Ok so after joining the forum as a subscriber and getting my Halfords discount card I'm thinking of investing in an air compressor. I'm thinking easy to do my own tyre changes if I buy the abba wheel balancer and bread breaker to assist. But what other uses are there? Is biking drying an option ? Any other suggestions?
Applying ACF50 Cleaning just about anything Bleeding clutches and brakes on the car Blowing up the car tyres Using all sorts of air tools (if you get a compressor with enough pressure) Spray painting (not bodywork - I'm not up to that, but built a steel bench for the garage and sprayed that Used to use mine for drying until I bought a proper hot air dryer. No comparison.
I have two compressors, one is a 3HP 50 litre belt drive unit that has a cast iron bore that i have had for my 20th birthday, i am 50 now so that has given me years of service. It is mainly used for tyre inflation of my fleet of household cars, given up using my air wrench and other tools now as modern battery versions are far more convenient and as if not more powerful. It is quite loud but really i don’t need that much air all the time. My other compressor is a Bambi super quiet 30 litre unit that i use when i am in the garage late at night machining on my Lathe, it’s super quiet and is perfect for my needs as i don’t require a lot of air. So you have to ask yourself what you want it for.
Same here two compressors, one large to handle all the big jobs, although I use it a lot for spraying up to and including cars. A small one for quick jobs and for portable tyre inflation or where just a small amount of air is needed to run a tool like an airbrush or a small air screwdriver. Buy a decent one and they will last for years, I got my big compressor in 1984 and it's still going strong. I have overhauled it twice in that time but regular care sees it still running smoothly. Probably the best investment I ever made. I got my money back years ago when I used it to spray a lot of race bikes for some cash to help my own racing efforts at the time.
Normally the largest domestic compressor is 3hp if you use single phase electricity. Mine is a 3hp two cylinder two-stage model from Clarke and was the biggest model at the time that would run on single phase power. There are some 3hp models that are not as powerful so check what the free air delivery rate is (FAD) Mine is around 8 cubic feet per minute (possibly more when new). This is the maximum air that the compressor can produce whilst running continuously and not storing air in the tank. Use this figure to compare to any air tools you want to consider purchasing to make sure that the compressor can run them efficiently and correctly.
A compressor with a 13 amp plug will do a few jobs, but the above is true. You need to make sure your electrical supply is adequate as some machines do need a higher amperage supply. I run a impact gun 1/2" drive from a little cheap compressor, I also pump up tyres with it... I had a bigger compressor for painting, constant air use, and tank volume is also a consideration. I have die grinders and air drills but never use them. If you've got the money and live in a noise sensitive area Hydrovane use to make a machine Hydrovane 5. That is much more quiet than modern recips, but it's a much more complex bit of kit. They don't often go wrong though. It's not hard to fit a service kit, but harder to sort bigger issues. I might buy one.. for where I live. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hydrovane-5-single-phase-Compressor-/272862948319
You need a bleeder that runs on compressed air. A fluid chamber screws on top of the reservoir and is connected to the bleed nipple via an air-locked tank with a one-way valve which is coupled to the compressor. You switch on the compressor and fill the air tank then open the bleed nipple and a continuous stream of fluid is forced through the system. The fluid that's contaminated with bubbles is collected in the bottom of the tank and replaced with fresh clean fluid. There is no need to pump or to keep opening and closing the bleed nipple. You pressure it up, the "dirty" fluid will surge through the tubes and when it runs clean you close the nipple and switch off and its job done. It takes seconds. The one I've got is a much larger version of the little Gunson pneumatic bleed kits which you can buy from Halfords that run on pressure from the tyre. The big ones are more efficient, with a lot more pressure and can handle much bigger hydraulic systems. They're also a lot more expensive and they're too big to be used on motorcycles. They need a surprising amount of air too. My 50 L Clarke compressor only just keeps up with demand. They have continuous supply demands similar to that of air tools. I bought mine because I used to have a Landrover Discovery which are notorious for getting through clutch slaves and master cylinders. Trying to bleed them by traditional pedal pumping, especially on your own, is just hopeless so I bought one of these.
Sounds really good. So what size or model do you recommend for bikes. I'm not going to use it on cars.
Ive used mine to ... inflate tyres Blow standing water from bikes spray acf50 Sprayed fence panels with the parrafin gun Sprayed the walls in the garage clean carb jets Remove handlebar grips So far its been well worth the money
I've got one of these: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-tiger-11510-2-5hp-50-litre-air-compres/ It does everything I need for bike use. Just about runs the bleeder and tools but if I was spraying body panels I'd have got something bigger. The Clarke stuff is OK for a hobby brand. I've had it a few years now and mechanically its fine. My only criticism is the gauges and valve gear are cheap and flimsy. You can always fit better ones but a second hand professional compressor will be much more robust.
Sorry, I guess you meant which hydraulic bleeder. I don't use one on bikes. The volumes involved are so small and the lines short enough to do it the old-fashioned way. One thing I've noticed with my KTMs - don't know if its the same with Ducatis - is that you can't reverse-bleed KTM clutch slaves, or not without massive pressure. I tried to do it on my Superduke and it won't have it. The dealers hate bleeding them as well. But I fitted an Oberon slave to my SMT after the original leaked, as most of them do, and when I had to bleed the clutch after fitting new piston seals in the master cylinder I found it reverse bled really easily. If your slave will allow it, reverse bleeding the air upwards from the nipple into the reservoir is far easily and cleaner than traditional pump 'n' shut.
I can reverse bleed ducati slaves with my vacuum pump. Although tbh it can be quicker the old fashioned way sometimes. The temptation is to create too much vacuum and it pulls air in from thread on nipple unless you put a lump of grease around it. For clutch slaves I generally don't use the pump.
Aldi have a 50 litre 2.5 hp version for sale at minute Not high end or high spec but suitable for most home uses
Machine mart touch up gun (TG2), perfect for fine spraying warmed up ACF50 into a mist. Uses for compressor; painting, blowing crap out of garage, inflating tires, blowing down washed bike, fanning a wood fire, removing bizarre odours from confined places...you can also get a full set of air-tools!!
If I want it for inflating tyres back on to a rim what size would I need. I know you need to inflate them rapidly so they pop onto to the rim and seal.
