El Cheapo On-board air....

Well, this is what I ended up with...


Its a 20#, aluminum tank which I was able to purchase brand new and filled for $69, then herculined it(why? cause I could!!), then $80 adjustable up to 200 PSI regulator, a $20 package of air chucks and adapters and 25 ft. coil that is good up to 200 PSI by Stanley from WalMart, and 2 18" bungees with hooks for $1.89, also from WalMart to mount the tank like this:


I dont think too bad for a grand total of $170.89....Though I do have one question....is it normal to have a little leakage of air around 1 or two of the connecting spots? No matter how hard I crank the sections together I seem to get a slight leak at say where the air chuck and the coiled line connect.....

It's not normal to have leaks. Did you use teflon tape or thread sealant on the threads?

Also, good luck finding someone willing to hydrostat that tank with the herculiner on it.

Not normal to have leaks, like TK1 said, Teflon tape or brush on thread sealer works best.

I also recommend buying..

1..a Power tank hose, or at least a good "heavy duty" hose that will hold up after repeated icing/defrosting. $40 is cheap when it comes to safety..
2..A bracket to bolt the tank down with. Around $35-$60 depending on location. I got both of my brackets from a fire department supply store, 5lb bracket for $30, and the 20lb. bracket for $60.
If you dont want to bolt it down, at least invest in some GOOD ratchet straps..

Otherwise looks good..

Bungee cords for an 80 pound tank ?

Classic.

It's just holding the cord to the tank...

He said "to mount the tank like this". No reason to waste two bungees just to hold the hose.

That thing needs to be mounted securely, especially with no protection for the regulator.

Tank looks good. Big sucker too. You should be able to find an inexpensive holder at a fire extinguisher place, its where I got mine. Same as sold by where we bought the regulator.

I added a 6" L bracket to help stabilize it some more. Under $3 at Lowe's.




BTW, thats the same hose I started with. It WILL POP, right where it connects to the tank, it cant handle the cold. I couldn't find a coiled hose with better characteristics, so I went with a regular one. Has held up a lot better so far.

I agree on the Teflon tape, I have no leaks at all, even when I went over 120 PSI to test. You know you cant run that when lying down, right? I also found an air chuck that locks on to the tire stem.

Amen to that!!! Also note that teflon tape is okay for non flamable gases, but DO NOT use it for oxygen or other flamable gasses. Teflon tape is petroleum based and can add "fuel to the fire" in potentially dangerous situations....

Now, my personal preference for compressed gas is CO2 in draft beer applications! If you have questions about how I built this mounting system, PM me. There is a slim chance I can provide some information on a more secure mount for your tank...

Is it possible Western, to run a small keg (I guess a pony keg) off of my CO2 tank, like in camp, relatively easily?

I'd love to add that little piece of equipment (whatever would be needed) to my camping stuff. A pony keg run off my tank, I'd own the campsite!

Um... I don't get it. What are these tanks for?

Ahhh...thats what the tape in the kit is for!!!!! Oh, and its already got its hydrostat approval for the next 2 years and I didnt herculine over any of the warnings or dates or anything...

definately not 80 #''s...40-50 maybe...and that thing aint moving more than a couple cm's each way at this point...have pushed and pulled on it and unless the truck rolls over(in which case I have more problems than my co2 tank rolling around) its not going anywhere....

To air up your tires after a run or use them for air tools.

Depending on the person who tests your tank, they sometimes don't like anything on the tank that could cover up imperfections like herculiner does. Just something to keep in mind when it's time to retest it.

Dude... you've never replaced a shower head before ?

Sorry, there is no way in hell 2 bungee cords are going to hold that tank in place in a collision (at which point it becomes a missle aimed at the back of your seat).

Get a bracket.

My suggestion would be to stand the tank upright behind the rear seat. Use a high strength bungee to strap it to the head rest posts. Then use one lower as well (might have to add a way to attach the cord).

I do this with my large upright tool box while off road. Thing NEVER moves.

Just mount it correctly buy purchasing a fire extinguisher mount. Plain and simple. You don't have to strap down your air hose, it has a quick release to store it somewhere. Don't you have stock tires? Why would you need a tank if you don't air down?(besides air tools). Definitely get some teflon tape on there.

Hope you guys are happy, look what you did to (Spalind)Dan!

You're supposed to use some kinda tape when you replace a shower head?

Teflon tape.

Seriously??? Why don't they TELL you that?

