Vintage Air Compressor - Calls for 10W-40?

[AdmiralYoda]

My cheapo 15 year old Craftsman 3 gallon air compressor seized up. I've had my grandfathers old Sears compressor sitting in my garage for years and I finally took a look at it and I think I'm going to bring it back from the dead. It is built like a tank with a heavy cast iron twin piston (I think) compressor driven by a large motor via a pulley.

Sears 106.174590. Not much information out there on the model number. I found a close-ish number and the parts diagram had 1976 on it. Sounds about right. Hasn't run in 25 years minimum. Looks like it has a 10-12 gallon capacity and either 5.3cfm or 6.0cfm at 90psi. It doesn't say that anywhere on the compressor but that is what some similar looking models say.

There is one sticker on the tank with general operating instructions and it says to use 10W-40 motor oil! I was surprised at this since generally compressors use non-detergent motor oil to prevent the deposits from remaining in suspension.

My first reaction was to go with 0W-40 since this will be used in a garage in the winter and that will help it get moving when it is 0F out. Then I learned about ISO compressor oils and that brought me down a rabbit hole...

It looks like a synthetic ISO 100 oil has a similar viscosity as a SAE30 oil. But what say BITOG? What would be the best synthetic oil to keep this beast alive and well? Stick with xW-40 motor oil or move to an ISO compressor oil?

It looks identical to this....but the label is a bit different. (Internet Picture)

 

[pudge]

we used one that looks just like that on the job ...been running well with 10-40 in it all these years

 

[JavierH19]

I use motor oil in mine. Just change it frequently. These hold very little so no reason to not change it every year or sooner. I change mine and drain the tank twice a year since i use it a lot.

 

[Chris142]

I had one similar to that.i ran 0w30 in it because it tripped my breaker with anything else. The belt was unobtanium

 

[fozzdesy2001]

My cheapo 15 year old Craftsman 3 gallon air compressor seized up. I've had my grandfathers old Sears compressor sitting in my garage for years and I finally took a look at it and I think I'm going to bring it back from the dead. It is built like a tank with a heavy cast iron twin piston (I think) compressor driven by a large motor via a pulley.

Sears 106.174590. Not much information out there on the model number. I found a close-ish number and the parts diagram had 1976 on it. Sounds about right. Hasn't run in 25 years minimum. Looks like it has a 10-12 gallon capacity and either 5.3cfm or 6.0cfm at 90psi. It doesn't say that anywhere on the compressor but that is what some similar looking models say.

There is one sticker on the tank with general operating instructions and it says to use 10W-40 motor oil! I was surprised at this since generally compressors use non-detergent motor oil to prevent the deposits from remaining in suspension.

My first reaction was to go with 0W-40 since this will be used in a garage in the winter and that will help it get moving when it is 0F out. Then I learned about ISO compressor oils and that brought me down a rabbit hole...

It looks like a synthetic ISO 100 oil has a similar viscosity as a SAE30 oil. But what say BITOG? What would be the best synthetic oil to keep this beast alive and well? Stick with xW-40 motor oil or move to an ISO compressor oil?

It looks identical to this....but the label is a bit different. (Internet Picture)
View attachment 319698

Mobil 1 0W-40 is what I would use for easy starting.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Kudos to you for saving a potentially functional piece of equipment. I really like old stuff like this. Good luck with the restoration and please post pics of the actual compressor. I saved this one that I believe dated back to the 40's a few years ago.

 

[Eddie Hudson]

The compressor was made by Campbell Hausfeld.

 

[Hirev]

Had a old craftsman air compressor years ago early 1980s the decals on it said 5w30 but the owners manual called for 20 grade oil non detergent. Even back than 20 grade oil non detergent was impossible to find. I would think a good modern syn 5w-30 will be fine since they are lower ash than what I used back than.

I would use a bore scope up in the drain hole and look at the inside of the tank. Those old air compressors can have really rusty tanks and become weak. Had a buddy that had an old air compressor blow apart in his shop. The tank was really rusty inside on that one.

