Why did my GX compressor DIE!? A look under the hood of a failed unit.

Welcome to the Yong Heng Hot Rod Shop. In this episode we will peek under the hood of a unit that was replaced by GX due to failure. Ed, the owner of this unit shipped it to me so we could look into what went wrong. Be sure and thank him in the comments and let him know we all love learning. These are not over complicated, but by seeing failure modes we can all communicate more effectively for warranty issues, and parts purchase at Target Forge! Part two of this analysis will be trying to understand the events that lead up to the pinion failure, however we really only have half of the story from a forensics standpoint as the pinion lost all her teeth and the evidence that went with them. Ed tells me he had less than 10 hours on the unit so it was not likely wear related. Let's take a look!
Join this channel to get access to perks:
Check out my brand new store! www.amazon.com/shop/targetforge
/ @targetforge
Amazon Affiliate Links:
Eklind Tee handle wrench set made in the USA! - amzn.to/3bbPEf4
Wera Tool Set - amzn.to/3kLHF9G
GX CS2 - amzn.to/3sProoH
GX CS3 - amzn.to/3lz5a6d
Battery powered CS2 - amzn.to/3wLmhXA
Battery powered CS3 - amzn.to/3MI9Jan
Support me on Patreon to help fund the work done on this channel:
Patreon Link: / targetforge
Visit us today and see what innovative home range equipment setup looks like! targetforge.net/
yong heng reactive target airgun fun

[@edgillis4686]

Hi Bill. Although they don’t stamp a serial# on the unit, they do include a triangular “Certification” card attached to each unit with a gold elastic. My failed unit had ID# CS2/3 - H853 with a date of manufacture of 11-17-2021. My replacement unit has an ID# CS2/3-E073 with a date of manufacture of 7-26-21. Yes, an earlier date of manufacture. Actually, upon looking at my old compressor in your video and my new one, it appears that they put that “ID#” on the black plate that covers the piston on the top of the unit - so the “serial#” is staring us right in the face, lol.

[@TargetForge]

That is as fascinating and it is troubling...Thanks for everything Ed! I guess I no longer need to send you a link to the video! Lol.

[@TargetForge]

I guess I got so used to looking for it on the nameplate! Doh!

[@glenk2254]

@@TargetForgeYes troubling! A newer unit failed dramatically! I was ready to place an order for one on Amazon. It may be worthwhile on any new unit to disassemble and replace the grease with the red moly just to have confidence in the lubrication of the gear box but then you would be voiding your warranty.

[@TargetForge]

@@glenk2254 Thanks for your comment Glen, the way their warranty works, no one would ever know you changed the lubricant as there is no US service center right now. I FULLY believe it would be most wise to change that lube out right away. Don't read too much into my comment, like I said, bad parts happen.

[@TargetForge]

Just went back and looked again at the video, if that is anything beyond a part# I'd be dubious as that part, the cylinder head, is easily removed and makes true tracking a nightmare. I'm going to explore the idea with them though.

[@gilbyclark714]

Great video Bill. Looking forward to this channel future. You are onto something great. Cant wait to see where this goes. Great work

[@TargetForge]

Thank you! Also, thank you for being a member! It really matters!

[@FirstStateAirgun]

Thank you as always for all the great information so glad you have this segment

[@TargetForge]

My pleasure!

[@Moses1973]

You're a great guy and very knowledgeable. Been watching your videos on this compressor. I was a millwright for years. No formal education just the seat of the pants learning from the old school guys . The main one was my Dad. Dad had an 8th grade education from the great depression. He taught me so much and I have passed that to my son. A lot of the information is over my head that you present but the mechanical parts I get. I just wanted to thank you for your hard work and knowledge.

[@TargetForge]

Thank you for your kind words! They mean quite a bit.

[@tinkergene]

I like the way you “ cut through the chaise “ on talking the pump apart - you are very informative ! THANK YOU !

[@TargetForge]

You're welcome! Tinker!

