Testing compressor?

[Don Bradner]

My assumption is that there are three separate (at least) air storage systems on
my Bird. One for brakes, one for suspension, and one for auxiliary, with the
latter including the step. That one is the fastest leaker on mine. The
assumption is based on: The front/rear gauge, which is the brakes, stays up. The
air bags stay inflated. The low air indicator comes on in just a few minutes
without air, and the step comes out.

It is possible, of course, that there are only two, and the bags are actually on
the same system but stay up due to check valves; that does not change the fact
that the aux system loses air fairly rapidly. I know I get some loss around the
air dump valves. There are lots of other places, such as air waste dump valves,
bulk oil fill, step cover, freshwater purge, air-extended driving lights, and
probably more I can't think of.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 3/11/2008 at 6:46 PM Ryan Wright wrote:

>Thanks Ron & Kevin for your advice. I'm not sure how to check the
>governor/regulator (assume you're both talking about the same thing?).
>Kevin, where was yours originally located at, and how did you test it?
>
>I don't hear air escaping when the brakes are applied.
>
>-Ryan
>'86 PT-40 8V92
>
>On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 6:06 PM, wrote:
>>
>> Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar
>> problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible
>> location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it was so
>> hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do you
>hear
>> air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a faulty brake
>> actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.
>>
>> Just a few things to look at....
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT (For Sale)