Re-Vamping an old Compressor

[GLTHFJ60]

Recently I have been given a 20 gallon compressor with a 3.5 horse 110v regulated motor. The pump is ancient so it does not provide great pressure and it's oil-less so it's excessively noisy. I was considering the idea of getting a new compressor for my tank and motor, but right now it's a direct drive setup. How involved would it be to convert my compressor to a belt drive with a compressor like the one below? How about sourcing another direct drive compressor? What are the advantages of using a belt over direct drive?

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

My idea is to convert it to a belt drive like this:

 

[ducktapeguy]

If it's a direct drive, you're probably better off just buying a new compresssor, you'd probably spend more money trying to convert it than what a new one cost. It sounds like it's probably 3.5 peak hp, not true hp, if it's running off 110. You could probably get a new similar rated compressor for around $100+.

A belt drive oiled compressor should be a bit quieter, but I've seen some pretty quiet direct drive oiless ones lately. The belt drives are supposedly easier to fix because parts are more available than with direct drive.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

If it's a direct drive, you're probably better off just buying a new compresssor, you'd probably spend more money trying to convert it than what a new one cost. It sounds like it's probably 3.5 peak hp, not true hp, if it's running off 110. You could probably get a new similar rated compressor for around $100+.

A belt drive oiled compressor should be a bit quieter, but I've seen some pretty quiet direct drive oiless ones lately. The belt drives are supposedly easier to fix because parts are more available than with direct drive.

I don't know if it's 3.5 peak or not, but I know it flows 7 scfm at 90 psi, which should be more than enough to power an impact wrench which is what I'm looking to do for right now. Maybe a cutoff wheel, but no painting. Something that flows that much, from what I've seen, is closer to $300 or so, right?

 

[ducktapeguy]

7cfm @ 90 is pretty decent for a 110V unit, maybe it is 3.5 hp, and would most definitely be more than $100+. What brand is it?Seems like a 3.5 hp unit would be pulling a lot of juice from a 110 outlet, probably more than 20 amps, which is why I assumed it might have been a smaller unit.

Most of the 110V units I've been looking at are advertised as ~6 hp, but true hp is only about 1.8, and they only flow about 5 cfm @ 90. I've seen prices from $120-$400, depending on brand. To get better performance, it seems that 220 is the only option.