Brute 2.5HP - 15 Gallon upright direct-drive, blows onboard breaker

by Android
(Wyoming)

I didn't see any previous discussions that were quite the same as my situation:

I have a Briggs/Stratton Brute 15 gallon compressor (15 amp rating on the motor, I've read it's rated 2.5HP) which is direct-drive with an oil-lubricated pump. After over a year of uneventful light-duty use, I was running it pretty hard powering a blaster - a couple of hours of mostly continuous usage, when I heard a slight change in sound of the motor. So I decided to stop what I was doing and let it cool down. Next day, I went to turn it on and it just hummed for a couple of seconds and poppped the on-board breaker. I reset it and tried again, same result.

Took the plastic cover off of the motor and turned the fan on the end of the motor by hand, and verified that it is not seized - it spins freely and the pump sounds like it works. I had been using it with a very short (around 7 foot long) appliance style extension cord to a grounded outlet - that should not have been enough to cause any extension-cord-type damage. But I have to wonder, what happened?

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Bills says...

It sounds to me as if your motor has overheated and damaged... the windings maybe? Even though it spins freely, the windings may not be allowing enough inrush to start the motor.

You seem handy enough. Pull the motor off and take it to an electric motor rebuild shop for an amp test and at the same time, they'll be able to tell you if it is the motor. I'm guessing it is.

Good luck.

Bill