converting auto engine to air compressor

I am thinking of converting an auto engine to an air compressor by replacing the head on a four or six cylinder ohv engine with a plate, then installing two pneumatic ball type check valves, one for air intake, the other for air exhaust (directionally mounted to accomplish this). The intake valves would be plumbed together to an air filter; the exhaust valves would feed a tank. The whole thing would be driven with an electric motor or another ic engine (or maybe I'd convert half a V-8 and run the compressor with the remaining half). Assuming appropriate controls for safety, etc., would this work?

Reply to
BFR
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It works, technically at least. Someone used to make a kit to convert half an old VW bug engine to a compressor. It's not real practical though, the displacement of the compressor ends up poorly matched to the displacement of the remaining engine. Much more practical to buy a $100 Harbor Freight compressor head and couple to a used lawnmower engine.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Would and has. I *THINK* you can even buy special heads for certain V-8s that are specifically intended for the task.

Reply to
Don Bruder

It won't work well unless you are after 100s of horsepower, in which case it will only work well with great effort. Just what are you doing, drilling oil wells?

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

I wish I lived next-door to you! I would become your best friend and get you to do stuff for me. You have WAY too much time on your hands.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Tire shops that have service trucks for repairing tires on heavy equipment have converted V8s. One of the heads has been replaced with a compressor head made to fit that engine. Pumps an awesome amount of air, which you need when filling those honkin' great tires on

250-ton mine trucks. Ball-type check valves will crater real soon if used as compressor inlet and outlet checks. The weight of the ball will pound the seat to bits. Compressor valves are made as light as possible and are usually made of manganese steel to take the wear, but not too high in manganese or they get brittle and shatter. The valves are usually discs in fluted guides, or square plates (with radiused corners) in round guides. The seats and guides need to be tough but not too hard. Reed valves would be better than ball valves any day. Valve springs need to be heavy enough that they damp the valve so it doesn't bounce and shatter, but light enough that they will move quickly and so that intake valves will open under light suction. There are dozens of compromises. Compressor valves are also designed to minimize the amount of residual airspace in the cylinder; there needs to be almost no volume between the piston head and the cylinder head and valve cavities. Any significant volume will store compressed air that doesn't leave the cylinder and that will then expand as the piston drops in the bore, and intake of new air will be less and the compressor will be inefficient. The ideal compressor would have no cylinder or valve volume at all at TDC. Dan (former compressor rebuilder)
Reply to
Dan_Thomas_nospam

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I have seen one of these in action. Can't help you with the technicalities (sp?) though.

Shawn

Reply to
Shawn

I have seem successful commercial versions of this setup using Ford Model A, Ford flathead V-8, Volkswagon Beetle, and Wisconsin V-4 engines, running on some cylinders and pumping with others. I am sure there have been a lot more, both commercial and home-brew. I once saw a Harley Davidson flathead engine converted to a two cylinder compressor driven by a large Briggs and Stratton engine. That one was used in a body shop for spray painting and would pump plenty of air for the job on one cylinder.

Proper compressor valving and head design work better, but it has been done using normal engine heads and special camshaft design to operate the poppet valves. Ball type check valves will not last long.

Don Young

Reply to
Don Young

Dan, do you have any idea where one could buy either reed or disc valves for this purpose. I once visited the Grimmer Schmidt compressor factory in Indiana where they make the half v-8 compressor (they fabricate a new head for the compressor side presumably using disc valves) but prior to posting this original message I googled for such valves and couldn't find any. Do you know where can they be bought?

Dan_Thomas snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

Reply to
BFR

Ingresol Rand (sp) had or has a compressor on a trailer using a 302 or 361 Ford V8, with a special head on one bank. Works very well. During WWII my uncle was a mechanic on trucks and tanks, the mobile shop used two Ford flathead engines, with one driving the other as an Air Compressor. I have some plans somewhere on making a Ford 390 V8 in to an air conpressor. You have to make a special head for one bank, using reed valves.

It is done and very possible. Dave Foreman

Reply to
David L. Foreman

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