Removing Driver seat with compressed airline

timbrass · 12-01-2014, 04:41 AM

I would like to disconnect the "Bosum" drivers seat whilst I install new flooring. I have removed the bolts (ended up having to grind the heads with a narrow band sander as I couldn't get an angle grinder to them or to the rusted nuts underneath.) but the Bosum chair has a compressed air line to it. Am I safe to disconnect it and let the air out. I assume that it is a separate system to the air brakes and that emptying the seat won't have any impact on the air brakes - but I'm not 100% certain!

somewhereinusa · 12-01-2014, 07:50 AM

Air will go away,it's not a separate system. it you aren't going to drive it with the seat out it
doesn't make any difference. You can simply plug the line if you are planning on moving the bus.

BUBB · 12-02-2014, 11:59 AM

I know this is an old post but,
I agree that the air to the drivers seat is connected to the air brakes tank,
When I changed the front seat I decided to remove that air hose from the tank and put a on/off lever so I could protect the air tank pressure should the line to the seat ever leak. The seat air line is much smaller and not protected nearly as well as the air brake lines.

Justin McCormick · 10-04-2016, 10:50 AM

Jumping on to a really old post here.

I am also temporarily removing the drivers seat
Since it is an air seat, I am assuming I can just disconnect the air hose and plug it.
Is that fairly easy to do, and what tools will I need? Any advice on what I use to plug it with? Not familiar at all with air hoses and fittings.

cadillackid · 10-04-2016, 11:22 AM

your air seat should have a 1/4" NPT fitting coming off of a protection valve from the tank.. the protection valve only allows the air pressure to drop to minimum safe level if the seat should ever leak catastrophically..

drain your tanks with the drain valves so your air pressure is zero..

you can unscrew that line underneath out of the protection vslve and replasce it with a 1/4" NPT plug.. (any hardware store sells them).. use pipe thread compound on it.. just a little, to seal it and tighten it in... dont over-tighten a pipe thread...

now you should be able to start and drive your bus without issue until you re-connect your air seat.

-Christopher

Justin McCormick · 10-04-2016, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

your air seat should have a 1/4" NPT fitting coming off of a protection valve from the tank.. the protection valve only allows the air pressure to drop to minimum safe level if the seat should ever leak catastrophically..

drain your tanks with the drain valves so your air pressure is zero..

you can unscrew that line underneath out of the protection vslve and replasce it with a 1/4" NPT plug.. (any hardware store sells them).. use pipe thread compound on it.. just a little, to seal it and tighten it in... dont over-tighten a pipe thread...

now you should be able to start and drive your bus without issue until you re-connect your air seat.

-Christopher

Perfect, thats exactly what I needed to know, thanks!!!!

AlleyCat67 · 10-04-2016, 03:57 PM

Air seat..... grrr..... lucky.

I want to add one to mine down the road, will have to figure out the best way to drop the air line(s) down to the tanks and also the best way to plumb them into the system.

cadillackid · 10-04-2016, 05:59 PM

most tanks have an accessory spot to plumb into... iftheres already accesories on it like say air ride rear suspension, air shutters, or air fan clutch this is the circuit you want to be on..

if you have to go directly into the number 2 tank then you need to install a protection valve on the tank, and then your seat would plumb into that.. you would use a brass ferrell compression fitting and nylon air hose.. for a seat you you would use 1/4".

on mine the tank connection was 3/8" NPT.. so they used a 3/8 to 1/4 NPT reducer.. and a 1/4" nipple to the protection valve..

you MUST use the protection valve.. otherwise if say the air line to your seat Burst or the bellows in the seat burst.. you could drop air pressure so quickly that your rear air brakes would automatically apply and skidding down the road you go..

the protection valve cuts off air flow to non-critical accessories when the air pressure in the tanks gets down to 60-70 so you still have some service brake pressure but will not pop the spring brakes...

and never use nylon hose between the tank and the Protection valve.. that should be a solid metal fitting..

when buyomg an air seat make sure you get one that has a shock in it.. otherwise if you are a little skinny guy like e you will just bounce all over and your air seat experience wont be good..

-Christopher

AlleyCat67 · 10-04-2016, 06:09 PM

I'm 230 lbs so that won't be an issue....

I used to drive a big rig and both my International and the Freightliner I had before it had air seats.... LOVED them. So needless to say an air seat is nothing new to me... but installing one is.

cadillackid · 10-04-2016, 06:15 PM

my new bus has an air seat.. first one i ever drove long distance... and it has a shock in it.. and it rode nice... now I want one in my other bus!
-Christopher

EastCoastCB · 10-04-2016, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

my new bus has an air seat.. first one i ever drove long distance... and it has a shock in it.. and it rode nice... now I want one in my other bus!
-Christopher

We all cringed a bit when you spent money to put the standard seat in DEV RANDOM! I told ya you'd LOVE an air ride seat!!!

cadillackid · 10-04-2016, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

We all cringed a bit when you spent money to put the standard seat in DEV RANDOM! I told ya you'd LOVE an air ride seat!!!

lol an air ride seat WITHa shock... not all of them do... and the ones that dont are pure he*l for a guy my size.. I didnt know they had air seats with shocks..

my only experience was when I almost bought a newer bus with air seat and i dang near hit the ceiling when I drove over rail tracks in that bus...

dont get me wrong though the seat in DEV is actually very comfortable. probably only because I have Air-conditioning designed for the driver cabin... (even most A/C busses dont have driver Air).. and DEV has air ride which helps.. but I found the combination of air ride and air seat to make driving the bluebird back almost like driving my new Silverado truck... .. other than it was hot upfront... im spoiled by having 6 vents all blowing in my face and body on hot days

-Christopher

wild acres · 05-01-2021, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

your air seat should have a 1/4" NPT fitting coming off of a protection valve from the tank.. the protection valve only allows the air pressure to drop to minimum safe level if the seat should ever leak catastrophically..

drain your tanks with the drain valves so your air pressure is zero..

you can unscrew that line underneath out of the protection vslve and replasce it with a 1/4" NPT plug.. (any hardware store sells them).. use pipe thread compound on it.. just a little, to seal it and tighten it in... dont over-tighten a pipe thread...

now you should be able to start and drive your bus without issue until you re-connect your air seat.

-Christopher

This is helpful, we're in the same place, removing the driver's chair and all we have left is the airline.
Just to verify....
- We have to drain the air tanks before cutting or unscrewing the line? If so, any suggestions on where to find those or how to drain?
- If we cap the airline off then when we start the bus back up it should bring the air pressure back up on its own?
- I think we like the idea of putting in an easy release valve when we reconnect the seat. Whoever suggested that thanks.

Appreciate advice, we're learning a lot through this process and certainly couldn't do it without all the help on this forum!

enigmamdw · 05-18-2021, 10:36 PM

If your bus has air brakes, etc.. there should be an external panel with air drain/release valves that can be hand opened. (it's how you drain to keep condensation from building up in your tanks after use, it's a good practice to do this every time you park the bus.)

If you flip open all those valves, directly after parking, the air pressure system will drop to zero and force out any water and take all the pressure off your air lines and tanks, including your air ride seat. Your brakes will spring closed so no worries about rolling away. The only "drawback" is it may take a few more seconds of listening to the annoying 'low air buzzer.'

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