UPS came today! OBA here we come! (1 Viewer)

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Mar 7, 2011
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So the UPS man came this evening, my Ready Air 12500 Air Compressor that I bought from a fellow 'Mudder is finally in my possession. This will be officially my first mod (does OBA qualify as a mod?) to my 80, and am excited to get it all rigged up.

Does anybody else have any experience with this model and mounting? I would appreciate any input and advice in general. It can be mounted in any position... here are the specs:

Two-Stage Strength
Ready Air Two-Stage Installed Air Compressor
Model #12500

Available as a unit ready to install in a vehicle with an ASME 200# (or more)
air receiver(s) and wire into its 12-volt electrical system for fully automatic
operation. Unit is equipped with a check valve, a 200# ASME relief valve, a
pressure switch that opens at 175 psi, and a continuous-duty solenoid
wired to the motor and pressure switch, all mounted on a steel base.

SPECIFICATIONS
Rating: 12-volt dc
Grade: Industrial
Style: Installed in-place or in-vehicle, in any position
Dimensions: 12"W x 8"H x 18"L
Output: 1.1 cfm of air @ 175 psi on continuous duty
Requirements: Uses only 42 amps @ full load
Features: Two-stage, oil-less
Price: Please Call
Weight: 47 lbs.
Part #: 12500

As you can see it's heavier and bulkier than alot of other units, so I'm really scratching my head as to how/where to mount it most efficiently. After I acquire one, I will have a tank as well. I would like to have the switch on the dash, so wiring is going to get tricky.
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Everett80 that is a serious unit.
Can you post some more pictures.
Where are you thinking of mounting it? Have you considered under veichle mount in a box??

Good luck
Stu
 
Yah... It was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. I'll take better pictures tomorrow with it in the back of the rig to get some size comparisons. I have thought of mounting it underneath, but I'm afraid of too much wear and (literal) tear. It would need to breathe, so if it was in a box... hmm, maybe I could run the air input somewhere else. There's no room in the engine compartment. I'll poke around underneath tomorrow to see if I can find a "safe" spot for it. I have a feeling it's going to end up inside in the back, back behind or possibly on top of a wheel well.
 
That's one honking big OBA.
:eek:
 
Good idea to relocate the intake and filter. Look at the T/C cross member
 
You bought that, I was eyeing it up.
That is a bada$$ compressor they are like $1000 new
That was a good deal.
 
Get a rear bumper/tire carrier and install it with tanks where the spare tire used to be?
 
Alright... With everybody's suggestions and me dreaming last night, I think I have a general idea of what I want to do.

Otamiway - I will definitely check out the T/C cross member. Hopefully there is enough room! I would probably rig up a splash guard of sorts so it remains somewhat protected, yet can have enough airflow around it so it won't overheat.

kidglove13 - It was a great deal! The only downside is that it is so honkin big!

Sc0 - You have the most expensive idea yet! My long term plan is to fab up a rear bumper with dual swingouts, but I want to integrate an air tank into the bumper. By running a 4" pipe the length(ish) of the bumper, It will act as a structural support (fab the bumper around it) and yet still have the cylindrical properties that a good air tank needs. I need to get all my welding gear up here though. I'm a recent transplant to WA and haven't had a chance to move the rest of my shop here.

So until I can weld up a permanent bumper/air tank, I had an idea last night that I'm going to try. It is TEMPORARY and not ideal, but unless someone really convinces me it's dangerous.... :meh:
For an airtank I'm going to try making one out of a 4" section of schedule 80 PVC and mount it between the frame and body. I checked the psi ratings and it's more than adequate. Quick, easy, lightweight, easy to mount and plumb... If I hit it with a rock driving and it bursts, it will be in a safe place, I can still run straight off the compressor, and... it's TEMPORARY!.

So what do you think? Is this too :hillbilly: or is it a good :idea:
 
I think the area next to the TC where the PTO would mount looks ideal to me. I'm thinking about trying to mount a Sanden compressor there soon. Does that thing turn really slow? 1.1CFM seems a little low for a monster that big.

It's not too slow, but the CFM rating is at 175 PSI, most other units have a CFM rating at 30ish PSI, or 90 PSI for the "bigger" ones. So ya... I don't think it's as slow as it seems, but I am pretty anxious to get it all plumbed in and do some test times airing up a tire and whatnot. Reading online it is slower than other compressors in it's field, but it makes up for it with its durability and 100% Duty Cycle they say. I hope so!
 
