VIAIR OBA kit install, 98 4Runner

[Seanz0rz]

I received the VIAIR 10005 for Christmas. This includes a 2.5 gallon tank and a 2.54CFM, 33% duty cycle compressor, plus all the stuff you need for a standard install. After fighting with a failing MV50 type compressor, it was time for an upgrade.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9O79I/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Needless to say, installing anything in our vehicles is never standard. I think if you had tons of room to mount everything in optimal conditions, it would be extremely straight forward.

Because of the limited space in our vehicles, it is more difficult to get this kit to fit, and required a few extra parts.

The tank:

I chose to mount the tank under the rear cargo floor, in roughly the space that would otherwise be occupied by the spare tire.

First, the setup of the tank, which included a couple of right angle pieces to clear tight spots against the body and frame.

Top of tank:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/11615583815_ab815ee2ac_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11615583815/)

This will eventually connect to a hose coming from the compressor (installed before tank was bolted up, but not pictured).

Driver side of tank:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/11615586195_613f77cf00_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11615586195/)

On the left is the pressure switch, the right, a compression fitting for the supplied air line.

On the passenger side is the safety release valve and another compression fitting.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/11615590185_21ca37f2e2_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11615590185/)

On the bottom is the drain cock, complete with antiseize on the thread (I have replaced too many of these things in the past):
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/11616334436_636901213c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11616334436/)

Completed tank:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/11615805893_cbdda36051_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11615805893/)

Installing it was a nightmare. I had to do some yoga and black magic to get the nuts on the bolts. Needless to say, no pictures!

Installed tank:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7410/11638873353_fe2daf9d79_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11638873353/)

The bolts go through the floor and stick up a little bit. They will get covered with tape, the factory rubber pad, recycled pad, and carpet, and shouldn't really be noticeable.

The plumbing:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2820/11638616895_cb74d26714_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11638616895/)

Yellow is from the compressor, and was purchased separately. It is 10 feet long, but 3 would have been enough. Extra will get coiled up in the quarter panel. Red wire is from the tank relay, green wire is for the relay trigger (switched, more on that in the next post). Black is an air line that will feed the gauge (again, more on that next post).

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5546/11639376116_6312e3746e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11639376116/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2848/11638605015_841bb700c4_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11638605015/)

Lines and wires from inside the quarter panel:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/11638845093_1c42d20cae_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11638845093/)

[Seanz0rz]

The compressor install and everything else:

Here is where the bolts ended up on the floor:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/11659259974_5d512f1e75_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11659259974/)

They don't seem to interfere with the carpet at all.

Compressor gets some .75" spacers on the outboard side to sit "level" on the wheel well:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/11658916365_08cb99c084_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11658916365/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/11659158483_0643cfcbf0_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11659158483/)

Also note the foil and bubble insulation on the quarter panel to keep the heat off of the paint and hopefully deaden some sound. It was something I had lying around.

Everything ready to get the interior panel reinstalled:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7353/11659151533_f9f8f8a330_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11659151533/)

Big red is a 5AWG line from the battery left over from my former stereo amps. Smaller red goes to the relay on the tank.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/11658896625_2469952de1_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11658896625/)

All of the electrical connectors that are below the truck got a good dose of dielectric grease. I have had a couple of connections recently that suddenly became less than 100%.

From the tank access port, the line runs along the brake line to the tank.

I also spent some time working on the panel for the switch, gauge, and air intake, but that is for tomorrow.

[Seanz0rz]

Finishing touches:

Everything fits pretty well in the quarter panel:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/11677475683_7b206a428d_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11677475683/)

What's even better is using the door for the gauge, air intake, and on/off switch:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/11677216655_4e64b1747c_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11677216655/)

It looks darn clean, and the air intake acts as a guard on the air compressor switch (blurry pic, too tired to get another):
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/11677587354_e4d124c0d3_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98550067@N07/11677587354/)

So it works. I found a leak at the top fitting on the tank, spent most of the day fixing that. More than a few of my fingers are bleeding, I've hit my head more times than I can count (probably because I hit my head so many times), and my back is plenty sore from doing palates (or however you spell contortional pain) under the truck.

Couple of notes:
The kit is very complete in some areas, and not at all in others. For example, it comes with the little clamps and screws for the air lines, but not the appropriate number of male electrical terminals.

The air lines could be a bit softer. The hard nylon makes it very difficult to run and mount when it wants to curl up on itself.

I still have a very small leak somewhere. It charges up to 150 and stops, then drops down to 145psi pretty quick. I am leaving it over night to see if this is just hose swell, or if there is a leak somewhere.

