Gordon Smith air compressor

O

oliverguy

Senior Member
Hi, I'm looking for a gordon smith air compressor with a model a engine. I'm interested in what an appropriate price range may be. I've been offered one that is pretty rough and might need a new block for $300. I've also seen restored ones go for $1500. Considering that a used modern industrial one brings about $2000, I was thinking in the $750 range if it is complete and if not running, close to it. Is this realistic for east coast prices?

Thanks

Bryan
 
I got one for 1200.00 if interested or the heads and gov for 350.00 if interested here in southern mich...jodenamodel@att.net or 517 782 5921
 
Be sure to buy the most complete motor compressor that you can find/afford. Needed Model A pieces are easy to find. The actual Smith compressor parts are "slightly" harder to find. :) Join the MARC/MAFCA Smith Motor Compressor Club.
 
When did Gordon Smith first start making compressors?

Seems all the ones I've seen were made from Model B engines. I've seen some put together by indivuals using the Model A engine, but any original units I've seen have been with B engines.
 
Do the compressors use the standard A or B crankshaft? I have a crankshaft that has 2 of the throws rotated 90 degrees from the others. Any idea what it was used on?
 
Very early 1930's. Gordon Smith received a patent on his motor compressor head design on Feb 26,1935, patent number 1,992,400. Smith used Ford Model A and B engines until 1953 on all of his factory built motor compressors. At that time they changed over to Chrysler 6 cylinder and Wisconsin engines. You could buy his factory built motor compressors or a kit of just the compressor parts and build your own.

Interesting to note that in the late 1920's Gordon Smith did his first compressor head design experiments using an early four cylinder Chevrolet engine but settled on the Ford Model A/B engine for his production design.
 
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I am not sure when they were fist produced, but the one sold at Corkey Hayes's auction in 2006 was used at Mt. Rushmore. If our trailer wouldn't have already been full I would have bid on it. od
 
Mine is not a "factory" made one, it was shut off with the key the last time it was used 8-10 years ago, probably needs the points cleaned in the fuel pump, and ignition, I don't want to sell it, but if I did I don't think 1500 would be enough to entice me. (the outside looks are deceiving, the "A" parts were chosen for bad external condition, near perfect internal condition)

For sandblasting you need more than just a smiths compresser and a blasting pot, the air coming out is very hot, has a lot of moisture captured in it, I had to make a condenser tank (100 feet of tubing in a 75 gallon tank full of water), then a 10 gal water seperator, each with 25-50 feet of hose between them, this removed most all the water to where almost none was captured at the seperator at the blasting pot.

For a factory made unit the condition of the re-usable on a car original body parts is a factor ---radiator, hood,gas tank etc, on the compresser the head and governor is the easy part, it is all the little pieces ---the bracket and linkage on the carb, the idle back unit,the unloader units ---the pressure regulator can be found "modern", another factor is the condition of the compressor valve seats, it used "leafs" of spring steel for valves, when they break the head is chewed up in a way that can be hard to fix
 

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Richard Lorenz said:
Do the compressors use the standard A or B crankshaft? I have a crankshaft that has 2 of the throws rotated 90 degrees from the others. Any idea what it was used on?
Click to expand...

Could your crankshaft be a Wisconsin V4?:confused:

I can't think of any inline 4's that don't have the throws 180* apart.
 
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I was just looking at a nice one in the Gilmore Model A Museum yesterday. Someone may have posted pictures in an earlier museum thread, if you have need.

Steve
 
If the reed valves are broken,an easy fix is to use metal strapping that is used for banding lifts of lumber etc.The stuff I used was about 1". Or so wide & was the same thickness as the original valves.Cut to size & it works great.
 
Yes, the valves themselves are simple, but the broken pieces can chew up the head quite a bit, so much so that just new valves wouldn't work
 
Ok thanks for your input. I did join that air compressor club so I could learn all about them. I just thought it would be neat to have one and I could use it for sandblasting. If they are worth what you are saying it probably would be better for me to just plug along with my electric driven compressor and rent a diesel unit when I need to do something bigger.
 
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