Quote:
Originally Posted by adic27
Is this possible on all school buses? I've read other threads and saw a video on youtube but want to find out if it's possible "I" can do this.
Is this the air tank?
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Yes, looks like an air tank to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by adic27
Also, are any of these where I would install whatever needed for a air hose to be connected? I've read on another thread mentions of people having a second tank? Is that the case for all buses with an air brake system? Would love to take advantage of this. The first one is on the bottom of the tank. There are 3 of them, then the one on the side is a little different
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Alright, time for a little education. First off, no. Not all school buses have air systems. Some have hydraulic brakes.
Vehicles with air brakes, basically anything manufactured in the last 40 years or so, will have 2 systems, a "Primary" side and a "Secondary" side. The primary tank is often called the "Wet" tank, the secondary is the "dry" tank. The reason is because the air compressor fills the primary tank first and it accumulates the moisture that was in the air. Many systems have "Air Dryers" to help reduce this (and most air dryers have filters/cartridges that need to be replaced periodically). There will be 2 air gauges (or 2 needles in one gauge, but 2 readings in any event) for each side of the system.
Between each side there is often a valve that, should one system fail, the other maintains pressure. Sometimes these valves begin to stick with age, and one system may build up to pressure before the other side does (I've had a couple vehicles that did this, and never bothered to mess with it). There is also a "protection valve" that provides air to many non-essential systems such as air suspension, air seat, door mechanisms, stop sign/pedestrian bar, etc. This valve is usually set somewhere between 60-80 PSI, so there must be that much air pressure before these systems get air. The one thing that *ALWAYS* gets air direct from the tanks is the brakes, both parking and foot brake, regardless of available pressure.
I won't get into a lengthy discussion about air brakes here since that's sort of another discussion in and of itself. Your photos show drain valves, which should be left where they are, and *should* opened/drained at least every day the bus is driven (to purge any moisture in the tanks). Some water/oil mix in the primary tank is normal, it needs to be drained. Some systems have automatic valves to do this, and there are spring loaded valves (with cables attached) available to make this more convenient. Many systems may one have one physical "tank" but if so, almost always there are at least 2 compartments for the wet/dry primary/secondary systems.
I would *NOT* recommend removal of the drain valves. They should stay put and be used for their intended purpose (but feel free to replace with cable-pull or automatic drain types if you wish). For general air use, adding an air supply is a fairly common thing and I personally endorse it. I would recommend adding this on the secondary/dry side. Look on the side/end of the tank for an available place to attach one ... it may be more convenient to run a line and attach the port to a more accessible location. I personally would add a small cut-off valve as close to the tank as possible, just in case you're driving and something happens to the line and need to be able to retain your air pressure.
**IMPORTANT NOTE!!!** Anyone adding stuff like this should be aware that since the air system is a D.O.T. system, and failure of it could have possibly catastrophic results, you should always use D.O.T. rated/approved line/hose, fittings, brackets, etc. If you have a shut-off, that remains closed while driving, then anything "downstream" is fine with whatever, since failure would not cause air loss while driving.
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