Nissan On Board air how too.

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Crash bandicoot
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Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Crash bandicoot »

Converting your air conditioning pump into an air compressor


(1) Firstly we need to wire the A/c pump to engage manually.
All A/c systems run a high pressure switch and a low pressure switch. These are what
automatically engages and disengages your compressor clutch at idle or W.O.T.

one switch is on the pump, the other on the condensor cylinder usually beside one of your
headlights behind the grill.

high pressure switch
Image

low pressure switch and the wire to by pass..the low pressure switch is right of photo ontop of the pump
Image



In my case i by passed both, relying on the check valve on the cylinder to
maintain a safe high pressure.

basically you want to run a wire with a positive feed from a switch on the dash board
to the wire that engages the electomagnetic clutch on the
front of the A/C compressor. (this is what i did).

(2)For my cylinder/s i was limited for space, being turbo/intercooled with dual batteries etc...and being an SUV i didn't want the cylinder/s under the truck or in the cabin.
So i made room for them by stripping out the A/C radiator and electric fan, mounting one either side of the winch between the front crossmember and the bumper subframe.

The type of cylinders you ask...2x 4.5 kg fire extinguishers.

I pulled the trigger/handle assemblies apart and cleaned out the left over dry powder inside, then
removed the trigger handles and brass valve inside it.

I screwed a half inch fitting into the top of one with a T junction, one as the inlet and the other to be the outlet.....
the 2nd an inlet and a 1/2 inch line to the air coupling mounted in the grill.

Image

these bigger fire extinguishers also have a 1/4 inch pressure safety valve screwed into the side of the trigger housing so may pay to fit either a small pressure gauge, check valve or blank it off.

(3) plumbing.... the gas used in A/C systems also lubricates the pump...we need to replicate this. in my case i cut the inlet pipe to the compressor at the fire wall and plumbed it in with a T piece to the pipe that runs between the Air oil seperator and the intake pipe that goes back to the inlet between the Air flow meter and the turbo charger.
Image

Thus supplying a oily residue in the air for the pump to use as a lubricant.

the outlet pipe is also cut and a half inch fitting clamped/screwed into it with some 1/2 inch air line to carry the compressed air to the cylinder up front.
Image

So all up i have a system that can charge a 9 litre volume up to 120 psi at engine idle in around a minute.

according to this fancy calculator http://www.1728.org/boyle.htm it equates out to around 73 litres compressed...
...I think(I'm no physicist)


All up the plastic T fitting and hose clamps came from bunnings $10
the air line i had laying aroung but its like $1.90 a meter
check valve/ T pieces air connectors $46.50
15 m flexi air line and tyre inflator(with gauge) and incorporates a deflator valve on it $25 from supercheap.
The Electrical wire is from an old extension cord with a 30 amp fuse (Didn't really know how much current the
clutch on the A/C pump would draw but hasn't popped the 30 amp fuse yet.)
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
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kiwipete
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by kiwipete »

Nice write up.
I am going along on a similar route just as soon as my "other air con pump arrives. :wink: I would suggest you pop into an automotive aircon shop with a box of beers and ask them to crimp your hose joins as those hose clips may just fail, there can be massive pressure applied before the pressure switch kicks in. I know from experience with the jury rigged system I had in my shed off my mains powered air compressor before a hose joiner blew. :oops:
Ok people, move along. Nothing to see here. Thank you, move along.
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nakimud
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by nakimud »

Awesome post crash!
eins
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by eins »

Would recommend putting pressure switch in as well as the main on off switch to control A/C compressor (one with unloaded valve even better) as A/C pumps put out quite a lot of volume or if you left it on at higher engine reves pressure relief valve may not keep up with output form A/C pump.
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Crash bandicoot
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Crash bandicoot »

eins wrote:Would recommend putting pressure switch in as well as the main on off switch to control A/C compressor (one with unloaded valve even better) as A/C pumps put out quite a lot of volume or if you left it on at higher engine reves pressure relief valve may not keep up with output form A/C pump.


Did think about that however the check valve is from a Kenworth and
I wouldn't suggest using them above Idle for compressing air unless you intend to fill a truck or tractor tyre :shock: , there is no need....it took under a minute to compress 70 odd litres of air to 120 psi.
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
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hamboy
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by hamboy »

Nice work there crash, Its somewhat similar to my setup but with out the cost.
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diogenese
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by diogenese »

I like the oil feed idea, I'll have to pinch that for mine :) I've been adding a squirt of oil to the intake pipe with an oilcan occasionally until now :o
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mercutio
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by mercutio »

diogenese wrote:I like the oil feed idea, I'll have to pinch that for mine :) I've been adding a squirt of oil to the intake pipe with an oilcan occasionally until now :o


yeah so simple it is brilliant
my 4wd is not a truck

old mercedes never die but sometimes they do need some love

older cars are good,mercedes are better,older mercedes are the best
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Heath
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Heath »

How do you catch the oil before the tank?
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Crash bandicoot
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Crash bandicoot »

Heath wrote:How do you catch the oil before the tank?


they same way you get oil out of an air tank on a truck...use the valve with a pull ring. ...
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
keithal
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by keithal »

Crash bandicoot wrote:
Heath wrote:How do you catch the oil before the tank?


they same way you get oil out of an air tank on a truck...use the valve with a pull ring. ...


so you have no oil seperator?
which means each time you pump up a tyre it is getting oil filled air pumped into it?
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Crash bandicoot
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Crash bandicoot »

keithal wrote:
Crash bandicoot wrote:
Heath wrote:How do you catch the oil before the tank?


they same way you get oil out of an air tank on a truck...use the valve with a pull ring. ...


so you have no oil seperator?
which means each time you pump up a tyre it is getting oil filled air pumped into it?


The oil stays in the bottom of the tank as the air enters and exits via the top. the pull ring valve is at the bottom.
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
keithal
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by keithal »

Crash bandicoot wrote:
keithal wrote:
so you have no oil seperator?
which means each time you pump up a tyre it is getting oil filled air pumped into it?


The oil stays in the bottom of the tank as the air enters and exits via the top. the pull ring valve is at the bottom.


so your planning on using the pull ring after every time you turn the a/c pump on??

otherwise the airflow/current as you release air from the tank when pumping up tyres will agitate the oil again causing some to get pumped into your tyres
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diogenese
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by diogenese »

keithal wrote:so your planning on using the pull ring after every time you turn the a/c pump on??

otherwise the airflow/current as you release air from the tank when pumping up tyres will agitate the oil again causing some to get pumped into your tyres


If you are planning on using an A/C pump for compressing air then this is drawback against using a dedicated air compressor as an A/C pump uses oil to seal itself. if you run the hot compressed air into a tank of sufficient volume (10l or more) the oil will condense and stick to the tank walls and drain down along with condensed water. if you take air from higher in the tank then you will get miniscule amount of oil in the air.
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Crash bandicoot
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Re: Nissan On Board air how too.

Post by Crash bandicoot »

what happens to gas and atomised liquids when you compress them? they

( A ) combust
( B ) turn into a liquid....liquid is heavier then air and sinks to the bottom... but by the time ive written this some one has probably already told ya that.

It's a side effect...how ever probably the only one, but in saying that there is probably more oil going past my turbo's oil seals in one week then will go through that tyre gauge in a year.
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
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