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Ingersoll-Rand Model 3310G 3000 PSI 3-stage compressor

magneticanomaly

Titanium
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Location
On Elk Mountain, West Virginia, USA
I just acquired the trinket described in the title, without the trailer or prime mover. Already been told that no parts are available. It turns. Search on I-R's documentation page came up enpty. I know we have wizards here who often come up with documentation... Will post a photo later.

THANKS!
 
I just acquired the trinket described in the title, without the trailer or prime mover. Already been told that no parts are available. It turns. Search on I-R's documentation page came up enpty. I know we have wizards here who often come up with documentation... Will post a photo later.

THANKS!

That should make the Impact wrench sing....and the nailgun shoot.....oopsie.
 
The bigger question is what you are going to do with 3000 psig compressed air. If the compressor is not made to produce oil-free air , no recharging Scuba tanks or self-contained breathing apparatus tanks for your local volunteer fire companies. Oil-free air delivery from piston type compressors was accomplished by way of "Teflon" piston rings, and/or a series of filter traps to remove any entrained oil in the air. If the compressor was never built to deliver oil free air, chances are it may have been used on high voltage air circuit breakers. High pressure air was used to both operate the breaker mechanism, as well as to 'bend the arc' formed when the breaker contacts open.

There are some aftermarket service shops which supported the older high pressure air compressors used on air circuit breakers. Possibly, a search along that line might turn up an aftermarket supplier. A firm I've had good success with over the years for large rotary screw compressor repair and retrofit work is Air Compressor Technologies in New Hampshire. Gene Specyalski is the owner/guru. He knows compressors including some of the recip compressors. Possibly Gene can put you onto a source for a manual for your high pressure compressor.

From what I remember of the high pressure air compressors we had at the powerplant, they were 'interesting'. We had some Bauer (Swiss made, originally on Brown Boveri air circuit breakers), and we had some Worthington (supported by a high voltage breaker service firm called Harley, in Twinsburg, OH- go figure that a firm named Harley will be in a town with the word "twin'). I remember that on the high pressure or final stages, the pistons on these compressors was quite small, maybe 1" in diameter. I also remember that a larger diameter cylinder jug was used as a crosshead guide for the HP piston, with the HP cylinder 'tandemed' onto the head end of the larger cylinder jug. The HP compressors were quite finicky to work on. Eventually, we upgraded to different types of circuit breakers, so the HP air compressors were phased out. I think one of the larger uses of these types of recip high pressure compressors is likely for air circuit breakers, though other industrial equipment or processes also might require high pressure compressed air.
 
Thanks, Joe, for the info and lead on service or manual.

I knew vaguely about air-blown circuit-breakers, but had no idea the pressures used were so high.

Nameplate info suggests that this unit had more than one purpose, because it specifies air delivery at 250PSI (12 CFM at 1200 RPM IIRC), and also at 3000 (8cfm @ 600 RPM) Yes, the high pressure piston is very small, judging by the head bolt pattern, and it rides on a larger jug as a crosshead-guide.

We had a similar but much newer, and smaller, compressor when I was in the volunteer fire company, for breathing air. I do not believe it was an oil-free unit, bt it did have an elaborate system of separation and filtration for the air.

Hopefully the crummy new camera will work tomorrow and I will be able to add pictures.
 
Large numbers of these compressors were used by Air Forces.....dunno what for,I just buy whats cheap.....from memory they had a 5hp 3 phase motor......Anyhoo ,nowadays every man and his dog wants one for airguns ....airguns no longer being BBs,but shooting up to 50cal slugs......Im sold out on the IR ones,and still have a few big Compair water cooled units.....These definitely were for air blast switch gear,as they were sold along with big three phase gensets....big as in 10 ton .
 
More and possibly better pictures. I'm surprised how much trouble I am having finding info...big zero so far.
 

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I'm guessing that is a pretty old unit, does not look like the I-R 3000psi compressors we used to get from the USAF. What are the plans for it? If breathing air you will need a coalescing filter to remove oil.
 
The nameplate shows a 1952 contract date. As johnK said, airgun charging is a possibility....need several different kinds of filtration to make breathing air, as i recall from my volunteer fireman days.
I am supposed to have plans for each piece of old iron?
 
I just acquired the trinket described in the title, without the trailer or prime mover. Already been told that no parts are available. It turns. Search on I-R's documentation page came up enpty. I know we have wizards here who often come up with documentation... Will post a photo later.

THANKS!
HI, I have had a couple of those 3310 Ingersol Rand surplus military compressors back in the late 50s and 60s.. I used them, with filtration, for SCUBA TANK FILLING. They were driven by a v4 Wisconsin (crank start---that was fun-NOT and hazardous). Originally, they were designed prior to WW2 to charge compressed air (2600 psi) driven torpedoes (mark 37 if I recall correctly) on an aircraft carrier. They were packaged in a container that was the same size and shape as a torpedo so they could be delivered or sent on to an island in the Pacific(called island hopping) by a torpedo bomber . They had to be completely reassembled from the "shipping container" and the frame was actually a couple of medium to high pressure surge tanks that actually had axles and wheels attachable for transport on the ships deck or a island airstrip. They were rated as continuous duty.and worked great. I still have an original old small spare parts box that is complete with the original spare parts. The only maintenance I ever had to do was change crankcase oil, and fairly often clean (the heat would carbon up the valves) and hone the valve surfaces for better sealing. I eventually converted to a Ingersol Rand 15T3 for more CFM (15) and pressure (3500 psi). No I am not as old as WW2. but I did work for the US Navy in the 1960s and the 70s, and did the research to figure out what I had inherited from my diving instructor and mentor. I hope you enjoy my memories and info on the 3310s. FYI I also was told, but was never able to verify, that these compressors were also used by the US Maines to charge the pressure tank (1800 psi) on their flame throwers to allow the jellied gasoline to be able to be shot out a greater distance.
 
Ive sold lots of these units.....but as the surplus auctions are no more,and Im too old anyway,past tense .........I knew they were from the Air Force (yellow paint) ,but could only guess what they were used for ...........about the V4 Wisconsins .....small but deadly .....if you wernt careful hand starting would throw the short crankhandle into your face ,smashing teeth.
 
Well Mossy Back, I am glad you showed up! Thanks for the caution, John K. I have crank-start Wisconsin engines on several pieces of equipment, and none of them has hurt me yet...more than I can say for my beloved old IH tractor, but of course it is always "pilot error".
Mossy Back, The plate on the unit I have says it can be used to supply 250 PSI air, or 3KPSI. There are several valves which I suppose control this. I guess with enough trial and error i could figure it ll out, but I am faintly hoping for some operating instructions. I am also interested in your spares box, if you might be persuaded to part with it.
 








 
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