Air Compressor Help!!

[GoneCamping-SKO]

If you do use an external compressor, don't get caught!! It is NOT legal from what I've been told. But it would work to get the thing moved. You could also try a hi-volume 12v pump from Harbor Freight too, might do the trick. I think I'd pick up the Harbor Frieght main compressor head and find a way to fix it to the motor...

12v 150 psi plug & play...
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=93186

12v 100 psi plug & play
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=96068

3HP 140 psi belt driven
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... umber=9592

 

[frank-id]

Any small air compressor will work for a bus. I often use a small slow $100 compressor that uses shore power. The amps used would require a very large inverter. If no other option, get a contractor gas engine compressor or go rent the same for the day. There are loots of cheap used compressors available. Tell all information about your bus, engine, year made and compressor data. Most air brake compressors are similar, the difference is the mounting and drive method. Get the yellow pages and call every truck salvage place. The towing will be wasted money and expensive. Used compressors are usually about $85-125.
A local school district may have a used not needed pump just waiting for your call. Keep looking. Frank

 

[lapeer20m]

since yoru compressor exploded, the air system may not hold air. It might all leak out of the busted compressor. If so, you can find all the plumbing pieces you need to cap off the main air supply running from the compressor at any local hardware. The air fittings are almost certainly standard pipe thread.

If the compressor is damaged in such a manner that the system does still hold air, that's even easier. The easiest place to "tap in" to the air system with an external air supply is under the bus at the stock air tanks. They should already have drain valves built into the tanks. These valves are almost always standard 1/4 inch npt fittings, once again available at any hardware. Plug your 12 or 110 volt air compressor hose into this air tank and it'll supply air to the air brake system.

like others mentioned, this method is dangerous and should only be used to move the bus to a safe location until you can install a new engine driven compressor. Compressors many times have full pressure lubrication, plus engine coolant connections, and some even get the air from inside the engine air filter housing.