The Framers Forum

I have a Bambi compressor that runs my under pinner, all appeared ok yesterday but today I found no air in the compressor and it won't start up. The top (green) tank is very hot. I think the oil was low so I allowed it to cool down and topped up the oil but it won't start, just a little noise form the motor when power is applied.

Il lost really, has anyone any suggestions?

Hi Alan

The top tank is, I think, the cover for the motor/compressor unit, BB24 or similar ??
Sounds like it has overheated and either seized the compressor or burnt the motor.
Did it trip the mcb or blow a fuse.
Best plan would probably be to contact Bambi in Birmingham
https://www.bambi-air.co.uk
and see if they can offer any advice or put you in touch with a service outlet near you.

If its really serious I know what I would be doing and that would be to cut my losses and get back into production quickly by either buying another bambi or a cheaper noisy one to act as a standby while yours is fixed, if it's economical to to repair in the first place.

Good luck

Thanks, I'll do that. I looked at the price of a new motor and it's about £50 less than a whole new compressor so I might as well get a new one if that is what the problem is.

if you have a bambi, i think that ou should only ever put their oil in it, i may be wrong but thats what i was told by a hydraulics company

Bambi's tend to run hot if they are getting used a lot in a short period of time. Mine already has a slight air leak too and now that my pneumatic underpinner has gone to a good home, I only switch on the compressor when I need to use my air tools.

I'm not an authority on this, but my guess is that leaving it switched off when I don't need it will probably mean that it will last longer.

Bad news, seized motor. £245 plus delivery and vat. Brand new bambi was £336 so as the knackered one
Was 5 years old I went fiat a new one. Ho hum.

Moral? Keep the oil at the right level and no leaks!

Good evening Alan

So sorry to hear your bad news

I'm sure you or your accountant will take maximum advantage tax wise with you recent capital equipment purchase.

A good friend of mine who made a great deal of money in business would always claw back a loss such as this asp. £2/3 on your next 30 frames would help Not necessarily those exact figures but you get the idea.

Peter

Afraid we all live under the same cloud, bad news.
At pricing like that a brand new replacement just makes so much more sense than trying to repair the failed unit, no wonder we are a throw away society. I know that spares will always command a higher profit margin than new equipment sales but at that price I wonder if major spare parts are ever sold at all.

Might be worth replacing it with something bigger. And the instructions are quite fierce about not exceeding 50% useage:

What you must not do:
• Enclose the compressor or allow hot air generated by the motor to re-circulate around the compressor.
Ensure there is 30cm clearance around the compressor
• Restrict air flow around the after cooler, after cooler fan unit or end cover ventilation [S models].

We recommend the compressor has a maximum 50% duty cycle to prolong pump life.
Note !
The motor must never be allowed to run continuously otherwise it will overheat and
may become damaged.
Do not ignore air leaks. All air connections must be leak free to prevent the
compressor from over heating.
The compressor is fitted with 2 thermal overloads. In the event of excessive
temperature the compressor will switch off and the external thermal protector will
activate. To re-set follow the procedure below

https://www.airsupplies.co.uk/images/BA ... ndbook.pdf

I presume you have checked it isn't the thermal protector...

The saga continues. New Bambi arrived, hooked it up and......it had a leak. An O-ring had been trapped when the glass at the bottom of the regulator unit was fitted in the factory. Fortunately the one from the old compressor fitted. Off we go.......not quite......I can hear an air leak coming from the the middle of the underpinner....time for a beer.