Can I use motor oil for an air compressor? It has a 2 piston Montgomary Ward pump on a Speedaire tank. When I moved my compressor to the loft it leaked a bit and i need to change the oil anyway. I have a ton of motor oil around and don't want to buy anything if I dont have to. Thanks!
From what I've been told you need to use compressor oil. The detergents in motor oil will cause it to foam up and leak out.
-Rob
What he said.
Damn. I can't be a cheap E36 M3. Thank you!
Engine oils have anti-foaming addatives. Compressor oils don't get as hot as ICE oil.
Anywhere that sells compressors should have oil. It's less than $10/qt and you probably won't use the whole qt.
I buy Campbell Hausfeld oil at HD. I don't recall it being very expensive.
It's labeled SAE 30ND for non detergent. They have it at napa and other decent parts houses.
Equivalent viscosity hydraulic oil will do the job as well.
Don't buy the synthetic kind. I tried it and my compressor made all kind of funny noises on it.
This is a case where non detergent oil is actually applicable, I think it has something to do with engine oil additives gunking up the valves.
+1 for SAE30 ND Been running it in my IR compressor for close to 30 years with no issues.
My brand new Kobalt 6hp 2 piston compressor lists "Mobil 1 synthetic 10W-30" right in the owner's manual. It says don't use regular (conventional?) because it can cause valve deposits.
When you think about how many cars are on the road, and what an engine oil has to be able to do, chances are most any car engine oil is going to be adequate for your compressor. Straight 30 weight non-detergent is also known as 'regular cheap oil' more or less IMHO. Not exactly expensive to buy the correctly labeled quart of compressor oil, and there's a nice rabbit hole you can go down with oil discussion, but you're probably doing more than a lot of people just by changing the oil.
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