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by Phil MIller
(Yuba City, California, US)
Help with identifying parts of a DeVilbiss Compressor (model # 230) (yes very old!)
I am restoring a 1952 DeVilbiss compressor that sits on a 60 gal horizontal tank.

Hi Bill,
I could not find my answers in your book, so I’m coming to the source.
I am restoring a 1952 DeVilbiss compressor that sits on a 60 gal horizontal tank.
On the head of the compressor there are four round caps, two large and two small. The two smaller caps have a tube connecting them to each other, then running off into space. My question is, what is their purpose and where should I attach the tube?
Also what lubrication/oil should I use for this compressor?
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Hi Phil.
1) Thanks for buying my eBook
2) Reference the tubes, since I can’t see them clearly in the photo I have, and since I know squat about this compressor (except generally), my thoughts are these might be the intake valves.
3) Regarding the DeVilbiss compressor oil, see my pages on compressor oil on this site for as much general info I can provide, not having the original spec as to what oil they recommended
I certainly invite others to chime in on this issue.
Thanks,
Bill
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Update: The original photo became mis-linked and has been lost. Would you please be good enough to add a comment with some more photos?
Hi. In between the compressor and motor…. the manifold which holds the pressure switch and what I assume is a form of a diaphragm type check valve. I have one, it is functional, but I currently have it off and would like to get it’s proper name so if I need to rebuild it I could. I believe this is specific to Devilbiss compressors from what I can tell. my pump is a Champion, but it sits on an old Devilbiss tank which failed. it seems that any picture of old compressors I see one on is a devilbiss. could… Read more »
How ’bout a pic or two? 1K words and all that.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry, I didn’t realize the original poster’s photo was gone. Hope this helps.
Yeah, I dunno. Roger might know. He usually responds to “what is this pump” posts.
It looks like smaller part is a check, and I think the larger part is a radiator for whatever pump was on there originally.
You can probably just replace it with a regular check valve as the the unloader is built into the pump.
thanks Doug in s.d.ca! I’ll try to check with Roger.
What pump model is it? Because the 330 has a second compression ratio and this one has only 1
Hard to tell. Can you get pix of the side facing the wall?
From what I CAN see, looks two stage, with wonky plumbing.
But if it’s really single stage, it may be a 220 with unloader.
Looks pretty nice otherwise.