Cosmetic value of used compressor oil

[Aussiebushman]

On this forum we tend to pride ourselves on our self-reliance. Not for us the easy way out of taking machinery to the stealer for simple maintenance or repair. No, we can do this ourselves, generally using various bits and pieces left lying around the shed, with old fencing wire, epoxy, duct tape and cable ties being high on the list of acceptable materials.

Therefore, when the compressor fails to deliver more that 5 PSI, there has to be simple fix, right? First, we reseal the leaking delivery lines - no significant improvement. Then we discover there is little or no oil in the unit -simple enough to refill. Ah we find a leak around the 1 cent Chinese plastic filler-plug. What looks like a plastic thread isn't one; it is merely a stopper with an O-ring that pushes into an unthreaded hole and naturally, we do not have an O-ring of the correct size. How about some thread tape? No, it still leaks.

Now for some inventiveness, starting with a search through our old bits of rubber (mostly now perished) until we find a bit of oil-rated hose that with a solid rubber plug jammed inside makes a pretty good fit into the filler hole. Start the compressor and hey it works! That is, until the pressure reaches about 40 PSI and the plug blows out, along with most of the (now black) oil.

How lucky that one was standing slightly to one side watching for leaks. In this way, only about half of the oil ended on ones face, hair and clothes. The rest hit the roof lining and is still dripping conveniently, should one wish to take a shower too.

Happily, a bit of fencing wire and a hose clamp was the answer. A couple of twists of wire around the base of the compressor holds everything in place really well. The moral of the story is that one should have used fencing wire and duct tape in the first place, but the upside is the excellent conditioning effect on the hair and skin. Who needs to buy cosmetics when we can make them ourselves? A woman with her mouth open to talk at the time of the incident would also have acquired free mouthwash as well.

Regards from OZ

Alan

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Interesting that the Australian plan of attack is so similar to the State's method! There should be a world wide store chain that specializes in strands of rusty barbed wire, half used rolls of duc tape and coat hanger wire. Glad you got it repaired!

 

[oughtsix]

When I bought my 76 Scout about 10 years ago the Dana 18 transfer case sounded a little loud so my buddy stopped at the local walmart and picked up some 40 weight and since they didn't have the pump to fit the gallon jug we picked up a "Mr Pump" with an incoming rubber hose and out going rubber hose.

It took about 5 pumps in the Walmart parking lot to create enough vacuum suck the heavy 40 weight into the pump. My buddy couldn't quite muster enough muscle to pump the oil back out again. So he put one side of the pump on the ground and put all his weight on the plunger. This was just enough pressure to blow the outgoing hose off of the pump and a half pint or so of oil directly into my ear.

Gear oil really stinks and is a heck of a lot harder to get out of your ear canal than one would imagine!

 

[OldMcDonald]

You have advantages over the USA too Aussiebushman. When a radiator hose bursts, you just shoot a 'roo of what you consider to be suitable size, skin its tail and cut to length. Also all the old rung-out trees. I once limped home more than 50 miles with an old hollow gum tree to support the drive shaft of a truck filled with Merino wethers. The carrier bearing had gone so I split the tree with the tyre lever and tied it up with some wire from a broken down fence. Split my head a good gash coming out from underneath the truck and have a good scar to remind me of the event every time I look in a mirror.

 

[TMcD_in_MI]

Alan, you are indeed a wizard, and one with very soft skin.

