Portable Air Compressor

Portable air compressor FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 9-2-10 "I mounted an old air conditioning compressor on my field pickup in order to have compressed air anywhere I need it," says Rob Dewitz, Steele, N.D. "I took the compressor off a Ford car and mounted it on the engine of my 1971 Ford pickup. I had to hunt around for the right mounting brackets and pulleys to fit the 390 cu. in. engine. Once I had it mounted, I put a 60-lb. freon tank on the fender, rather than in the engine compartment, so the hood would still close. "I attached a spin-on oil filter to filter incoming air on the in-take hose. On the pressure side, I welded a 3/8-in. pipe coupling to the air conditioning fitting because the fittings have a hard-to-find thread. I put an electric pressure switch on the pressure side and ran the wiring to a toggle switch inside the cab. The pressure switch is set to kick in the electric clutch on the pump at 90 psi and out again at 110 psi. The pump fills the 60-lb. tank in less than one minute with the engine running at a fast idle so that it'll even power air tools in the field, if necessary. The entire system, with pump and brackets from a junkyard, cost less than $50." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rob Dewitz, RR, Box 63, Steele, N.D. 58452.

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