Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Is this a normal setup for an air compressor?

Joe Broke It

Joe Broke It

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Part of the reason I bought this jeep is because it had an air compressor already installed.

Well, it doesn't work. Pump turns on but won't build pressure. But, this post isn't about that.

The question is, is this a normal installation for a compressor on our TJs? It takes up so much room in that already tiny cargo area.

Any other y'all have any thoughts or suggestions?

PXL_20250309_235306069.jpg
 
There's room behind the windshield washer reservoir for a smaller compressor ... But if you wanna have the tank, it's going to be hard to find a place for it other than what you've already got!
 
LaZ8787 said:
There's room behind the windshield washer reservoir for a smaller compressor ... But if you wanna have the tank, it's going to be hard to find a place for it other than what you've already got!
Click to expand...

Naturally, it didn't have a windshield washer fluid reservoir when I bought it, and me being ignorant to Jeeps I never noticed. Will that compressor work well enough just on its own, without the tank?
 
Joe Broke It said:
Naturally, it didn't have a windshield washer fluid reservoir when I bought it, and me being ignorant to Jeeps I never noticed. Will that compressor work well enough just on its own, without the tank?
Click to expand...

The moment the pump turns on, the tank is not accomplishing anything other than being a large piece of air hose. This is why air tanks on jeeps are pointless and only a way to waste space.
 
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Joe Broke It said:
Any other y'all have any thoughts or suggestions?
Click to expand...

Move the compressor under the hood (assuming it works). If the compressor doesn't have an internal pressure shutoff, you may need to add a very small tank or at least a manifold for accessories.
Most tanks aren't big enough to do much good. When used, they're usually mounted under the body.
 
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That tank will probably save you 30 seconds of run time, after which the compressor is going to be at 100% duty cycle. Not worth the loss of space.
 
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twistedlv said:
That tank will probably save you 30 seconds of run time, after which the compressor is going to be at 100% duty cycle. Not worth the loss of space.
Click to expand...

That is about 25 seconds too generous. The tank is empty the very moment the pump starts.
 
jjvw said:
The moment the pump turns on, the tank is not accomplishing anything other than being a large piece of air hose. This is why air tanks on jeeps are pointless and only a way to waste space.
Click to expand...

I run a tank on my rig, and it is not pointless at all.
 
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NashvilleTJ said:
I run a tank on my rig, and it is not pointless at all.
Click to expand...

Ditto that. The only time I run outta tank is about halfway through tire #4. Of course, this is all dependent on tire size, tank size, and pressures both starting and ending. "Individual results may vary."
 
Zorba said:
Ditto that. The only time I run outta tank is about halfway through tire #4. Of course, this is all dependent on tire size, tank size, and pressures both starting and ending. "Individual results may vary."
Click to expand...

Well, to clarity, the tank I run is a half gallon. Its sole purpose is to keep the pump from cycling each time I engage the ARB lockers. I can cycle both lockers 6 or 7 times before the pump engages. Without the small tank, the pump would cycle about every time.

Having a tank does speed up filling tires, but very little, and not as much as you would think. The issue becomes that as you begin to fill the tire, the pressure in the tank quickly drops to the pressure in the tire, and then the pump has to refill the tank and the tire concurrently to bring both to the desired pressure. This assumes that you are having to put a bunch of air in bigger tires, say airing up from 5 to 25, as most of us do. If you are just topping off a tire, than a tank could be faster. As you said, depending…

You are correct in that if you have a gigantic tank relative to the size of the tires, it could make a positive difference. But generally, running a tank big enough to make a real difference is impractical in a Jeep.
 
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NashvilleTJ said:
Well, to clarity, the tank I run is a half gallon. Its sole purpose is to keep the pump from cycling each time I engage the ARB lockers. I can cycle both lockers 6 or 7 times before the pump engages. Without the small tank, the pump would cycle about every time.

Having a tank does speed up filling tires, but very little, and not as much as you would think. The issue becomes that as you begin to fill the tire, the pressure in the tank quickly drops to the pressure in the tire, and then the pump has to refill the tank and the tire concurrently to bring both to the desired pressure. This assumes that you are having to put a bunch of air in bigger tires, say airing up from 5 to 25, as most of us do. If you are just topping off a tire, than a tank could be faster. As you said, depending…

You are correct in that if you have a gigantic tank relative to the size of the tires, it could make a positive difference. But generally, running a tank big enough to make a real difference is impractical in a Jeep.
Click to expand...

All true. I have 3 gallons total. If I turn the compressor on before I stop to air up, its OK doing a 15 to 30 pump up on 31 inch tires until I get to #4. Now if I drop to 10, and need to go 10 to 30, it would be a different story I'm sure. Although it recovers quite a bit while I'm moving from tire-to-tire, I'd bet this latter case would be good for 2 tires before tapping out. *shrug*

I've also run a small air tool off of it a time or two - a brad nailer, which worked well enough. Blown things off, etc, etc.
 
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I timed with and without tank for my setup and removed my tank shortly thereafter. The tank benefits slightly in that the compressor stays running while moving between tires. I felt it wasn’t enough benefit for the weight and complexity that it added. I’ve never been in a tire filling race either.

Post in thread 'OBA tank vs no tank: How long does it take to fill your tires?'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-it-take-to-fill-your-tires.56743/post-997700
 
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Apparition said:
I timed with and without tank for my setup and removed my tank shortly thereafter. The tank benefits slightly in that the compressor stays running while moving between tires. I felt it wasn’t enough benefit for the weight and complexity that it added. I’ve never been in a tire filling race either.

Post in thread 'OBA tank vs no tank: How long does it take to fill your tires?'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-it-take-to-fill-your-tires.56743/post-997700
Click to expand...

I thought you would weigh in, Brother.
 
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I put my single ARB pump on the abs tray like others have done before me. It’s no speed demon, but it fills my tires fast enough that I don’t plan to modify anything. YMMV

(no air needed for the Eaton e-lockers)
 
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NashvilleTJ said:
I thought you would weigh in, Brother.
Click to expand...

Easier to look at real numbers than guess. It really comes down to how you use it too, if someone spends time reconnecting sway bar links, repacking gear, installing windows, etc. in between the tire fills then their overall time of getting on the road is faster if they need to do all that stuff anyway.

The more you let the tank catch up the more benefit you see. Once depleted I didn't see any significant change in filling a tire vs it not in the system and I always had a valve to completely remove the tank from the system.

My tank removal wasn't so much based on speed of tire fill it was that I wanted to remove failure points, complexity and weight. Now I have a dedicated dual ARB that does nothing but tire filling and the ARB air locker compressor for the lockers, to me it's a much simpler system as there are no manifolds, connections (other than ARB solenoids screwed directly into the locker compressor) or fittings.
 
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