[GMCnet] Air Compressors
Mitch
I know this was covered somewhat about a month ago, so I'm not trying to stir up another full blown debate.
I'm looking at replacing my Dana compressor, and the choice seems to be another Dana or a Firestone.
From the previous discussion, it seemed the Firestone was appropriate for heavier duty use, such as Quad bag systems.
Do I have this right?
--
Mitch
Tacoma, Wa.
'80 Spitfire
'03 Windstar
X(very)PB 26 "Yowza"
Where it rains always.
It's wet, No sun, Gray.
Go to Oregon.
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Rick Denney
> I know this was covered somewhat about a month ago, so I'm not
> trying to stir up another full blown debate.
> I'm looking at replacing my Dana compressor, and the choice seems
> to be another Dana or a Firestone.
> From the previous discussion, it seemed the Firestone was
> appropriate for heavier duty use, such as Quad bag systems.
> Do I have this right?
I'm not sure I'd be willing to defend either of these notions:
1. The Firestone pump is any sturdier than the Dama pump (assuming the
Dana is in good condition). The Dana is extremely durable judging from
the fact that people are still using them after 35 years. Or,
2. The Quadrabag is particularly more demanding of the pump than the
factory system. The Quadrabag system uses about the same pressure as
the factory system, and probably about the same volume.
I replaced my Dana with a Viair 350C, which moves more air, is rated
for the pressure we need, comes with a complete kit, doesn't cost that
much, and is rated for a 100% duty cycle.
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=4013
Rick "not remembering the discussion a month ago" Denney
'73 230 Ex-Glacier "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Larry
I replaced my Dana with a Viair 350C, which moves more air, is rated for the pressure we need, comes with a complete kit, doesn't cost that much, and is rated for a 100% duty cycle.
I have come a long way with my GMC and I have had a lot of side trips due to some of the innovations my PO had created all in the spirit of making money, errr I mean, fixing up the GMC.
So I don't know how what I am about to reveal actually stacks up with is interference.
That is the compressor I have under the hood.
The four bolts that hold the pump onto the motor have broken clean off. It is held together with bailing wire now but it still pumps.
I have been undecided what to do since it will be quite a job to drill the screws out and bolt/nut replace them.
It has been on the GMC since 94 in my ownership and it was new or nearly so when I bought the GMC.
Again, not to throw a dark cast onto the compressor since I know the PO did a lot of strange things in the honor of free enterprise, errrr no I mean, fixing up the GMC, but this is something that has physically happened so I thought I'd note it.
Gatsbys' CRUISER :d
--
LarC - N/E Illinois
74 GLACIER X, "Gatsbys' CRUISER"
260/455/APC/4 bagg'r(ver3)
Remflex Manifold gaskets
_______________________________________________
Purchased 08-18-04
_
- - More to Come - -
John Wright
The dana is an acceptable unit when rebuilt and there are alot of
them still in service.
There are a number of unit that have been installed in our coaches,
Vivair, firestone and others. You should look at this unit as it
works quite well. A number of our club members have installed this
with good results.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93186
J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
TZE Zone Restorations
77 Eleganza Custom (For Sale)
1975 Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan
>
>
> I know this was covered somewhat about a month ago, so I'm not
> trying to stir up another full blown debate.
> I'm looking at replacing my Dana compressor, and the choice seems
> to be another Dana or a Firestone.
> From the previous discussion, it seemed the Firestone was
> appropriate for heavier duty use, such as Quad bag systems.
> Do I have this right?
> --
> Mitch
Dan Gregg
Watch and you can catch them on sale for 49.95.
Dan
--
Dan & Teri Gregg
///Halon Automatic Fire Extinguishers
Mitch
[quote title=powerjon wrote on Thu, 23 July 2009 17:56]Mitch,
The dana is an acceptable unit when rebuilt and there are alot of
them still in service.
There are a number of unit that have been installed in our coaches,
Vivair, firestone and others. You should look at this unit as it
works quite well. A number of our club members have installed this
with good results.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93186
J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
TZE Zone Restorations
77 Eleganza Custom (For Sale)
1975 Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan
The PO had installed a similar unit in my rig and was unsure of its sensitivity to moisture in the engine bay, so it resides left of the drivers pedestal, and I would prefer to replace that with a pump I know can be down there.