Some new heads come with a little strip of it. I guess it's not totally necessary, just gives a better seal on the threads without being as permanent as silicone, putty etc.

Owning a house is too damn stressful. Too much can go wrong.

Oh geez, talk about a thread hijack. Sorry, spalind.

Quit urging him to get a bracket - you're messing up the natural selection process.

Actually, I'd think that would be a BIG thing to worry about. You roll and that thing is coming right for you.

You can buy really strong bungee cords, maybe thats what he has.

I own an fire protection company, and all the comments about not using a bracket is stupid are correct. Not only is it very unsafe, it is also illegal to mount it like that, call DOT to check. You should be able to get one for under $35.
As for the fill hose, at a minimum I wouldnt use anything less then the powertank hose.
I personally would use a CO2 charging hose, the same hose we charge extinguishers with, will never fail and very durable. Cost is about $25 for the 6ft hose.

Nope....lets see...lived at home 18 years, college(dorm and apartments) for 6 years, home again for 1 year, then 2 different apartments for 4 more years, and now finally into my brand new townhouse for a year...never replaced a shower head...

Ahhh...thats all right...I probly deserve it....OK, OK, OK....the bungees will just be a temporary thing untill I find a fire extinguisher place that sells a bracket and then I will mount it upright(which I was planning on doing due to probable future use with an airlocker it would need to be mounted upright at all times) I dont really mind being flamed for something like this...its educational and funny at the same time!!

Oh, and how exactly is it that I use this magic Teflon tape?? Do I wrap it around the threads and then screw the thing in or what?? I'm asking seriously....

It's male DNA. We're born with the understanding of how tapered pipe threads work.
Except for Spalind it seems.

Yes, wrap it the same way the fitting will thread on. About a wrap and a half or two should suffice.

Stretch it a bit as you wrap so it drops into the threads.

If you remove the fitting in the future, replace the tape.

Yes, you wrap it around the male pipe threads and you don't need that much. Two complete wraps should do it. Also, make sure you wrap it in the proper direction so that it doesn't unravel when you thread the pieces together.

Damn, 3 pages about plumbing

Damn it!! you people are too quick....I was able to figure it out on my own(I know...miracles sometimes do happen!!) and I come right back upstairs to post that I had done it and now had a system with no leaks and what do I find?!?!? 3 posts already....Damn you!!! Damn you all to hell!! Thanks for all the help and advice though...it is appreciated...Oh...and I dont thing using teflon tape on screw threads for a CO2 system is something I would have been successful searching for!! But now it will be I guess!!!....The Library of Congress of X knowledge that XOC is grows bigger and bigger!!

Well when you take apart plumbing you can usually see the old tape. Depending... sometimes the old tape is just as clean as the new tape.

These tanks are pretty cool though... props! How much use (ie how many tires could you fill?)could you get out of one of these? And don't they make portable compressors?

Yah, and we were both telling him how to use teflon tape at the same time. How lame are we?

I use my CO2 tank to tap my beer all the time. It kix ass. I regulate it down to between 6-8 psi and it works nicely. Just throw the keg on ice or in a mini-fridge like mine.
If you need more info feel free to drop me a PM or email..

You can also run the lines through an insulated cooler in coils, under ice, with the taps protruding out the front. Chills the beer on the way out, of course it doesn't hurt to have the keg on ice either. Typically used this for the smaller, mmm, 4 gallon(?) containers. Like for soda behind the bar. EDIT- like this thing.. What are those called again?

I was wondering when someone would finally answer that question. Geez. Now I supply beer you supply CO2 Cyclemut.

You're on Kev! Fall colors trip? My tank is still in the truck.

That tank is great! It's aired up my 35's twice, from 10psi, and 16 other tires from 18psi up to 36psi. Still have a lot of air left as well. Maybe a good 800psi or so, a little less than 1/2 a tank. Started from 1100psi.

Now we're gettin' somewhere..

HOMEBREW LINKY

ps- don't bother with that "beermachine" from BPS or Cabelas, not worth the trouble...

Hey, hadnt thought of that. Off to search the net..

No luck. Can someone point me in the right direction?

You're very nearly out. Pressure should remain nearly constant (temp not withstanding) as long as you have liquid remaining in the tank. Once the liquid has been exhausted, you're left with nothing but the gas volume in the tank and pressure will plummet quickly as it is used. That's why you need a scale to determine how much you have left, there's very little warning when you're nearly out, the volume of gas is only enough to do a handful of tires. Same as a gas grill if you're familiar...

Brent