Sandaholic

I bought a viair compressor kit from hornblasters.com today. They are dual 480c's. I also picked some some air horns and some airtanks that are 8-10 gallons(guessing here, they are 9x30" cylinders) from a freightliner surplus warehouse. If I can run air tools great, but I really need them to air up tires and blast the horns at the morons! I'm going to put a ballvalve in the cab to actuate them.

I'm planning on mounting the compressors in my protech bed box. Will I need to have some sort of outside air flow available to these 480's? I would imagine so cause this box is sealed pretty well. I don't have much of a clue when it comes to wiring and stuff. If someone could help me with a diagram or something that would be great! Or just show me a similar install?

Here are some of my thoughts.

Can the factory fuse box location be used for something like this? I thought I remembered seeing open spots in there? If so how would I go about using them?

I'd like to have a rocker switch to run the compressors separate from the pressure switch. If there was a leak or something I want to be able to shut them off from the cab.

What size wire should i use? Whatever is in the instructions or upgrade it?

I also want to run some wiring for some backup lights and a power inverter as well. Both off rocker switches again. I can't think of anything else I'd like to run later on down the road suggestions?

I do want to get a 5" inline exhaust brake later, but I'll get the shifter mounted switch for that.

I want this done right and I want it to be safe so don't leave anything out

TIA

alMout

With everything you are wanting to add, you might as well install an additional fuse/relay box to run everything out of. Power it directly off the battery. All your in cab switches will operate relays, not the device directly.

Sandaholic

Where would I get one of those? Freightliner yard again? I don't remember seeing anything like that. I've seen the painless stuff. Something like this?
http://www.painlessperformance.com/w...=4x4%20OffRoad
That uses two 40 amp relays.........so do the viair 480's. How does that work? Seriously I have no clue.

BarryG

Sandholic:
Take a look at these diagrams they may help. Not familar with your pump so these may or may not apply. If mounting them inside your toolbox I think your only option is to drill some holes in it for some airflow. Maybe in the bottom by your comps and in the back wall of the box behind your comps to get some air flow for inlet air and to exhaust some heat

http://www.extremeoutback.com/index....ireinstall.htm

http://www.extremeoutback.com/index....ingDiagram.htm

You may not want to run the compressor through that fuse block again not familar with that compressor but that fuse block may not be able to handle that kind of amperage through one fuse, the entire block may be good for 40/80 amps but dont know about going through one fuse I would check the specs closely on that. You could run a line from the battery 8 or maybe 6 gauge and feed your compressor relays as well as the fuse block for your other goodies though (as well as trigger your compressor through the fuse block). I would definitely put some sort of large fuse or circuit breaker in line with the main feed wire. Like one of the options in the link below. I used a resettable circuit break on my setup.

http://www.extremeoutback.com/index....d=7937927.4984

Hopefully I am making sense.

Sandaholic

Barry thanx.......a........TON! As stupid as it may sound I would be so lost without those diagrams.

Yes you made perfect sense thank you! Now I need to let this stuff soak in, do some parts searches and start trying to draw up a plan.

Here are the diagrams maybe they will help someone else?





About those parts searches, I am open to suggestions of what to use and where to source it from. I appreciate the help guys.

I don't know why but I am really fixated on the rocker switches! I think they look cool as heck! Any ideas on those? What brand where to get 'em. Where to put 'em in the cab?

CrashCade

I would run a dedicated power wire to the bed for these.

(Values indicated are for stranded copper wire)


Wire Gauge Amp Draw Length of Wire Run
18/16/14 gauge wire 10 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.
12 gauge wire 20 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.
10 gauge wire 40 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.
8 gauge wire 60 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.
6 gauge wire 80 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.
4 gauge wire 100 amps maximum 10 feet or less from power source.

Length of wire run: Keep wire run as short as possible, but increase gauge for every 10 feet of additional wire run over 10 feet long. For example: if you have a 450C that pulls 20 amps and it is mounted 10 feet from the battery, you should use 12 gauge wire. If the compressor is 20 feet from the battery, you should use 10 gauge wire using the chart above. Remember dual compressor setups will use double the amp draw of a single unit. If you are running common power to multiple units, increase the wire gauge size according to total amp draw of the system using the chart above.

I would run it to the bed and then put a distribution block to split the power off to each compressor. Here is a link to a fused dist block. http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...BXS424&tp=3001

Here is a link to a pressure switch from Viair. You only need one of these in your system somewhere.
http://www.viaircorp.com/90108.html

You also need to run one relay per compressor. Here is the Relay that Viair recommends.
http://www.viaircorp.com/93940.html


As shown in your wiring diagram make sure you run the switched power from your pressure switch to the relay. You can run both relays off of the same pressure switch.

Should be straight forward.

Where are you mounting the air tanks?

