Most all of the sites I see sell up to 5 gallon tanks... a buddy of mine tells me run a minimum of 8- if I have to- run two 5 gallon piped together... so there will always be air is his justification. He has run more air systems than I can count so he has his reasons. What kind of setup tank wise do you all run? I may go two long skinny tanks mounted on the frame under my 54 chevy... we shall see how much space is left though.
It depends on a lot of variables, like how often do you want to raise/lower your car, type of car, psi, etc. I sometimes will make mine out of some 3/8'' thick 8'' pipe, turn some caps, & weld em on. Its heavy as shit but ya can tap 3/8 pipe thread into it anywhere ya want, and thats easier IMO than welding in bungs.
I run a 7 gallon in the '54. I don't think you will have a problem with a 5 gallon as long as you aren't playing with the switches all the time. I put mine on top of my notch so it would take up less room and will be covered by the front wall of the trunk. Here is a pic of how I have mine set up.
Really? You like making more work out of a simple project. 3/8 wall 8" pipe On topic, You could run 1- 5 gallon and be just fine. You can alays add more if you feel you need more volume.
I have a 5 gallon in the wifes car. It's just up n down. If you want do a lot of moving it I would go bigger. We just wanted it to lay down when parked.
Tank size also depends on the compressor you are running. If you have a low cfm rated compressor, then I would go for a 5gallon or the compressor will run for ever to fill the tank. Which can get rather annoying.
I like saving $$$. Besides my fence-posts (8'' pipes) are about 60' away from my shop sticking out of the ground, and harbor freight is several miles away. What Would Henry Ford Do?
Thanks guys! Do you run 12v compressors or belt driven? I am facing dual compressors in trunk or belt driven. I have never used the beltdriven so dont know what to expect on noise and fill rate for the tank.
Belt-driven, hands down. Its well worth the extra fab time installing it on the engine, once you have one you'll never go back! They're not only MUCH quieter than the electric comps, but they also out perform them. Most 12v comps operate at about 2.5cfm, whereas the Engine driven comp(EDC) or Yorks, run at 9cfm. They can be bought at junkyards for nothing, and they also can be used to make your ride look like it has ac . Do it
I'm running an engine driven compressor and have only one complaint about it, it's kinda ugly. I'm thinking about switching to 2 12v compressors, because I'm putting a dressed motor in my car and don't really like the look of the engine driven. I'm going to try mounting it low and see if I like it better. It performs great though.
I ran dual electric for years, and once I switched to an engine driven I will never go back. I got 4 of them from old Volvos so that when they die I can replace them quickly. But I have never had ANY problems at all with them, so the extras went to buddies. I used a 5 gallon tank for a long time too and recently added another. I may go back to a single tank, because the compressor fills so fast I dont need the extra storage.
The guy thats doing mine said alot of people are converting air conditioning pump over to air for their bags
depends on the car my 59 chevy wagon with 2 - 3 gal tanks tucked into the 1/4's will go up and down maybe twice at the most and the 480 comp takes a few minutes to fill but my 90 saleen mustang lifts with a tiny compressor in less than a minute with no tank .
I guess I'm a dinosaur...2 gallon tank, with a tiny electric pump...Drove it over 10,000 miles like that without any issues. Put 300 miles on it the last 36 hours here in SoCal...
Alright- belt driven it is! I just pulled the motor to put in the MII front and taildragger kits I got from gambino. I am not going to try and show off the motor on this build. Just straight up cruiser is the intention. Do the belt driven need to be hardlined to the tanks? Anything in particular i need to look out for with going that route? Just trying to get a heads up on it. Anyone have a pic with the belt driven mounted? Spaz
I think tank size depends on how switch happy you are, and what kind of compressor you have. I typically run a 5 gallon tank and two ViAir 380s or two 450s. If you can go engine driven, do it. I agree they are not so pretty, at least the York ones, but they work well. If you are worried about it's looks, look for a Sanden brand one. They came on newer GM cars, mid 90s and up I think. Probably Ford stuff too but not sure. They aren't as fast as a York, but they look a lot better, and there are articles online about converting them to onboard air. Engine driven doesn't need to be hardlined to the tank, but it's not a bad idea. But they do need some kind of high end line, not just a plastic compression deal. I've never done one myself, but if I did it would be hardlined. But you need some kind of flex line to go from the compressor to the frame, which could be stainless braided, or hydraulic line with JIV fittings from a trailer store. Most trailer stores can make them, and I have seen people use them as the entire line from compressor to tank. The line itself is cheap so running a long distance isn't expensive, the fittings are the most expensive part on a hydraulic line.
i'am using a York 210 from a volvo going to a 8 gallon tank i let the engine run the other day for a minute or so and had over a 120psi check out on board air and you can build your on kit
if you use a york 210 you need to run a oil trap and check valve and you can run a hydraulic hose down to your tank or any hi pressure hose
This is a super crappy pic of my engine driven compressor mounted on my old engine. As you can see the lines weren't hooked up yet in this pic, but I have a short length of braided stainless line running off the compressor to your standard DOT plastic line running all the way to the tank with no problems.
How do you keep the converted a/c pumps lubricated? I know for a fact that the PAG oil that is ran in the lines of a normal a/c system is what keeps the piston lubricated. How do you keep the piston in the compressor lubricated without the compression of something like freon running in the lines? I love the idea of a mounted a/c compressor running air to a tank to keep your bags full, but I don't want that bitch to seize on me. You know?
I am putting bags on my 68 Cad conv and am wondering about the York compressors. I have seen whats called a mini York which looks half the size of the bigger cumbersome one. Has anybody heard of these working well? They sure would be much easier to position. Im looking at using an 8 gallon tank.
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