GX CS3 periodic service

[Normkel]

I haven't serviced my CS3 for about a year, so thought it was time, I used it periodically at home but most use is filling my guns during ~6 hours of continous shooting at the range, each week. The compressor runs for about 2 hours during that time, estimating ~100 hours per year.

Pulling it down, I found nothing at all of concern, other than that the positive (red) motor lead connector separated from the wire. Perhaps this explains the intermittent no starts, although I atribute that as more likely being due to the sloppy fit of the pressure gauge's wiring harness plug into the circuit board.

A new and properly crimped motor lead connector and a zip tie constricting the gauge harness socket should solve those issues.

The piston seals, O rings, gears, bearings, etc. all seemed about the same as a year ago. I wasn't in a hurry, so it took about an hour to strip it down to the electric motor, clean and regrease the gear reduction unit, connecting rod, wrist pin bearing, and pistons.

The grease I use stays in place, very well, and all looks well.

Here are some views in case they are of interest or value to someone. Having been involved in professional video production, my standards are too high to forgive what I can do with my phone, so I only do still photos. If someone would like another view perspective, etc. I'm glad to help.

These little compressors are amazing in terms of how well they operate.

 

[Normkel]

I forgot to mark the loose gauge plug. See the orange arrow upper center

 

[bchannell]

What is the red grease in the gearbox? Is it also used on the piston?

 

[Normkel]

What is the red grease in the gearbox? Is it also used on the piston?

I use Lucas RED "N" TACKY Grease. It's an NLGI GC-LB EP grease. I use it on the gear set, connecting rod, and pistons. It's as broad service grease as I can find.

I've been using it in all kinds of applications, including PCP compressors for a couple of years. There appears to be no grease breakdown or detectible compressor wear.

My background is in mechanical and lubricants.

 

[Richfromohio]

These compressors are remarkable for what they cost. I tore mine apart because it started to make a funny noise. I only use Super Lube on my piston because it's food grade silicon, which means no petroleum and a high flash point. I just want everyone to see what I found. The canyons and I do mean canyons are in a spot that don't affect making air. Cleaned everything up,relubed with super lube and the synthetic grease in the lower part and gear box. This little compressor runs better now then ever and before and with the help of (1900colt) from here parts are no problem. Thank you Mark!

 

[bchannell]

I've been doing a lot of testing with grease in my 3 CS2 compressors and am currently using Green Grease in one and Red n Tacky in the one of the others. The GG seems ok, stays put reasonably well, much more so than regular greases. I have yet to open the RnT greased unit, that will happen in the next few weeks, but from what I see of yours, it looks really good.

As to the wear on the piston in the last post, that is highly abnormal wear, something is wrong. My three units are more than a year old and get used a lot, and the pistons look new when cleaned up. I would definitely look into another grease for the piston. All I can say is I use Renewal Lubricants Food Grade EP and no wear at all.

 

[EPG]

I haven't serviced my CS3 for about a year, so thought it was time, I used it periodically at home but most use is filling my guns during ~6 hours of continous shooting at the range, each week. The compressor runs for about 2 hours during that time, estimating ~100 hours per year.

Pulling it down, I found nothing at all of concern, other than that the positive (red) motor lead connector separated from the wire. Perhaps this explains the intermittent no starts, although I atribute that as more likely being due to the sloppy fit of the pressure gauge's wiring harness plug into the circuit board.

A new and properly crimped motor lead connector and a zip tie constricting the gauge harness socket should solve those issues.

The piston seals, O rings, gears, bearings, etc. all seemed about the same as a year ago. I wasn't in a hurry, so it took about an hour to strip it down to the electric motor, clean and regrease the gear reduction unit, connecting rod, wrist pin bearing, and pistons.

The grease I use stays in place, very well, and all looks well.

Here are some views in case they are of interest or value to someone. Having been involved in professional video production, my standards are too high to forgive what I can do with my phone, so I only do still photos. If someone would like another view perspective, etc. I'm glad to help.

These little compressors are amazing in terms of how well they operate.

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Great post and pictures of tear down.

Its simple to do. You can lube the top end with food grade grease a couple times a year - the piston doesn’t require a lot of grease - GX has stated this many times.

My GX2s died (they saw heavy use) due to not relubing the bottom end - your last photos of the big gear. The factory yellow grease is heavy and displaced over time - resulting in that gear wearing out. I’d recommend a red moly type grease like you seem to be using - and I’d relube this gear once a year if you want your CS2/CS3 to run indefinitely.