[@jeffalessi]

Very kewl that the owner sent you his broken compressor for evaluation and video. Have a most awesome afternoon!

[@TargetForge]

Thanks 👍

[@Craigs_Adventures]

Good video. Nice to see a maintenance video with what to do and not to do....THANKS CO from Detroit

[@TargetForge]

Thanks Craig!

[@Bob_Adkins]

It's a good idea to not start the motor on high pressure, bleed it off first and slowly close the bleed valve to prevent shock loading. Better grease will help with temperature and wear, but not shock loading.

[@TargetForge]

Thank you Bob. The vendor admitted to a heat treat issue with the pinion gear that affected a few units. These units won't start against a load so starting them in that conditions is effectively a locked rotor condition. You are correct that these should ONLY be started with no load and then the bleed valve gently engauged. Kindness matters with any gear.

[@Swamp-Fox]

I wish I would have had some of your red moly grease when I had my compressor apart. Another great video!

[@TargetForge]

Next time!

[@NIRAJPATELV]

Excellent troubleshoot Cheers

[@TargetForge]

Thanks 👍

[@erik_dk842]

I truly regret buying a Vevor brand Yong Heng pump, which is underway now. I hope I can return it, since I just ordered this instead.

[@zolikiss-zp2eg]

What is the the brand and actual name of red moly grease, thanks for your disassembly of the cs-2 great video.

[@RAM-19]

3 years...a sh#!t ton of use...no problems at all (touch wood lol)...if it dies tomorrow...I got my money worth already...love the vids...keep em coming...from my very hot igloo on the mountain D.

[@TargetForge]

When you get good one, and many of them are, they are solid little workhorses. Thank you for sharing your story!

[@timwilkerson8867]

Thank you

[@TargetForge]

You're welcome

[@michaelomalley9992]

Great vid! I have been finding these at liquidators a lot lately, so with your videos I might get a one or two. My question is what is a good replacement battery and charger for model that come with just a battery.

[@NoNamer123456789]

I literally got a very cheap 12V charger and a lead acid battery from amazon and it seems to work to 250 bars without any problems. Which is weird, because the battery is rated for 2.7A and the GX Pump is supposed to have 250W.

[@MMG6906]

Dooooood, love your videos! Made me want to buy one. Questions, Is that dewalt Flexvolt you got on that battery powereed version in the bottom right of the screen? If so, how did you get it to work with a Dewalt? My understanding is it only works with Makita batteries. Keep on keeping on brotha!

[@wruehl]

Check out this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2TUiKekedmUnNk

[@mikederrick2777]

I just got my compressor. Your channel sold me on it. Should I have gotten a tube of grease with the purchase? Thanks for your channel and time

[@wruehl]

No, they stopped handing out grease. You can find it here: targetforge.net/shop/ols/products/gx-lubricants/v/GX-LBR-FLL-SRV

[@goodtimes4162]

Finally got a secondary pump the gx cs3 are they about the same size pump as the gx2? The grease got my attention on this video might have to look into that. I was putting a kit in my Yong Heng the kit that I received was a complete piston replacement. The secondary piston was aluminum instead of brass with split rings instead of the o ring type that came on the unit and kit I received with it new. Do you know which one might be better split or o ring style? Love the video's keep up the good work!

[@TargetForge]

The pump is identical in the CS2 and CS3. I have no information on your YH piston kit, but I'd love to hear how you make out! Good Luck!

[@PeakyBlinder]

Have a look at the hill Evo .

[@TargetForge]

It's a very nice machine, but not nearly as portable or as light for quite a bit more money. I like Bauer and Alkin as well, again very different tools in a WHOLE different stratosphere price wise.

[@donaldotsig6818]

Are the teeth on the ring gear fiber or steel ? they should be steel if not this would be the only weak spot i can see on this compressor,how are they built in 2023 any differante ?

[@TargetForge]

The entire gear is steel. The weakness was the heat treat on the pinion gear.

