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Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions

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Truck

12-15-1998 13:47:12

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Ive seen this here before, but still have a Question. HOW did the old timers who converted Model A motors, etc., to compressors, do it? I realize several companies still do this now(Lindsays chrysler 318 unit comes to mind...)
but they usually have much better equipped shops than we tractor fixers... Do they use a special Camshaft? Did they do something special with Valving? Ive thought of using real light springs on the intake valves...and trapping the exhaust in a special manifold...but the cam would be allowing one wasted stroke up and down.... Any Ideas? Anybody ever do this with success? I got a great sandblaster, but Im tired of renting a Compressor when I gotta do serious Blasting. And I do happen to have some extra Ford V8 engines just lying around....

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Paul

01-12-1999 18:56:15

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

If you all ready own a good V8 engine the cost to build a compressor will be very little.It can be built for a couple of hundred dollars.Biggest cost would be the check valves and air tank with a bleeder and safety pop off valve.They have to be large enough to flow the cubic feet of air volume the compressor will put out.

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Mike Dane

01-03-1999 08:11:11

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

I have done one. There is a kit available from a company called Volksair that uses a aircooled vw engine to make a compressor. The current design has a special camshaft to allow 2 cyls to make power and two cylinders to make air. This is a nice lightweight unit. I had mine with the optional automatic start kit installed and it made 40 cfm @ 100 psi. In retrospect I think the whole idea of making your own compressor is good if you have a lot of time and most of the required parts at hand, not to mention the ability and shop equipment necessary to make a completely reliable unit. I think it would be cheaper and better to find a nice Atlas-Copco 120 which is a 2 cyl aircooled diesel model that can be found used in good working condition in the $3k range. My homemade unit took about 100 hours to COMPLETE and about $1000. I had a lot of the necessary parts at hand and it worked very well for several years until I sold it. The current owner is still using it today. Good luck with yours: Mike Dane

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Paul

12-25-1998 15:50:25

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

Just remember to make sure that that you have some way to retain the lifters in the bores where the pushrods were taken out.They could be JB Welded just above the cam's hi lobe position.Just remember that if you make a retainer to hold the lifters in place the cam lobe is going to push the lifters up.And if you plug the lifter bore,it must still allow oil to travel from one bore to the next through the hole holes connecting them.If you just pull the pushrods,the cam can throw one of them out of their bore and loose oil pressure.Even if they don't get throwed out,which is kinda unlikely,they can get up high enough to uncover the oil passage hole and loose oil pressure.

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Wild Bill

12-20-1998 20:26:04

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

Some more thoughts. Take the pushrods and rocker arms out of the intake side but leave the valves and springs, this should seal up the fuel side. Now remove the pushrods, rockers, valves and springs from the exaust side. Seal up the exhaust valve stem holes in the head , tap them ( from the rocker arm side ) and run a bolt in them. Now you have 4 sparkplug holes and 4 open exauest ports. You can make a steel plate to cover the exaust ports with 4 check valves in it, along with 4 check valves in the plug holes or use a header or stock exhaust manifold with a (big) check valve in the exhaust pipe end. You can make the air go either way, suck it in the plug holes and blow it out the exaust or visa-versa, depending on your check valves, should pump air with every stroke. I've never tried anything like this, just my 2 cents worth. Good luck and let us know what happens.

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Paul

12-20-1998 07:22:41

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

I built a couple of the compressors from car engines.On one of them I simply drilled out the guts of 4 spark plugs and brazed pipe to them so I could hook the inline check valves to them.Copper tubing then ran to a manifold I made.From there it ran to a tank.You need a valve in between the manifold and tank so you can shut it off when you kill the engine to keep the air from bleeding back through the check valves.It would be better if the holes and piping were larger because they get very hot from friction,but they supply plenty of air at about 120 psi.The intake manifold on the engine has to be reworked to keep gasoline out of the air going to the tank.I epoxied a divider plate in the plenum under the carburetor made from 3/8" steel.The top of it must be level with the carb gasket surface so a gasket will seal it.I then made another adapter that would bolt in place of the carb.On one side I mounted a one barreled carb from a six cylinder engine and on the other side is the air intake for the compressor side.It has an air filter on it.It runs on 4 cylinders and pumps on 4 cylindersThe smaller carb made it run better than the big V8 carb.I made another one some years ago from a diesel Oldsmobile engine.It was a converted gas engine that Olds used to use.Had the diesel setup on one side and the gas setup on the engine side.It took more time to hook everything up and pumped more air at higher compression but was overkill.The other one pumped plenty of air.

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Jerry A.

12-19-1998 13:07:12

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

Couldn't you just leave out the push rods on an engine(if using the entire engine as a compressor) and put in a one-way valve at the spark plug hole. If you used very weak valve springs, both valves would act as one-way inlet valves with the compressed air leaving the spark plug hole and you would get compression on each revolution. It would take some power to drive an entire engine as a compressor!!! I'm tempted to try it some day to supply air to my bead blasting cabinet.

