Help Identifying this (Champion?) Compressor

Picked up this compressor for reasonable money. Was used daily, kept up with needs, only sold because they got a scratch and dent deal on a brand new one. From what I can tell, the original color seems to be that teal machine green color. Numbers on the pump point me towards either Champion or Speedaire.

Tank date of manufacture says 1974.

I've attached pictures with what numbers I could find on the pump. The motor is a 5hp US-manufacture.

Should I pull it apart and rebuild the pump? Or run it as is, if it keeps up alright? It was filthy when I got it, but it lived in its own closet. Oil is golden, air filter was in place and okay. Not sure the availability of rebuild kits for this compressor, or how worth it it is.

Thanks in advance,

It looks like my Champion VR-5A, mine was made in the late 90s. My model number is on the frame under the oil drain. If yours was there it looks like your is painted over. What ever one yours is I would put belts on it and try it out before considering a rebuild.

Pretty sure it is a R series , because it looks exactly like my R15.
Your 3rd pic shows R14 in the casting. My R15 has the same R14 on it's casting.

The R15 or R15A was an earlier model 16.5" flywheel and the later R15B and more displacement and more squarish looking fins.
As I recall they both had the same dia flywheels.

They also made a R10, never seen one but even less displacement and they apparently look like the R15s.
And they made a much earlier REN 14, R14 etc...

Unless you find a model plate, you probably would have to check the bore and stroke to find out what you really have.

Use it, if it doesn't rattle and puts out non oily air at a good rate.

Rebuild kits are available on Ebay etc.. Champion uses aluminum rods with no bearing inserts. And no compressor that I know of makes oversize inserts.

So if you have a messed up crank, it gets pretty pricey to rebuild because you can't just turn the crank and use oversize bearings.

But typically it is the high pressure wrist pin that takes the beating. Requiring a new piston, pin and rod bushing or rod.

Great, thanks for the help here guys. I’ll try looking around for some kits but definitely just give it a try before purchasing anything.

Looks exactly like my Speedaire pump of similar age. Mine has had a hard life and still runs like new. Run it until it develops a problem.

Yep, looks like my Speedair pump. Has been working for 40 years, and I bought it used.

X3, my backup compressor is the same one, sold as a Speedaire also.

Still going strong after who knows how many years. Run it till it dies.

steamandsteel said:

View attachment 279349

Click to expand...

Connect a fitting on the air inlet so that the air filter is not upside down. I have the same air filter with the three holes in the bottom. Each hole had a clear plastic
tube pressed in. Removed the plastic tubes and made new ones from some 304. There should be a foam pad acting as a pre-filter surrounding the paper mesh filter. The foam
pad can be removed and cleaned which helps the paper filter not to get clogged.

See how it runs and what drains out from the bottom.

rons said:

Connect a fitting on the air inlet so that the air filter is not upside down. I have the same air filter with the three holes in the bottom. Each hole had a clear plastic
tube pressed in. Removed the plastic tubes and made new ones from some 304.

Click to expand...

What would doing all that accomplish?

Unless this compressor is going to be outside in the rain, I can't see the point. You will still have the same high volume of incoming air pulling in any dirt and dust that is floating around in that air, into the filter.

The original air filter that came with that compressor was just a exposed pleated paper filter.
No rain cap, no 3 tubes, no nothing.

Far better to place the compressor away from grinding dust and other contaminated air.

Got the compressor wired up and running today... oil is a bit grungy so that’s getting flushed and changed. Otherwise the unit runs quietly with little vibration.

Took 6 minutes 40 seconds to build 150lbs of air from an empty 80 gal tank.

Using the method described on https://www.hunker.com/12174007/how-to-calculate-the-cfm-of-an-air-compressor

I got 15.82 CFM for the compressor.

It keeps up just fine and even builds pressure when constantly using a Milton blow gun.

Not too bad.

Plan to throw a big cone filter on the intake, and to store it away in its own little area to keep dust etc off of it.

Thanks for the good feedback everyone