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Compressor ?

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  PurpHaze 
#1 ·
I think a thread on compressor service/repair/maintenance would help all of us here on Lawnsite. I have never owned one until this year so could have cared less about the subject...rental yard took care of that.

But, this year I own one and want to know somethings.

Specifically

Why is oil coming out of my air hose .. normally a small amount of oil when the compressor has been running for awhile and working harder than normal....big system yesterday...and when the compressor shut down and released the air through the thingamajig air release valve thingie...it shot oil, compressor oil, all over a driveway....

What pressure should the compressor oil be running at?


1969 Leroi compressor...I don't know if it is a screw type or rotary or whatever....wish I could find some documentation on this model...please if someone can point me in the right direction for that as well.

Thanks
 
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#2 ·
good thread...

I had a question about air regulators... I can turn mine down to about 90psi on the compressor... and for the most part this won't blow up the system.

Anyone have an regulator added on to their compressor that can still keep the volume high but get the psi down to about 70?

I can only find regulators for small garage compressors
 
#3 ·
Rotary compressors operate with oil in contact with the air, and it's the job of the separator(s) to remove the oil and give you clean air. The old reciprocating compressors kept the two separate, piston rings willing. If you wanted an easy way to keep psi down, while the compressor is still working, a relief valve might be used.

Run the relief air through a calliope, and really bring in the customers!
 
#5 ·
BSME said:
good thread...

I had a question about air regulators... I can turn mine down to about 90psi on the compressor... and for the most part this won't blow up the system.

Anyone have an regulator added on to their compressor that can still keep the volume high but get the psi down to about 70?

I can only find regulators for small garage compressors
Don't know what kind of stores you have around there, but if you have an industrial supply store, they should be able to help you. Typically these are not on main street, they tend to supply manufacturing plants, etc. Some brands: SMC, Norgren, Parker Hanifin, probably a lot more, but they should all have something large enough to work.
 
#6 ·
I'm looking at a Grainger catalog, and get this - a relief valve with 1/4 inch threads can blow off 80 CFM at 100 psi. But this is an old catalog, so check with the actual manufacturer Control Devices - if the air has run through an aftercooler, you might get by with a pressure relief valve used for water, since a number of them have CFM ratings for air. Temperature comes into play here.

Your compressor already has a relief valve on it, no doubt, as a basic safety requirement, but they won't be adjustable.
 
#7 ·
SprinklerGuy said:
Specifically

Why is oil coming out of my air hose .. normally a small amount of oil when the compressor has been running for awhile and working harder than normal....big system yesterday...and when the compressor shut down and released the air through the thingamajig air release valve thingie...it shot oil, compressor oil, all over a driveway....

What pressure should the compressor oil be running at?

1969 Leroi compressor...I don't know if it is a screw type or rotary or whatever....wish I could find some documentation on this model...please if someone can point me in the right direction for that as well.

Thanks
Check the engine from what I searched you could have an allis-chalmers engine or an actual Le Roi engine, they apparantly were an industrial engine manufacturer back in the day.

there should be some kind of tag or marking on the block, also you could check it from the oil filter, might be a wide range but it might narrow it down a bit or simply take it to a good mechanic and they could tell you what it is by looking at it.

my guess' would be the oil is coming from either

1) a bad air/oil separator or
2) blowby from the rings, our compressor is an 8 cylinder ford industrial engine and the 4 on one side has the valves and oil and the other side the 4 supply the air and it will need some engine work because we are noticing oil coming with the air, thank goodness for backflows :)

Check this site for air/oil separators:

http://www.ecompressedair.com/separators/airoilseparator.asp?oem=Smith&mfgid=36

And this site for very old tractors and equipment, allis chalmers engine kits and such. I was looking around and actually found a post that someone was looking for info on a 1948 le roi compressor engine.

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/boards.cgi

bossair.com is another site dealing with rotary screw compressor systems.

Feel free to PM me with any questions or help locating things.
 
#10 ·
ouch... i feel like i'm going to have a bad morning tomorrow

I don't know much about engines... or diesel fuel...

I filled up the compressor today at a place I have never been to. I then went and blew out a 17 zone system. The compressor ran fine. I then went and did smaller systems and my compressor sounded like it was having trouble starting. Once it started, however, it seemed to run ok. This made me nervous though since my compressor is pretty new and I just took it in before the season started to have it checked over.

I've been thinking about it all evening and have a feeling that I filled up on that E85 stuff.... how bad is that? What's my next step? West coast guys that are still up?
 
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