onboard air compressor?

[GreenMystChevy]

I am building up my 4x4 and would like to put air on it for a few reasons. I want to install an air horn and I would also like to be able to air up whenever and use an impact gun on the road. The problem is that I don't want to spend the cash that 4x4 places want for these shiny new things.

Does anyone know what or where I can get something that I can wire up under the bed to fill a 5 or 10 gallon air tank that will do the trick? I am not looking for something that outperforms all others, just something that will do the job.

[67Fleetsidedream]

I just did a search on ebay for 12 volt compressor and came up with several results. Give that a go.

[matt67350]

www.onboardair.com

[tphsmith]

if you go to suspentions on here they will tell you where to get brackets and on board air compressors. myself I have been watching e-bay. sometimes there is realy good compressors on there. good luck. you will see

[walker]

Most of the four wheelers use a york piston type a/c compressor with a fabbed up steel bracket mounted to the engine. Might check the jeep web sites.

[1972C10]

Yeah an engine driven Compressor Would be cool get one of them york compressors and have a check valve before the tank so it wont bleed trou the compressor alot of airbag setups use it might look around for airbag websites

[kwmech]

I install air systems all the time, the compressor of choice is an electric marketed by Extreme Air. Not a small unit, but it works great--just this last month or so they released a junior model but I haven't installed one yet to see how it performs.

[GreenMystChevy]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Even though a belt driven one would be pretty slick, I'm not too fond of putting something else under the hood that I have to mess with. I'd just rather it be somewhere where I can hook up some wires and plumb a tank with a pressure shut-off valve.

I know nothing about compressors so any help would be appreciated. Anything that I should stay away from, what is way too small and too big, what kind of things to beware of, etc...

I am going to check a search engine for 12 volt compressors and e-bay also right now to get an idea of what it is I need (want). As for Onboardair, the ones I've seen advertised want me to pay up the woohoo. I'll have to check out Extreme Air though.

[GMC Jim]

Most all Cadilacs use a small air compressor for the air shock absorber level-ride system....I used a piston type from a '79 Cad Seville for the air shocks on my truck.. Works fine for that purpose. Thinks somethling like this would work fine with an air tank for several purposes. As I recall, I paid $15.00 for compressor at a auto/truck wrecking yard.....

[Huck]

Smallest and simplest---get a buddy to weld a fitting onto a spark plug housing to attach a hose. Remove a plug--screw in air hose with adapter and there you go----your engine will pump up whatever. A little tricky to do while driving but---cheap. Alternative----get a LONG hose for your compression tester ----hehehe Hey it works!!
Huck

[71swb4x4]

I heard of someone using a AC COmpressor but not totally sure how it worked.

Huck - wouldn't you be pushing gas in there too? Could make for some fun!!

Shawn

[GreenMystChevy]

Well, haven't found anything that I am willing to spend some money on just yet. It's too much of a "luxury" to justify spending too much cash. Gotta keep lookin and maybe some junk yards have something I might want.

I'll have to check into the caddy thing. Just wondering if it could pump out enough pressure to fill the tank up to fill big ol tires.

71swb4x4: I was thinking the same thing. A nice supply of gas fumes in an air tank would make a nice bomb
Cool idea though, it's thinking out side of the box.

[69k5]

[i

I'll have to check into the caddy thing. Just wondering if it could pump out enough pressure to fill the tank up to fill big ol tires.

]

it wont . its low pressure low volume unless you link several tohether. tooo much trouble.

got any ambulance junk yards around you? they generally have that kind of thing.

69k5

[Baradium]

Cheapest thing would be the york underhood unit. You can find those really cheap in junkyards.

Some people even use newer rotary compressors. Those compressors need oil in thier air intake, so what they do is put an oiler (like what you'd use for air tool use in a shope) in the suction side and an oil remover on the pressure side. They will then either change the oil out when most of it has cycled through or they will simply rig it up so the remover puts the oil back in the reservior for the oiler.


I have a york somewhere if I can ever find it (left it at the folks' place and my dad went on a cleaning spree and can't remember what he did with it) that I would like to put in the scout someday.

You can buy fittings for the yorks for compressor use instead of having to get them fabbed, there's a company somewhere that sells yorks specifically for on board air applications.

To air up tires you don't even need a tank, but it's probobly desired for an air horn or air tools.

