On-Board and Air Locker Solutions

I have spent the last week or so re-evaluating the on-board air system on Project X. This occured during a road trip to Tallahassee when I needed to put a little air in a tire. I fired up the compressor and quickly discovered it wouldn't build beyond 110 psi.

It turned out the problem was the filter that I used. Most filters use a plastic tank and after about a year or so, the heat gets to them and they get brittle and break. Finding a filter with a metal tank at a reasonable price is tough around here. To solve the problem, I visited gaugestore.com and ordered a Bellofram model 50 regulator/filter. It uses an aluminum housing that is not susceptible to the heat in the engine compartment. If you plan on installing an on-board air system that requires a regulator and/or filter, make sure you give thought to the heat.

The second problem I resolved with the help of Toyman. He had told me during an air locker discussion that the installer for his lockers threaded some tubing and made 90 degree bends to allow him to install a hose to route the blow-off from air locker release away from the engine compartment. He wasn't sure what they used, all he knew was that they had it in the shop.

Using logic, I thought, what would any shop have just laying around? Well it's brakeline folks. You take a length of brakeline, bend it to the correct angle (make sure you do this before you thread it), and then use a 5mm .8 thread pitch tap and tap it out. You then thread it into the air solenoid and attach the hoses and route them where you want them to go for release. As soon as I finish the air section of my project I will post photos of the setup. I don't know if any of you can use this info, but here it is just in case.