Impact Wrench Advice
- Thread starter jrepp
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Bird
Rest in Peace
Now I'm not going to say anything for sure, just from the pictures, but . . . I have a few opinions. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
1) I'd say that dimple in the back end is the grease fitting and it should be greased.
2) The screw you saw when you removed the oil plug is probably holding the throttle valve spring in place, although most of them have the throttle valve and spring held in by the air inlet fitting.
3) When you loosened the screws on the back of the tool, there's probably a reverse valve spring under there.
Naturally, Ingersoll-Rand says to use their own grease in their tools, and they actually have more than one grease. The original grease in a 2131 is a different color than that in the 231 and many others. I used the Ingersoll grease for the 231s in all the air tools I worked on (regardless of brand or model; came in one pound cans) and never had a complaint. Most of the mechanics used just whatever grease was in the grease gun on their job. And of course any grease is better than no grease.
Too bad we don't live closer together 'cause I'd just have to take that tool apart to see what's in there. It's a little different, but does look very similar to one an uncle of mine has had for about 50 years, and I cleaned it up and made it work a little better, but it was simply worn out and no parts were available.
1) I'd say that dimple in the back end is the grease fitting and it should be greased.
2) The screw you saw when you removed the oil plug is probably holding the throttle valve spring in place, although most of them have the throttle valve and spring held in by the air inlet fitting.
3) When you loosened the screws on the back of the tool, there's probably a reverse valve spring under there.
Naturally, Ingersoll-Rand says to use their own grease in their tools, and they actually have more than one grease. The original grease in a 2131 is a different color than that in the 231 and many others. I used the Ingersoll grease for the 231s in all the air tools I worked on (regardless of brand or model; came in one pound cans) and never had a complaint. Most of the mechanics used just whatever grease was in the grease gun on their job. And of course any grease is better than no grease.
Too bad we don't live closer together 'cause I'd just have to take that tool apart to see what's in there. It's a little different, but does look very similar to one an uncle of mine has had for about 50 years, and I cleaned it up and made it work a little better, but it was simply worn out and no parts were available.
Junkman
Super Member
I would be happy to send it to you and pay the shipping back to me if you want to take a look at it. I think that if it was taken apart and cleaned, it might just work well again. I would even be happy to pay you for your time. As I had said, I thought that I bought it in 1967, but I don't remember if it was used or new. Just know that it was the one that I liked best. I have another, that had a long shaft on it. Gave it to the Snap-On man when it died, and he fixed it to work, but it came back with a small shaft. I had liked that one up till that time because you could just flip the socket and remove two different size wheel nuts. He said that that shaft was the problem. I think that he just wanted the part and swapped it. That one stopped working from lack of use. I hadn't used it in about 15 years when I gave it to him for repair. I asked for the "old" broken part, but he said that he tossed it. I sure wish that he had asked me before making that change to the gun. That particular gun was in like new condition. I only had it for a year or so before I stopped turning wrenches. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
tracdoc
Platinum Member
Hi jrepp,
In reading through this thread, I didn't happen to see any mention of battery powered impact wrenches (my apologies if someone already mentioned them,and I missed it).
We have a Milwaukee 18-volt power plus unit which came with 2 battery packs and a 1-hr recharger. It has a 1/2 inch anvil and puts out 250 ft-lbs torque. This is considerably below the 600 ft-lbs put out by some air tools, but it has been ideal for our automotive and CUT needs. We especially like it for use at the race track. We don't have to haul a compressor, and a generator or find a power hook-up. We go to the track with both batteries fully charged, and they last the full weekend. The recharger can be connected to the truck battery w/ inverter, or you can buy a 12V recharger.
The Milwaukee unit is beefy and well made. We don't abuse it but we use it hard, especially on race weekends. It hasn't failed us yet.