I found a spot for the airtank that I like. There's a spot I can attach a 3' long 6" dia tank between the frame and body panel on the driver's side. As far as the compressor... ugh. I might be able to mount it to the tc cross member, but it's going to take some ingenuity to make it work well. It might end up inside in the back still.
 
Here is a picture of where I'm thinking of making a bracket to hold it. I'm just too worried about smacking it on a rock, filling it with mud, or anything else it may encounter if mounted underneath. I found a ViAir 2.5 gallon tank online that will fit perfectly alongside the frame. It's going to be interesting running all the air lines and wire it to the battery. Are there any access ports in the back that leads to underneath, or to I need to drill a hole? :crybaby::crybaby: This is ending up a bigger project than I thought! I made a run for parts that lasted most of the afternoon today... can't stand these huge stores that don't carry anything...
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I worked on the system today, and have it semi mounted. Here are some pictures...
I mounted it on a wood frame as a test. I'll redo it out of metal strut when I have it just right. It looks like it sticks out farther than it is, and when I do it with a metal frame it will tuck in almost another 2 inches. I have it wired directly to the battery with a 50 amp inline fuse, and the go button is wired to the console to an empty switch next to my aux HID lights. The wiring is all under the carpet and through the drivers side firewall. It wouldn't turn on when I flipped the switch, a little snooping found out the solenoid isn't working... back to NAPA in the morning! It's surprisingly quiet and I can't wait till I get the air tank and have a complete system! :bounce:

Trying to position it and taking it on and off really made it sink in how heavy this thing is... close to 50 lbs! I'll be happy when it has a permanent home :)

I'll dynamat all behind it, but I haven't figured out what I'm going to do to finish around it. I thought about just cutting the plastic paneling that was there and fitting it around it, but I kinda want to keep it whole in case I take it out. I'm thinking of making a plywood panel, and maybe making some pockets for additional storage.

Let me know if you think of another idea or how I could improve it! :cheers:
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Very cool looking project. You'll definitely have plenty of pressure. That puppy is gonna use the juice, I hope the upgraded alternator you mention is a Sequoia unit. Just a few other observations:

- Good to see you're not going to use PVC for the tank. Go for the 200psi rated tank so you can take full advantage of the increased pressure.
- Since the compressor is oilless and noisy you might want to mount the compressor outside as well. The
transfer cross member as mentioned is an option. Depending on whether or not you have sliders and how they are mounted there is lots of room outboard of the frame on the driver's side. Also, there is tons of room back where your spare used to reside as previously mentioned as well.
- what gauge wire are you using? I wouldn't go with anything less than 8ga and that's for up to a 12' run. Longer than 12' go for 6ga.

I'm looking forward to seeing how your install plays out because many aspects can be used in other OBA installs.
 
You will need to run #4 and keep your vehicle running if you want to stay above 12volts when the compressor is under full load. This sizing is considering the 42amps is under full load and not just non load RLA (running load amps).
 
I am definitely going to use a 200 psi tank! If I mount the compressor underneath I will have to build a pretty beefy skidplate for it. It's so big it can't be "tucked and hidden" anywhere. I used 6 gauge with a run of just under 10 feet. All high quality connectors. I haven't ran it under load yet, just "open". It's surprisingly quiet, but maybe it will get louder when it's under load. I'll rethink the 6 gauge wire... It's would be stinking expensive to switch, but a lot cheaper than catching the rig on fire. :doh:
 
I am definitely going to use a 200 psi tank! If I mount the compressor underneath I will have to build a pretty beefy skidplate for it. It's so big it can't be "tucked and hidden" anywhere. I used 6 gauge with a run of just under 10 feet. All high quality connectors. I haven't ran it under load yet, just "open". It's surprisingly quiet, but maybe it will get louder when it's under load. I'll rethink the 6 gauge wire... It's would be stinking expensive to switch, but a lot cheaper than catching the rig on fire. :doh:

From my voltage loss calculator - A maximum distance of 10.104 feet will limit the voltage drop to 3% or less with a #6 Copper conductor delivering 42.0 amps on a 12.5 volt system.

I assumed more distance on the first calculation:eek:

Looking forward to your performance review.
 
wow... talk about cutting it close...
 
I have a york but was thinking about getting this for a friends truck. Can't wait to see how fast it is at the lower psi.
 

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