Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Ingersoll rand impact wrench 2131QT losing power!!

Hello I would like to see if someone could help me out with my IR Impact that i have had for only two years. The gun has always worked great but all of sudden i have noticed that it has lost power. I have always used it on my wheels but now its having problems removing any lug and i have the same 150psi compressor!! Is it possible that it needs parts replaced already? Thanks for any help..

Do you oil it before each use?

I have a cheap impact that has worked fine for over 25 yrs. I put a couple of drops of oil in the air fitting everytime I pull it out of the tool box.

Thanks for the help but the gun is working.. Its just not as strong as it use to be so i was thinking that the problem was due to parts wearing out inside.. Thanks again..

Thanks for the help but the gun is working.. Its just not as strong as it use to be so i was thinking that the problem was due to parts wearing out inside.. Thanks again..

but, do you oil it very regularly?

lack of oil can cause the vanes to not seal well, which would cause a loss of power. Lack of oil can cause premature wear of the vanes which would cause a loss of power. Lack of oil can cause a build up of gunk (sorry, can;t explain. too technical) so the vanes do not move freely which, (i'll bet you can guess by now) can cause the vanes to not seal well which would cause a loss of power.

if the hammers are not able to move freely (they can get gunked too), you will also experience a loss of hammering power.


So, do you oil the thing regularly?

also, do you know that the compressor is putting out the same pressure as it did before? Are your hoses old and soft where they may cause a restriction which, (again, I'll bet you can guess) would cause a loss of power.

One way you can clean the air motor in the impact is to flush it with WD-40.

Use an aerosol spray can with the nozzle extension.
Hold the trigger on the impact and spray a generous amount right into the air fitting on the gun.
Hook the gun up to air, put a clean white rag over the exhaust opening and operate the gun.
Do this a couple of times and if you get a lot of junk out of the gun then repeat until clear.

Once all the WD is exhausted apply a couple of drops of air tool oil.

Let us know what you find.

THanks for the help guys but i took it apart and it was pretty clean, no gunk so i am trying to figure out whcih parts will need replacing.. Thanks for the help..

generally, unless much older and used a lot, the hammers would not need replacing.

so, what to replace; I believe IR makes rebuild kits for most of their guns. They have included, in the kits I uses, new vanes, tensioners for the vanes and any o-rings or seals.

What I have done in the past is to refinish the edges of the vanes using a piece of glass (for it's flatness) and some extremely fine emery cloth. The tensioners, if used, would be good to replace. I have rebent some to provide more tension but in reality, once they lose their spring, nothing short of replacement will help.

If a new barrel is not used, the old one should be honed with very very fine stones and then polished even further being sure to not cause any uneveness so the vanes would be exposed to an uneven surface and not be able to seal well.

then, including replacing any seals or o-rings, put it back together and enjoy.

here is a link for an IR 2131 motor tune up kit. There was also a model 2131-1 listed as well. not sure which is yours.
Ingersoll Rand 2131-TK2 - Motor Tune Up Kit for IRT2131/2131-2 (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/irt2131-tk2.html)

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I think you can get them from IR directly as well.

and, if you haven't figured it out; oil the tool liberally and often or, install an automatic oiler in the airline if the line is used for only tools that require oiling.

Thanks for the help and i will be taking a look at the vanes to see if they are in good shape.. I will check back tomorrow.. Thanks again