Air compressor oil has a metallic look

[junkyardjeff]

My 20 year old C/H air compressor has been sounding a little noisey for the last few years and since its been awhile since I changed the oil I did so tonight,it came out with a metallic look so should I be looking to replace to compressor soon. I think the owners manual said to run 10 W 40 in it and that is what I have been doing the last 20 years but this time I made a concoction with 15 W 40 and a little STP and I hope it lasts long enough to get my 66 F250 done. Anybody know a source for just the compressor part since the electric motor and tank are in good shape and no use in spending on a complete unit,I dont remember the oil having a metallic look the last time the oil was changed but I think its been last fall since the oil was changed plus it only got used last year for blowing up tires but this fall I plan on uising it alot for body and paint work and I hope it will last.

 

[nissan_crawler]

define "metallic look"

 

[bmwpower]

Dude on here has a IR pump for sale...forget where though....

 

[junkyardjeff]

The best I can decribe is the old oil has a silverish look to it.

 

[porschedude996TT]

You could send the oil in to be spectrum analyzed to see were the metal is coming from. At a mimimum I would put a magnet in it to determine if it is ball bearings or piston or babbit bearing wear.

Here is a kit that is $13.99, not sure what you would do with the information, other than rebuild or replace.

http://www.avshop.com/product/ITEM5933/20

I would change the oil and run it for a few hours/days and see what the oil looks like from there.

Good news is that this is not an aircraft engine and if it blows up the only thing you are out is the cost of a new unit, not your life.

 

[Major Ramifications]

No, it should not have a metallic look, and I doubt that they recommended multiweight detergent oil. Air compressor oil is readily available and cheap. You can buy parts for CH compressors from them at CHPower.com. It may not be cost effective to change the pump, but I don't know what you have.
I would drain it, and maybe put a strong magnet on the crankcase to attract any iron parts. Fill it with new air compressor oil and hope for the best. Run it until something happens.

 

[rsanter]

I would be tempted to open that compressor head up and inspect it.
if the innards are not hammered they are an easy rebuild.

most compressor heads need rings and valves to make them near new again, if the rod/crank journal is where the problem is that it gets a bunch more expensive.

by the way, I have the IR compressor pump for sale, but it would need at least a 5hp motor to operate properly

bob

 

[A_Pmech]

Not enough info...

Is the pump new and just broken in?

How long since the last oil change?

Hours accumulated since last oil change?

Any funny noises?

How metallic? Does it look like silver metallic paint, or just a streak here and there?

How expensive is the pump?

I wouldn't get all panicked about "metal flake" look in the oil if it's been in the machine for an extended period (many years) or the pump is brand-new. If it is past break-in and the oil is changed regularly then it's obvious something is wrong. What you do from there depends on the cost of a new pump, rebuildability, need for compressed air, etc.

 

[junkyardjeff]

Its a C/H 5 Hp with a 60 gallon tank and its 20 years old,the compressor sounds a little loose but keeps on going. The oil has a silverish tinge to it when swirled around in the pan but looks mostly black,I think the oil has been in it for about a year and a half and I think I changed it in the spring before last summer. The compressor sat most of last summer through this spring only inflating tires and using the blow gun to clean out carbs and other stuff untill this spring when I started doing the body work on my shop truck,I will run it for a couple hours and change the oil again and try to find compresor oil to put in it the next time. I can not find the manual but I was almost sure it said to use multi weight oil but I have been wrong before.