--
Mitch
Tacoma, Wa.
'80 Spitfire
'03 Windstar
X(very)PB 26 "Yowza"
Where it rains always.
It's wet, No sun, Gray.
Go to Oregon.
Dan Gregg
My 2 are under the refrigerator.
Dan
--
Dan & Teri Gregg
///Halon Automatic Fire Extinguishers
Jim Kanomata
150psimax,pumps
up a gallon tank to 140psi in 3minutes. Sells for $275
As with anything we sell, warranty is always flexible. If you tell me you
used it only for few trips and it is 18 month old, I have no problem taking
care of it.
Chuck Aulgur seems to like the unit as it will raise the rear quickly.
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Fremont,CA
ji...@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
Jim Kanomata
for them.
Jim Bounds
Viair makes compressors for several manufacturers-- for now. Whenever one manufacturer gets a market share of any product it creates a desire by others to build a better mousetrap to try and capture away some of that business-- hey, thats capitalism! I am watching the horizon for another German built compressor, rather than going for the mass market, this line will be high precision, low current consumption and extremely quiet. Not available as yet, who knows if it will be good for our application but I'm interested. I also use the Viair derivitves as they are very cost effective and much better than the original V2 units.
Jim Bounds
--------------------------
fred veenschoten
i saw a Mercedes compressor on e-bay awhile back. has anyone looked into that one?
--
Fred V
'77 Royale RB 455
P'cola, Fl
Rick Denney
> The four bolts that hold the pump onto the motor have broken clean
> off. It is held together with bailing wire now but it still pumps.
> I have been undecided what to do since it will be quite a job to
> drill the screws out and bolt/nut replace them.
> It has been on the GMC since 94 in my ownership and it was new or nearly so when I bought the GMC.
I didn't even know Viair pumps were available in 1994.
Mine bolts on with four #10 machine screws that go through rubber
bushings, as pictured here:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11456
I would think that if the bolts broke off, buying stronger ones and
replacing them would be easy enough. But I haven't had that sort of
problem.
Are you sure it's a Viair 350C that you have?
Rick "confused" Denney
'73 230 Ex-Glacier "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
_______________________________________________
Rick Denney
> My 2 are under the refrigerator.
Depends on the system you have. The Electro Level systems used pumps
and electric valves mounted in a module inside the coach. The Power
Level systems mounted the pump under the driver's footwell, adjacent
to the radiator and above the steering gear box, and out in the harsh
external world.
My Viair seems quite happy in the external world. But I did run the
air intake tubing inside the coach, and my filter on that tubing is
inside the coach. That should prevent quite a lot of the normal dust
infiltration, and might even reduce the moisture coming in a bit, too.
Rick "happy with the Viair so far" Denney
'73 230 Ex-Glacier "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
_______________________________________________
Larry
Are you sure it's a Viair 350C that you have?
sorry if this is a double post. the CPU had some kind of malfunction when I tried to send my reply.....
Rick
My compressor looks exactly like the one in the pic from the hex head bolts to the angle peices used to mount to the motorhome.
That is exactly the hose I have that I had to repair.
I don't know if the PO re-torqued the bolts before he installed the pump or dropped it or what.
I do know, the bolts are broken and the pump housing can be moved away from the motor housing.
I wired it on to keep the pump running but what remains of the bolts are in the threaded pump casing holes.
My GMC does not see big trips so the compressors use has not been harsh by any means.
I would suggest that the bolts are weak and need to be watched or changed to a larger size.
This is my experience and maybe it is a one of....... then again, this could be a heads up.
I will say for the pump, it has worked, and still is working, even after I found the pump housing coming off as it tried to run. I would give it a plus on that alone.
