How to Repair a Leaky Pancake Air Compressor – Part 2

Now that I have necessary parts and tools, I will show you how I replaced my faulty drain valve on my Porter Cable pancake air compressor (model c2002, type 3*).

* Please pay a special attention to “Type 3”. This is a version number for that particular model, meaning model c2002, type 3 may have different components than model c2002, type 4.

APPROACH

Now that I received my BOSTITCH Ballvalve Compressor Ball Type Drain Valve (if you want to know why I chose this particular part, here is my review), I am ready to start the replacement process.

Again, you may choose to replace the faulty part with Porter Cable C2002/C2005 Air Compressor OEM Replacement Drain Valve # A17038, but I decided on the ball valve because it can empty the tank quickly and the design does not have an O-ring.

REQUIRED TOOLS / PARTS

As stated in the previous post, you do not need any special tools, except that I would highly recommend using a deep socket set.

• Replacement drain valve
• Deep Socket Wrench
• Adjustable Pliers – Read my review here if you don’t have one
• Teflon tapes – here Click here to read more about different kinds of tapes
• Plumber’s silicone grease (*needed only if you are using the compression drain valve)
• Pair of safety glasses

ALLTHUMBSDIY STEPS

1. Open the drain valve and empty the air tank;
2. Unplug the compressor;
3. Place the 15mm deep socket over the drain valve nut and turn counter-clockwise to detach from the compressor (fig.3a); if you are using a pair of adjustable pliers, make sure to grab the nut, not the threaded female port;
4. Please take your time as the female threaded port (that is part of the compressor) is EXTREMELY thin;
5. Using an old tooth brush, clean out any debris from the female threaded port (fig. 3d);









6. Remove the Bostitch drain valve from packaging and inspect the thread for any damage (fig. 4a);
7. Install Bostitch drain valve by hand first (fig. 4b), then use the adjustable pliers to tighten (fig. 4c). I tightened until the the drain valve assembly barely touched the “neck” of the female port;
8. AGAIN, DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN! If the female port becomes damaged, you will need to grind off the “neck” and either tap a new thread or weld on a new nut;
9. Stand away from the drain valve, in case the drain valve suffers a catastrophic failure and it becomes a projectile 🙂
10. Close the valve, plug in and turn on the compressor for testing.

CONCLUSION

The finished product has slightly less handle-to-ground clearance but the handle still can be opened while the compressor is on the ground.

By the way, please make sure to drain the tank properly (tilted towards the drain valve) so that any moisture can be expelled from the tank (to minimize corrosion).

Well, that is the end of this project. I hope you found this article to be useful and I would love your comments. If you are interested in more DIY articles, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter. Just look for a signup form on the upper right hand side of your screen. Thanks!

REFERENCES

• Porter Cable – Product Page (Model C2002, Type 3)
• Porter-Cable Technical Assistance – Toll Free 888-848-5175
• Porter Cable Parts Diagram
• Porter Cable Instruction Manual