Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Both of my compressors manuals specify Mobil 1 5W30.
What? I own 11 gas powered air compressors. All honda's with either v-twin or inline twin pumps. They spec 5w-30 oil for the engines and non-detergent 10 weight for winter and non-detergent 20 weight for summer. And they all call for oil changes every 100 hours.
A 5w-30 will foam up in a compressor pump. I have seen it happen. And foamed up oil really doesn't lubricate well,does it.
Op. A non detergent oil is what you want. I switched over to amsoil's compressor oil due to it's cold flow properties in winter and it lasts longer.
This is the excerpt from my air compressor operators manual:
"For this compressor, use 250 mL / 8.4 oz of ISO100 (SAE 30), non-detergent compressor oil, or Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic.
Do not use regular automotive oil such as 10W-30. Additives in regular motor oil can cause valve deposits and reduce pump life. For maximum pump life, drain and replace oil after the first hour of run time."
I chose Mobil 1 5W30 because my compressors are kept in unheated garages. Makes them easier to crank up in winter. With the original straight 30 oil, they were very hesitant to turn over at below zero temps. Now they spin up right away.