[Molon Labe]

The rings went bad on my reciprocating air compressor and when I drained it I got some milky tan oil/water mixture. I'm in the process of rebuilding the pump but I was planning to do some painting soon and I'm worried about the oil getting on the car. I'm aware of the various oil/moisture filters available but is there anything else I can do to remove the contamination that must be throughout my air lines?

 

[ogre]

any compressor will introduce oil into the air lines, if you don't filter the oil out for spraying it will cause havoc
air lines should gravity drain to a low point, the oil will gravity drain out the same way
you can assist this by removing the air fitting at the end and opening a 1/4 turn ball valve at the compressor
definitely wear hearing protection when doing this

 

[Molon Labe]

My air system is properly plumbed to include drip legs for crud to collect in. From the tank the line goes into a 6' long, vertical, 1" black iron drip leg with a drain at the bottom. Then 1/2" black iron lines go horizontally from the top of this drip leg and at each drop the line comes up 10" from the horizontal line before turning down to the the air outlet. All lines continue past the last drop and are pitched to a drip leg at the ends with a drain at the bottom of the leg. I have had some of the oil/water sludge come out of the drip legs at the end of the runs so I'm pretty sure it's throughout the lines. I'm just not comfortable risking a paint job "hoping" the oil has been blown out. I need a way to flush the lines and tank. It's a 60 gallon tank so "sloshing" something around inside isn't going to work.