Air compressors

[88Wrangles]

Currently, I avoid airing down as much as possible because my small, portable air-compressor takes so long to fill 4 tires back up. I was wondering (for no more than $100-$200) what you guys would recommend. I've seen things like the tanks of CO2 (or whatever they use) and they seem to be a pretty good deal, are they??

Thanks in advance!!

matt

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Check out www.onboardair.com , you should be able to pick up a York cheap in the junkyard and get it all set up for under $200.

 

[LauraBoston]

I got a york off an old wagoneer for $53 from the junkyard.

The guys I hook up with at Paragon have the York a/c compressors and they work sweet. With some creativity and welding skills you can do it wicked cheep.

 

[Snitty]

i priced the whole setup at the junkyard/hardware stores around here... i can get the entire setup for $140

 

[skyjeeper]

bds suspension lift

if you wanted to go the quick and cheap rout, you could use a portable tank

 

[LauraBoston]

use a portable tank

scuba tank??? with that set up you need the room to mount the tank...permant or not that thing can't be bouncing around..AND, probably in the long run filling the tank and stuff It could get pricey. Well, I mean you would have to fill it like 1000 times to actually get pricy, I know around here a fill is like $4...you could refill your tires a crap load of times with the big tanks...

If you are into paintball and use compressed air for your gun and already have a tank, you can use it for 2 uses, guns and jeeps..

Also with the York (the "better" one) you can run air tools, not that I would ever have the need, but either way, with the tank you can't.

 

[redrooster]

The converted York compressors work well. An air impact wrench is handy to have on the trail. I even heard of a homemade air powered blender setup once. That would be handy for making margaritas.

 

[88Wrangles]

Thanks a lot!! this really helps out. Has any one ever used the CO2 tanks though. They're only about 200 bucks and seem like they would be worth it.

 

[Snitty]

they work good for a short period of time... and the pressure is not constant in them

 

[88Wrangles]

how is the pressure not constant? can't you refil them

 

[Snitty]

yeah, you can refill them... but the pressure at full tank will not be the same as the pressure at half tank... yeah, you can regulate it... but when you get down so far... your pressure will be lower than the regulator is set

 

[jps4jeep]

I have a York 210 that I got for $10 and rebuilt for $20 then all the fittings and what not from a local plumbing supply house where my best friend does all the purchasing $0 the air tank is out of a 18 wheeler that used it for it's air brakes, small and slim $18. the brackets I was going to make but the one on onboardair.com is only $25 bucks so why not!

 

[ecor]

I have done onboard air with a couple of jeeps using the stock A/c compressor. The fitting can be bought at a paint store or a farm and family. You will need an inline oiler for the intake side and a separator for the out side. This will keep the compressor lubed. The rest of the fittings can be bought at any hardware store. The pressusre switches are a small switch maded by airlift. I sell them for $25 each. They are nicer then using a pump switch. I did my whole set up for under $200. As for the CO2 tanks the biggest problem with them is that they freeze up while you are using them. I have one with a regulator on it and can run air tools on it for short amounts of time. Then the gun gets so cold that you can't hold onto it. I have a 2 gallon pressure tank in my TJ and with that I can run air tools with the onboard air and have no problems. Good luck

 

[jps4jeep]

The factory saidan compressor is a good way to make use of factory brackets with minimal creativity, but there is a oiling problem. They are not self contained. you have to constantly check the oil level (well every month or so if used regularly.) the price you save in not needing a oil return system will pay for the brackets. at least in my case.
Do some research and do your math. a lot of the products and parts can be bough on ebay for decent cash, just need to know where to look!
The OBA system that we use is similar to the system on air ride equipt vehicles, so there used parts that are a little scratched or dented can be had for cheap cash too.

 

[ecor]

The inline oilr and the seperator cost $40 together. The whole system cost me $140 including all the air lines, blow out valves, pressure switch, connectors and such. Just playing Devils Advocate

 

[Snitty]

i've seen in a writeup one time (i wish i could remember where) that the seperator can be plumbed back to the oiler... eliminating the need to check any oil

 

[Craig]

i've seen in a writeup one time (i wish i could remember where) that the seperator can be plumbed back to the oiler... eliminating the need to check any oil

I was just about to ask the same thing. There must be some way to feed the seperator back into the oiler. What is the seperator made of? Could it be drilled and a fitting attched to it and the same to the oiler, then just connect the two with a small hose?

 

[ecor]

The seperator is made out of plastic and could be drilled easily. They do make one that runs back into the oiler but it was expensive. I always check my oil and radiator fluid before going on a run, I just added making sure there was oil in the oiler onto my pre-run to do list.

 

[Craig]

Just wondering....If the stock a/c has to be kept up with oil when used as an air pump, what happened when these were actually used for their real purpose...air conditioning? Did you have to keep adding oil then too? If so, I couldn't see many people who bought a new jeep knowing this.

Also, is there different York compressors out there? Are some better than others? If so, what's the best vehicle to pull one from? I'm guessing the newer the better so what's the newest vehicles out there with York compressors in them?

 

[Snitty]

you'll notice that when you buy an AC refrigerant recharge kit... there is an oil that is put in to be recycyled around with the freon