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Had an external recommendation for Quincy brand air compressors. Anyone know anything about them? Do they make a 110v model that can get close to 10CFM?

I realize things are pretty busy right now, but I'm looking at extending my occupation of the garage until I get something that can break these bolts loose.

Any help?

If the bolt was remotely accessible, I completely agree. My trouble is that the bolt is housed in a location that makes access very difficult. Even with the rear tire off, it still sits inward a good 16"-18", residing between the top of the gas tank and the underbelly of the body itself. The opposing nut is even more inaccessible. I'll try and take some pictures and upload them to give you a better idea. The FJ has been stuck in the garage for almost a month now because I only have time during the weekends to do the upgrades. This particular upgrade was obviously a bit more involved with all the front-end work, but the rear links should have been one of the easiest upgrades to do.

I certainly enjoy the process of learning something new, but my frustration level with the number of hiccups I've hit on this latest venture is starting to make me remember why I started taking my vehicle to a shop for work like this. For the amount of time, money and energy I've put into this, I could have had the entire upgrade done in a day at a local shop. I haven't given up though because in my case it often comes down to not having the correct tool for the job. With an actual air wrench that can generate 500-700 ft pounds of torque, I have a feeling this bolt will finally meet its match.

Pictures of the offending bolt

Did I mention that the bolt resides directly above the gas tank?

The electric impact wrench is a 1/2" model, as is the used air wrench I just picked up from a friend (no air to drive it with though). From what I understand, finding an air wrench that puts out 500-600CFM is not all that unusual but I haven't really looked into it yet. As far as anchoring the right-angle of the wrench, I really can't. That's part of what makes it difficult.

The same guy that sold me all the tools had an older Craftsman compressor that ran on 110 and was rated at 9CFM. But I can't find anything like that nowadays. All the 110 models seem to cap at 5.5-6CFM. With the start-up issue you mentioned, do you think I'll have any problems running a 110 compressor on the current garage circuit? I think it's powering two light bulbs, door opener, and two plug outlets (one of which has the fridge and freezer on it). I'm not even sure how to determine the current load vs the supported load to be honest. I don't want to be tripping breakers all the time though. If I have to wire in a new circuit then I might as well go with a 220 model.

A friend at work suggested that I remove the driver's side shock to get better access. I still don't know if I could get direct access but it might help. Don't know much about shocks though. Is it a simple matter of unbolting it or are they highly compressed as well?

Very interested in the specs on your compressor, cfm, tank size, model number, etc. I'd like to get something in place soon so I don't have to go another month without a vehicle.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Well after almost two weeks of research, I finally took the plunge. As much as I wanted a portable 110v unit, the CFM rating just wasn't where I wanted it to be. So I opted for a larger stationery unit instead. I was going to go with a 60 gallon Ingersoll-Rand model but I found a Craftsman model that was actually cheaper and had better features. I'm hoping that after all my research I made the right choice. Craftsman has always been a name you could trust in the past so hopefully this compressor will be no different. It should be here some time on Saturday.

So now comes yet another project... I need to run power to support this monster. I'm no electrician but I can't imagine it being all that difficult to add a breaker and wire up a 240v electrical connection. Can it? Watts = Amps x Volts, right?

So I need to find out what breaker and wire size to use. It's a 240v model but I don't know the amps or watts yet. What's an average wattage rating for a large compressor? From what I understand you're supposed to allow for a slightly larger breaker because of the surge when it starts up. I'm guessing maybe a 40A would do but I really don't know. Is 10GA wire large enough for this type of draw? Do I need a special type of wire for a project like this?

Historically, am I just confused or didn't the ratings used to be 110/220/440v? Now I see 115v or 120v and 230v or 240v everywhere. Is this something that changed since I was a kid? Are the specs based on a voltage range now?

I'm now reading up on the compressors themselves, seeing indications of even more maintenance involved. I understand the air tools require oil for lubrication but I'm getting the impression that there's more to maintaining a compressor than just that. Condensation valves, air filters, special fittings, oil filters, in-line lubricators, oh my!

Anyone have any good solid tips for keeping an oil-lubed compressor in tip-top condition? Assuming it's shipping fluid free, what's required to get it up and running (besides the power source)? Just want to make sure I don't miss anything and accidentally damage parts.

This is just a short, quick list of recommendations I found:

• Daily Maintenance: You should drain moisture from your air compressor's tanks on a daily basis. Bleed most of the air pressure from the tanks before opening the drain valves, allowing all moisture to drain from the tanks.

• Weekly Maintenance: Clean the air intake vents, and remove any obstructions. If your air compressor utilizes an air filter, clean the air filter weekly, and replace when necessary.

• Monthly Maintenance: Check the operation of the safety release valve. It should open and relieve air pressure and re-seat properly when closed with no leaks. Also check your electrical cords and hoses for any damage. Do not use your compressor if your electrical cord is damaged.

• Bi-Yearly Maintenance: Check all gauges for correct readings and all fittings for any leaks. Tighten connectors if needed.

Does anyone have anything to add to the above items?

