Air Compressor

[Snitty]

1046281

I was wondering if anyone here has used an A/C compressor to convert to an air compressor. I have all of the hardware EXCEPT the compressor itself. I am still deciding on whether to go with a rotary, or a York style. I'd like to go with the york due to oiling purposes, but I don't want to take up my entire engine bay with the compressor. If anyone out there has done this... Please let me know where you mounted your compressor(if not stock) and if it gets in the way at all. Thanks.[addsig]

 

[RAVEN13xxx]

1046302

Go with the york. It doesn't take up THAT much room. All the brackets and hardware are available from http://www.onboardair.com, I'm mounting mine on the passenger side of the A/C compressor using a modified alternator pulley to run it.[addsig]

 

[Snitty]

1046333

thank you very much for the input[addsig]

 

[RayOvac]

1046370

Yeah man the york is great. I mounted a york on my rig and it really doesnt take that much room. It puts out a LOT of air....enough to run air tools continuously. @ 2000rpm I can run an impact solid at 85-90psi for as long as I want.[addsig]

 

[Snitty]

1046478

once again... i appreciate the input... I was actually wondering that... if the compressor would run air tools with no reserve tank, just straight off the compressor... I plan on putting in a tank... but ya know... who likes to wait for tanks to pump up... not me. I've concluded that I'm gonna go with a 5 piston rotary Sanded compressor. Yeah, the York has its convenience with oil.... but I'm strapped for space, mounting ideas, and best of all... I'm getting it free. Thanks again all[addsig]

 

[RAVEN13xxx]

1046490

Reserve tank???? What's that???

[addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1046536

Heard somebody mention using an impact wrench @ 4000 RPM and having overhehating problems with the compressor. Seem most ait conditioning compressors are kinda marginal for continous use. You didin´t mention, but a good idea would be a machine (tool) oiler mounted on the intake, if you install a compressor without a segregated oil sump.[addsig]

 

[RayOvac]

1046540

Yeah chuck that compressor gets REALLY hot after continuous use at higher rpms...I had a hose burst the other day just from the heat of the air coming out of the pump. I need to run hard line straight out of the pump but the fitting is a barb so I have to use rubber. Gonna pick up some fuel injection hose from Autozone...ouch $6 a foot. My york has an integrated resevior and I just run 10W30 in it but it still gets super hot if its been pumping for a while or working really hard. Oh yeah and snitty I have a 7 gallon reserve tank on my system that gives me plenty of cushion for running tools and such. Trying to run tools off the compressor alone would be a pain if not impossible with marginal results if you could get it to work. My advice is to get a tank...they arent much...picked mine up at Wal-Mart for 16.88 + tax. As far as pumping up the tank....the york puts out enough volume to fill the tank in about 30 sec. if even that...and thats at idle. With the sanden take my advice...get an inline oiler...it will burn up if you dont. I am surprised I have not fried my york already...many times its gotten hot enough to burn fingers when touched. [addsig]

 

[Snitty]

1046543

Yeah, I had already planned on getting an oiler for it, as well as treating it with some teflon based engine treatment. I was wondering also if a simple oiler for a single tool would be sufficient to oil the pump without problems. I intend on running hard line for a good distance away from the compressor. I've heard bad things about hoses popping, and as far as fuel injector hose... I've used that for several things in the past. Take it from me, DO NOT use it to patch a broken clutch line (learned the hard way). I don't really trust it too much at high temperatures either. I do have the factory hoses off the compressor from its use as the A/C compressor, but I like to play safe... I'm going to go with either brake line or light pipe for at least a foot from the compressor. [addsig]

 

[Snitty]

