So I bought the little portable MV50 compressor with the plan to install it in LC (permanently) and get some onboard air for when it's time to leave the sandbox in Pismo and head for Splash (best clam showder place!)
1) I liked the idea to sup-up the compressor a bit so I started off by taking it apart.
- The air filter opening had remaining plastic seams in it (from the molding process, so I drill it out as much as possible while still have a rigid color with threads. Not sure how much I gained but it was substantial..
- I also made more holes in the air filter (outside the foam filter within. The existing holes where few and very small.. Again, not sure of how much this improved but I could feel a noticeable difference between blowing air through the filter (with my mouth) before and after!
- I honed out the little head of the compressor. Both holes, the outlet and inlet, were very small! I used a dremmel and a drill to make the holes big as possible while still get good coverage by the metal clip/valve. I must have at least doubled the area!
- I drilled out and re-threaded the mysterious thread of the outlet port.. One, I figure the hole would be bigger with a standard 1/4 NPT nipple and two, the existing nipple is some proprietary one, to which nothing will connect.. My take on why they did this, is that they don't want to run the risk of completely closing up the outlet; which would be the case if you had a female coupling mounted on the compressor or added a hose with a female or some sort of fill-valve at the end.. The compressor doesn't have a tank so you would probably just blow fuse when the electrical engine stalls, or you would blow the head right off the compressor..
I installed a big T-connector in the new outlet to 1, get more metal acting like a heat sink and 2. to get two lines going in different directions.
The compressor is well built but you have to be very careful when tighten the thin screws in the soft aluminum!
Thinking back, I should have measured the time to air a tire before and after.. Now all I can say is that there is a noticeable difference! I played around with it before and thought it was ok.. (tried airing up my MTs from 20 to 40 psi..). After, the same airing went faster!
2) Mounting
This was a b...h.. I wanted the compressor away from the elements but not taking up space within the car. I figured the engine bay would be the best spot (close to the battery too..) but I was worried that the compressor would become too hot. Well, you can fit this bad boy right in front of the air filter! It's tight, but it'll fit! This was a great spot because it is somewhat shielded from the hot engine, it's easily accessable, and it's out of the way!
The compressor comes with 4 rubber feet. I took those off, drilled out the holes a tad, found some short all long bolts, lined things up, drilled holes through the metal (of the car) and mounted everything with larger nuts used as spacer (since the metal curves down) and 4 large rubber bushings to get some isolation. The compressor doesn't touch/rub on anything, feels very stout but has a little give to it because of the rubber bushings!
3) Hoses
You can get much more creative here.. adding a tank, running hoses under the car to the rear, mount the coupling under the car, etc.. I just ran one house to the left side of the engine bay and hose to the right side. This way, I would be able to easily air front, rear, left and right tires...
Same with the switch.. You can run wires and have a switch inside the cabin.. you can have a tank and run the switch through a pressure valve/switch, etc.. I didn't do any of this. I turn the compressor on and off with the original switch (in the compressor). I have to open the hood to air tires, but that is very easy and things are out of the way and elements so good enough!
4) Juice!
I cut off the battery clamps and connected + and - directly to the battery. One thing, the existing fuse is too far away from the stock battery clamps.. General rule, you want the fuse as close as possible to the source of juice.. So, I will change this and prob just add a 30amp fuse as close as possible to the battery as possible; this way, if your wire rubs and connects with ground between battery and compressor, the fuse blows..
When I get some time, I'll take some pics and add to this thread. Again, not much to it, took the easy way but it works great, is out of the way and airs up the tires suprisingly quickly! Not to mention but.. a very cheap alternative too, especially if you can find the compressor for sales (around $50)
1) I liked the idea to sup-up the compressor a bit so I started off by taking it apart.
- The air filter opening had remaining plastic seams in it (from the molding process, so I drill it out as much as possible while still have a rigid color with threads. Not sure how much I gained but it was substantial..
- I also made more holes in the air filter (outside the foam filter within. The existing holes where few and very small.. Again, not sure of how much this improved but I could feel a noticeable difference between blowing air through the filter (with my mouth) before and after!
- I honed out the little head of the compressor. Both holes, the outlet and inlet, were very small! I used a dremmel and a drill to make the holes big as possible while still get good coverage by the metal clip/valve. I must have at least doubled the area!
- I drilled out and re-threaded the mysterious thread of the outlet port.. One, I figure the hole would be bigger with a standard 1/4 NPT nipple and two, the existing nipple is some proprietary one, to which nothing will connect.. My take on why they did this, is that they don't want to run the risk of completely closing up the outlet; which would be the case if you had a female coupling mounted on the compressor or added a hose with a female or some sort of fill-valve at the end.. The compressor doesn't have a tank so you would probably just blow fuse when the electrical engine stalls, or you would blow the head right off the compressor..
I installed a big T-connector in the new outlet to 1, get more metal acting like a heat sink and 2. to get two lines going in different directions.
The compressor is well built but you have to be very careful when tighten the thin screws in the soft aluminum!
Thinking back, I should have measured the time to air a tire before and after.. Now all I can say is that there is a noticeable difference! I played around with it before and thought it was ok.. (tried airing up my MTs from 20 to 40 psi..). After, the same airing went faster!
2) Mounting
This was a b...h.. I wanted the compressor away from the elements but not taking up space within the car. I figured the engine bay would be the best spot (close to the battery too..) but I was worried that the compressor would become too hot. Well, you can fit this bad boy right in front of the air filter! It's tight, but it'll fit! This was a great spot because it is somewhat shielded from the hot engine, it's easily accessable, and it's out of the way!
The compressor comes with 4 rubber feet. I took those off, drilled out the holes a tad, found some short all long bolts, lined things up, drilled holes through the metal (of the car) and mounted everything with larger nuts used as spacer (since the metal curves down) and 4 large rubber bushings to get some isolation. The compressor doesn't touch/rub on anything, feels very stout but has a little give to it because of the rubber bushings!
3) Hoses
You can get much more creative here.. adding a tank, running hoses under the car to the rear, mount the coupling under the car, etc.. I just ran one house to the left side of the engine bay and hose to the right side. This way, I would be able to easily air front, rear, left and right tires...
Same with the switch.. You can run wires and have a switch inside the cabin.. you can have a tank and run the switch through a pressure valve/switch, etc.. I didn't do any of this. I turn the compressor on and off with the original switch (in the compressor). I have to open the hood to air tires, but that is very easy and things are out of the way and elements so good enough!
4) Juice!
I cut off the battery clamps and connected + and - directly to the battery. One thing, the existing fuse is too far away from the stock battery clamps.. General rule, you want the fuse as close as possible to the source of juice.. So, I will change this and prob just add a 30amp fuse as close as possible to the battery as possible; this way, if your wire rubs and connects with ground between battery and compressor, the fuse blows..
When I get some time, I'll take some pics and add to this thread. Again, not much to it, took the easy way but it works great, is out of the way and airs up the tires suprisingly quickly! Not to mention but.. a very cheap alternative too, especially if you can find the compressor for sales (around $50)