ON Board air compressor questions

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
Moderator
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
I recently give a very good friend of mine an AC compressor off of my old Caprice. HE has it all(mostly) hooked up and it works great. My question is this:
Not sure of the type of compressor, it is the very short, stubby one, if that tells ytou anything. I am assuming it isn't like the york, and run in an oil bath, so I think it needs a pre-oiler to keep it alive. So my questions are: where do you find an oiler? do you use the same type as used for running air thru your air tools? are they set? or can you adjust the amount of oil they flow? ANy one running this type OBA set up please feel free to respond. Oh and if you don't run an oiler, how often and how much oil should you add to the intake line?
Thanks
Chip
 
I've heard people using slick50 and cycling it through the comp before they hook all the lines up. I've heard people dumping regular weight oil through each use. I decided to get a tool oiler and using slick50 works great have no probs. Look further back through this forum and there is alot of info.
 
yup as frydaddy said - Sounds like a stubby GM. Ya they work fine.. inline (tool) oiler, can run all year on a few tablespoons.. Ive seen the larger shop sized ones also... ALso seen people add a squirt or two into the inlet when using it... Personally when ive run the non-yoke kind ive alwas just used air tool oil in the pump... Seem people use almost anythign with lube qualities..

have fun..

-mike
 
I've got a sanden compressor (needs lubrication) and use the air tool oiler on the inlet and filter on the output to remove most of the oil. I may try some slick 50 next time I fill up the oiler.

oba1.jpg

the orange thing is the filter.

oba2.jpg

The inlet
 
thats the same thing I did on mine, added an air tool oiler. for an elcheapo versrion, just add a tablespoon in the inlet every once in a while and you'll be ok. you will need a filter afte though caus you don't want all that oil spraying out everywhere, I know from experience.


Rob
 
I agree with the last 2 posts, I used a Sanden (GM pancake) compressor and the small tool oiler (like 3.50 at harbor freight) or northern sells a kit for 19 with the oiler, filter and a bunch of cheap connectors..

One note, when I ran air tool oil my compressor sounded like it was "lugging" and got extremely hot. I switched to using ATF and runs quiter,cooler, and fills tank slightly quicker, I guess do to less strain?
 
I would use an inline oiler. They are not expensive and it beats remembering to put oil in when you use it.

Yeah
ATF will work fine.

ATF is really just 10 weight oil with some additives in it.
Much cheaper than airtool oil.
But for no more than you will go through - I am not sure price matters.

FWIW - I ran ATF in my air tools for years. ANd I have some that are over 20 years old and still kicking.
 
Back
Top