Thanks for the inquiry
Gatsbys' CRUISER :d
--
LarC - N/E Illinois
74 GLACIER X, "Gatsbys' CRUISER"
260/455/APC/4 bagg'r(ver3)
Remflex Manifold gaskets
_______________________________________________
Purchased 08-18-04
_
- - More to Come - -
sparkchaser
These are a buy it now on Ebay:
Dennis & Pia Lepard
Depew, NY
'76 Palm Beach
sparkchaser
If you want to see where the VIAIR compressors are from look at this:
Ebay #
140334772741
Dennis & Pia Lepard
Depew, NY
"76 Palm Beach
Shan Rose
I'm actually looking into getting one of these by "Air Zenith" http://www.air-zenith.com/products.asp?cateid=28&id=52&expandable=0&menuid=2852
they beat any Viair compressor and can move 3.5 CFM, add a tank array and multiple comprssors you could even run air tools which might be helpful changing a tire.
you can get the OB2 for around $300 if you shop around, and they are a sealed unit so engine bay mounting is possible, though i do like the idea of remote mounting the air filter inside the cabin since this would extend its life.
the OB2 has a 2 year warrenty and can fill a 5 gallion tank in under 5 minutes, so I assume the 1 gallon tanks on the power level system will be filled to pressure in only a minute or so.
I will be buying this pump next wek will let you guys know how it works out...
Duce
David L Greenberg
David Lee Greenberg
Port St Lucie, FL
Dedicated to the Preservation of the Classic GMC Motorhome
http://GMCmhRegistry.com
48 Packard Super Eight
On Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:38:42 -0500 Shan Rose <defc...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>
> I'm actually looking into getting one of these by "Air Zenith"
>
http://www.air-zenith.com/products.asp?cateid=28&id=52&expandable=0&menui
d=2852
>
> they beat any Viair compressor and can move 3.5 CFM, add a tank
> array and multiple comprssors you could even run air tools which
> might be helpful changing a tire.
>
> you can get the OB2 for around $300 if you shop around, and they are
> a sealed unit so engine bay mounting is possible, though i do like
> the idea of remote mounting the air filter inside the cabin since
> this would extend its life.
>
> the OB2 has a 2 year warrenty and can fill a 5 gallion tank in under
> 5 minutes, so I assume the 1 gallon tanks on the power level system
> will be filled to pressure in only a minute or so.
>
> I will be buying this pump next wek will let you guys know how it
> works out...
>
> Duce
____________________________________________________________
Always a good call. Click now to establish your local phone service!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTHbDksTuipttV0jzY9BO9FZJu3887nq1ImDXoIc6Xr62UTLU8Ve0Y/
Shan Rose
yeah that is what I was thinking, I mal also add an aux 5 gal tank between the frame rails with an airchuck so I can fill the tires anywhere with this thing. 200 PSI with 100% duty cycle which this compressor will never see that pressure given the power level system only requires 120# or so.
if I had $1,300 burning a hole in my pocket I would buy this compressor from oasis
it can run a 1/2 twin hammer impact wrnech with out an air tank! (O_o) it moves 8 CFM at 100 PSI which is more then my craftsman 33 gal shop compressor can move! this would be great for changing tires in the middle of nowhere.
Oasis also has an excellent rep for product durability and it is specifically designed for heavy applications.
when I get a bit of spare $$$ that will be an upgrade down the line somewhere :)
Duce
Keith V
Thats basically just a York AC compressor and a DC motor.
the hard part is the 2+hp DC motor.
Starters kinda work, a winch motor is better, but expensive.
Even buying a new motor you're at 1/10 the cost if you do it yourself like this
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1265
Duce Apocalypse wrote on Sat, 01 August 2009 13:23
> yeah that is what I was thinking, I mal also add an aux 5 gal tank between the frame rails with an airchuck so I can fill the tires anywhere with this thing. 200 PSI with 100% duty cycle which this compressor will never see that pressure given the power level system only requires 120# or so.
>
> if I had $1,300 burning a hole in my pocket I would buy this compressor from oasis
>
> http://oasismfg.thomasnet.com/viewitems/air-compressors/xd3000-extended-duty-air-compressors?&forward=1
>
> it can run a 1/2 twin hammer impact wrnech with out an air tank! (O_o) it moves 8 CFM at 100 PSI which is more then my craftsman 33 gal shop compressor can move! this would be great for changing tires in the middle of nowhere.