Also, for <font color="red"> SAFETY </font> , I would strongly echo the recommendations of <font color="green"> RayH </font> to use impact sockets, not regular ones. I have had the opportunity to care for two patients (both casual mechanics) who, in separate accidents, were each hit with the schrapnel of an exploding ordinary socket inappropriately used in high power impact wrenches. It wasn't pretty at all. The regular socket material is not hardened, and it is more likely to fracture under use, as opposed to just wearing out.
In reading through this thread, I didn't happen to see any mention of battery powered impact wrenches (my apologies if someone already mentioned them,and I missed it).
We have a Milwaukee 18-volt power plus unit which came with 2 battery packs and a 1-hr recharger. It has a 1/2 inch anvil and puts out 250 ft-lbs torque. This is considerably below the 600 ft-lbs put out by some air tools, but it has been ideal for our automotive and CUT needs. We especially like it for use at the race track. We don't have to haul a compressor, and a generator or find a power hook-up. We go to the track with both batteries fully charged, and they last the full weekend. The recharger can be connected to the truck battery w/ inverter, or you can buy a 12V recharger.
The Milwaukee unit is beefy and well made. We don't abuse it but we use it hard, especially on race weekends. It hasn't failed us yet.
Also, for <font color="red"> SAFETY </font> , I would strongly echo the recommendations of <font color="green"> RayH </font> to use impact sockets, not regular ones. I have had the opportunity to care for two patients (both casual mechanics) who, in separate accidents, were each hit with the schrapnel of an exploding ordinary socket inappropriately used in high power impact wrenches. It wasn't pretty at all. The regular socket material is not hardened, and it is more likely to fracture under use, as opposed to just wearing out.
Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would be happy to send it to you )</font>
Junkman, as much as I'd like to take it apart and see what could be done with it, I'm back in town with no shop to work in, and sold nearly all my tools and equipment. But if you really want to know, contact Air Tech, Inc. in Beckley, WV. They were not only my primary parts supplier, they do the warranty work for Matco, and when I encountered anything I didn't know, I called them on the phone; nice folks who never let me down once. They were always able to tell me how to do anything I didn't know how to do and/or fax me exploded views and parts lists. The only tool I encountered that I couldn't fix myself was one Snap-On air chisel that had a broken part in the cylinder that I simply could not get out with either my 3 ton arbor press or my 6 ton hydraulic press, and when I called to ask them about it, they were quite familiar with it; told me to send it to them and they'd change that part with their 100 ton press. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( but it came back with a small shaft )</font>
That's surprising, and there's no reason for that. You can buy most models of impact wrenches with either the standard or the extended anvil, and you can easily change them to the one you want. And no matter what model or what the cost of its anvil, I think in every case, the longer ones (2" longer) just cost $10 more than the standard one. Any competent repair service would have replaced a damaged anvil with one the same length unless the customer specified changing to the other one.
Junkman, as much as I'd like to take it apart and see what could be done with it, I'm back in town with no shop to work in, and sold nearly all my tools and equipment. But if you really want to know, contact Air Tech, Inc. in Beckley, WV. They were not only my primary parts supplier, they do the warranty work for Matco, and when I encountered anything I didn't know, I called them on the phone; nice folks who never let me down once. They were always able to tell me how to do anything I didn't know how to do and/or fax me exploded views and parts lists. The only tool I encountered that I couldn't fix myself was one Snap-On air chisel that had a broken part in the cylinder that I simply could not get out with either my 3 ton arbor press or my 6 ton hydraulic press, and when I called to ask them about it, they were quite familiar with it; told me to send it to them and they'd change that part with their 100 ton press. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( but it came back with a small shaft )</font>
That's surprising, and there's no reason for that. You can buy most models of impact wrenches with either the standard or the extended anvil, and you can easily change them to the one you want. And no matter what model or what the cost of its anvil, I think in every case, the longer ones (2" longer) just cost $10 more than the standard one. Any competent repair service would have replaced a damaged anvil with one the same length unless the customer specified changing to the other one.
gabby
Gold Member
I don't have much air so I use electric and it's far better than no impact wrench at all. I bought a used Craftsman 1/2" from the Sears site on eBay for about $65 incl shipping. It gets used more than any other power tool we have.