[@donaldotsig6818]

@@TargetForge Thanks Bill he must have had the little compressor under an extremly heavy load for far to long? can you ship parts for this compressor to canada bill things like orings picton seal grease etc thanks again

[@TargetForge]

I don't think so. The factory had a few pinion gears that were not heat treated correctly, that was the issue. The pinion should be pretty hard, and the large gear not as hard, as the wear is disproportionate. Also the grease used in the motor gear case should really be changed out to the red moly grease I sell on the site, it really is MUCH better. I don't think it would have stopped what happened to his unit as no lubricant can make up for poor metallurgy. I do believe that a good lubricant WILL extend the life of a gearbox without a defect such as this. Hope this helps explain it better. Have an awesome day!

[@donaldotsig6818]

@@TargetForge Thanks again Bill

[@antonio999us]

Hello Bill, greetings from Peru 👋👋👋… Once again an interesting topic in your channel for those ones who own the GX CS2… the big hope in not to be the one with a defective compressor. I began to use mine, and it seems to be well until now, but after watching your video questions and doubts popped up together with the hope that my unit should passed the right quality control. Bill, I have three questions: 1)do you see a way that we can follow to do a light & quick test to ensure that our units are we’ll greased? 2) where to apply grease and how much? And 3), would you please tell me what type/brand grease was that red one you used.? Thanks again Bill for your hints!!! We will wait for your next video…👋👋👋

[@TargetForge]

Hello Antonio, answer #1 No way to test as far as I can tell. Most service intervals are based on time used. right now I think I would do the quick lube procedure every 5 to 10 hours of run time? Keeping track of the dead head test times as you go. #2 Check out the quick lube video. A longer more involved video is coming. #3 the Premium Red Moly is available on my website!

[@antonio999us]

Hola Bill, thank you so much for your prompt answers. Given that I came back to Peru from the US, now I have to see how to do to get those syringes (I've just reviewed your site 😀) ... I will contact you again in the next days to order the Red Moly and I guess that the transparent one is also needed. Thanks again!!!

[@BSJ-VT]

Scary damage on the gears! Mine just went over 4 hours. So I'm thinking I just found my weekend project... My first compressor had a sticker with a s/n. The replacement didn't.

[@TargetForge]

Very interesting... Great to hear from you Brian! The "A Team" sends their regards!

[@josephpeters2367]

Great video you are sharing about these pumps I am considering buying one since I have a car battery to use . My question to you is were you able to replace. The pinoin gear on the motor ?

[@wruehl]

No, that pinion is cut into the motor shaft and that has the windings bonded to it. I do carry a few replacement motor/gearbox units so guys can change out the whole assembly.

[@josephpeters2367]

@wruehl ok I gotcha . Also could I operate this unit using a fully charged car battery that's not connected with my engine. Just a loose battery in the back of my pickup truck?

[@TargetForge]

It will certainly work but you will need to watch the voltage level as you consume the charge in your battery. The tool batteries will disconnect when the charge gets below a certain level. Your car battery won't. The compressor motor will be under a lot of stress if run on a voltage lower than it was designed for. Once you have an idea how many fill cycles your car battery can provide without discharging so far that it leads to compressor motor damage or even cell failure due to a REALLY deep discharge you should be ok. I would not go less than 11.5VDC, maybe 10.8VDC under load in a pinch. Once you cross that line the damage to the battery will be both cumulative and permanent.

[@josephpeters2367]

@Target Forge ty for that information I appreciate it 👍

[@edgillis4686]

Hi Bill. Question- is the threading on the CS2 pressure gauge 1/8 NPT or BSP? Hope all is well. My replacement CS2 keeps on ticking - probably should grease it soon. Thanks -Ed

[@TargetForge]

That thread does not appear to be tapered. So BSP. Remember you can always use a tapered male in a straight walled female provided you have sufficient depth to get a good seal.

