Air starter

[wayne86]

I was wondering if anyone would know were I can get a rebuild kit for my air starter. My truck that I picked up is a 55 b61 mack semi. I appreciate all the help. 

[tjc transport]

https://airstartersdirect.com/mack/?page=4&srsltid=AfmBOopnP8_HcSWxt3imGe4_ysWpfokLwju4nMuhcA9_Ghq6v_2oxyHU

[Geoff Weeks]

I used ASC  but it looks like they changed their name. Always gave me great service but never have I had to rebuild a motor.

ASC

Before "assuming" a rebuild is in order. what problems do you have? My air starters came off old Roadway trucks so had seen a long life before I even got them, they are working 20 year on from when I installed them. I have had problems with tanks leaking either the tank it self or more often the check valve  and/or the relay valve. I had lubercator pumps on mine that gave them a shot of lube (diesel) every time they were used, so almost no wear. 

 

[wayne86]

I believe the fins are sticking cause I took it off the motor and it's not spinning and when I take the air line off and hit the lever from the valve I do have a lot of air pressure from my tank. So I figured I need to rebuild it. I am 39 and don't know to much about these old b61 and especially the air starters this one is the first one I have ever seen. 

[Geoff Weeks]

1st what brand/model air starter are you working with?

[Geoff Weeks]

If you don't know or can't find a tag, take a picture of it.

[Geoff Weeks]

Here is a breakdown of the I-R vane motor that is common. There are other mfg and other models that are obsolete. Knowing what you have is important.

If you have the older BM series you might not be able to get parts, but that doesn't mean you can't get it working if you are careful.

 

[mowerman]

Yeah, plus  you can a lot of times wind up, pulling it apart and soaking the armature and veins and clean  up. The housing might be able to save us few bucks as Geoff mentioned. there’s plenty of parts out there. Good luck and have a ball with it. Bob 

[Geoff Weeks]

didn't Larry @Freightrain have BM series? I don't know if he found parts for it or replaced it or just got it working. I remember (may be falsely) that it what he had. It pre-dates the BMP 150 series, and was replaced by it.

[mowerman]

I don’t remember him mentioning anything about the starter, but I do remember when he was russling up parts. I’m sure he will chime in he’s probably working now.

[Geoff Weeks]

It might have been on JOT or even ATHS.

[mrsmackpaul]

If it hasn't started in a long time, pull the starter apart and make sure the vanes are well lubed up and slide freely 

You need to take note of how each segment is clocked, generally done with a center punch mark to each part in a straight line

If it is assembled wrong the starter can go backwards 

Once everything is sliding loosely and easily and covered in lots of diesel

Reassemble and try again

If your still not going, rebuild kits are available from Mack in Australia, so should be easy enough to get in the U.S. 

Or try Ingersoll rand

Or there's a place in Australia you can buy change over fully reco air starters from

 

Paul

 

[mrsmackpaul]

Or as mentioned above by these other blokes

 

Paul

[wayne86]

[wayne86]

5 minutes ago, wayne86 said:

Thanks for all ur help guys I will give this a shot as soon as everything warms up. 

[Freightrain]

Ok, I'm here.

Mine is an IR but has no tag.  All alum housing with cast pinion drive.  Appears to be different then yours.

Mine has four bolts around perimeter that allows the end bells to be removed.  I didn't have new gaskets and friend said use "pop can cartons", so I cut them out and it works fine.

You need to get some diesel fuel or air tool oil and get the vanes loosened up.  Wash it all out and get it reassembled.  I purchased an oiler for mine as after a couple years the vanes started sticking.  Oiler takes a squirt of fuel from your return line and gets it injected into motor to lube the vanes(just like you do to an air tool).  Been about 8 yrs without a failure.

Oiler is that small round part on left side.

Oily sumbitch from that leaky 237, needs cleaned up before putting back on the 300 motor.

 

 

 

[Geoff Weeks]

Yeah, that is an obsolete model. You will not find "kits" for it but you may find vanes that are the same that could be used.

As others have said, be careful when dis assembling to mark orientation of the segments as you disassemble. Gaskets can be made and they don't have to be 100% air tight. It only sees air when starting and a minor leak isn't going to be missed with the volume of air that thing uses. Try and get the gasket thickness the same as what you remove.

If you look at the drawing I linked the vanes are listed as 10BM-42 which may mean they are a hold-over from the old BM series, you'd have to take a gamble and check. Other parts in the drawing start with 150BMP-xxx and are likely 150 parts only.

I believe that model uses an "inertia engaged" type starter drive, so clean the drive end of all the muck so the drive will slide out easily. 

Good luck. I think it will "live again". 

 

[Geoff Weeks]

31 minutes ago, Freightrain said:

Ok, I'm here.

Mine is an IR but has no tag.  All alum housing with cast pinion drive.  Appears to be different then yours.

Mine has four bolts around perimeter that allows the end bells to be removed.  I didn't have new gaskets and friend said use "pop can cartons", so I cut them out and it works fine.

You need to get some diesel fuel or air tool oil and get the vanes loosened up.  Wash it all out and get it reassembled.  I purchased an oiler for mine as after a couple years the vanes started sticking.  Oiler takes a squirt of fuel from your return line and gets it injected into motor to lube the vanes(just like you do to an air tool).  Been about 8 yrs without a failure.

 

Larry, you likely have the 150BMP series I linked the draw above. That is what I have also, very robust.  I-R still lists them in their catalog, but everything is going turbine now. Motor segments are aluminum, drive nose is iron.

rear housing/cover looks slightly different then the more modern ones, but that is it. May be they updated the rear housing. Other than that it looks like a 150 of today.

Edited 19 hours ago by Geoff Weeks

[mowerman]

Mine is also an Ingersoll rand  it was $1,000 bucks exchange in 1995.. lol but I’m sure you can work with that one good luck

[Geoff Weeks]

I bought mine from Manders Diesel for $250 per "kit". The kit was the motor, tank, tank mounts and controls (start button and relay valve). I bought two "kits" and they came with the voltmeter and low pressure light/buzzer from the 1st generation of Volvo's Roadway had.

All I had to add was the -20 air line and the -6 control lines. 

I bought 2 because I wanted spare part in case I had a problem, I found them so reliable, that I converted my other truck to air start. 

The one that was too short to add an air tank on the frame, got the Maxwell ESM for electric cranking.

[mowerman]

Excellent I changed mine over. Also it was electric and I was having electrical issues with starting . I couldn’t quite figure out… I pulled everything out . I just threw everything out and went air start.