air con pump as an air compressor

[ped]

for the last 15-16yrs i've run an aircom pump as a compressor on the 200tdi engine i had fitted and use it to not only blow up big tyres but use as a blower for blowing out saws and light air tool use -i did have 2 25lt air tanks as reservoirs
i've now bought a 300 and had an aircon pump fitted but it's not the same make and doesn't seem to have the drain plug as the sanden i've used with good effect so i can't fit a grease nipple instead of the plug(i've always filled it with high temp grease and it has stood the test of time)
i have seen that people are fitting inline oilers to the intake but that then requires an oil trap on the tank outlet and keeping an eye on the oil level so i don't really want to go down that route
have others gone down the engine mounted compressor route or is everyone focussed on using the electric compressors
 

[Les Brock]

I used the  same, there are loads on You Tube on how to strip down the AC compressor, block a internal port and then grease the rear of the  pump and re assemble,  so you dont need to run  an oiler and no oil get into your airline

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Les Brock

[ped]

that was my next port of call you tube  but good to see someone else just greases them

 

[muddy]

I used a tee in the rocker breather hose so it pulled the oily air out the engine, worked fine for me.

 

[Peaklander]

Matt Savage 4x4 is half way between here and Paddocks and he is a Viair outlet. Just when I had arrived at the decision to fit a Viair 400C on my inner wing, with a smallish tank, having discounted the aircon pump idea, this thread pops up!

@ped can you give me more info on the 300TDi solution - which compressor are you using and what bracket etc.? 

[ped]

as i work it out i'lllet you know

11 hours ago, muddy said:

I used a tee in the rocker breather hose so it pulled the oily air out the engine, worked fine for me.

 

that is a good idea but still needs the oil filter but then that's a small price to pay

[muddy]

The filter for taking the oil out the air? I must admit I never bothered, the air coming out a workshop compressor isn’t exactly Sarahan dry and I wasn’t using it for spray painting ( tried it once but it didn’t like it at all got far too hot. )

[nickwilliams]

Over the last ten years or so, I've managed to destroy five of the standard Denso 300TDi arcon pumps by using them for this. I've tried lubricating them with grease, PAG and mineral oil and both by having a facility to squirt oil direct into the inlet end of the pump and by having a mister dosing oil into the inlet -coming air stream. 

I have to admit that I've usually been doing a lot more than just airing up a set of tyres: multiple sets is more common, or I've been driving air tools such as a nail gun for fencing or using it for blowing optical fibre down a duct. On every occasion, sooner or later the pump overheats and seizes up (usually fairly quickly followed by a loud squealing noice and failure of the drive belt in a cloud of black smoke...).

So, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who really has managed to get this working in the long term with one of theses Denso pumps. Before I swapped the 19J engine for the 300TDI I had a Sanden compressor which worked without any issues for some years, but it needed a custom mount made to fit it to the engine. The 300 TDi has the mount ready and waiting so it seems a shame not to use it. I suppose it would not be too difficult to make a thermal cut out which would disengage the clutch when the pump reaches a pre-set temperature, but my favoured solution is to use the air compressor off a Merlin. 

[ped]

my sanden has given years of service as well
i'm thinking i may try removing the v pulley on it and fit a serpentine pulley
i made the mount for my 200tdi and bolted an extra pulley onto the water punp pulley to drive it