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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: junkman42 on September 20, 2008, 07:14:12 PM

Title: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: junkman42 on September 20, 2008, 07:14:12 PM
What is the material that the hose from the compressor to bus system is made of?  Mine looks like spiral wound metal with I assume a rubber hose inside?  Everytime I look at it I see a failure waiting to happen!  What or where do You obtain a new one?  Thanks again,John.  MCI7 sorry
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Lin on September 20, 2008, 07:24:55 PM
You can have them made at an industrial hose shop.  You can bring the old one in, and they can duplicate it using permanent, pressed on fittings.  You can also buy the hose you need with screw-on fittings.  I do not remember if either was particularly cheaper.  The only benefit of making your own that I see is if you want to play with the length of the runs.  Are the hoses you have now oil soaked, severely rusted, or brittle? 
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Busted Knuckle on September 20, 2008, 07:56:32 PM
John,
Don't be sorry! The only true dumb question is the one you don't ask until it costs you $!

The hose you are referring too is braided hose! Most braided hoses are stainless, but not all.
BY ALL MEANS BE SURE YOU REPLACE IT WITH A BRAIDED HOSE! Many shops will tell you "we don't have those ends for braided," or "we don't have that size in braided" and try to tell you "we can make ya one just as good out of hydraulic hose!"

HYDRAULIC hose will NOT STAND UP to the constant heat from the compressor and will fail prematurely!
Don't ask how I know this! ;D  BK  ;D
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: RTS/Daytona on September 21, 2008, 03:49:09 AM
When I relocated my "wet tank" - (the first tank the compressor is connected to) - I needed to replace the under floor solid brass/copper?? line section that lead to the tank -

I was told that there was a DOT APPOVED HEAT requirement for that hose - because the compressor puts out high temp / high pressure air

wound up using a fairly expensive - S/S braided & teflon lined flexable hose - made just for wet tank connection to the compressor

Pete RTS/Daytona
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Tom Y on September 21, 2008, 06:05:19 AM
Junkman, Some of the stainless/Teflon hoses have reusable ends. You would have to buy new ferrules if you reuse.  Tom Y
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Busted Knuckle on September 21, 2008, 06:12:25 AM
Quote from: Tom Y on September 21, 2008, 06:05:19 AM
Junkman, Some of the stainless/Teflon hoses have reusable ends. You would have to buy new ferrules if you reuse.  Tom Y

Tom I'm not positive on this as there may be some I haven't seen but the reusable ends I have seen ad used are not the compression type using ferrules. The ones I have seen/used are a two piece threaded cone style, where the inner part threads into the inside of the hose. And the outer part then goes over that and clamps it in between as it gets tightened down. FWIW  ;D  BK  ;D
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Sammy on September 21, 2008, 06:54:59 AM
BK, there is a thin ferrule that goes between the actual braiding and the teflon hose. The teflon hose will bottom out on the inside of the ferrule, then you can assemble the hose end as you normally do.
The ferrules are available seperately, no need to spend more money on entire fitting.
I'm describing the reusable AN style Aeroquip fittings for braided stainless hose with teflon.They come in all sizes, real pleasure to use,especially on the road calls. Don't ask me how I know this either, LOL... :)
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Busted Knuckle on September 21, 2008, 07:29:05 AM
Quote from: Sammy on September 21, 2008, 06:54:59 AM
BK, there is a thin ferrule that goes between the actual braiding and the teflon hose. The teflon hose will bottom out on the inside of the ferrule, then you can assemble the hose end as you normally do.
The ferrules are available seperately, no need to spend more money on entire fitting.
I'm describing the reusable AN style Aeroquip fittings for braided stainless hose with teflon.They come in all sizes, real pleasure to use,especially on the road calls. Don't ask me how I know this either, LOL... :)


OK thank you for enlightening me MR. SAMMY! Now I guess I need to go chase down all those buses running around that I have reused the used fittings on (on the side of the road usually) but didn't have a clue about a "new" ferrule! Seems to me there might be a "quality Control" issue on those repairs! LOL! Dang it! Wait til I tell dad he forgot to tell me I needed to get & use new ferrules for them! (he used to bring me used fittings from work all the time and throw them into a small "odds & ends bucket" I had at my shop before we started our own charter company and he retired!
I still don't understand what he means when he says "I need to get me a new job & go back to work to get some rest!"

