Well over 45 years ago Dad & I bought a new SEARS compressor, must have been on sale. I don't know the actual details but Dad built his house in 1946 and the wiring wasn't enough to run the compressor so it has never been plugged into any wall socket. It made the move down here and is in the back of the closet under the ba*****t staircase. Every once in a while I think I should move the **** out of the way and roll it out. Drain and change the oil, it should run on a 1978 wired house, right?
Since you already have it, you might as well use it. As an added plus, since it's a 1978, it definitely was not "Made of Chineseium".
Should run on 1978 wiring just fine ***uming it's 110v. You need bigger wire and receptacle for 220v. Best way to be sure is to look at the motor tag. It should tell how many amps it draws. Most standard house wiring runs 14 ga wire which is good for 15 amps. However, some might be wired with 12 ga which is good for 20 amps with a properly rated receptacle. To tell the difference, just read the amp ratings in the breaker box.
I had a panel added to the garage years ago for a welder I never bought, with access for more hookups. Swapped a Mercedes for the parts & labor. Mercedes was free from a customer, non running diesel POS. The electrician s****ped it four months later.
i’ve got a 1967 sears tankless and oilless compressor. i use it for tire inflation at my grandmothers 1925 cabin with knob and tube wiring. lord knows when the compressor was designed. I'm guessing the fifties. and the coleman gas heater was installed in the fifties (if i remember correctly...)
Some will tell you to dismantle the motor and lubricate the bearings and such seeing as it hasn't been run for so long. Do you reckon it'll still be covered by warranty?
Draining and changing the oil sounds like a good idea. Then I'd find a way to turn it over by hand, several times, to make sure it all turned freely and smoothly. Check the belt to make sure it hasn't deteriorated and is adjusted properly. Initially, open the regulator valve so no pressure can build in the tank. You might also remove the drain plug from the bottom of the tank. Then plug it inio the outlet and let it run for 10 or 15 minutes with no load. If everything seems OK, replace the drain plug, close the regulator valve and plug it in again. If it's too much of a load for your electrical service you'll know as soon as it blows a fuse or pops a circuit breaker.
Just look at the tag on the motor, it will tell you the amperage draw at what voltage. Provided your circuits can handle it, it will run fine.
I have a 1983 Sears compressor, I've used it over the years, and now it's my only compressor again because I left the big one at the house I moved out of, and haven't got a replacement. Mine is rated 1 hp (old HP rating that means soemthing), and can be wired for 120 or 240v. It likes 240 better, less voltage drop. Look over the motor label carefully. I would leave the 1978 oil in it, but then, I'm an idiot who's run stuff with old oil in it and it survived. You should at least check to see if it seems like oil after all these years, my guess is it will. Years ago a friend gave me a Sears metal band saw that he'd bought new, but never unpacked or set up. I ended up giving it to my brother, he got a lot of use out of it. I think the saw was from the late 60s, and it finally got used around 2010.
A 15 or 20 amp breaker should only have an 80% load connected (12 and 16 amps respectively); go beyond that and you'll start getting nuisance tripping which will kill the breaker sooner or later. The number on the breaker is the trip current, not continuous load. This generally limits you to a 2 HP motor or smaller at 120V and those breaker sizes. Sears was famous in that era for using a BS rating of 'developed' HP, not 'true' power so do check the FLA (full load amps) on the motor nameplate for accurate info. Also be aware that starting current inrush can be 3X or more of the running (FLA) current, some breakers will tolerate this better than others.
That may be the reason the old Sears compressor wouldn't run by just plugging it into the wall socket. Dad made an extension cord out of BX cable about 10 feet long and it ran fine for years, painted a lot of cars with the old compressor.
It sounds like it may be about the same age as mine. Sears had a huge sale on a 220V only compressors, guess that they did not sell well. My brother and I both bought one. Mine has many many hours on it. Body/paint work, building houses with nail gun. Finally had to rebuild the unloader valve on it... Still going strong! Check the motor tag for voltages/amperages!
Some Sears 5 HP 220V compressors were made by Devilbiss the paint gun people. I have a 1930s compressor that runs fine on modern power.
I have an old Sears Craftsman compressor about the same age. Inherited from my father. It's 120v and has horizontal 20 gal tank, v-belt driven. I'm pretty certain it's a rebadged Devilblis. For the compressor just use 30 weight compressor oil (non detergent). You can get at Tractor Supply or similar places. Still works just fine after all the years. Although i have a newer 60 gal 5 hp two stage in my shop garage. The old Sears is the standby or portable.
What else you have under the stairs? I was thinking about you going “into te ba*****t” and thought you came across it while looking for another part I’d just plug it in and run it, my dads old compressor oil hasn’t been changed since he got it in the late 70’s, was around 10 years old then. Edit: one thing you might want to do, is wire brush off the plug to get them shiny. They may have oxidized over the years. Build up resistance, draws more current and trips the breaker.
Oh boy, Sears used many different vendors, so it could be a number of them. I have seen DeVilbiss and Speedaire, and I believe Campbell Haulsy (sp?) at some point. Look at the model number and take the first 3 digits which should be the vendor number, that ***ociates the vendor Sears had manufacture the compressor for them. Or post a pic. I have had one like 38Chevy454 described, but that was was definitely Speedaire, it was a horizontal 20gal, mine was green. I saw another horizontal that was red or yellow at some point. '37kid, you got any pics?
I may want to prime some Roadster parts so I'll add the search for the compressor to the Roadster build. Have to move some possibly interesting stuff away from the door, so I'll get the camera to do***ent the event.
There it is, motor info is Greek to me, what is the deal with the special plug???????????? What would happen if it was cut off and a normal plug was installed?
i would try to hand turn the motor and compressor one revolution and check compressor oil level BEFORE plugging it in. straighten up the plug contacts and if you don’t have that style plug outlet you might find a adapter for that 20amp plug to your electric dryer 220v outlet. and other 220v styles available. if needed i myself would replace the existing plug with another style higher amp 220v plug to fit the 220v outlet that is convenient.
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