If you go with an air tank, be careful about where you place it and it's orientation. You do *not* want the tank where it can go towards passenger areas if the end cap comes off (serious missle there). I'd run it unpressurized in any offroad situation in case you hit something on it, don't need a spotter to get their head chopped off. Of course, if you get fancy and have in cab tire pressure adjustment, then you'll probobly want it to be pressurized most of the time.

Sorry for the lecture, but gotta stress the tank... one of the tank cars on a railroad train (in north GA IIRC) had an end cap get blown off in a derailment... they found the car (the whole car) 15-20 miles away where it landed. Granted, an air tank won't go so far, but it could still cause damage if it tried to come through the back of your cab...


It might be fairly difficult to find an electric unit for a decent price that you can use for both the air horn and tools etc (horn use implies it'll always be hooked up and on when you are driving). That means it'll need to be electric and designed for the high loads etc in that manner. Air tools etc can be covered by the portable Quickair II from what I've heard, but that won't do for your air horn.

[GreenMystChevy]

Baradium: Thanks for the informative reply. Why wouldn't a cheaper electric one work? I as thinking that when running on the road, I could have my tank pressurized enough to run an air horn and tools. I could either have a switch to turn it on manually when the pressure valve shows it's low or have it set to come on and off when it reaches a certain pressure. Is this correct thinking? Just need something that I can wire up and has enough oomf to get the tank to the desired pressure. Right?

[rjstj]

The person you want to talk to is Brad Kilby at onboardair.com.
He can set you up with a complete York system or get you all the parts you need if you find a York at a junk yard. I have looked into every type of electric compressor out there for my Jeep's and non of them even come close for the price.

Randy

[GMC Jim]

69k5.... the Caddy piston type air compressor ( from a '79 Seville) puts out 100 to 125 pounds... more than adequate for the 2 air shocks it was designed to inflate....in fact, the Cad service manual states that the pressure should be 100 lbs. plus. or the compressor unit needs to be repaired or replaced....

[GMC Jim]

More air compressor/ horns availability::::::::::::::::::

Harbor Freight Tools has available:-------

Dual air horns; complete with 12V compressor, relay, tubing and mounting hardware. Super loud 135 db horns...All for $12.99
Part No. 40134 - OVGA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 volt, 300 psi with tire valve adapter hose, built in pressure gauge........$9.99
Part No. 4520 - 2VGA
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 volt compressor, 275 psi with high pressure tire inflator hose. ----$ 19.99
Part No. 47801-0VGA
------------------------------------------------
Ther are other choices available; do a search on harborfreight web-site...............Jim

[GMC Jim]

.........and Harbor Freight has a 5 gallon portable air tank - 17" long X 12" high. Pressure gauge to 200 psi. Maximum storage 125 psi. 1/2" NPT inlet/outlet. 13 pound weight. Mounts either horizontally or vertical.. Part No. 41712 - 2VGA----$19.99

[GreenMystChevy]

Thanks GMC Jim. I didn't even think about harbor freight. Might be a little too "cheap" for what I am looking for but for those prices, how can you not
Does anyone know how loud 135 db is? What db is a big-rig's horn?

[GMC Jim]

and Harbor freight does sell name brand equipment also...including an air tank mfg. by Campbell-Hausfield. I can envision a set-up using a 12 volt compressor, and air tank. Installation would include an automatic drain valve to drain water condensation from the air tank ( No. 46960 - 3YGA --- $ 7.99. )

Also a pressure switch , shutting down the compressor at about 100 - 115 lbs would be advisable. Campbell-Hausefield has a pressure switch Part No. CW207579AV ; which includes a pressure unloader device to vent pressurized air enabling compressor motor re-starts under load..............
..... and Harbor Freight pays shipping costs of orders over $ 50.00 !!!!! I have been buying various items from Harbor Freight for over 10 years with general satisfation... They are excellent with making good on defective items. Here in Portland; there is also a walk-in Harbor Freight store...They honor catalog sale prices and make good on anyy defective items........... Jim

[PanelDeland]

As far as the tank goes, the best idea I've seen is a 6' pipe bumper with welded end caps and a high pressure valve and air hose hookup.It was a rear bumper but if it's a 4X4 then it would be just as easy to do it on the front with a winch mount bumper.
If you prefer a square bumper just use square tubing instead.