Harbor Freight 12v Air Compressor Mods?
- Thread starter kai38
- Start date
ExploringNH
Explorer
I don't know about that particular compressor, but for the MV50, most people drill and tap to 1/4" NPT. I would assume yours is the same. For more MV50 info on performance improvements that probably apply to the HF compressor as well: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/131953-bfads-superflow-mv-50-air-compressor-build.html
The steps will obviously be different but I would expect that yours would benefit from the same mods, if you wanted to get that far into it.
The steps will obviously be different but I would expect that yours would benefit from the same mods, if you wanted to get that far into it.
kai38
Explorer
Good idea, I'll look into that in the morning.
Just went through all this myself.
The head itself will spin around, but the valve plate inside the head must stay oriented the same direction, as it has a recess in it to allow room for the screw head that holds the intake Reed valve to the piston.
The threads on the tube seem to be 1/8" NPS, so you can go in with a 1/8" NPT tap to alter the thread sufficiently to thread a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter into it.
The visible part of the head is a plastic cover to make it look shiny. Get rid of that to allow for better cooling.
The aluminum cooling fins around the cylinder are just decoration, with a lot of dead air space between that and the cylinder. Get rid of that too.
Find some proper o-rings to replace the junk head gaskets with.
The stock Reed valves are junk. If you can find or make some better ones, you won't regret it. The output Reed just sits over 2 little die cast "posts" that are peened down to hold it in place. I ripped that piece of junk off, and tapped a 6-32 threaded hole to hold the new reed valve in place. .Use a blind hole or cut the screw so it doesn't protrude into the cylinder space, as the piston will contact it if it sticks out more than about 1/64" The valve on the piston uses a screw.
While you have it all apart, clean everything real good with a mild degreaser and give it a light coat of oil. I used tri-flow. The manual recommends periodic oiling of the bearings and such, since they use shielded bearings instead of sealed bearings.
I removed the base plate and mounted mine on a 5 gallon tank, with a small coil of 1/4" copper tube and flare fittings instead of the rubber hose. This helps cool the air a LOT before it enters the tank. The rubber hose that comes attached seems very cheap and I do not think it would last very long. I rewired it with a 100-120 psi pressure switch and a 40 amp relay, and heavier wire. If you hook it into a tank, make sure you use a pressure relief valve for safety and a check valve so the Reed valves aren't the only thing holding back the pressure in the tank. Your tank should Also have a condensate drain at the bottom.
Harbor freight stuff is just one of those things that you should not buy if you don't like to tinker. Most of it requires modifications right off the bat to make it a truly decent product.
The head itself will spin around, but the valve plate inside the head must stay oriented the same direction, as it has a recess in it to allow room for the screw head that holds the intake Reed valve to the piston.
The threads on the tube seem to be 1/8" NPS, so you can go in with a 1/8" NPT tap to alter the thread sufficiently to thread a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter into it.
The visible part of the head is a plastic cover to make it look shiny. Get rid of that to allow for better cooling.
The aluminum cooling fins around the cylinder are just decoration, with a lot of dead air space between that and the cylinder. Get rid of that too.
Find some proper o-rings to replace the junk head gaskets with.
The stock Reed valves are junk. If you can find or make some better ones, you won't regret it. The output Reed just sits over 2 little die cast "posts" that are peened down to hold it in place. I ripped that piece of junk off, and tapped a 6-32 threaded hole to hold the new reed valve in place. .Use a blind hole or cut the screw so it doesn't protrude into the cylinder space, as the piston will contact it if it sticks out more than about 1/64" The valve on the piston uses a screw.
While you have it all apart, clean everything real good with a mild degreaser and give it a light coat of oil. I used tri-flow. The manual recommends periodic oiling of the bearings and such, since they use shielded bearings instead of sealed bearings.
I removed the base plate and mounted mine on a 5 gallon tank, with a small coil of 1/4" copper tube and flare fittings instead of the rubber hose. This helps cool the air a LOT before it enters the tank. The rubber hose that comes attached seems very cheap and I do not think it would last very long. I rewired it with a 100-120 psi pressure switch and a 40 amp relay, and heavier wire. If you hook it into a tank, make sure you use a pressure relief valve for safety and a check valve so the Reed valves aren't the only thing holding back the pressure in the tank. Your tank should Also have a condensate drain at the bottom.
Harbor freight stuff is just one of those things that you should not buy if you don't like to tinker. Most of it requires modifications right off the bat to make it a truly decent product.