the electric motor people have reversed the motor direction? Any help or direction you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Bob]

Reverse the motor's rotation and turn the compressor the way the pulley is marked. If it's really an induction-repulsion motor it can easily be reverse by shifting the brushholder. Typically, there will be 2 marks in that area to set it to, one for each rotation. The motor shop MAY not have kept track of where it was set and simply locked it at the wrong position.

Are there fan "blades" cast into the spokes of the pulley to blow cooling air over the compressor? That would be ONE reason for it to be directional.

The other reason would be an oil pump, oil dippers on the rod, or a "ring" oiling system that depend on the correct rotation to work properly.

BTW have you considered hydrostically testing the tank?

 

[dnail]

Bob, You are absolutely correct that there are fan blades cast into the pulley and when rotated in the clock-wise direction would blow air over the compressor cooling fins on the compressor and plumbing. That tells me the correct rotation and that I do need to reverse the motor. Thanks!P.S. It does have an oil pump and looking thru the oil fill port, I can see two sets of dipping rods passing thru the oil. All clean and shiny after 73 years.