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How long can you operate air tools with a portable air tank

C

Combatcm

NAXJA Forum User
Location
NJ
I was always thinking of getting a portable air tank for filling tires and just having one handy.

Yesterday I was having trouble getting the axle nut off and used a breaker bar and cheater and I could see the breaker bar bending as I put my weight on it. I got it off fine but could use air tools for suspension parts even if I get 20 seconds worth.

Bike pump + air tank + air tools = poor mans garage

If I could get a 5 gallon tank with a 5cfm airflow I could use it for a minute, I think that's long enough.

Is there anything wrong with this plan?
 
Hit google and type in "york compressor"... (Without quotes)...

Here's some links:
http://www.jedi.com/obiwan/jeep/yorkair.html
http://www.jeepaholics.com/tech/OBA2/
http://www.coloradok5.com/york.shtml

I scored one outta 1983 Volvo for cheap.



The problem with your plan is that as soon as you hit the trigger on the impact wrench, you'll lose air pressure. Once you lose air pressure, you'll lose flow. I don't think you'll get 5CFM@90 PSI out of a 5 gallon air tank unless you pressurize it to an insanely high level.. Then you've got the explosion hazard and associated schrapnel to deal with...

1 gallon is about 0.134 cubic feet.

5 cubic feet is roughly 37.4 gallons, and I know I can take my 25 gallon shop air compressor down from 150 PSI to nothingness with a good minute of wrench turnin... A 5 gallon won't do ya unless you've got air going in.


Bike pump won't cut it. Your arms will get tired. :laugh3:

Those 12 volt compressors you typically get to inflate tires MIGHT put out a cubic foot per minut... Not likely though. Anything that'll put out a good volume to run an impact wrench will draw a good bit of power and probably will need a 120 volt or 240 volt motor with a horsepower or two.
 
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I can bend my breaker bar without a cheater, that is normal for me.

also, if you don't want to make the investment in all the air tools, they make some pretty nice electronic impact guns, I would just hate to get it all greasy.
 
My onboard air lets me run an impact....converted stock AC compressor, and a 5 gallon tank get it done.

but I also have an 18v dewalt, it also gets the job done.

Justin
 
I have a Ultimate Air 10# CO2 tank and it will run tools for a while but the flow from my regulator is not enough for anything larger than a 3/8 impact. It will turn a 1/2 drive but not strong enough to loosen lug nuts.
 
tomcat said:
I can bend my breaker bar without a cheater, that is normal for me.

also, if you don't want to make the investment in all the air tools, they make some pretty nice electronic impact guns, I would just hate to get it all greasy.
Click to expand...

X2 on the electric impac gun. HarborFreight has one that works great for what it is. If you are looking for just a shop tool I'd got that route.

Otherwise I'd do a York. I have one and it is currently my only compressor. It is funny how many times I've wanted to do something on the jeep but I couldn't turn on the motor. Kind of annoying that way.
 
I was thinking of buying an electric one but wanted a nice portable one that I could run off air.

Im probably going to go ahead and buy the Qmaxx compressor and regulate it with an on board air tank. I'm looking to keep most of the tools I need on me

Those portable impact wrenches are really neat though. I'm just weary of all the jittering they do, I would think their gearboxes break after a while from all the abuse, but I dont know much about nice tools.

Oh yeah, my bad thinking 1 cu ft was 1 gallon, I don't know where I got that from, probably too much thinking.
 
Everyone driving an XJ should loosen their hub nuts at home or work and put some ani-sieze on them, or at least clean the threads so there's no corrosion. That way they will always come off in the field.

My opinion is that air tools are unnecessary, the few minutes you save in the time of a field repair isn't worth the weight and hassle of carrying them. I'm also not into big air tanks, they discharge into a tire pretty much immediately so save virtually no time airing up tires. Just get a decent compressor and call it good.
 
Most standard off the shelf impact guns are only 250 Ft. Lbs. That won't touch half the stuff that gets stuck on our junk. You can do more with a breaker bar. I think my ratio is about 1:1 on breaking bolts, so don't take this as a learned opinion.

And don't think experience is the best teacher either. I know better...but I still break bolts all the time...then I drill...then I easy out...then I break the easy out....
 
kevin s said:
I know better...but I still break bolts all the time...then I drill...then I easy out...then I break the easy out....
Click to expand...

Hmmm..... quite the technique you have there.:D
 
Combatcm said:
Those portable impact wrenches are really neat though. I'm just weary of all the jittering they do, I would think their gearboxes break after a while from all the abuse, but I dont know much about nice tools.
Click to expand...
the snap on ones are awesome last for years
 
I got a 10lb. C02 tank from my local airgas for $80 filled and purchased the 140psi regulator from tellico4x4.com and use that set-up for fill ups and tire chages. It runs my husky pro impact wrench with no problems and it is pushin 600lb/ft of tourqe. If your running air tools though I found that the typical yellow nylon air line doesn't flow enough CFM to push air tools so I just use a 20' length of 3/8" ID air line and it handles anything I can throw at it.

Like Jeep/Bronco said, buy a good impact wrench and it will last for years, besides all the banging and clacking is what their designed to do.
 
WVUwheeler said:
If you drive a XJ and you dont loosen you axel nuts at least once a week you arent driving it hard enough.
Click to expand...

Have no idea where you came up with that. I've been around XJ's for many, many years with a lot of extreme use with no axle nuts loosening on any rigs.

I assume you don't mean to loosen them yourself once a week..........
 
Goatman said:
Have no idea where you came up with that. I've been around XJ's for many, many years with a lot of extreme use with no axle nuts loosening on any rigs.

I assume you don't mean to loosen them yourself once a week..........
Click to expand...

i have had my axels in and out alot in the past two months. Been alot of problems in the front end.
 
Goatman said:
Have no idea where you came up with that. I've been around XJ's for many, many years with a lot of extreme use with no axle nuts loosening on any rigs.

I assume you don't mean to loosen them yourself once a week..........
Click to expand...
Hey Goatman and others

Thats funny one..
It made me laugh for no reason!!


Ron - :05of5:
 
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