 

[1900colt]

These compressors are remarkable for what they cost. I tore mine apart because it started to make a funny noise. I only use Super Lube on my piston because it's food grade silicon, which means no petroleum and a high flash point. I just want everyone to see what I found. The canyons and I do mean canyons are in a spot that don't affect making air. Cleaned everything up,relubed with super lube and the synthetic grease in the lower part and gear box. This little compressor runs better now then ever and before and with the help of (1900colt) from here parts are no problem. Thank you Mark!
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Rich, looks like your wrist pin walked out and kissed that cylinder.

Hit me up if you end up needing the stuff to fix that.

 

[bchannell]

What's the helical gear? Mine has spur gears and I'm not familiar with the CS3, but it looks to use a lot of the same parts as CS2.

 

[Richfromohio]

Thanks Mark, that's exactly what happened. That was all factory lube so everyone knows. The new lubes i used have made the compressor pump up things alot faster. I wish that I would have timed how long to fill up the Hammer. I know now it's done so much faster.

 

[Normkel]

Great post and pictures of tear down.

Its simple to do. You can lube the top end with food grade grease a couple times a year - the piston doesn’t require a lot of grease - GX has stated this many times.

My GX2s died (they saw heavy use) due to not relubing the bottom end - your last photos of the big gear. The factory yellow grease is heavy and displaced over time - resulting in that gear wearing out. I’d recommend a red moly type grease like you seem to be using - and I’d relube this gear once a year if you want your CS2/CS3 to run indefinitely.

I have parts from a Nuong, Vevnor, GX CS1, etc. that had the grear reduction output shaft break. It had similar "peanut butter" grease.

Have you cross compared these electric motor and gear reduction unit to the GX CS2 or CS3?

I haven't been ambitious enough to pull both of them apart at the same time to see if the parts will swap.

 

[bchannell]

Great post and pictures of tear down.

Its simple to do. You can lube the top end with food grade grease a couple times a year - the piston doesn’t require a lot of grease - GX has stated this many times.

My GX2s died (they saw heavy use) due to not relubing the bottom end - your last photos of the big gear. The factory yellow grease is heavy and displaced over time - resulting in that gear wearing out. I’d recommend a red moly type grease like you seem to be using - and I’d relube this gear once a year if you want your CS2/CS3 to run indefinitely.

You are so right about the use of grease on the piston, and it should be done carefully. BUT, don't put too much credence in the factory recommendation. They're selling compressors, not longevity. They also say they're lubed for life.
There seems to be a "correct" amount of grease, too little and you get the piston above, too much and it goes everywhere. If you take the head off, and look at how much grease is on the underside, this will give you the best indication of how much. Just a little, means it has enough that it's getting out of the cylinder. A lot of grease inside the head, and you know it's too much. My GG lubed unit is a bit over a year and a half old and the piston and cyl look new. I would rather see people go just a bit over on grease and not under for the piston, as it will get ruined by lack of grease. I tried packing the space in the piston with grease and that was way to much, so I've concluded that just a bit in that recess is perfect and replenish every two months or so based on the conditon of the underside of the head. It really doesn't take much, but it does take some. I know that's a funny way to say it, but it's true. I've seen some people just smear a fingers worth in the top of the cyl, but that quickly gets pushed out by the piston seal. Ideally, you want the bulk of the lube below that seal.
I use Renewal Lubricants grease in all of mine for the cylinder, it's the gearbox that I'm looking at different greases for. The RL grease seems perfect for the cylinder, piston and the connecting rod pin. The reason the pin gets RL instead of the GG, is the pin is filled inside with grease and it pushes out into the cylinder, adding to the lube of the cylinder. The bottom cyl gets just a light smear of grease, and no more, as it needs very, very little in there, and it does get a tiny bit from the upper cyl.

 

[bchannell]

I have a couple of questions though. I use Renewal Lubricants Food Grade EP grease for the piston and top of the connecting rod, as this grease comes in contact with the plastic piston guides and seal. I don't know the material used in either, and assuming they're not polyethlene or polypropylene, I'm guessing the grease is fine, but the fact that I don't know keeps me using a silicone based grease. Since it's plastic to metal contact, this seems a good choice.

I'm curious as to the choice of RnT for the piston in your case. Just trying to understand, not being critical. I don't know the makeup of additives in the RnT beyond it's lithium base.

I have had better luck, so far, in the gear box with RnT than GG, as the Green Grease seems to get pushed out, maybe not as badly as regular chassis grease but doesn't seem to stay in place as well as RnT. I ordered a sample of Chevron Open Gear Grease to try also.

I'd be interested in your thoughts, as I am a firm believer that this is the key to longevity of these compressors. Kept properly lubed with something that stays on the gears and used as intended, they will last a long time.