I also bought a good used Dewalt 3/4" from eBay for about $100 incl. shipping as well as 3/4 deep sockets for about $50.
I also bought a good used Dewalt 3/4" from eBay for about $100 incl. shipping as well as 3/4 deep sockets for about $50.
DiskDoctr
Platinum Member
Okay, just found this one. It seems to have just the "right" amount of torque! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Didn't want to take the credit for it, so here is the post with the credit where it belongs.
Too funny not to post
-JC
Didn't want to take the credit for it, so here is the post with the credit where it belongs.
Too funny not to post
-JC
Phred
Veteran Member
My two cents on this is....
Get an air powered gun and get an IR brand.
I bought a cheapo 1/2" for ~$30 at some wholesale place and broke it with in a few weeks. Also it did not have near enough torque.
Maybe I use mine harder than some do on farm equipment. Some of the bolts are up wards of 400+ Ft lbs to install and after sitting outside for a few years need more than that to pull them off.
After the cheapo died I bought an IR Thunder gun. Just under $200 but oh what a tool!
Just yesterday I pulled the worn out blades of my bush hog 286. They had been on there for years and were in sad shape. Hit the nuts (1 11/16" if memory serves) with some PB blaster, waited a few minutes and hit them with the IR impact.
It was tuff but the came off with a few tries.
The torque spec on these is 450 ft lbs.
To give you an idea of how rusted they were, once I had the nuts off I had to take a harded steel rod and a 2 lb ball pen hammer to get the bolts out. This was by far the hard part, and required lots of persuasion.
The cheapo gun would not have been able to handle this task, and it would have been no fun with a breaker bar.
Two other points:
1) I use a oiless 4 gallon air compressor. Not the right tool but if your paitent it will run the IR impact. I plan to up grade to at least 15 SCFM. You may wish to jump right to a larger compressor if your budget allows. The small oiless was a mistake for me.
2) I have a set of impact sockets that I use for the small stuff less than 1". For the big stuff 1" to 2" I use sears 3/4 " drive sockets. They are pricey but cheaper than a set of good 3/4" drive impact sockets and they stand up well to impact guns since they are very solid.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Get an air powered gun and get an IR brand.
I bought a cheapo 1/2" for ~$30 at some wholesale place and broke it with in a few weeks. Also it did not have near enough torque.
Maybe I use mine harder than some do on farm equipment. Some of the bolts are up wards of 400+ Ft lbs to install and after sitting outside for a few years need more than that to pull them off.
After the cheapo died I bought an IR Thunder gun. Just under $200 but oh what a tool!
Just yesterday I pulled the worn out blades of my bush hog 286. They had been on there for years and were in sad shape. Hit the nuts (1 11/16" if memory serves) with some PB blaster, waited a few minutes and hit them with the IR impact.
It was tuff but the came off with a few tries.
The torque spec on these is 450 ft lbs.
To give you an idea of how rusted they were, once I had the nuts off I had to take a harded steel rod and a 2 lb ball pen hammer to get the bolts out. This was by far the hard part, and required lots of persuasion.
The cheapo gun would not have been able to handle this task, and it would have been no fun with a breaker bar.
Two other points:
1) I use a oiless 4 gallon air compressor. Not the right tool but if your paitent it will run the IR impact. I plan to up grade to at least 15 SCFM. You may wish to jump right to a larger compressor if your budget allows. The small oiless was a mistake for me.
2) I have a set of impact sockets that I use for the small stuff less than 1". For the big stuff 1" to 2" I use sears 3/4 " drive sockets. They are pricey but cheaper than a set of good 3/4" drive impact sockets and they stand up well to impact guns since they are very solid.
Hope this helps.
Fred