[@juancar2568]

hola, donde se pueden encontrar los repuestos? gracias

[@TargetForge]

targetfprge.net

[@zachofalltrades6116]

Will you do any videos on the gx cs4

[@TargetForge]

If I get enough members to join the channel I would love to get one and tear it apart!

[@jesusoftheapes]

my fans stopped working on the cylinder but the front fan still comes on. I am looking for trouble shooting

[@wruehl]

Well, troubleshooting needs lots of data. Let's start with what unit you have.

[@donaldotsig6818]

Hi is that a steel ring gear i cant see why all the teeth would have worn off so easily ? thanks

[@TargetForge]

Hello again Donald, typically when a ring and pinion gear are designed the ring is softer and the pinion is hard. The pinion sees a lot more surface wear relative to the size of the ring gear. The bigger the delta, to greater the differential. The manufacturer has indicated that a batch of soft pinions occurred and the units shipped before it was realized. This is an example of that. Once the teeth start to fail, bad things happen and it gets crunchy in there. This is why I recommend buying these on Amazon. Regular use will show this failure well within the 1 year warranty and you get another unit. They do not service these for major failures.

[@donaldotsig6818]

@@TargetForge Thanks

[@1776adb]

One more question: when your unit is down on power and when I pull the filter I see rust. Is it repairable -or junk.

[@TargetForge]

Perfectly repairable.

[@TargetForge]

Those two conditions are not necessarily linked.

[@vtxdaryl]

Is there a way to increase the pressure output. I have a Scott air tank 4500 psi but my GX CS3 will only fill it to 4000psi. Is it the compressor or is something wrong with the air tank? Thanks

[@TargetForge]

Why on god's green earth are you filling a SCBA bottle with a small compressor? They are not designed for that.

[@vtxdaryl]

@@TargetForge What are they designed for?

[@wruehl]

@@vtxdaryl Filling sub 1 liter vessels, like to the gun directly. Maybe a 1 liter pony bottle. These are for filling the gun directly, that is why they are so portable. The run time on a compressor in this class is 20 min MAX and that is at relatively cool ambient temperatures. Filling a large tank like an SCBA tank is like filling a swimming pool with a squirt gun. Will you fill the pool eventually? Maybe, but you'll probably go through a few squirt guns. When used for the intended application and allowed to cool adequately between fill events, these little GX units perform well and many have 100's of hours on them. If your still stuck on the SCBA bottle, consider a pump with an AC drive and much higher flow rates. Or, ditch the SCBA and fill directly with your portable pump. I have video's showing it being run on my Truck, my Quad, and even a solar supply.

[@diego84224]

Hello, could you sell me a kit of orings for. the gx cs2 compressor. please why? I'm struggling a lot to follow them I hope. answer. thank you

[@TargetForge]

Are you having trouble finding the website? This might help. targetforge.net/shop/ols/categories/gx-compressor-parts There are not a lot of traditional O-rings in a CS2, and it's more likely you have a leak, rather than a worn part.

[@Mackattackwall]

hi do u have parts for the xisico-gx-cs3

[@TargetForge]

Hello Mack, thank you for your comment! While I have it on good authority that both units are made in the same place. The parts that I offer are for the GX line of compressors. Will some of my parts fit just fine? Very likely. Can I guarantee it? Nope. Have you contacted Xisico?

[@excellalexander]

How much you charge 4 a rebuild cs2

[@TargetForge]

Contact me via the Target Forge website.

[@timmy4539]

Hey does any one have the contact info for Ankul ??

[@TargetForge]

Use the "Contact Seller" link on Amazon. That goes straight to them.

[@tiltedflip4491]

Spoiler Alert ; (shhh - "torture")

[@PeakyBlinder]

Hey bill, What's the difference between the cs2 and cs3, pumps.

[@TargetForge]

One is a reliable pump, one is a reliable pump wrapped in electronics that fail and leave the user stranded.

[@sambaaxe]

@@TargetForge And what about the CS1? I have one of those and I am wondering if it is just a CS2 laying on its side!