# Sears/craftsman Air Compressor Oil In Air Tank



## juiceclone (Aug 21, 2016)

Hi all   I have a sears two cyl  air compressor, probably 40 years old at least , about a 15 gal tank.  .   Dont use it a lot, It's on 3rd motor now and mostly runs/ran? well.   A month ago I thought there was a lot of moisture coming out when blowing off parts etc.  Turns out what was coming out was a chocolatey mix of water and oil. I have an auto drain on it and noticed that was sticking open.  Removed the assy, found it gooped up....so I  repeatedly filled and vented the tank.  Same crap came out, but not that much really.  Maybe a shot glass or so?   Put it all back together and ran it a bit again. and found the same stuff coming out the nozzle.   Seems like it's going into the tank as a fog or something and coming out as I use the air. Went to Harbor Fright and got a cheap replacement, and began to disassemble the sears unit.  Cyl bore is perfect, bearings have no play.  Thought I'd see really bad piston rings.  The compression rings end gap is .015  and the oil control rings around .026.  Does this sound excessive enough to be causing the oil to get into the head and out into the tank or not?  (Crankcase vent is open)  Could the oil rings just not be doing their job even if that clearance isn't excessive?   I can,t think of any other excuse for the oil.  Think I'll be able to find replacement rings, and maybe reed valves as well.  Also, any good/safe way to get that oil out of the tank?  Anyone have a similar experience?


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## davidh (Aug 22, 2016)

my gut reaction was that it may be due to a very clogged air inlet filter, and worn valves causing it to work too hard, produce more moisture and suck oil from the crankcase.   i would also consider that ring gap to be quite large.  could you feel the vacuum sucking air into the crankcase vent hole ?
is this a twin cylinder ?  probably a campbell hausfield if it is.  2-3 hp ?   if so, i may have some parts for it hanging around.  a pix is worth a thousand words.
I'm not a expert here but just thinking.


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## juiceclone (Aug 22, 2016)

yes it's a twin, prob campbell hausfield .  intake filter is clean...can't say if sucking at crankcase vent as it's apart now.
I'm looking here ...     http://www.mastertoolrepair.com/air...-49836.html?osCsid=09kt6dikrtkf9o3r92ulk2imq3    only one so far with what looks like correct parts


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## davidh (Aug 23, 2016)

a set of rings, valve reeds and gaskets are pretty cheap considering the age and quality at the time that was produced.  i would fix it if it were mine.


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## juiceclone (Aug 23, 2016)

yeah...that's the direction I'm headed...but stalled right now.....had to take the Harbor Fright one back and get another cuz it did what HF stuff does so well. @#^XXxxxx


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## FOMOGO (Aug 23, 2016)

Does the bore still have any kind of crosshatch pattern or is it smooth and shiny? Mike


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## wa5cab (Aug 24, 2016)

Likewise, feel for any ridge in the bore right at the top of each cylinder.  For the shiny bore, you need a glaze buster.  For the ridge, you need a ridge reamer.  New rings in a glazed cylinder will not seat any time soon.  And new rings with a ridge left at the top of the cylinder can result in breaking the top ring.


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## cathead (Aug 24, 2016)

Initally, I would clean the tank with a solvent of some kind.  Diesel fuel is what I would use personally.  Then rinse with 
warm water and laundry detergent or dish soap.  If the unit has seen 3 motors, it is likely time for an overhaul of the
piston/bore area or consider getting a new or different compressor pump or even get a whole new unit.  Also, it
would be a good idea to check the condition of the tank as it could be rusted thin.  Tapping with a
ball pien hammer along the  bottom will indicate weak spots where moisture has accumulated.  If the tank is sound, 
it would probably be worth it to rework the pump.


