The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest What is best Tool to inflate, A stored Non-running Vehicle, Tires? No AC

What is the best tool to inflate, A stored Non-running Vehicle, Tires?
There is No AC Electricity at Storage facility.
Any ideas.

Those little air compressors that plug into a cigarette lighter work pretty good if you can get close enough. I had one by Coleman that lasted for years in both boat and cars, it worked great.

I also picked up one of those portable tanks at HF(or Northern, etc.) that I hook up to the compressor with one of those clipon inflators and let it run until compressor shuts off (ie tank is full). I can get about 15 psi in each tire which allows me to pull it up on a trailer. You could supplement with one of those little compressors Brad mentions....they have pretty slow fill rates but the portable tank will speed things up a bit.

When using a Portable Air Tank like THESE
How long does a full tank of air last?
An example would be:
The Portable Air Tank can handle a maximum 135 PSI of pressure.
You start out with 135 PSI of pressure in the tank.
A tire has 10 PSI in it, and you want to fill that tire to 30 PSI.
After you add 20 PSI into the tire, how much air or air pressure is left in the Portable Air Tank?

Are you gaining anything between using a 5 gallon or a 10 gallon Tank?
They both can handle the same maximum 135 PSI of pressure.

You'll only need enough air to get it rolling to an air source.

Sometimes, a lug wrench, jack and some jack stands will work.

That kind of question can give even engineers a headache. There are really too many variables to give a definite answer. Compressed air is weird stuff (because air is compressible). How much volume is in the tires? What's the initial pressure in them? If they're flat, what's the difference in volume between flat and round? etc. etc. ...

Here's some info that I dug up on the web that may help you figure it out. click

It may just be easier to get the biggest tank and try it to see what it will do. If it doesn't work like you expect, trade in the tank for a bigger one.

Generator and a small air compressor in the back of your tow vehicle.
If the truck is not close to home, do it right the first time.
It will save you some trips to air up the portable tank.
I also take a floor jack and a X lug wrench just in case a tire will not hold air.

For a stored vehicle and the tires will hold air. The 12 volt pumps work good, but take some time to get a rise. Make up a 12 volt extension cord if need be.

Have a truck with air brakes? Drive it over and use the engine driven compressor and a hose to fill up the tires.

Otherwise removing wheels or a portable tank sounds easiest/cheapest.

Or something like this... in one form or another has been around for about 100 years http://www.aerostich.com/engineair-power-pump.html

I've got the 10 gal version, and all four tires on my 1/2 ton trucks are usually flat when I need to move them. I usually get about 15 psi in all 4 on one tank fill, so would guess about 1/2 that with the smaller tank. Alternatively, as Don says, I'm looking for a good excuse to buy one of those portable Honda generators...and with a small portable pancake compressor that would power a nail gun, you could make quick work of it.

Those things actually work pretty well. I've used one on my dad's 48 GMC shop truck to pressurize a long gas line for testing purposes. It was about 1/2 mile long, and it made quick work of getting it up to test pressure.

Unfortunately I can't use that in the scenario to air up tires on a non-running vehicle unless I borrow a gasser, as my daily driver is a diesel. If it had spark plug holes, it would probably blow it right out.

I like the pancake compressor and generator idea. Always looking for an excuse to buy new tools.

I think I will try one of those portable air tanks.
I have to say I have never seen the Engineair Power Pump that uses a engine cylinder to pump air.
I would like to see a video of it in action.

Thanks to all you guys for the ideas!

Screw the 3/8 threaded end of your air chuck/adaptor into the spark plug hole of your choice and crank the engine...

There are several of those spark plug tire pumps on Ebay right now. I've used one at times, and they work pretty well. They don't use the intake mixture to inflate the tire- - - -there's a small rubber bladder that gets squeezed and released by compression pressure and fresh air gets pumped into the tire. It's noisy, but it works.
Jerry