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Eric Holmquist
01-03-2012, 6:56 AM
Yesterday when I powered up my Makita MAC2400 compressor, it free flowed through the regulator. After a bit of fooling with it, I finally took apart the regulator and observed the following.

There was a mix of yellow and black goo and some water in it. Some of the metal parts were rusted.

Cleaned it up as best I could, and put it all back together and turned it on. Freee flow through the regulator still.

Took it apart again and put some air tool oil on all the seals including the one on the plunger. Put it all back together again and turned it on. First time around, it worked fine, drained air and tried again, this time it free flowed, drained and tried again and this time it worked fine. Left it pressured up and unplugged over night. Tank pressure dropped from 140 psi to 130 psi which seemed pretty good.

So my question is, why might it be intermittent in either holding pressure, or free flowing?

Is there something different I should have done when cleaning / sealing the regulator.

Rich Engelhardt
01-03-2012, 7:38 AM
Yellowish goo sounds like oil/water mix.
Rusted parts sounds like the regulator is toast.

Parts Direct lists a new regulator for it for abbout $60.

Eric Holmquist
01-03-2012, 9:37 AM
Fortunately the only rusted part was the back plate, the springs were all rust free.

The regulator body and plunger are plastic.

I'm still mystified why sometimes it regulates perfectly and sometimes it just free flows