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View Full Version : Turning stock A/C compressor (V8) into on-board air?



BMRisko
07-05-2004, 07:17 PM
Alright, I ditched the A/C condensor today and I will never have A/C again. I have a general idea of what is needed to do to turn the A/C compressor into an OBA set-up, but I figured this may be good tech and another useful thread to get the board rolling. Has anyone used the stock compressor instead of adding a secondary York, etc?

Alaska ZJ
07-05-2004, 07:26 PM
Almost everyone in AK does this. We don't need or even use AC.

I will see if I can drum up some pictures tomarrow.

rizzo
07-05-2004, 08:45 PM
You'll be just fine...it works as a compressor. York's are good for a bolt on application if you do not already have air. Seeing how you ditched everything...use it as a compressor. You will need a resovior though...maybe a 10 gallon??

MaineZJ
07-05-2004, 09:02 PM
Don't the pumps on Grands use oil in the freon for lubricating or something?
Yorks have their own oil, same as a regular air compressor.

Alaska ZJ
07-05-2004, 10:24 PM
Don't the pumps on Grands use oil in the freon for lubricating or something?
Yorks have their own oil, same as a regular air compressor.

Inline Oiler on the intake side and a Oil Water seperator on the outlet side takes complete care of that issue.

One thing I do know is that it seems that rubber shop airlines seem to fatigue from the engine heat really fast and don't last long. Run it all with copper tubing and you will be good.

Rizzo- Nice Avatar. Do you know what that means to me or is it coincidence?

BMRisko
07-05-2004, 11:19 PM
Any preferred places to get the inline oiler and seperator? Also do I need to mount the tank as close to the compressor as possible or will the "cargo" area suffice? Thinking of around a 10 gallon. Would it be possible to keep the factory A/C switch as my compressor on/off switch? Fawk that would be sweet. :D I will definately use copper...not to fond of using rubber lines near heat when I don't have to.

Alaska ZJ
07-05-2004, 11:49 PM
Almost every tank in my club is in the cargo area. I only think on TJ guy has it under the hood.

We all have OBA in AK. redundancy is the key when you are a long way from nowhere.

Swamp boy
07-06-2004, 12:36 AM
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=121858&ck=

Here is my writeup.. I used a tool oiler on the intake.. and a dryer on the output side.. They are both readily available at home depot.. The only part I had to order was the 1/2" check valve.. I ordered it from Grainger supply..

Its very easy to do this.. Keep an eye on the oil in the tool oiler...

:)

Kraqa
07-07-2004, 12:39 AM
you can use your stock switch as the air compressor switch. i would get one of those switches that turns on at 90 psi and off at 125 psi then wire that into the clutch so that it will turn on automaticly.

Vinnie
07-07-2004, 01:08 AM
Can you get enough CFM's to run decent air tools like impact guns and air ratchets? I have a snap-on 65ft/lb electric cordless impact gun i always bring on the trail, but a full out impact gun would be much better.

Alaska ZJ
07-07-2004, 09:02 AM
Yes you can run anything with a York or sanden that you can from your shop. Even impacts.

JeepinHank
07-07-2004, 01:00 PM
Yes you can run anything with a York or sanden that you can from your shop. Even impacts.

Yep - Esp w/ a 10 gallon res. tank. The stock AC comp probably has a better delivery than most electric compressors.

Another thing to consider is a regulator at the tank.... I'm sure you already knew this, but I figured I'd post it. The regulator will let you dial in the pressure for your tools or air hoses. I've reviewed several writeups

Here's one from the Jeepaholics site: http://www.jeepaholics.com/tech/OBA2/

I saw another pretty good one in the tech articles on MadXj: http://www.madxj.com

Of course there's always kilby site for reference: http://www.onboardair.com

Hope this helps someone!

JH

Trancezj
07-07-2004, 01:35 PM
So if you wanted to do this super simply, seems to me you could run the copper tubing directly from the ac compressor to a tank with a one way valve on there, and have a presure gauge ran up front that way you could keep track of when to run it or not. Or, maybe a blow off type dealy that would run it up to a certain presure and then just release the air and that you would hear and know to turn the ac off. I dunno, but I'm gunna figure it out.

MaineZJ
07-07-2004, 05:02 PM
Another thought, to be really cheap- would be to get a blow off valve like that found on gas powered portable compressors. Then you would just have to turn the clutch on and off.

Swamp boy
07-07-2004, 05:42 PM
I had a buddy with a compressor that slung a piston..
So I stripped it..

Notice the regulator.. (That turns the compressor on at 90 and off at 120)
and the hose clamps on the yellow line are holding the check valve so there is no pressure on the compressor when It comes on.. Back pressure would make it hard to start the compressor..

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/94/94531/pages/428064/IM002334.JPG

My setup cost me very litttle.. I had a scuba tank I had some old air hose and I got the regulator from a friend.. The oiler and the dryer and the check valve are new.. Thats about it..

Some hose clamps and some zip ties..
Its really simple and I used mine to run a cutoff wheel when I trimmed my fenders..
http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/94/94531/folders/131097/915111f99233a5.jpg

http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/94/94531/folders/131097/915120f99233a3.jpg

Easy... :D

BirdMan
07-07-2004, 05:45 PM
Here are a couple pics of my set up (hope imagestation works)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p447c8c52d52fc671eed3a44fe3de0890/fcf87fa2.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p7711a812ec5365031b2ba006405b4164/fcf87fa8.jpg

I am running a sanden compressor for my setup (wanted to keep the factory AC, you know for them hot AK summer days ;) )

Here is a run down of myset up.