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doug

12-17-1998 12:46:49

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

i have seen 2 conversions in farmshow magazine
www.farmshow.com
used check vavles in spark plugs for exhaust.
ran whole sheebang on p.t.o. of tractor.
i was thinking of using a detroit 2-stroke
(4-71 maybe) and retiming the cam (it just opens
the exhaust, intake is a port)
no check valves needed.

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john d.

12-17-1998 12:06:02

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

I haven't tried this, but I think it would work: Block the FUEL, but NOT THE AIR from entering one bank of a V8. (This would be easier on a fuel-injected engine!) Install check valves in the spark plug ports to allow compressed air to escape to the tank at the top of the compression stroke, but not return. These would have to be installed close to the port to maintain the highest possible pressure. It might take a little looking to find valves with the proper threads, or adapters might have to be machined. Increasing the idle speed a little bit should allow the V8 to run on one bank of cylinders. Each cylinder will only compress air on every second revolution, but that's the rate at which the other bank will be producing power anyway. An engine in good condition should be able to produce pretty good volume at close to 100 psi.

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DieselDan

12-17-1998 11:00:30

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

To convert engine, recommend doing away with conventional valve train. Use poppet type valves like a real compressor does and the engine will pump on every stroke. Engine, if diesel, will not pose any problems using existing intake manifold. A gas burner will have to be reconfigured.
Regards,
Diesel Dan (the pump man )

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TRUCK LOTS of GOOD IDEAS THANKS!and now , more questions....

12-17-1998 14:03:24

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Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to DieselDan, 12-17-1998 11:00:30

Man now you guys have me thinking....Maybe connect one of my V8 motors to one of the Pinto motors I have, (DONT ASK!) and use the 4 cyl as a pump. Wonder- should I still run coolant in the Pinto, thinking yes. Replace head with flat steel plate, install valving there. No cam, usually in head of 2.3... Use pipe to go to tank, check valve similar to what is in my shop compressor.... also pipe to intake check valves.. probably would need one check valve per cylinder, right? Any ideas on the sources for poppet valves... ? I'm not too familiar with diesel stuff so wont do diesel unit... Maybe after I get my D4 working I'll be real familiar with diesel.....Man you guys got my thinker doing overtime now!

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MikeH(Tx)

12-17-1998 06:29:25

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Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to Truck, 12-15-1998 13:47:12

I can't answer your question from experience, but I did read an article (on YT, I think) about the Schramm tractor that used some of its 4 cylinders for a compressor. Seems
you could pick how many were used for the tractor and how many were left for the compressor. In that case, the extra cycles from a 4 cycle engine were indeed wasted. Must
have had valving on intake and exhaust to keep gasoline out of the compressor cylinders.

Hey, one thought. If you want to make the Mother of all compressors, you could hook up two of those V8s, one driving the other. That way, you wouldn't have to redo any
of the manifold plumbing, either intake or exhaust for the compressor. One engine runs on gas, the other moves air. Wow, would it move air!

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F14

12-18-1998 03:03:14

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Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to MikeH(Tx), 12-17-1998 06:29:25

If you stay with the origianl valves, how much effect would cam overlap have on efficiency? It is my understanding that all gas engines have a period of time when both exhaust and intake valves are open. Just a thought.

Also I would DEFINITELY keep the cooling system on the compressor side intact. Just my little 4.5 CFM machine puts out a lot of heat, 100 or 200 cfm would get awful hot, I should think.

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big fred

12-17-1998 07:48:04

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Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to MikeH(Tx), 12-17-1998 06:29:25

Ouch! Better at least come up with a different (high pressure) exhaust manifold. You could also replace the timing chain with a 1:1 ratio and eliminate the wasted strokes. Probably find it takes a big V-8 to run a small 4 cylinder compressor.

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MikeH(Tx)

12-17-1998 08:57:44

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Re: Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to big fred, 12-17-1998 07:48:04

Bet you are right. I got to thinking some more after posting and don't think it would work on a standard engine anyway. Isn't compression typically around 100psi? Doesn't sound hi enough when you need about 100psi with 5-10 cfm at the same time. Neat thought though..

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A Olmedo

04-02-2004 16:18:32

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Co in reply to MikeH(Tx), 12-17-1998 08:57:44

Dear sires:

I am looking for that company. Please, if you can tell
me how I can make a contact with them.

The company is:

Volks-Air is a quality product of DUNN-RIGHT INCORPORATED Anderson, SC U.S.A.

Thansk a lot

A Olmedo

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John

12-17-1998 12:54:00

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Automotive engine to Compressor Conversions in reply to MikeH(Tx), 12-17-1998 08:57:44

350 Cubic Inch engine/1728 = 0.2 cubic feet per revolution
0.2 * 1000 rpm = 200 CFM
sounds like plenty to me
at 1/2 that with regular cam & gears = 100 CFM
1/2 the engine (4 cylinders) would produce 50 CFM at an idle (1000 rpm). Don't rev it up!!

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