Author Topic: I killed Yong Heng!!! (Read 2862 times))

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **on:** October 09, 2018, 09:24:50 PM »

My YH compressor wasn’t filling my 90 ci tank to 4000 psi anymore, so I figured it needed some maintenance. I should have left it alone and been happy just filling my air guns. But, being me, I’m never satisfied leaving anything well enough alone so I decided I’d replace the high pressure bushings and see if that would help.

I ordered some replacement bushing on eBay only to discover they were the wrong ones. Apparently there are more than one type of YH compressor! Mine was the low end Simple model, so that might be why.

Anyway the bushings I got were split and were too tall to fit the grooves in the high side shaft. I sanded them down to fit but it was really hard getting the to fit into the cylinder.

Also, when I pulled the cylinder head the gasket ripped so I had to order some gasket material to make a new one.

The gasket material arrived today and I got it put back together but it was binding and tripped the breaker. I pulled it back apart, trimmed the gasket a bit where it looked like it was causing the little flipper thing to bind, lubed the bushings and put it back together. This time it fired up just fine, but wouldn’t build any pressure. I felt air escaping from the tube that connected the low side to the high side so I shut it down and tighten those two connections. That’s when it happened, the connection on the top of the cylinder head just kept spinning! I had stripped it!

So, I killed Yong Heng... He was a work horse while he lasted, but I guess his time had come. I searched AliExpress for just the top of the cylinder head but couldn’t find just that part. There were plenty of entire cylinder assemblies that included the piston, but not just that one piece and none of the assemblies were for the Simple model. Also, after adding shipping, they were around $100 with no guarantee it would work and I’d have to buy more parts to convert it to a Hardback model so the tubes would work. By time I added the other needed parts, I was fast approaching $150!

I did find a Set Pressure Yong Heng on eBay for $196.99 with free shipping from California, so for roughly $50 more, I got a brand new YH with the pressure setting feature. It’s supposed to be here Friday, so I have packed up good ole Simple Yong Heng and will set him aside for parts. If I eventually find a new top piece for the high pressure head for a reasonable price, I’ll see if I can reserve the him and use him as a back-up.

Motorhead · « **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2018, 01:39:58 AM »

Another Model / Type of Chinese high pressure compressor getting popular only to fail and NOT PASS the semi long term durability test.
In the last 3 years or so there have been soooo many compressors come to market selling for far less than the USE PROVEN shoebox that in the short time they have been out, have been a pretty universal failure generally well inside a few 100 hours if not less use.

Just an observation ...

Wayne52 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 10, 2018, 02:22:02 AM »

Scott I might just have to buy me a "Shoebox" before the snow flies, the guy that fills my tanks is headed south October 22nd and it's going to be time for the hand pump and Prod when my two 1 hour SCBA's get low. Not only that the tanks will be expired in December next year which would also enable me to make use of the Shoebox. They might be slow but they do get the job done and are totally rebuildable.

Motorhead · « **Reply #3 on:** October 10, 2018, 02:39:20 AM »

Lol ... Love Hate relationship with my original chain drive SB.
It works GREAT ... slow as molasses on a cold January morning, Clack clack clack annoyingly noisy ... BUT Reliable as all get out !!
ran it 1000's of hours without issue and when it did go teets up, o-rings all around and away it went once more.

IMO the ultimate K.I.S.S. high pressure compressor so long as ... your not in a hurry be it small fills or large.

Sadly as a tuner my air consumption / need exceeded what the SB could provide NOT WILLING to have it running in the background hour after hour, so ... it was retired for higher capacity pumps at a GREATLY elevated cost

At @ 3 years on the Alpha 90 and shy of 200 hours it is near worn out being a $1200 investment ( $400 per year to have air independence of the dive shop etc ) That's tough, but paid for by the work load it allowed.

I could go on ... but won't

Wayne52 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 10, 2018, 04:20:11 AM »

Terry the guy that fills my tanks does inspections on tanks but he sends all the tanks that need hydro testing out. He told me if I decided to fill my own tanks that filling them slow with something like the shoe box and keeping the moisture out they'd still last way beyond their life expectancy. He has a lot of friends that do just that. He's got the ultimate compressor, it's a 4 stage he bought from a firehouse auction deal (literally) for $3K

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #5 on:** October 15, 2018, 10:02:01 AM »

UPDATE: I revived Mr. Heng, but he wasn't at 100%, so he's down again awaiting parts. By removing one of the washers on the pipe that stripped, I was able to tighten it further into the cylinder head and it's holding well. I'm still trying to locate just the cylinder head piece and plan on replacing it at some point also. It was running fine, but since I did not have the correct bushings for the high side it was only pushing 2500 psi max. I had order some bushings, but the ones I got were for the higher end YH not the basic Simple/Starter model I have. They were too tall, so I sanded them down to fit, but they were also the split rind style and my compressor took the one piece style. It was probably a combination of me modifying them and they not being the correct style that caused the problem. I have torn it down again and ordered a new high side shaft with new bushings from AliExpress. I'm hoping this will get him up and running again. Fortunately, most of the parts for these things are starting to show up on AliExpress, and they are pretty inexpensive.