 

[Lubener]

I have an old Craftsman from the 70's that looks similiar to yours. Manual calls for 10w-40 as well. Last time I changed it a few years ago, I put 10w-40 in it. It's just a compressor, I put in what it called for without trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[PontiacHO]

Those old compressors without any belt-pulley guards aren’t for use around small children. I gave one away to a young guy a few years back. I ask if he had small children. He said yes, why? I told him that they could really get hurt around the compressor with no belt-pulley guards. He asked, how? That was scary…

 

[JTK]

I think @Chris142 is on to something with his above comment. A less viscous oil should allow it to start easier in the cold. I would think old iron like these would do fine on any clean motor oil. I'd run 0w20 in it if she struggles to get going in the cold.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

This thing is American Made and built way better than it needs to be. I'm sure I could get away with just about any quality lubricant and it would probably be better than what was available in the 70's. I will change the oil often since it is very inexpensive to do so. I'll probably start with some 0W-40 since it is winter and if it gives me trouble I wouldn't hesitate to try a 0W-30 or even 0W-20.

Similar vintage manuals that I've been able to find are all over the place. Some say use 10W-40, some say 5W-30, some say SAE20 and some say use SAE-10 in the winter during extreme conditions.

I'll be tackling this in the next month or so. Clean it up, test the safeties, and replace controls as necessary. Eventually if everything works out I'll connect it to an additional 10 gallon tank for a bit of extra capacity.

A few more thoughts:

• When I plan to fire it up I'll use the regulator and start at a low pressure and work my way up. I suspect if the tank ever failed it would go pppfffffffffffffffffftttttt out of a pin-hole rather than go boom and become shrapnel. I'd be more worried about a big 200 gallon, heavy gauge tank at 200psi exploding vs this one.
• It does have a pulley/belt guard on it. Some cracks in the plastic but nothing that can't be fixed.

And I'm surprised no one has suggested using Valvoline Restore and Protect on it to clean it up!!!!

 

[Propflux01]

Did it require 10w-40 non-detergent by chance?

 

[SC Maintenance]

The belt was unobtanium

Some sort of rubber V-belt? If so likely an industrial distributor could have sized one out of your. You may not have liked the price.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Kudos to you for saving a potentially functional piece of equipment. I really like old stuff like this. Good luck with the restoration and please post pics of the actual compressor. I saved this one that I believe dated back to the 40's a few years ago.

View attachment 319706

I love this old stuff. Compare the simple functionality to the slop we buy now. 80 years old, still airs up tires.

 

[Chris142]

Some sort of rubber V-belt? If so likely an industrial distributor could have sized one out of your. You may not have liked the price.

It was a skinny 4 rib belt. I looked
For one for about 20 years for one. I ended up modifying it to use a tensioner then the tank rusted out

 

[walterjay]

Nice older compressor. I do worry about tank corrosion on something that old. You may want to dial back the high pressure setting a bit for insurance.

 

[Oliveoil2]

2 qts of any 10w-40….good for years!!

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Did it require 10w-40 non-detergent by chance?

I can't find a manual but the sticker just says check the oil often and change it every 100 hours with "SAE 10W-40 oil".

Nice older compressor. I do worry about tank corrosion on something that old. You may want to dial back the high pressure setting a bit for insurance.

My grandfather was a mechanic and had an auto repair business so I doubt he was using this for anything other than inflating tires or blowing the dust off of stuff at home. This compressor probably had an easy life. But you never know, someone might have beaten the snot out of it and given it to him at some point too....

He retired around 2000 and it went in the back of his shed in his newer "down-sized house", i.e. retirement community of double wide trailers . By this point he would have gone to my dad's shop (he owned is own auto repair shop too) and used the compressed air there. I doubt he tried to lug it out of the shed once he parked it.

But I do worry about the potential failure of the tank....

It may also be FUBAR too! In a few minutes I'm going out to the back shed to take a look at it. I'll take some pictures and see if I can turn the pulley by hand.

 

[CleanSump]

I'd just get some non-detergent 30 for yard equipment and fill it. If the rings or seals are bad, it won't matter if you use a 30 or 40.