Installing things where I did was a nightmare. I'd say 80% of my time was spent jamming my hand in some tight crevice trying to get a bolt or nut tight. When I do my rear frame work this spring/summer, I will probably build a different mount for the tank that makes the fitting more accessible. I am not happy with it being so inaccessible, especially in the event of a leaky fitting or hose.

I mounted the quick connect under the rear hatch, a pic will be posted sometime later in this thread.

[4x4mike]

Cool. I love compressed air.

I know what you mean about finding places for things under a 3rd gen. All I had room for with my system is the little 0.5 gallon Viair tank. It's good and tucked in there but I wish I had a little more capacity but I make do with higher RPM and 100% duty cycle.

I'm kind of surprised you didn't build a bar or platform to mount the tank and the components to. There isn't much of anything flat under there but it looks like you came up with a solution.

Is the yellow hose rubber? I've had a couple things on my system that have needed replacing. The biggest issue has been with Goodyear rubber hose. From my manifold I've got a coupler under the front bumper and under the rear bumper. In between all of that I've got two mini filters, the tank and some brass. The hose degrades and splits without a lot of use. As it goes I replace with the PVC/vinyl stuff as it seems to hold up. Ideally I'd have a shut off here and there to isolate the system if I get a leak. Leaving Pismo this year it took twice as long to air up because I had a hose with a hole in it. A hole that wasn't there when I got to the beach. If it were any bigger I would have had to cut the hose and put in a barbed slice piece.

Where is the compressor going to live?

[Seanz0rz]

Disappointed to hear about the good year rubber hose. We have some in the garage that is 20 years old and still holds 150psi. I think I will go back and wrap the hose so maybe it will live longer.

All my fab stuff is packed away, so anything requiring more than a knife or drill would mean unpacking boxes and looking for stuff for hours.

Compressor goes in the quarter panel today (I slept in) and I hope to finish it all today. 6 hours left.

[4x4mike]

Mine was the basic black stuff. I don't know if the yellow is different. A lot of people don't like the PVC stuff especially in the cold but it's very tough, just not supple. I run it through my attic from my compressor to my reel that's on the ceiling (the reel hose has cracks too but I haven't replaced it). I know it gets crazy hot in the summer and pretty cold in the winter up there. There just isn't any sunlight.

The 4Runner sees light as well as heat and cold. If I had to say the Goodyear failures were on bends. I use elbows so the bends aren't severe by any means but the straight sections seem fine.

When I was putting parts together for the York in the 4Runner I considered Goodyear insta-grip but it was too cost prohibitive. On my old truck my York system had a few compression air brake fittings as well as hose and those were nice. I figured the insta-grip was the next best thing.

Kilby is way over priced but has some nice components: http://www.onboardair.com/fittings.htm

[4x4mike]

Another thing to watch is the pressure switch and the fittings that hold it to the tank. The length and height of your switch/relay may fatigue the fittings with all the vibration you see offroad.

I run one of these but mostly for space savings and the fact it's sealed: http://www.viaircorp.com/sealedpswitches.html

This is the non sealed version. I bought it and after using it decided I wanted a different cut off pressure so I got the sealed type.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-22nOcORvI24/UbdKHf2uLHI/AAAAAAAA57s/kNjSSXRjy60/s800/DSC06338.jpg

[Seanz0rz]

Thanks for the tips! I figured the pressure relay won't last forever. I like that style of switch better, and might upgrade in the future.

The kit was very complete, except for stuff for our unique installation problems. I think a couple of extra connectors and such would make this ALOT better.

For the price I got it for, it was well worth it. The compressor and tank, plus some of the fittings, purchased a la carte would cost the same. Basically, you get a bunch of stuff for free.

I do have a question about mounting the female quick disconnects. What did you use? I was going to use a hose clamp to attach it to the body somewhere.

[4x4mike]

For both hoses I use a conduit bracket.
http://www.garvinindustries.com/images/itemimages/THS-25.jpg

I forget which size but I bend it around where I can stick on bolt through both holes and then mount that to something. On the front I've got the outlet, a rock light and my factory fog mounted to a spot the factory bumper used. It's all compact and out of the elements.

Here is a picture when I first installed everything. Cheap HF hose, factory skid plate and bumper. It's not in this location anymore but when it was it was tucked up behind the factory bumper. I have little caps I put on the coupler to keep dirt out.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-t2nvWKr3OVI/UbdKKik0UQI/AAAAAAAA59A/4es1OA4yAH4/s400/DSC06361.jpg


The rear is mounted on the rear bumper. There are a few factory holes on the underside lip. I put the both through one of those and the hose/coupler ends up behind the bumper out of sight but still accessible. Since you have a plate bumper on the back with flat surfaces I'd spring for a bulkhead fitting pointing up.

