Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time. You’ve done us Lightning owners a great service.
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To fellow Lightning owners, I bring us hope...
- Thread starter Bigragu
- Start date
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My lightning has been running strong with about 6 hrs so far. Thanks for all your information as I’m sure I will be needing it soon lol.
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Thanks for the info Bigragu. This is a great help. I'm sure the replacement parts cost will be better than a new compressor. I have never rebuilt a motor b4 but will try since I really couldn't get a new compressor without first finding a new place to live, without my wife! 
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Bigragu, two follow up questions, as I mentioned, I've never traveled this way b4, did you replace the piston rings on the low pressure end too. How did you get the piston rings on the high end. I see they separate. Do you have a tool that they slide onto? I have to order parts so didn't know if I need a special tool as well., thanks
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No piston rings on the low pressure cylinder, just a stainless reed flapper. Not too long ago I read that letting a compressor sit idle is not a good thing as things gum up, especially the low pressure side where it takes in air just thru a paper filter. If any gunk/debris make it into that low pressure head, it’ll cause that flapper reed to stick and not suck in the air it’s suppose too, that’s why I say if I had to do this all over again the first things I’d check are:
1. The two check valves to make sure those aren’t stuck or seized up
2. Check and swap out the gold tower cotton roll filter, and the desiccant media inside the aluminum block(if you do a search on my topics, you’ll see I did a whole write up on servicing the filtration components on the Lightning with pics almost a year ago)
please note- your o ring kit that came with the compressor has every o ring for that thing, but one. It is the green Viton o ring that is inside the gold tower, on a baffle divider that sits on top of the cotton media. Do not tear that, toss it, or stretch it out, as you’ll need it.
3. The low pressure cylinder. If you pull the filter off, stick your thumb on the intake hole, it should be a strong suction, not a slight. If it’s weak, that tells you that’s the problem in not building pressure. Coolant flows thru that cylinder, and the coolant is sealed off from the air side by a RTV type seal only. In my tread I linked on this post to the OP, I show that I used anaerobic sealant made by Permatex . Good stuff, stays flexible, just make sure and give it time to cure before running coolant thru the system.
Save dismantling the second stage, high pressure cylinder for last. The piston rings are split rings. No special tool needed, if your piston is below and not on the upstroke, just quickly bump the compressor by turning the switch on for a fraction of a second.
If it does need new rings, carefully slip them on, make sure and stagger the seams 180 degrees from each other, and apply a light coat of assembly lube on the rings and piston, so it gives them a fighting chance the minute the compressor gets turned on, with instant lube.
Good luck on the rebuild.
1. The two check valves to make sure those aren’t stuck or seized up
2. Check and swap out the gold tower cotton roll filter, and the desiccant media inside the aluminum block(if you do a search on my topics, you’ll see I did a whole write up on servicing the filtration components on the Lightning with pics almost a year ago)
please note- your o ring kit that came with the compressor has every o ring for that thing, but one. It is the green Viton o ring that is inside the gold tower, on a baffle divider that sits on top of the cotton media. Do not tear that, toss it, or stretch it out, as you’ll need it.
3. The low pressure cylinder. If you pull the filter off, stick your thumb on the intake hole, it should be a strong suction, not a slight. If it’s weak, that tells you that’s the problem in not building pressure. Coolant flows thru that cylinder, and the coolant is sealed off from the air side by a RTV type seal only. In my tread I linked on this post to the OP, I show that I used anaerobic sealant made by Permatex . Good stuff, stays flexible, just make sure and give it time to cure before running coolant thru the system.
Save dismantling the second stage, high pressure cylinder for last. The piston rings are split rings. No special tool needed, if your piston is below and not on the upstroke, just quickly bump the compressor by turning the switch on for a fraction of a second.
If it does need new rings, carefully slip them on, make sure and stagger the seams 180 degrees from each other, and apply a light coat of assembly lube on the rings and piston, so it gives them a fighting chance the minute the compressor gets turned on, with instant lube.
Good luck on the rebuild.
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If you can put together a new gas grille bar b que with all those parts out of the box, rebuilding this compressor is a piece of cake. You just need to plan your moves, take pics, notes, and rely on a sharpie for indexing/reference marks
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