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## juiceclone (Aug 24, 2016)

no ridge at top or bottom of bore ... no crosshatch remaining..smooth....  tank is a consideration,  think I'll do a little exploratory banging and see what shape it's in...If I have to, I'll get another tank and build from there.  I hate the pumps made today with compressor built into the end of the motor housing... they run at the motor speed with appropriate noise level, short life and inefficiency.    Can't replace the motor on them either ....have to replace the whole thing...
      ? ?take bets on the reasoning why  they're built like that??
Belt driven 2 cyl pump gives less obnoxious sound, works beautifully, and u can replace motor as needed.  This thing is 40 plus years old with a 1 hp motor and will fill it's 15 gal tank in half the time that the HF 12 gal  2.5 horsepower one takes.


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## MSD0 (Aug 24, 2016)

Do you know the model number? I have a Sears 2 cylinder, 30 gal compressor (model 919.176300) and found a copy of the owner's manual here: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/149948/Sears-176.html#manual
I picked it up for around $100 on Craigslist a while back and it works great. It puts out around 10 cfm@40 psi/7.5 cfm @125 psi and is very quiet. I believe the pump is made by  DeVilbiss.


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## juiceclone (Aug 25, 2016)

Think mine is older ... sears model 106.153540 
2.750" bore
2" stroke
.077 comp rings
.187 oil rings

When I go to sears site, "sorry, these parts no longer available"...going to start email to aftermarket sites with the stats and see if they have rings.


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## MSD0 (Aug 25, 2016)

juiceclone said:


> Think mine is older ... sears model 106.153540
> 2.750" bore
> 2" stroke
> .077 comp rings
> ...


You might want 


juiceclone said:


> Think mine is older ... sears model 106.153540
> 2.750" bore
> 2" stroke
> .077 comp rings
> ...


I'm also looking for parts to do a rebuild. Let us know if you find something.


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## juiceclone (Aug 25, 2016)

OK Here's the deal
Searched eBeast and one of the results was "pacificaircompressors".  Showed a 2.750" ring set, but no way of knowing for sure. Near the bottom of the ad there was a phone number if u have any questions. Called 1-888-483-4169 (in Oregon) , got to "Mike", and he was able to look up everything on my unit from the model number, and direct me to the kit needed.  Ordered it at $28 so we'll see if it's correct.  Says if any A/C is Campbell Hausfield, he can get parts for it. !!


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## juiceclone (Sep 1, 2016)

Next chapter...Ring set(s) arrived.  Good company.!! They weren't sure which set fit correctly so they sent two different sets.  Installed the correct ones, and comp is back together and running.  Does not seem to fill the tank as fast as it used to, but maybe they need to bed in.  Yes deglazed the bores, pulled and cleaned the reed valve assys, changed oil, made gaskets, etc.   :>)


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## Round in circles (Sep 2, 2016)

Automatic drain valves that fail usually do so slowly over long periods . It used to be a massive problem on a trucks air tanks especially in freezing weather if the methanol anti-freezer system was broken or empty . ... give me the simple ball lever drain-cock every time .   They allow a far more rapid exhausting of the air tank , thus giving it a bit of a scavenging effect .

Chances are your air line will still have oil & moisture  in it clinging on to the sidewall of the hose .  Do you have an in-line trap  just after the compressor outlet to remove excessive moisture & oil ? If not they are very useful not only for the task but to also see how much oil & water  is being expelled .. In periods of high humidity the amount of water can be alarmingly high when the air is compressed .

 Did you check the compressors oil level each day you use the compressor ?


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## juiceclone (Sep 2, 2016)

Yes, I need to replace the filter bowl assy, found it leaking.  
Flushed the flex lines out with bucket, detergent and little submersible pump. Unfortunately can't do the same with the built in and buried lines around here, but I'll live with it.  
This comp holds about 3/4 quart of oil, and never seems low. 
The "auto" drain valve installed a year or so ago is crap, doesn't drain much and when water gets into it's tiny orifice doesn't drain at all.  Soooo ,  hooked a short line to the drain port on the tank bottom reaching up to where it's accessible,  and capped it with a cheap blowgun.  Just squeeze and it dumps.
Pretty sure the whole thing will outlive me !!


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