Advise in I-R T-30 air compressor, serviceable or scrap?

I have a 30 year old 7.5 HP 80 gallon T-30 compressor that was taken out of service about 25 years ago due to a broken Reed valve. The unit was drained and stored indoors. I need a compressor for my new shop and really do not want to spend $3,500.00 on a new one. Cylinders are good and a high and low pressure valve assembly is about $300.00. So here it is, with heat I removed the 2" reducing bushing and with near steam pressure washed the receiver until clear water drained and let it dry. The bushing was rusty enough that some of the threads pulled on it. The bung will be ok. I had planned to inspect the tank with a fiber scope. Well utilizing a flashlight I observed what appears to be continued rust covering the inside surface opposite the bung hole despite a 4000 PSI wash. I can do a hydro test wait the pressure washer but I'm not sure if it's worth proceeding. I have no experience in this situation. I certainly don't want a tank exploding. Please offer some suggestions.

Is it pitted or just surface rust? It would be best to use a borescope to see what the bottom is like. That's wear water would sit and cause the worst rust.

I would run it. There are guys that "inspect" tanks, but that's just a stamp for the insurance man. I think the borescope would be a waste of time, there's going to be rust on the bottom. I can see that from here, even without the borescope.

I would run it. Make sure you set a blow off valve on the bottom. Set the timer for 30 seconds for a 3 second blow and dump some rust converter in there and coat everything. Clean the screen on the blow off occasionally. Most compressor tanks that are taken out of use have some sort of rust.

I appreciate the advice gentlemen! I stand corrected, $3,500.00 will buy a new I-R compressor which from what I have seen and read are no where the machine they used to be and are considered junk from India by many with a high failure rate at low time. A Good Quincy or Champion will be 5-7K. Like everything else but salaries have doubled since COVID. Just a quick story, in a previous life nearly 40 years ago I had a customer that had a Thomas 6 gallon pancake compressor that came apart and went through the sheetrock ceiling coming to rest in the attic. I certainly don't to experience that with a 80 gallon at 175 PSI. That just might ruin ones whole day.

If you are nervous do a pressure test. Once you get it filled with water it will take very little more water from your pressure washer to get it to test pressure. Do not overpressure beyond test pressure. Post a picture of your tank data plate and someone will give you the proper test pressure. It is a code tank, right? Shamrock with a U (stands for unfired) in the center?

It will probably be fine sound the bottom with a tapping hammer when the boiler inspector comes out to look at our tanks they use a scope of sorts on the bottom not sure how you could get that done in your area even There is probably only small percentage of catastrophic failure caused by rust out we get rust holes in truck air tanks often. I have seen the results of the end cap unwelding on a 120 gal Horizontal that was way over pressure from a combination of factors pure luck it didn't kill anybody the end cap is still laying 300 yards from the shop the main tank went though a block wall and another shed Make sure the pressure relief is large enough and functional Eaton Polar air is a very good USA made compressor fairly affordable and repairable

terex herder said: If you are nervous do a pressure test. Once you get it filled with water it will take very little more water from your pressure washer to get it to test pressure. Do not overpressure beyond test pressure. Post a picture of your tank data plate and someone will give you the proper test pressure. It is a code tank, right? Shamrock with a U (stands for unfired) in the center? Click to expand... Yes it is an ASME coded tank with a welded on plate.

An inspection mirror may be enough to see the bottom. I suggested a borescope because many people have them already or they can be rented pretty cheap. If the tank is pitted on the bottom I wouldn't use it. Surface rust no problem. Hopefully the tank was drained regularly. The consequences of a tank failure, especially ar 175 PSI could easily kill you or someone else.

I appreciate all the advice! Well I believe the jury is in with a verdict on the tank. Additional examination reveals large rust flakes coming lose. The pic of the dial caliper is not in good focus but several pieces are nearly 1/8" thick. So I think the tank might be good for a burn barrel. Now the question is would it be prudent to cut the pump/motor mount off and weld it to a new $ 900.00 ASME receiver since another $300.00 will replace both pump valve plates or just replace the whole compressor. If replacing it based on very mixed reviews I-R is mostly junk. Thank you...

If a qualified welder did it would be best but I think it would void the ASME certification. Techically once a vessel is certified you can't weld on it. Even simple things like ladder mounts. I don't think anybody would ever need to inspect it though unless it failed. Some tanks come with mounts already on them.