>
> Oasis also has an excellent rep for product durability and it is specifically designed for heavy applications.
>
> when I get a bit of spare $$$ that will be an upgrade down the line somewhere :)
>
> Duce
--
Keith
69 Vette
29 Dodge
75 Royale GMC
Steve Southworth
Yowza - so what is the duty cycle on that home built compressor?
Keith V wrote on Sat, 01 August 2009 13:40
> Thats basically just a York AC compressor and a DC motor.
> the hard part is the 2+hp DC motor.
> Starters kinda work, a winch motor is better, but expensive.
>
> Even buying a new motor you're at 1/10 the cost if you do it yourself like this
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1265
--
Steve Southworth
1974 Glacier TZE064V100150
Palmyra WI
John Wright
I have had a Darcy Moses air system installed in our coach since
1999. It has been pretty durable and will go from 0 to 130 psi in
about a minute. Just change the intake filter once a year and
adjust the belt when needed. Unfortunately Darcy is no longer with
us, he passed away about 3 or 4 years ago. The system was a little
under $400 in 1999. As for duty cycle it is as good as your battery
and alternator to supply the current. I have run air tools with it.
I have been toying with with building the system but the pricing
would be closer to $600 to put it out the door. The york compressor
are still available but they have gotten much more expensive.
This is a good link for information and building your own. There is
a chart to show output of the compressor as you scroll down.
http://www.jedi.com/obiwan/jeep/yorkair.html
J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
TZE Zone Restorations
77 Eleganza Custom (For Sale)
1975 Avion (Under Reconstruction)
Michigan
Steven Ferguson
When I built mine, I took a long look at just what I would really
need that kind of air for and it kept coming back to site leveling and
bringing the coach back up to ride height and charging the tank when
getting ready to leave the site. I went with an AC motor instead and
kept the small Thomas 317 for the occasional cycle while driving. DC
motors powerful enough to do the job are quite expensive, not so with
AC motors. I mounted a K&N valve cover breather on the intake side of
the York. In several years of use, I've adjusted the belt once. In
the park, or on the road, I always have AC power available.
I have sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 Yorks and I would
never hesitate to pull one off a junker. I have yet to find one that
isn't pristine inside. Those things must be the toughest AC
compressors ever built.
I think I might have $150 give or take invested in my system.
On Sat, Aug 1, 2009 at 7:56 PM, John Wright<powe...@chartermi.net> wrote:
Steve,
I have had a Darcy Moses air system installed in our coach since
1999. It has been pretty durable and will go from 0 to 130 psi in
about a minute.
--
Steve Ferguson
'76 EII
Sierra Vista, AZ
Urethane bushing source
www.bdub.net/ferguson/
Shan Rose
Steven Ferguson wrote on Sun, 02 August 2009 07:20
So yours is powered by an AC motor? but wouldnt you have to have the generator running to power it? O_o
Duce
Steven Ferguson
So yours is powered by an AC motor? but wouldnt you have to have the
generator running to power it?
Shan,
Yes. My Onan runs quite well. As I said in the post, the only time
I really need all the air and need it immediately is when I'm leveling
for camping, or getting ready to leave and need the coach at full
raise and the tank full. I usually hook up shore power before
leveling and if I'm dry camping, there is always the Onan. The motor
I use to drive the compressor cost less than $125.00 and it is more
than enough. From flat on the ground to full raise and the tank at
150 psi is only 90 seconds. Here's a couple of pix:
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3099
It is mounted on a steel plate and can be removed very quickly. Fits
nicely under the sofa.
sparkchaser
If you do a search on EBay you will find several York compressors listed for well under a hundered.
Dennis & Pia Lepard
Depew, NY
'76 Palm Beach
Shan Rose
Steven Ferguson wrote on Sun, 02 August 2009 14:52
Well im probably gonna just get the AZ comp, just to simplify installation, though for more power in the future I do like that idea :)
Steven Ferguson
sold one for more than $25. They're out there.
--
Steve Ferguson
'76 EII
Sierra Vista, AZ
Urethane bushing source
www.bdub.net/ferguson/