Air Compressor Spitting Oil

[DoubleARS]

Hello everyone,

I received a new SS3L3 IR compressor late last week and I was getting it running tonight. I got it all wired up and filled with the oil that came with it to the top of the sight glass. It started up with no issue. I ran it for 30 minutes with the discharge valve open as the manual said to do for break-in. I then closed the valve. When it got to about 75 PSI, it started spit oil out of the vent (and maybe other places). I was standing about 12 feet away as I didn't want to be right on top of it if something should fail.

What could this be? Of course it's after hours for IR and I was hoping for a little insight.

 

[Lightfoot]

I had a compressor with a sight glass once. It had a tiny dot with a horizontal line in the center of the glass---that was full. Not saying yours is that way but if it is, you may have too much oil in it if you filled it to the top of the glass. Just a guess since there are no pix. Owner's manual should say, and you've probably got it right. Mine was probably 20 years old.

 

[p0lar]

I had a compressor with a sight glass once. It had a tiny red dot in the center of the glass---that was full. Not saying yours is that way but if it is, you may have too much oil in it if you filled it to the top of the glass. Just a guess since there are no pix.

This would be my first presumption as well. To spit oil from the crankcase breather (assuming this is the vent mentioned by the OP) is a telltale sign of an oil that's too light or there's simply too much of it. Is there no screen in the vent, OP?

 

[DoubleARS]

Thanks for the input. The oil if coming from #46 on the attached image. I will try to drain some of the oil tomorrow.

 

[TwoInch]

nothing said of blow by of the rings.

sounds like too much oil in the crankcase to me. pull the vent and look at it, see if it looks funky. also, oil level should be 1/2 to 2/3 covering the sight glass, not to the top.

 

[DoubleARS]

Thanks again for the input. I went out and looked at it this morning and the oil is not to the top of the sight glass anymore (it spit it out). The manual does say to go to the top of the sight glass. I am attaching that sheet.

I'm not thrilled with this compressor assembly so far. The breather is at an angle and appears to be cross threaded (not that the oil spitting has anything to do with that) and it is jammed into the belt shroud.

 

[TwoInch]

that attachment is unreadable, too small.

its very odd to me that a manufacturer would place a sight glass in a place to where it need to be to the top of the glass. the whole point is to see a contrast, so you can see the oil level. if the oil level is at the top, or over the top, whos to know?
strange to me.

 

[DoubleARS]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to go with the "too much oil" theory. I drained a bit and ran it up to pressure and no leakage. I'm very thankful it was something truly minor.