Well the decision is in to purchase a new 7.5 HP 80 gallon vertical compressor. I have two I-R T-30 7.5's in service now. Commonality is the goal so it might will be another I-R which I am reluctantly pondering. Here is the million dollar question. Any forum members have recent experience with the I-R T-30? I am trying to make a decision not solely bases on what may be biased opinions on random websites. Thanks...

Yeah. I purchased six of the Honda powered T-30’s when I worked for big oil. We had good luck with them. We took one to St. George for a tank farm project. The fab shop made an aluminum roll cage for it so four guys could lift and wrestle it onto a plane. It was abused hard. No complaints.

But, all the cool kids are switching to compact rotary. Stacked VMAC G30’s and such. But, I’m old school and like hearing the two stage reciprocating units chugging away at 100 decibels and rattling the entire job site.

Legdoc said: I appreciate all the advice! Well I believe the jury is in with a verdict on the tank. Additional examination reveals large rust flakes coming lose. The pic of the dial caliper is not in good focus but several pieces are nearly 1/8" thick. So I think the tank might be good for a burn barrel. Now the question is would it be prudent to cut the pump/motor mount off and weld it to a new $ 900.00 ASME receiver since another $300.00 will replace both pump valve plates or just replace the whole compressor. If replacing it based on very mixed reviews I-R is mostly junk. Thank you... Click to expand... If I was closer, I could ultrasound it for you and provide quantitative data. Tanks big or small, I inspect them all. Then, we could down a couple cold ones,… chat about air compressors.

For $150 on amazon you could have some piece of mind. Not to steal work from Coaldust. I know you found some flakes, but that happens in all tanks. I would still run it. It will probably outlast whatever you would buy to replace it. https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Thickness-Gauge-Industrial-882-Steel/dp/B09HTXKJPB/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eU5UJZFNEXCbPVElJsEDCF8ERDu1pxSZtHw_CK70gqa2NdJIP6vsC_jgfEfjqJuACh_HlHCPe2ps1xOhGtgOPHuba9mXYtf1C2cjIK7A-0ZV8HyIN44NsVf3Kj6prXxfVFnJDtRnvr5W7bQvAWshPakhlWSKqJTO-64jlkPDpQw9reeJd874ZIHmPUTJSWCbBx54f6mtJG4bW82JPukKIMXfTfF77dmvK12TRWYXWCc.7xXjdyjUmcL00l6m7E8EUwgaKo06p0YZjE1cWcm9FZE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Ultrasonic%2BThickness%2BMeasuring%2BInstruments&qid=1755051345&sr=8-3&th=1

Coaldust said: But, all the cool kids are switching to compact rotary. Stacked VMAC G30’s and such. But, I’m old school and like hearing the two stage reciprocating units chugging away at 100 decibels and rattling the entire job site. Click to expand... That's interesting, I'll look that up out of curiosity. We use very little air until we blast in a cabinet with a 22 cfm nozzle which is still slow on larger items. I wish I had 50 CFM for that as that would really suck up the abrasive. It is a 36" cabinet with siphon feed not pressure. I thought the screws were for continuous use only?.

Well it's time to update this thread. It's been a year and with a new to me Haas VMC, I need to get this compressor problem solved. I hydrotested the tank and did an ultrasound test. I am satisfied with the results. However, I missed a deep gouge in the cylinder where the broken Reed landed. So the pump is trash. A new pump is 2K and by many considered Indian junk. The new T-30's are not what they used to be. A lot has changed in the air compressor business. It appears all manufacturers have nearly doubled their prices while going to extreme measures to cut cost and get into the big box stores. A Saylor-Beale will be 10K, a Champion with a slow RPM pump will be about 7K. Anything under that is considered not a true industrial grade unit and a glorified home owner compressor. So the saga continues.

What about a Quincy? There was a farm store here that sold some Quincy models and I recall they had a 5 year warranty plus you could get an extended warranty and the pump was rated for I think 15,000 hours. Looking online some Quincy models are rated for 30,000 hours with proper maintenance. DV Air Systems also have very good compressors. They used to be Devilbiss, then Devair. Kaiser is another one. https://www.dvsystems.com/en/

Quincy appears to have avoided the normal Enshittification of modern manufacturing. Yeah, but wow. Over $5k for a 30 gallon truck mount, two-stage, 100% duty cycle.