Old type ARB compressor repair

[Slunnie]

I've done the altopsy on my "dead" ARB compressor. The Conrod big end has come off the end of bigend bearing and then slapped around a bit on the bearing nut (its a half crankshaft). There also looked to have been a seize, but probably more likely to have been abrasion damage on the piston and bore from gritty inlet air

To me it looks like it'll need a new conrod, little end bearing, piston pin, piston, barrell and inlet valve. The after that it'll be like a new one again.

Can these parts be bought from ARB or is it now throw away?

[Utemad]

If it is the just superceded model then you can still get parts. I called ARB and checked recently.

[Slunnie]

Excellent! Thanks for this Justin.

[feraldisco]

the parts would want to be fairly cheap...by all accounts the new ARB compressor is far superior to the old one, and most other compressors for that matter - for $350...

[Slunnie]

Yeah, you're right. I spoke to ARB today it it looks like a piston and bore kit is about $70 and the rest of the parts he guessed at about $10. I thought that wasnt too bad at all. I've got a new ARB compressor, but I might rebuild this one to go in the old landy or as a spare.

[Slunnie]

Today I pulled the old wire loom out of the Disco and repaired the front
locker switch which had a blown globe (by replacing it), and of
course... as you do... I became side tracked as to why the old ARB
compressor **** itself.

Anyway, open it up and the conrod had come off the big end bearing and
there was some grazing in the bore/piston in one section near the
crown from dust. At the end of it all my plan was to buy a new big end
bearing, conrod, little end bush, piston pin, piston and barrell.

With this thing sprawled all over
my kitchen bench I couldn't make dinner until it was fixed and parts
take time to get to the central west. Soooo, off to supercheap for some super
dooper loctite (red) and the big end bearing has been loctited and
"drifted" back into position and the lot slapped back together again.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow. It may last 30 secs..... or it may
last! If its a goer I'll put it in the old Landy II ute. Its sort of a
similar story really.... it may last 30secs or it may go.

[long stroke]

Theres some good lookin air compressors on ebay for $30 plus postage:D
And also aldi have some $99

CHEERS TIM.

[Slunnie]

Hey thats true Tim... I'd rather my broken and repaired ARB unit though. It'll probably be more reliable (if I fix it properly), and it has the loom, pressure switches, locker compatibility and will inflate tyres at least half as quickly as a $30 jobbie. :lol2:

[RoverOne]

We'll see how it goes tomorrow. It may last 30 secs..... or it may
last! If its a goer I'll put it in the old Landy II ute. Its sort of a
similar story really.... it may last 30secs or it may go.

Hey Slunnie, are you refering to the Series 11 ute here....;)

[Slunnie]

Hey Slunnie, are you refering to the Series 11 ute here....;)
Absolutely. :D

Ahhhh, one day. It's sooo close now, but I'm going to pull it apart again now for an auto conversion.

[RoverOne]

No worries, sounds good...I wouldn't mind reconverting the blue Range Rover back to auto...but autos aren't that cheap either.

Defenders all back together, ready for Cape York next Saturday...can't wait to get back into shorts, although the days have been fine until about 3.00pm lately out here.

I'll be in an out of town most of the week, tomorrow registering the Defender & over hauling wheel bearings, Tuesday & Thursday seeing quacks about my shoulder before I go, but will make an effort to catch up in July when we get back from the Cape.

[long stroke]

Hey thats true Tim... I'd rather my broken and repaired ARB unit though. It'll probably be more reliable (if I fix it properly), and it has the loom, pressure switches, locker compatibility and will inflate tyres at least half as quickly as a $30 jobbie. :lol2:

Yeah i can't say i'd trust a $30 air compressor in 40 degree heat and in the middle of nowhere;)

Evan if it is quicker than an old arb:D

CHEERS TIM.

[Slunnie]

No worries, sounds good...I wouldn't mind reconverting the blue Range Rover back to auto...but autos aren't that cheap either.

Defenders all back together, ready for Cape York next Saturday...can't wait to get back into shorts, although the days have been fine until about 3.00pm lately out here.

I'll be in an out of town most of the week, tomorrow registering the Defender & over hauling wheel bearings, Tuesday & Thursday seeing quacks about my shoulder before I go, but will make an effort to catch up in July when we get back from the Cape.
Mate, have fun up at Cape. I love it up there!!

Cool, we'll catch up when you get back, I'd love to hear how it goes. I'll be back from Madigans at the end of July also.

[Slunnie]

Oh...

After stripping the old ARB compressor and wire loom out of the Disco, I replaced it all with the new compressor and new wiring loom

Easy peasy to do and everything falls back into the same holes that the old compressor left behind. The loom is slightly different, but nothing to exciting or drastic. There is an additional earth wire that just gets crimped in with the main return, the power wires are a little thicker, there is a mumma inline fuse now and the power wires to the switch loom are lighter than in the old loom.

I've got to say that I'm really impressed with the development work they have put into the new compressor. The mouting system is a lot more flexible as it will allow rotation on the mounts, the fittings are significantly easier to put onto the compressor (ie locker solinoids, pressure switch and hose outlet) as they don't all crash into each other, and the new cradle is easy to tighten and loosen to allow rotation of the compressor within the cradle. Also, it has a smaller tank to speed airup times as it takes less to also pressurise and the tyre hose now allows the tank to hold pressure for the next tyre, unlike the old one that would release all of its pressure between tyres, and so destroy the advantage of having an air tank, but leave the problems.

Oh and they're heaps quicker.

[RoverOne]

Mate, have fun up at Cape. I love it up there!!

Cool, we'll catch up when you get back, I'd love to hear how it goes. I'll be back from Madigans at the end of July also.

Yes me too, my fourth trip, 1971, 1996, 2001 & 2008, it will probably be my last. The changes I see every time I go I'm not sure I like most of them.

I was the first official vehicle over the then new Wenlock Bridge, nosed up to the ribbon cutting ceremony, they gave me a piece of the ribbon as a souvineer, 27th June 2001, my car on front page of Cairns local paper with Qld Tansport minister & aboriginal elders, bit of a hoot at the time.

I believe a bit of tar appears up & down the trek in places, a bit different to my first trip, we had to carry most of our fuel in jerry cans in the rear of the Series 2 LWB, and just about every day we shot wild pigs by the dozens, actualy used a few to feast on (before I new about worms in pigs, but I lived). No ferry then at the Jardine, the crossing relatively easy going, also drove the coastal section which you can't do any more, and we took 3 months, and saw about 30 cars on the whole Cape.

Only done Madigans Line once with Roger last August, but have crossed the Simpson a few times over the last 30 years & will do that all again either next year or the one after, Madigans was a great run you'll enjoy it, just don't rush it, it's hard on shocks.