Intake filter hooked up to the inline oiler to the compressor. From the compressor it goes to a check valve and a presure switch. I use to have the unloader connected but it just blew oil all over the place so I removed it. From there it goes to the coelescing (sp?) filter, then to the tank.

On the tank I have an emergency relieve valve and a drain. Exiting the tank I go to a presure regulator. It then taps off to the ARB manifold and also has another tap for a quick connect. I am going to move my tap for the quick connect to the other side of the regulator, that way if I forget to dial it back down I dont blow up my ARBs.

It does have enough pressure to run air tools in short bursts, but I am only running a 2.5 gallon tank, so I have to wait for it to catch up, but it is not bad unless you are trying to bust loose some tough bolts. And I can air up my 35's from 8psi to 28 in under a minute, so that is not bad.

On the hoses... I used rubber hoses for outlet side of the tank. Tank is big enough to let the air cool down to a decent temp. On the compressor side some have used copper tubing.... but personally I would not. I think there is too many vibrations and movement for its application, and eventually the copper will fatigue and fail. I used a high temp/high pressure hydrolic line. Basically it is a poly tube that is surrounded by a braided cover. I had the local hydrolic shop (Alaska Rubber and Supply) make them up for me... think it cost about 15-20 bucks. The sanden compressor can run hot, I think I measued somewhere in the 250° range (i am not sure on that number... was 2 years ago, but I remember it was hot) on mine when it was running solid for a few mins, that is why I did not go with just a rubber hose. You also need to keep this in mind when you are looking for a coelscing filter, most I ran across did not have a high temp rating. But the tank lets it cool down, I dont think I saw temps over 100° on the tank outlet. So I did not do anything special on that side of the tank.

I also ran a guage into the cab of the jeep so I could monitor the pressure in the tank, along with a switch wired to the presure switch to turn it off and on.

BirdMan
07-07-2004, 05:52 PM
Here are a couple more shots.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p29df3508a66e5718c687353658b81a4f/fcf87f97.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid41/p40305f9872bb80f35173e0ad13e28cf8/fcf87fca.jpg

I have since removed my ashtry and added a switch pannel for my ARB's and an incab switch for the winch. Not sure if this works for the Grands.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid49/p3262e8a146b46aa93b49bf8f5e9da5e4/fcb2b218.jpg

Alaska ZJ
07-07-2004, 09:09 PM
Thanks for the words, Shitbreath.

And before anyone throse a tizzy fit. Yes that is a TJ. But remarkably they have the same motor and AC.......lol

BMRisko
07-07-2004, 09:17 PM
Thanks for the words, Shitbreath.

And before anyone throse a tizzy fit. Yes that is a TJ. But remarkably they have the same motor and AC.......lol

He has a V8? :D

Alaska ZJ
07-07-2004, 09:20 PM
He wishes. Thank goodness that is one thing the DC pukes have done correctly. Keep the V8 for the real Jeepers...Make the rest of them swap one in. Punks.

Kraqa
07-25-2004, 06:41 PM
ok so this is all great tech, and today i just ditched the a/c in my unit. now my question is what kind of fittings did you guy's use comming off the ac compressor. i mean it is a weird aluminum fitign that bolts on. did you guy's use that fitting but flare the end and couple it to some copper pipe?? anyhelp would be nice.

Kraqa
08-04-2004, 10:18 PM
hmm anyone???

Timzjatl
08-05-2004, 12:48 PM
I am thinking of tapping those holes for NPT on mine. Haven't done it yet though
Tim

Pearce
08-05-2004, 01:17 PM
Didn't see it posted above but you can get just about everything for a York or Sanden setup here:
http://www.onboardair.com/

Under Accessories they have a Tub-O fitting which is what they use on thier Sanden compressors. And they have good tech.

Swamp boy
08-07-2004, 01:53 PM
YUp... Sorry I missed the post as well.. I used a compression fitting from Lowes or Home depot..

carl

2drezq
08-08-2004, 10:42 AM
For my SJ I just took the fitting off my (York) compressor to the local NAPA (They make hydraulic hoses for local farmers) and had them make a set for me. One hose goes to the air cleaner so I don't need a seperate filter, the other runs to a 2.5 gal. mounted behind the front bumper. Hydraulic hose is very durable, heat, oil, and abrasion resistant. I haven't put a on/off regulator on yet, just a pop-off. I did manage to tear the tank drain petcock off on a rock in Colorado 2 years ago, other than that it has been great.

luvthejeep
08-09-2004, 09:20 AM
good tech for people that dont mind losing their ac- id love to see some tech about adding a york on a v8 (on board air has all the stuff for the 6) and keeping the stock ac- i have had my york sitting upstairs for months now- havent gotten around to it due to the lift and axle swap- i though the best idea would be to but it where the factory batery location is and move the battery to where the airbox resides now- i can allways get rid of the airbox and put a conical on it as shown in a previous post- any ideas on a mounting bracket? how about a tension system? i know onboardair sells the alternator/york pulleys-

POSJEEP
09-28-2004, 09:16 PM
i have a spare a/c compressor also and would like to add on board air as well. if any of you find any info on a secondary mounting point i would like to see it.
thinking about the battery location, it is as easy as mounting it in the rear no big deal there, ill have to look when the rain stops to see if there is room for the compressor, making brackets shouldnt be very hard.
projects are starting to spread me thin, i just dont know when to say when.

Alaska ZJ
09-29-2004, 09:33 AM
Kilby makes a new pully with a V or serpentine OR BOTH for the sanden compressor. They also make a secondary bracket for the 4.0 motor. Not sure about the V8.