Sandaholic

I'm going to put them outside the frame rail just forward of the rear tires on both sides. They should fit in there nicely.

Thanx for all that info! Will one switch (in the cab) work for both relays or will I need 2? I'm still trying to decide what sort of tubing to use as well. I have access to tons of copper and stainless would not be too much of a stretch for me to get either. I was thinking of using swagelok fittings? I would really like to do stainless and swagelok. And I could also clean up the messy a$$ job I did on my fuel return It's nasty lookin'

Or I could be talked into something else I suppose. Depends on how expensive a bunch of swage fittings will be? I'm also thinking about brazing some copper pipe I could purge it with nitrogen and pre-burn the tough spots then install it. That might be the way I'll go. For my ball valve in the cab though that is definitley going to be stainless it will look much better and be sturdier.

mikmaze

when you bought the 480's, did you talk to the guys at hornblasters and mention the size tanks you were going to use, just a word of caution, some of thee compressors do not like the job of filling large tanks, keeps them running too long and if not 100 % duty cycle they will not live long. I would get on the phone with them and tell them you have what sounds like two 8 gallon tanks, and that you purchased the two 480's to fill them, and see if they say you got the right compressors before you mount them. Just to be safe. I have an interrupt switch in my cab, I have it on the power lead that goes to the relay, not the high power lead that goes to the compressors as that draws a lot of juice for a switch. my compressors are mounted in the tool box as well and I have no heat issues even when using the 200 psi switch to fill m y 8.5 gallon tank.

Sandaholic

Yeah I talked to them about what I was doing. And previous to calling them I spent a good long time comparing all sorts of compressors. Especially the viair dual 380, 400, 450 and 480's. I was originally going to get the dual 380'c because I felt that they would work for what I want to do and they were the cheapest, but the guy talked me into the 480's and they weren't that much more expensive.

The 480's are 100% duty @100psi and they have roughly the same amp draw as the dual 380's. They also have faster fill times. I know I am using them to fill a larger tank than viair recommends, but I don't think it will be an issue. If I think they have been running for too long I will just shut them off and let them cool down and start refilling later. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Time will tell though

Asher

Here is what I did... I found a power source under my dash that was live with the ignition key in the acc or run postion. I ran a wire off that to a toggle switch on the dash. Then run a wire from the other pole of the switch to the engine bay and to a power relay (mount it to the switch post of the relay). After that you need to ground the relay and run a "power source" (large heavy gauge) wire to the supply side... Make sure you fuse "power source" wire as close to the battery as you can. After that you only have to hook up the system as instructed to the relay. This way you can have the option of turning off the compressors by a switch if you want, but the system won't come on if your away from the truck when its not running.

If I was in your position, I would consider getting a couple of 12 v fans and mounting them on the side of your box where you would cup the air holes. You could use something like some computer fans would probably work great, they may not move alot of air (some air movement is better then none) but they are very low amp draw. All you would have to do is splice the wires into your compressor wires and when your compressors kicked on, it would power the fans also.

When wiring remember a couple things, fuse all (+) power at it's closest source, use relays as your switch (don't run heavy power through a toggle or your factory system), when in doubt on wire size always use heavier wire (also the more strands in wire make for more efficient power transfer), only use fuses that are the correct size for your wire gauge.


Good luck on your air set-up, triple check all your fittings so they are completely air tight, it is a real pain chasing down a slow leak after everything is tucked up and hidden away.... The best thing I have found to check for slow leaks is "bubbles" the stuff that kids blow... It is much better than soap and water because it stays put much longer...

nriver

What I did for extra power and in cab switches.

Sandaholic

Thanx Asher

Where did you get everything from? Looks pretty sharp!

nriver

switches are from a marine supply place, like west marine or boaters world.

Painless wiring, cant remember. I have had it for about 8 years I think.

Wire, relays and term block from another project. I think some of it from Frys, boaters world, and I am sure some on line places.

I seem to have a bunch of this stuff sitting around almost all the time.

I got my hot lead from the cigaret lighter if I recall.

The big bundle of wires into the cab to the center console. The small bundle goes to the rear for back up lights and such things.

I did it all at once so I "never" need to run a wire into the cab again. I am only using two of the switches. The Driving lights are off the stock switch, Fogs off switch 2, Reverse lights off switch 3. Switch 1 is lonely, LOL.

Most everything was left over from the jeep project. I picked up the switch panel with 6 switches and relays for like 70 bucks.

Sandaholic

Thanks nriver


Anybody know if I need an airdryer or a coalescing filter? Is there a real need for that? Could I just blow the tanks down every now and then?

mikmaze

I just blow mine down and have the pickups mounted high, tank would have to be half full of water before it makes it to the lines. Not like I am running moisture sensitve stuff but if you are you could always put a dryer on one line for that use.