Thanks, Dad. I copied the specs below directly from Sears' web site:

This 80 gal. vertical air compressor from Craftsman Professional features a two-stage, oil-lubricated twin-V cast iron pump for long life and durability. Setting it apart, the pump contains automotive-style pistons, rings, connecting rods and sight glass. No magnetic starter required. Supports heavy-duty, continuous multi-tool usage.

• 5.4 running hp
• 175 PSI max pressure for longer tool run-time
• 89 dAB
• 240-volt only motor with manual thermal overload protection

My research indicated that a two-stage compressor was a better buy in the long run because it allows for greater air compression. I didn't necessarily need an 80 gallon tank, but the only other size offered was a 60 gallon single stage.

So the questions never seem to end... sorry.

1. Doesn't the magnetic starter prevent current overload? Why does this particular design not require it?
2. Why would they design a compressor with a MANUAL thermal overload switch? Wouldn't automatic make more sense?
3. How do I go about securing the base of this thing? I recall they make concrete nails but I will need something much larger to secure 400+ lbs.
4. Considering I want to run this to the front of the garage (25-30 feet from breaker panel), would I need to upgrade the wire gauge or install a separate breaker switch local to the compressor itself?
5. Is copper wire preferable to aluminum?
6. When you say double pole are you referring to two breakers tied together in the panel? So for a 40 amp circuit would this be two 20 amp breakers tied together with a single collar? How does the 3-wire with a ground tie into what is effectively two breakers?

Sorry for all the dumb questions. Just trying to learn as much as I can about this stuff. I'll be doing some more reading later today to see if I can answer some of my own questions.

Okay, did a little more reading last night. Think I'm fairly clear on the single pole vs double pole breakers now. Found a really great site that has instructions for a lot of different household projects. It's HammerZone.com. They even had articles for adding a circuit breaker and adding a ball valve to your compressor which should prove handy for this project.

So I don't need to use some sort of concrete lag bolt to hold the compressor down? I realize it's over 400 lbs but it's also vertical and most likely vibrates quite a bit. But I guess a thick rubber mat should reduce the vibrations and keep it from sliding around.

Parking outside? The compressor should stand immediately inside the main door on the left-hand side of the garage (currently occupied by a stack of tires if you recall). Once installed it will be completely out of the way so no problems with parking. There IS, however, another large object that currently occupies center stage and prevents double occupancy. But I'm assuming the new compressor will allow me to finally break the bolt loose and put Humpty FJ back together again.

Okay, compressor was delivered yesterday and now resides on a small pallet in the corner of the garage. After yet another return trip to the hardware store, I managed to procure the correct breaker type and other paraphernalia. The wire runs through the garage wall into the basement and is now wired into the breaker panel. Now I need to wire up the other end.

The question is, do you normally run the wire directly to the compressor or do you install a junction box with a 240v plug and then wire a pigtail cord to the compressor itself? It's cheaper and easier to go the first route but I didn't know if there might be a reason for taking the latter route instead.

As I understand it, a small amount of oil from the compressor normally travels through the air hose and is designed to lubricate the tools you're using. But I've also seen recommendations against this approach, recommending that you install some sort of filter at the compressor end. At that point, all your air tools need to be lubricated by hand. Any recommendations for which approach works best?

Gee, thanks for the assistance, Number 19.

Another quick question on wiring... I ended up with 8/2 romex wire since there was no neutral on the compressor end. Inside the compressor switch (see pic below) I noticed it had what appeared to be a polarity setting, where the one side is positive and the other negative. I have two hots and a ground coming from the breaker. Does it make any difference which hot wire is attached to which terminal? Does the phase of the particular breaker make a difference in this regard?

Also note the use of tabs when they wired the motor to the switch. Judging from the amount of space under the line set screws, I don't think there's enough room to shove 8 gauge wire in there. Will any type of electrical crimp/solder on tab work or do I need a particular type to work with 240v 8 gauge wire?

I just noticed the label on the side of the compressor indicates it's 24A. I used a 40A double-pole breaker with 8 gauge wire. Larger wire shouldn't hurt anything, but should I replace the 40A breaker with a 30A instead?

No problem on timing, any response is helpful, so thanks. I only have two things left on my list:

1. I need to find an adapter to go from the 3/4" valve outlet to either a 3/8" or 1/4" (all NPT ID measurements). Haven't found anything yet that will do the trick. Without this adapter, I can't hook anything up to it so the compressor is useless.
2. I'm trying to find a good quality air pressure regulator w/ gauge from 0-175psi minimum. Found a Craftsman model but it appears to be very low quality as I can't even get the gauge to properly seat in the provided threads.

It's difficult for me to believe that they manufacture these things without some sort of start-up kit. I'm getting exceedingly irritated at having to hunt down all the various parts and pieces just to get it up and running. Thanks for all your help!

True. Twice even.

Sorry, regulator in this case, referring a device used to adjust the outlet pressure. Since the bulk of the hand tools require 90psi, I need a way to reduce the pressure to prevent damage to the tools.

No, that's just what it says when an entry is in draft or discard status, or has been deleted. I started typing something yesterday and forgot to finish it until this morning.