On Board Air

[DF5152]

a question it looks like u used a v-belt to drive the compressor or is it just a small sepentine belt.

 

[Midnight]

Looking at the pics it's hard to tell just how the compressor is bolted up. Is it sitting on a plate and bolted from underneath? We had a very similar looking unit on one of our service trucks at work. The bolts kept shearing off from vibrations. There wasn't enough meat in the housing to go with bigger bolts. These are tire service trucks that run all day long, so when they are broke down the powers to be aren't happy. We ended up taking it out and installing a big unit in the bed.

 

[Kilby]

DF, we're using a V-belt to drive the compressor. It works like a charm.



Midnight, if the bracket is designed correctly and you use a good quality bolt, you won't have any bolt shearing problems. The York compressor is an OEM compressor on quite a few big rigs as AC compressors where they run more than someone using it for OBA. If the bracket is made wrong and flexes during engine run time, yeah, I can see stuff breaking. We make sure that doesn't happen.

 

[RobbieH]

Brad, I love the one in my Jeep, and can't wait to have one in my truck, when I can afford it. I want a York for the Jeep and I'll move this heavy Tecumseh over to the truck.



Brett just called you for a deep trans pan for my Jeep... will let you know.



#ad

 

[rbattelle]

Kilby,



Please excuse my ignorance, but where's the alternator? Under the compressor? If so, is it in the stock location? And what does the v-belt for the compressor attach to?



-Ryan

 

[Kilby]

rbattelle, the kit in that pic above is our KE-1000 and fits most Jeep Wranglers. The alt is below the AC compressor and the air compressor is the big black thing on the left. The serp belt drives the accessories like normal and the V-belt drives the compressor from the alternator.



In this application, the alt is in the stock location. On the '03-'04 Cummins, we have to move the alt down because it's too high on the engine for us. To fit the compressor in and clear the hood we had to move it down. The compressor is still driven off the alternator with a similar pulley shown in the pic above.

 

[Kilby]

RobbieH, are you talking about Brett from AFM? I didn't get to talk to him today. I've been at the new building all day. I do need to talk to him too.

 

[Bob V]

Seems like it doesn't have much belt contact area on the small pulley. How are the belts holding up? Have you had any problem with the stock serpentine system being over worked when everything is on?

 

[Kilby]

Heh heh! Trust me guys, we've been doing this for 5 years and that's not to mention the company that was doing this before me. If this system didn't have enough belt contact, I wouldn't put the kit on the market.



The belts hold up just fine. Just like any other vehicle with a belt on it. The serp belt is just fine too. You aren't putting any more stress on any of the belts or pulleys that OEM's don't do themselves. Running our air compressor is just like running an AC compressor. Actually, we have more belt contact than the OEM's do.

 

[Bob V]

I've been doing this for 20 + years. Put my first York on a '79 Toyota in '80. I'm sorry but if you add another load on a system you ARE adding to the total load. I was a ASE certified mechanic and have done a lot of work on belt driven systems. Why do you think that a lot of the OEM AC compressors Had dual belts? It takes a lot to drive one of those. I have seen vehicles eat belts because of insufficient contact. I have seen your kit and I am impressed with the mounting brackets. It just seems to me that the belt is insufficient. Just my opinion, take it or leave it

Bob V

 

[thejeepdude]

I've been running Kilby's system for several years and have done a LOT of airing up. I've had problems with my homemade air tank plumbing, and I even got the compressor so hot that it melted my air hose. After the BANG I was greeted with the nastiest screeching sound I've ever heard... the compressor seizing and the belt slipping. I let it cool off, started it back up and it ran like a top. That was 2 years ago... and I've used it in mud, ice, snow, water deeper than the hood, etc... and that belt has NEVER shown signs of stress or even looks close to worn out. Even if the belt broke next time I went out, big deal! I've gotten my use out of that $5 part.



And besides, he already said the belt is bigger than the stock belt that drove that compressor... which I'm guessing was running more than 120psi.

 

[Kilby]

ASE certified or not, you can't argue with success. Take a good look at the pics of my kits. In the picture posted, you'll see the V-belt getting 180 degrees of wrap on both the alternator and compressor pulleys. I can't do that with all kits but I do when I can. I absolutly guarantee that you will not get slippage from ANY of my kits if it's installed correctly.



I didn't say I didn't add to the load, I said I didn't add anymore than the OEMs do. OEM systems use dual belts because they don't have enough belt contact for one belt. I do. Belt wrap is the absolute least of my worries with the kits I mass produce.

 

[RobbieH]

Brad yes I was talking about that Brett. He told me last night he didn't get to talk to you he talked to someone else.



Back to the subject, the only time I have had belt slippage was when I didn't have the belt tensioned properly. Other than that no issues at all. I use mine mostly to either air up tires or run air tools.

 

[Kilby]

Yeah, that belt tension will cause problems if it's not tight enough.



If you talk to Brett anytime soon, tell him I'll call just as soon as the dust settles over here.

 

[rbattelle]

Hey Kilby,



Is the compressor installation compatible with the ATS manifold for the 3rd gen trucks? I notice the clearance with the stock manifold looks a bit tight in this pic.

 

[Kilby]

I honestly don't know. I've never seen a truck with their manifold on it.

 

[rbattelle]

What's the closest clearance between the stock manifold and the compressor? I'll ask ATS how far out their manifold goes.

 

[Kilby]

About 1/4" or so. The heat shield gets real close. This is on the prototype that's still on my truck. The production stuff might be a tad different. When we finally go into production that is.

 

[ThomasLawrence]

I don't see why the ATS manifold would present a problem. I installed one the other day, and it re-uses the stock bolts, and the heat shield goes back on. I have about the same number of threads left on the ends of the studs that support the heat shield as in the picture above. It should clear fine.



-Tom

 

[Duck]

Kilby, do you have an ETA on a kit for us 3rd Gen'ers?