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Old 04-18-2015, 03:56 PM   #1
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Air tank mod, who to hire?

So I have air brakes on my bus, and would like to add hookups for air tools and the like. I would like to hire someone competent to do this...

Who should I look for? a diesel mechanic? air power tools guy ffs I dun know who to ask for lol im sure ill hit CL, but if I could narrow down some likely candidates maybe?

Fort collins CO area but yeah this should be a simple thing right?

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Old 04-18-2015, 04:08 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by farmerSmurf View Post
So I have air brakes on my bus, and would like to add hookups for air tools and the like. I would like to hire someone competent to do this...

Who should I look for? a diesel mechanic? air power tools guy ffs I dun know who to ask for lol im sure ill hit CL, but if I could narrow down some likely candidates maybe?

Fort collins CO area but yeah this should be a simple thing right?
Just plumb in a T into one of the existing fittings into the air tank.

No need to weld in another port.

I'm about to do the same thing for the opposite reason. I need to fill the tanks with a house compressor to release the air brakes.

Nat
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Old 04-18-2015, 04:14 PM   #3
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My front tank had 2 drain valves. Now it has 1 drain and 1 female air chuck. Took 2 minutes.
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Old 04-18-2015, 04:38 PM   #4
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great, where would I buy a female air chuck, or a T.
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Old 04-18-2015, 04:40 PM   #5
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great, where would I buy a female air chuck, or a T.
How did you get a bus?

Nat
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Old 04-19-2015, 06:05 AM   #6
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Most TSC/Northern tool/harbor freight should have them, or try Napa and last resort or easiest will be McMaster Carr

You just need to figure out what thread they are, they all are or should be NPT

I have a small 5 gallon tank I am adding with a FLR and it will have a ball valve to keep it seperate

My outlets will be mounted on each side air is always good to have

Now keep in mind the engine will have to be running for air and you will not get the cfm like a home compressor with a 60/90 gallon tanks has...it will have limitations
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Old 04-19-2015, 06:16 AM   #7
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air tools need lots of air, buy a used air compresser. the tank on a bus would run a tool about 10 seconds
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Old 04-19-2015, 06:24 AM   #8
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Dave,
That is why I am adding the extra 5 gallon tank, so I can take off a lugnut or 3 and wait a few minutes

An air da-sander or grinder/drill just isn't worth it

For that stuff go electric and or cordless and recharge with sun/batteries/alt.
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Old 04-19-2015, 08:01 AM   #9
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added second air pump

I added a second air pump, company name is viair,
I took a blow off valve from the main bus tank, I added a cut off valve into that hole then I added a T fitting, then I added a new blow off valve to one end of the T and then i ran a hose to the box I added to hold the new air pump,

I added the cut off valve to the tank first just in case my hoses/fittings ever fail, it enables me to basically disconnect everything I did so the original tank and air brakes fittings are isolated.

It is a little hard to see but I added a male and female air fitting into my new air box so I can plug in whatever.

I got the on demand switch with the air pump so it can keep the tank filled but not over fill it, when I turn the switch on it only begins filling the tank when the tank pressure is below 100psi,

It takes about 120 seconds for the bus to totally fill my air tank, it takes about 3 minutes for the second pump to fill it.

Be sure to get some loctite for all your fittings, cant remember which loctite I used but it was necessary, I experimented with a few fittings without the glue and they leaked.

It took several minutes per tire to bring them from 85 to 100psi, 11r22.5, was about the same using either the bus's tank or the viair tank, as I recall,
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Old 04-19-2015, 10:48 AM   #10
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bansil, great. i was refering to the o p. if he wants to use air tools to work on his bus i m o he should buy a compressor. good luck with your tank!
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Old 04-19-2015, 07:04 PM   #11
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No worries Dave!

Just emphasizing extra volume is good with big air hogs ;) and Evan train horns need a little extra ...lol
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Old 04-20-2015, 12:17 AM   #12
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I'm about to do the same thing for the opposite reason. I need to fill the tanks with a house compressor to release the air brakes.
I had assumed.. perhaps too generously.. that it would be common for air-braked vehicles to have a shop air connection standard for just this purpose. Mine does, but of course there's no telling whether it is original or not! It's a male fitting hanging down so I can push the line from the electric compressor right onto it.

I also assembled a female-to-female gender changing adapter so that I can plug in the male end of a hose and draw air off the bus (it was easier than plumbing in a tee, and I don't have to worry about the female piece getting road grit inside and ruining the seal). It's good enough for re-inflating that one tire that leaks air, and for running a 1/2" air impact wrench on the side of the highway when I had to go replace a shredded ST trailer tire. For little "emergency" jobs it's more convenient than packing up a generator and electric compressor.

Of course Nat you'll already be aware of this, but to others: if you're going to plumb in a fitting for filling the air system from an external compressor, remember that there are two sections to the air system (primary and secondary) and make your tap upstream so that from one hookup you can fill both sides of the air system. Otherwise it'll be kind of like patting yourself on the back after hooking up the water to a new toilet in the house.... and then realizing you accidentally plumbed HOT water to the toilet.
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Old 04-20-2015, 05:27 AM   #13
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remember that there are two sections to the air system (primary and fill both sides of the air system. Otherwise it'll be kind of like patting yourself on the back after hooking up the water to a new toilet in the secondary) and make your tap upstream so that from one hookup you can house.... and then realizing you accidentally plumbed HOT water to the toilet.
ok you have my attention. i have 2 tanks,do they all have 2? i have a air door, when i remove that door can i hook up my air chuck to the door control valve line? i noticed 2 needles in my air gauge, is that for the primary and secondary? thanks
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:39 AM   #14
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Actually you should have 3 systems, One is the wet tank that comes directly from the compressor or air dryer. The other two are primary and secondary air systems that supply brake pressure to their corresponding axle(s). Most of the braking force is created by the rear axles and primary side. So when mounting accessories or a coupler, most run it off either the wet tank(it isn't really all that wet) or the secondary system. If you put the quick connect on the wet tank it will fill both tanks simultaneously, so there would be no need for two separate couplers.

You might actually only have one tank, but that tank is divided internally into the separate systems. You could also have several tanks also depending on the number of axles, braking system size, vehicle usage, etc.
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:43 AM   #15
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ok you have my attention. i have 2 tanks,do they all have 2? i have a air door, when i remove that door can i hook up my air chuck to the door control valve line? i noticed 2 needles in my air gauge, is that for the primary and secondary? thanks
All don't necessarily have two tanks, just two systems -- there may be more than two tanks. I haven't made a point of counting them, but from memory it seems like mine might have 5 tanks..? This might be because my bus has ABS brakes, and I can imagine an ABS stop is going to consume a large volume of air quickly so they'd install extra tanks as reserve for that.

I guess you could hook up to the door control valve line, but it's probably just 1/4" tube, which is going to limit the air flow (compared to connecting to a shorter and/or larger diameter point). It shouldn't be too hard to start at the compressor on the engine and follow the tube past the drier to the first tank. The tanks are often built with a number of bungs around them, and it might be that yours has an extra where you can simply remove the plug and connect your own stuff. If not, there's always the tee option.

Oh.. yes, the two needles in your air pressure gauge are usually green for the primary system and orange for the secondary. But don't ask me which systems do which part of the braking -- I don't know!
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Old 04-20-2015, 06:02 PM   #16
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That's what I did on both my bus and the dump truck I was working on the other day. I just followed the line from the compressor to the tank, and added a T right where the air go's into the tank.

I'm also adding a York 210 to my system. It will be a back up, and more CFM when needed. Best part is the York has a clutch, so it won't use engine power when not needed.

Nat
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