Tom

 

[Soundguy]

the upside is the excellent conditioning effect on the hair and skin. Who needs to buy cosmetics when we can make them ourselves? Regards from OZ

Alan

funny. I have a ford NAA that I was plumbing an old laoder on. i had all new hoses except for one. i was just testing the laoder lift circuit and had it up int he air whent he hose let go. wow that was alot of oil!

upside.. as you say.. no more dry skin problems, and the tractor is now rust proofed!

soundguy

 

[Taylortractornut]

Thats a regular experience in my life. An old man at work told me If a gallon of oil is out Ill get 2 quarts on me. I was running the the scraper at work 2 years ago and the scrapers pull axle wasnt acting right. I nosed it into the shop and crawled under it to the belly plate to the axle housing. I got the wrench to fit the check plug and was loosening it. I had a small spill pan un er there with me and moved back as far as my arm would allow me. Even though I thought it was low on oil. When the last thread came out the inch plug shot out and I got hosed 2 feet away with the hydraulic oil. About that time the DEQ Inspector rolled in for his quarterly inspection. I wiped my glasses off and ran out there to meet him. It was a district inspector I had never met. Here I am in my jean shorts and t shirt soaked through with oil. He never looked at the working face he was too busy laughing at me. He said he knew no oil was on the ground as it was all on me. I got to checking and a dirt dauber built a nest in the axle breather and the axle lock is bypassing to the differential housing.


The next best one was I was about to help a newly single friend that put a loft in his shop get a fridge and stove up in the living area. He was worried my Hyster 50 with a 3 stage mast wouldnt reach. We were out side my shop and I raised the mast with a palletized skid engine on it. When it reached the top of the last stage a line blew in the top of the mast and it sprayed us with oil all the way down to the bottom lol. Theres still a roing out side the shop on the gravel that glistens in the rain.

 

[smiley]

I had to run back to our machine/office yard to pick up something and the company owner who was in his 70's was there, wrestling with a 55 gallon drum of liquid asphalt, trying to get it up on a stand so we could draw it off 5 gallons at a time. I went over to help him and as we rolled it up on, the bung blew with him standing in front of it and his brand new to him, 50 cent garage sale butterscotch yellow pants and bright purple shirt instantly turned black.
I got a royal butt reaming just for being there
Did I mention he was a multimillionaire and a cheapskate? All his clothes and shoes were from garage sale/charity stores.

 

[Taylortractornut]

At work we run DM Mack roll offs. We needed a spare motor transmission, and rearends encase of a breakdown. One of my friends had an old pull out truck i nthe log woods that he left behind the house when the mainshaft broke. It was back there 10 or so years on the log road. It ran good when parked so I asked about it and we struck up a price of 750 bucks. I brought home a roll off and the flat bed skid and we retrieved it.

It sat at work for a couple years and one of our trucks was getting weak so we pushed it in the shop and and cut the rusted out cab off and pulled the motor and transmission as one unit. We had to Core in the housing to the trans mission and were going to have the motor rebuilt. M y5000 pound Hyster barely would pick it up, I mean barely tip toe it out to the machine shed. I leaned it on a scraper bowl and left it. When the shop had an opening My helper and I went to pick the motor up and the chain had been borrowed off it. I got a different on and it was a bit shorter and had to be rigged kinda different.

When we got it up over te trailer we noticed it was going to be laying on the injector pump side. We put a bad truck tire on the trailer to cradle the motor and pump. I forgot that the dipstick is on that side of the injection pump. The dip stic drained 12 year old 1000 hour burnt motor oil in the old tire carcass.

Ididnt think about it when it got to our mechanic Mr. Parsons who is in his 70's and a character. He unloaded the motor and transmission with his boom truck and went to roll the tire off the traile r to use as a cradle again. When he flipped it up the black oi covered his new shoes and socks and his old coveralls. id have done anything to have heard the initial blast of profanity when it happened. A week later he came to work to service a truck and me and the helper got the reaming of a life time. Its still funny lol. He showed me his shoes and socks, that was some nasty looking oil.


One of the best feelings is on a hot summers day on a hot scraper thats been run a few hours is having a line blow o nthe neck and getting a hot oil bath. Then having the dust cloud that was behind the scraper cover you.

 

[Aussiebushman]

Wonderful responses thank you. It cheers me to know I am not the only one incapable of anticipating such problems. However, no-one has been game to comment on my statement:

A woman with her mouth open to talk at the time of the incident would also have acquired free mouthwash as well

.

Cheers from Oz - Alan