Air reservoir design

I am using a old dry powder fire extinguisher as a pressure vessel, it is rated to 150psi std
Andrew

Go to truck/bus wreckers and get as big an air tank as you can fit in where you plan to mount it. Put a "T" connection on your compressor and run one side with 12mm air hose to the tank. The other side of the "T" is to your existing ARB tyre inflation line. Make sure that the lines and also the "T" are at least 12mm. Smaller lines will restrict the flow rate.
Truck/bus air tanks are also usually fitted with a drain valve so that you can dump water from the condensation that accumulates in the system. No matter what compressor you use, water from condensation will always be present in the system from the heat that is generated in compressing the air. You need to be able to remove this water or it ends up in your tyres and will damage any air tools that you use once you have an accumulator tank.

Tuco in Cairns

I was looking to do this, I mounted an old breathing air cylinder on my GQ more or less under the rear passenger seat, put a relief valve on the T peice just because it was the right thing to do, also fitted a small valve to drain off the condensation. I bought the ARB compressor and advised them of my intentions, and they told me that doing this would do more harm than good to the compressor, there was also questions about the validity of the warranty using the compressor this way. The extra heat generated by the compressor to maintain the cylinder at lets say 100 psi would be considerable.
I think plumbing up a air con compressor may be a better option I'm not sure about this I haven't done it and I'm not sure how the air con compressor would go.
Keep the shiny side up

Mike,
Forget that public liability rubbish, Why are people so worried about having the fredom of speach ?

It seems you are more worried about a air tank than a defaming remark about lawyers.

If you can't ask questions about such things as you have asked then we all may as well log off now !!!!!!

Relax and enjoy this site.

Kev.

I suggest you look at the ARB specs at how long it takes to pump a tyre up by 20 psi then times it by 5. remember that the ARB isnt rated for continuous use like some of the other bigger capacity pumps. If you want bags of air the only way to go is using an air conditioner pump belt driven of the pulley. Not too difficult to set up. Here's the basic specs.
On the inlet side to the air con pump fit a small K&N air filter and between this and the pump install an oiler (most air con pumps will need a small amount of oil for lubrication). On the outlet side run copper tube to a low gennie valve - preferably with a ball valve switch for continuous operation. Allow as much copper tube as you can to allow for heat dissapation. After the gennie valve install an oil filter catch pot with a drain back to the oiler. Next in line after the catch pot fit a pressure gauge rated to 150psi max, after this fit a 240volt (because getting a 12 or 24 volt one is nigh impossible) pressure switch to disengage the clutch on the A/C pump. The switch will need to be rated to 90 psi on and 125psi off. From here on you can run 3/8 inch 200psi high heat hose to a pressure vessel (try an old air brake tank off a truck) fit with a condensate drain (if one isnt already fitted) install a 150 psi relief valve and on the tank outlet fit some more hose an end with the usual air outlet connector. If you are a do-it-yourselfer it should cost around the same as a new ARB pump. The only problem with the newer trucks now-a-days is that there's stuff all romm to fit the additional a/c pump in the engine bay.
Good luck

None of these ideas sound dodgy but some are better than others. I guess it depends on your skills 'n needs.
Remember that you already have a tank & that is your spare tyre(s) that you can load up from any servo station. Check the max advisable pressure on the tyre, or with your friendly rubber man. To use this you simply need a clip on each end of a length hose to transfer the air, best to fit a small ball valve [in line] near one end. Also get a pressure nozzle with trigger for blowing out bugs 'n bits.
If fitting metal pressure tanks you can carry a lot more air pressure + volume, depend on size of tank. Again fit an inlet valve to pump the tank up from servo's compressor. I also believe that you would not have the moisture problems as compressors at servo's have taken the moisture out already. Set a pressure relief valve to blow off 25% under the max tank pressure. With a bit of luck you may not even have to use the little ARB. I call this the KISS method

Just a quick reply gotta be somewhere -I have an ARB compressor and a truck air tank (used for air brakes on trucks -most truck wreckers will happily be rid of them) mounted but seperate from compressor - its pointless blowing up tyres AND air tank at the same time. If need be I have an standard air line and an adaptor line I use to fill tank from compressor or garage or any other source. I use the air tank to get tyres back to a driveable pressure for bitumen after dropping pressure. Depending on pressure I get tank filled to - Tank will fill 2 tyres 32x11.50r15s from about 18 to 36 psi or put just enough in 4 to take out most of the bulge and top up with the ARB. The tank is invaluable when repairing tyres and needing lots of air fast but will only inflate 1 tyre from 0 to approx 23psi from flat.
I also use the compressed air for cleaning dusting inside of car, and any mechanical items. (all petrol engine owners should ALWAYS blow the dust and dirt from around spark plugs before changing them) and just about anything else I can think of. When I was younger I used to run a big air horn off an air tank I kept for similar purposes in my car (was a truckie at the time - not a hoon)

Most tanks like this are rated to 135- 150 psi most garages can supply similar pressure for a quick refill. I have a compact hose and air inflation,blowing and fitting kit approx $180 to set up properly if you can get all the fittings at the right price.

I just use standard air fittings on all my tanks and hoses. I am currently thinking about making an air line with a tyre valve (truck) in it so I dont have to take garages air line out of their system and plug mine in but havn't got around to solving a couple of simple problems.

Hope this helps,
just be careful when playing with compressed air, I saw an apprentice nearly lose his finger when cleaning a bearing mounted on his index finger with an air gun - the bearing blew apart at very high speed - (trap for young players)

kezza

The oiler and catchpot are necessary to keep the A/C pump lubricated as the japanese A/C pumps are not the wet sump types, ie dont have their own inbuilt lubrication system. If you access some of the Yankie 4x4 sites they talk about York compressors. These are the wet sump types and you can get them from your local wrecker, they are out of a "Volvo", its just finding a good one and paying the cost. You could alter the existing one in your truck but you will need the experts to add on a change over valve and some other bits. I didnt take that too far after most said they wernt interested and the odd one i did find wasnt prepared to guarantee the work.