M_Body_Coupe
Well-Known Member
So a few years back I picked up a used IronHorse 60gal compressor (Model# 6160V1 by WOOD Industries). Had some teething problems to start off with, embarrassed to admit it, but the price was a steal (too good to be true as it turned out) and seeing as the compressor switch (another missed warning signal) had no wires running to it, the A-HOLE who hand-delivered that wreck to my house (from some 2 hrs. away, and no charge) was all too happy to grab my cash and run while I never had the chance to even test-run it (yeah, still pissed off about being caught up in the 'oh my, I finally have a 60 gal compressor' high).
OK, so as it turned out after wiring it up the reed valves were burnt, I took the heads off (5 hp pump, two heads) figured out what parts I needed and off I went shopping for the replacements. About $100 later I was sporting a running compressor with industrial strength air filters (Solberg FS-06-050) and some fancy water/moisture vent-off valving, etc...oh yeah baby, I was "King of the Hill" and rocking it!!! lol
I needed that because this build up was all about replacing my aged Cambell Housefeld 20 gal unit and prepping for the massive amount of airflow required to sustain my W2 head porting adventure (which it did in spades, thank you very much!).
....almost ready to make my point, hang in there...
So when I had originally fixed that broken compressor I purchased I used 1L of the 30 weight compressor oil the shop with the repair parts supplied me with. I understood this oil was not engine oil, etc, etc....and all was good.
Then early this year while working on something I walked by the compressor and it felt like I literally entered a tropical HOT zone!!! yikes...I grabbed my infrared thermometer and "wa wa wee wa" (thank you Borat), one of the heads was running super hot. OK, the valves burnt again, or maybe just the gasket...something was wrong.
Off I went replacing the parts, this time it actually was just the thin aluminum gasket (on this particular air pump) which looked to have burnt through, probably as the compressor was at times at nearly 100% duty cycle. But OK, problem solved.
...BUT...
I started to look more at compressor oil, which needed replacing (as I had not done so since getting it - about 3 yrs.) which is something I had previously ignored. Sure enough, I sourced some synthetic stuff locally (DeWalt part# D55001) and happily filled the pump crankcase.
Re-started the compressor and eagerly awaited the standard running temps to return....but....no such thing happened, in fact the NEW running temps are at least a full 10 deg (C) lower then what I was previously seeing with the mineral oil.
That's the big find...I honestly did NOT expect to see this. Those of you who have worked with air compressors in the past may naturally think of this as a 'no-brainer', but at least for me here this was a great outcome and a learning lesson.
To boot, the compressor does actually sound different, it is quieter, no complaints there!!
So there you have it, lesson learned, I will be using synthetic air compressor oil from now onwards.
OK, so as it turned out after wiring it up the reed valves were burnt, I took the heads off (5 hp pump, two heads) figured out what parts I needed and off I went shopping for the replacements. About $100 later I was sporting a running compressor with industrial strength air filters (Solberg FS-06-050) and some fancy water/moisture vent-off valving, etc...oh yeah baby, I was "King of the Hill" and rocking it!!! lol
I needed that because this build up was all about replacing my aged Cambell Housefeld 20 gal unit and prepping for the massive amount of airflow required to sustain my W2 head porting adventure (which it did in spades, thank you very much!).
....almost ready to make my point, hang in there...
So when I had originally fixed that broken compressor I purchased I used 1L of the 30 weight compressor oil the shop with the repair parts supplied me with. I understood this oil was not engine oil, etc, etc....and all was good.
Then early this year while working on something I walked by the compressor and it felt like I literally entered a tropical HOT zone!!! yikes...I grabbed my infrared thermometer and "wa wa wee wa" (thank you Borat), one of the heads was running super hot. OK, the valves burnt again, or maybe just the gasket...something was wrong.
Off I went replacing the parts, this time it actually was just the thin aluminum gasket (on this particular air pump) which looked to have burnt through, probably as the compressor was at times at nearly 100% duty cycle. But OK, problem solved.
...BUT...
I started to look more at compressor oil, which needed replacing (as I had not done so since getting it - about 3 yrs.) which is something I had previously ignored. Sure enough, I sourced some synthetic stuff locally (DeWalt part# D55001) and happily filled the pump crankcase.
Re-started the compressor and eagerly awaited the standard running temps to return....but....no such thing happened, in fact the NEW running temps are at least a full 10 deg (C) lower then what I was previously seeing with the mineral oil.
That's the big find...I honestly did NOT expect to see this. Those of you who have worked with air compressors in the past may naturally think of this as a 'no-brainer', but at least for me here this was a great outcome and a learning lesson.
To boot, the compressor does actually sound different, it is quieter, no complaints there!!
So there you have it, lesson learned, I will be using synthetic air compressor oil from now onwards.