My new YH is supposed to be here tomorrow. That one will become my primary since it will have the nicer features and I'll save the Simple/Starter version for when it's time to do maintenance or repair the new one. I hate being without air, so I feel it was a worthwhile investment.

truck · « **Reply #6 on:** October 16, 2018, 02:30:50 AM »

Quote from: PaulT58 on October 15, 2018, 10:02:01 AM

UPDATE: I revived Mr. Heng, but he wasn't at 100%, so he's down again awaiting parts. By removing one of the washers on the pipe that stripped, I was able to tighten it further into the cylinder head and it's holding well. I'm still trying to locate just the cylinder head piece and plan on replacing it at some point also. It was running fine, but since I did not have the correct bushings for the high side it was only pushing 2500 psi max. I had order some bushings, but the ones I got were for the higher end YH not the basic Simple/Starter model I have. They were too tall, so I sanded them down to fit, but they were also the split rind style and my compressor took the one piece style. It was probably a combination of me modifying them and they not being the correct style that caused the problem. I have torn it down again and ordered a new high side shaft with new bushings from AliExpress. I'm hoping this will get him up and running again. Fortunately, most of the parts for these things are starting to show up on AliExpress, and they are pretty inexpensive.

My new YH is supposed to be here tomorrow. That one will become my primary since it will have the nicer features and I'll save the Simple/Starter version for when it's time to do maintenance or repair the new one. I hate being without air, so I feel it was a worthwhile investment.

Are you sure you have enough threads holding that pipe against the pressure?

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 16, 2018, 05:49:32 PM »

My thoughts exactly Truck, one washer width of treads may allow it to tighten up with a wrench but not hold when subjected to high pressure.

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #8 on:** October 16, 2018, 05:59:29 PM »

Quote from: Hoosier Daddy on October 16, 2018, 05:49:32 PM

My thoughts exactly Truck, one washer width of treads may allow it to tighten up with a wrench but not hold when subjected to high pressure.

I agree, it held fine when it was only reaching 2500 psi, but not sure it would at 3000 psi or higher. I have a couple inquiries in to AliExpress vendors to see if I can get just the top of the cylinder head without having to purchase the whole cylinder head. The lower fitting is a larger diameter and I have a spare one of those. I was thinking of drilling and tapping the upper hole and try that, but I think I'd feel better with a new top of the cylinder head.

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #9 on:** October 16, 2018, 06:05:06 PM »

Let us know what AliExpress has to say. If you have to buy the whole kit I may be interested in buying what you don't need for future "spares"... at a discounted rate of course.

But still help you off set the cost.

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #10 on:** October 16, 2018, 06:58:47 PM »

Quote from: Hoosier Daddy on October 16, 2018, 06:05:06 PM

Let us know what AliExpress has to say. If you have to buy the whole kit I may be interested in buying what you don't need for future "spares"... at a discounted rate of course.
But still help you off set the cost.

I will definitely let you know Scott. The cylinder/piston assembly is $96 shipped to the U.S. I just bought a brand new set pressure model compressor for $196 shipped! It may be cheaper to just run the new one into the ground then use it for parts to fix the other one!

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #11 on:** October 16, 2018, 09:15:02 PM »

Quote

I just bought a brand new set pressure model compressor for $196 shipped!

WHOA!!! Seriously? I thought I stole mine at $225...
NICE GET!

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #12 on:** October 16, 2018, 09:32:48 PM »

Quote from: Hoosier Daddy on October 16, 2018, 09:15:02 PM

Quote
I just bought a brand new set pressure model compressor for $196 shipped!

WHOA!!! Seriously? I thought I stole mine at $225...
NICE GET!

It's the 220V model, you can find them a lot cheaper than the 110V models. If you recall my Walmart saga, I had received a Simple/Starter model I purchased last year from Walmart, when it showed up and was 220V not 110V as advertised. I contacted Walmart and they gave me a full refund and told me to keep it. So I did and bought a 110V-220V transformer and never looked back. Now, since I already have the transformer and these run on 50/60 hertz, I can get a nicer 220V model for less than a lower end 110V model! It's almost not worth trying to rebuild the Simple/Starter model I have since my only investment in it was the $100 for a really nice transformer!

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2018, 09:05:40 PM »

Free is good to start out with!

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2018, 09:26:45 PM »

Quote from: Hoosier Daddy on October 17, 2018, 09:05:40 PM

Free is good to start out with!

It definitely helps me live up to my motto: Never pay asking price!!!!

Lastdog · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2018, 10:17:18 PM »

I let mine get a little warm and replaced the silicone disks. Been working good. Now I have no more replacement disks. Can not find any more. Tried the company I bought it from but all I get from them is “ what parts do you need” I tell them and they continue to reply them same thing.
Does anyone know where sells replacement parts for these. The small stuff. Like the silicone disks, gauges maybe gaskets..

Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2018, 10:39:11 PM »

I couldn't find the correct bushings for mine either, but i did find this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/YONGHENG-Air-pump-2nd-piston/32934931476.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.727c4c4dkvUTCb

Since I failed miserably at actually replacing the bushing, I figure this would be worth the extra cost.

Wayne52 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 18, 2018, 01:45:32 AM »

Threads like this are exactly what keeps me from buying one of the cheaply made rigs, this steers me closer yet to the tried and true "Shoebox" setup.

Lastdog · « **Reply #18 on:** October 18, 2018, 01:20:41 PM »

Thanks Paul found something’s I needed but like you still need some of the silicone disks with the holes in them.

Glem Chally · « **Reply #19 on:** October 18, 2018, 01:43:37 PM »

It happens, I've already passed breaking even with mine. 20+ fills on my 60 min SCBA and going strong, Shoeboxes have downsides too takes forever to fill, needs a compressor to feed it. That second stage piston with o-rings looks like a good buy.

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I killed Yong Heng!!!

Author Topic: I killed Yong Heng!!! (Read 2862 times))