A hermetic compressor unit housing comprised of a shell having a top section and a bottom section which receives the top section, the shell being formed of sheet metal and having generally cylindrical sidewalls wherein the sidewall taken in a generally axial direction is substantially straight, each shell section having an opening, a substantially cylindrical portion, and a closed end portion, the opening having a substantially circular horizontal cross-sectional geometry defined by a major axis and a minor axis, the horizontal cross-sectional geometry including substantially liner opposing sidewall portions preferably disposed adjacent to the intersection of the horizontal sectional geometry with the minor axis, and methods of aligning the shell sections for installation of fixtures and mating of the shell sections.