1046544

Also... just a quick idea.... I also have the condenser from the A/C... I am wondering if I can run my compressor intake through that first. I could mount it in front of the radiator. Just a wacky theory... With cooler air, it could increase the compression effect as the air warms up, increasing the volume of air output, therefor increasing the effectiveness of the compressor itself... Plus, this may be able to act as a cooling system for the compressor. Maybe... maybe not... just a wacky thought.... the only downside i could see from this would be the lack of intake pressure because of the added resistance, depending on the flow of the condenser.... One last thing... has anyone heard of using this onboard setup to run air suspension? I am running air shocks now, and of course, air is thin, and can get out easily... I don't want to have to pump them myself... I am planning on plumbing the shocks into my system... I always run my shocks between 90 and 120 psi... so this system would provide ideal pressure for this... Comments???[addsig]

 

[UMAPINEJEEPER]

1046578

here is a little input on york a/c compessors take the head off and the reed plate along side off the pistonsthere is a resivor with a small hole in the bottom take a sheet metal screw and plug theses holes put a new head gsk on this prevent the a/c compesor from pumping oil out thru your air hoses then you should have a small tank plummed with a saftey releif and a SQAURE D pressure switch set at 125 psi i have 5 set ups like this some i set up 16 years ago[addsig]

 

[RayOvac]

1046613

I never really had much of a problem with the york pumping oil out into the lines but I put a filtertrap just down stream from the compressor and it takes care of any junk the compressor spits out...it gets a little bit of oil in it sometimes but not hardly enough to worry about it. My pressure switch is now set at 100psi off and 80psi on but I may bump that up to 110/90. 125 is not really good for me because thats my tank's max and I don't want to push it. Hey snitty that sounds like a cool idea using the system for the shocks. I don't know much about it but I do know that some of the lowrider guys I know have done similar things for their airbag equipped cars. I made my setup specifically to run tools, inflate tires and run ARB air lockers later when I can afford them. Another cool thing I did with my system is I bought an oil gauge from walmart and installed it in the cab and plumbed it into the system. It measures 0-100psi and is pretty accurate (reads the same as the air gauge on the tank) plus that it has a light as well. The only bad thing is it says OIL on it...oh well as long as I know what it is hehe. [addsig]

 

[jprtroy]

1046808

I've had my saden style A/C pump in use now since 85' and it is plumbed toa 2 gal tank, runs any air tool, and sand blasts better than my home 3 1/2hp craftsman a/c. the as for the thing gettin hot, BOY HOWDY does it ever! I went to a "hose shop" a place that supplies hoses from brake lines to hydrolic lines for fork trucks, D.O.T approved lines etc... I told them I needed a high temp hose capable of at least 150PSI. They had some good for 325psi and at $9/foot, wasn't cheap!

Both the saden and the yorky can produce up to 325psi, so when you plumb up your tank make certin you wire in a pressure switch to the clutch power! You want the compressor to shut off when full PSI is reached, and you don't want to rely upon yourself to monitor that!

A pop-off valve on the tank will serve as a bck-up to the pressure switch. I've noticed while wheeling in the high sierra's that, while climbing in elevation, the PSI with in the tank does in fact increase! The mechanical pop-off valve lets out a loud FART, that, when your least expecting it, can possibly lend one to fill yer shorts!

Having the on-board air is nice! Having an air cleaner for the inlet is always a good thing also. I use a small VW carb air cleaner housing. Another thing I discovered shortly after mounting my saden under my jeeps hood. It leaked back. The tank would leak back throught the compressor. To fix that, I aquired a 1-way check valve from a brake power booster. My friend had it sitting around his shop, he gave it to me, the hose attahed to it just happened to fit the compressors fitting!

One of the many plus's of having air on the trail is butterfly impact blenders! Yeah baby!

The saden style works right nicely. The yorky I think has a little more output. You'll have to check the oil level manually in the saden. That's really no problem, as a small stick is always available on a trail. (just be sure to clean it real well before using!)

Carry some compressor oil with ya.

[addsig]

 

[erhild]

1046814

Good York Compressor write-up



This guy also has a ton of other good stuff... Enjoy...[addsig]