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/tacoma/compressed_air/bumper_air_chuck.JPG

[Seanz0rz]

I was thinking of one of these:

http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/499077362/Rubber_Hose_Clamp.jpg_220x220.jpg

[4x4mike]

Yep. On the picture I posted above the clamp is wrapped around the female to female bushing that connects the coupler to the hose. I liked it because it wasn't clamping on the crimped end nor the coupler itself.

[Seanz0rz]

I will update the above later.

I am almost finished, probably another half day. Wiring is done except for one ground wire (needed a screw) and a fuse (have, just not installed). Plumbing is complete except for the outlet, which will go on first thing tomorrow. I found I needed another right angle from the tank.

Getting nickle and dime'd on the fittings and such.

[slomatt]

I agree with Mike about having problems with rubber hoses under the truck. I ran a rubber hose for a couple years, and this summer outside of Bodie ghost town I went to air up the truck and heard a huge air leak when I turned the compressor on. It turns out the rubber hose degraded to the point where the inner lining split and I had a huge hole. To be fair the hose lasted about 3-4 years, but it is now all failing. I swapped over to bright orange poly hose from home depot.

I like Mike's idea of using hose clamps to support the fittings. I ended up using some Delrin plates which was probably overkill. Now my problem is that my MV50 compressor is getting weak and I have leaks from my cheapo Harbor Freight air fittings. I will probably re-build the MV50 and upgrade the fittings, or I might pick Mike's brain and hook up the York compressor I have sitting around.

http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/albums/t4r_oba/IMG_5696.jpg

http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/albums/t4r_oba/IMG_5703.jpg

More pictures at: http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/t4r_oba

- Matt

[Seanz0rz]

Matt, re the York, I have the bracket mike gave me, and won't be using it. It's yours for shipping or when we finally run into eachother. Pismo maybe?

[4x4mike]

I agree with Mike about having problems with rubber hoses under the truck. I ran a rubber hose for a couple years, and this summer outside of Bodie ghost town I went to air up the truck and heard a huge air leak when I turned the compressor on. It turns out the rubber hose degraded to the point where the inner lining split and I had a huge hole. To be fair the hose lasted about 3-4 years, but it is now all failing. I swapped over to bright orange poly hose from home depot.

I like Mike's idea of using hose clamps to support the fittings. I ended up using some Delrin plates which was probably overkill. Now my problem is that my MV50 compressor is getting weak and I have leaks from my cheapo Harbor Freight air fittings. I will probably re-build the MV50 and upgrade the fittings, or I might pick Mike's brain and hook up the York compressor I have sitting around.

- Matt

My OBA is something I check before each trip and this years Pismo was no exception. After a couple days in the dunes I had a leak. In my little OBA bag I carry a couple of the double ended barb repair brass pieces with some hose clamps but the hole, just like Matt described, was at a bend where the barbed piece wouldn't really work. Hence the desire for a valve to isolate front and back (ie, bypass a large length of hose).

Matt, now that you don't live in hills that like to catch on fire you need a molten metal maker. The project would be a simple one for you and you'd enjoy it.

I think next year at Pismo everyone should have OBA, we can build some of these and have wars in the dunes.
Video
http://youtu.be/r_8wRpgvhyg



.

[Seanz0rz]

Oh man... I can only see that ending badly!

[Seanz0rz]

Last update over on the first page.

Happy it's "done". I am leaving my interior disassembled so I can finish up some wiring through the roof, hopefully I can get that done by the weekend. I need a weatherpac crimper from a friend.

[4x4mike]

In reading the first page update I wonder if air is leaking out of the compressor. On home compressors this is usually handled by an unloader. On home brew systems you need a one way valve.

On the picture of my pressure switch you can see my one way valve, it's got the arrow on it. There is a spring loaded plastic disc in there so it has to be downstream from high heat like the compressor.

I'd spray all your hoses and fittings with soapy water and check for bubbles. Even spray the coupler where the hose plugs in. Also email Viair and ask about a one way valve.

[stormtaco]

looks good

[Seanz0rz]

Compressor braided hose has a one way valve at the end where it connects to my yellow hose. That joint is the only one I can't see or test with soapy water. I'll see if it bleads down over night. Even the previous leak was 140 to 135 psi over 13 minutes. This is much slower, like 5psi over 30 or more minutes.

[Good Times]

looks good there Sean! Matt I love your quick disconnect setup! hmmm gives me some ideas too! :)

[Seanz0rz]

Just went out and checked, it has dropped ~10 psi over about 20 hours. For now, that is acceptable for me.