I just don't understand it! They get all the good trips! They just came home from 23 fun filled days in TX ! ;D  BK  ;D

Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: junkman42 on September 21, 2008, 06:20:07 PM
My hose is not a braided metalic covering.  It is a total metalic covering that sort of looks like old metal electrical sheathing.  The ends are a welded part of the hose!  I will try to get to a hose fabricator soon.  The hose does not leak but it would appear to be the orignal hose.  Thanks for the info everyone.  Does anyone else have a hose like mine?  John
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: gus on September 21, 2008, 07:31:29 PM
BK,

It is very interesting to me that hyd hose won't stand the pressures and heat from an air compressor?

I always thought that hyd hoses  have to stand up under very high heat daily and the pressures are many times the pressure from an air compressor??

I can't imagine heat from an air compressor being higher than in a hydraulic system.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand. Of course I'm not too bright either!
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Dreamscape on September 21, 2008, 08:03:54 PM
The hydraulic hoses we use are 3,000 psi rated. The hightest temp is just about 180 degrees.

I agree with gus, why won't that work?

Paul
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: hargreaves on September 21, 2008, 08:07:59 PM
The air temp coming out of a compressor can easily be in excess of 400 degrees, hot enough to turn oil into carbon, witch happens regularly. A hydraulic system runs at less than 200 degrees. Do not use hydraulic hoses!!!!  We run 800 city buses that use a lot more air than highway coaches and even with the proper teflon hoses we melt them.

Gerry
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Dreamscape on September 21, 2008, 08:10:57 PM
Gerry,

Thanks for clearing that up!

BK is right again! ;D

Paul
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: luvrbus on September 21, 2008, 08:12:46 PM
And the 400 degrees is after it goes through a water cooled head on the compressor   good luck
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Busted Knuckle on September 21, 2008, 08:16:05 PM
Quote from: gus
BK,

It is very interesting to me that hyd hose won't stand the pressures and heat from an air compressor?

I always thought that hyd hoses  have to stand up under very high heat daily and the pressures are many times the pressure from an air compressor??

I can't imagine heat from an air compressor being higher than in a hydraulic system.

I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand. Of course I'm not too bright either!

Gus trust me when NAPA said "we ain't got that kinda hose, but we can make ya one out of hydraulic hose"
I thought the exact same thing you did, and told them to go ahead!
Well less than a yr later if failed and had a bus sitting on the side of the road. I took dad and the passengers another bus, then I stayed and removed the bad hose and went to a friends place and robbed one of a "parts bus" he had sitting around. And took it back and put it on and took that bus home.
Then Monday AM I called him and told him I'd stole the used hose of that ol' parts bus. He laffed and told me "you better hurry and call MCI and get a new one! That was is so old and bad looking that's the only reason I left it on the bus when we pulled the engine! LOL!"
Well needless to say I did just that I called MCI and ordered 3 of them! One to put back on our bus, one to give back to Jeff, and one for the parts shelf!  FWIW ;D  BK  ;D

hargreaves just answered all of our questions while I was typing this! ;D  BK  ;D
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: hargreaves on September 21, 2008, 08:26:39 PM
Thanks BK I have changed a lot of discharge hoses in my career, as well as trying to clean the crap out of the system when they melt and little gobules end up going through the system.
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: gus on September 21, 2008, 08:44:35 PM
BK and Gerry,

Thanks, even at my age I learn something new every day. I would have lost a pile of money betting on that one!

Now, where do I find this hose for my 4104? Where do truckers get theirs?

As far as I know mine is the original from '54, it is hard as a rock. I was planning on replacing it with a made-to-order one frorm my friendly auto parts guy, now what do I do?
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: hargreaves on September 21, 2008, 09:00:58 PM
Most truck shops carry various lengths, Detroit Diesel dealers, Cummins dealers. If they don't they can steer you in the right direction. 
Good luck.

Gerry
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Lin on September 21, 2008, 09:37:17 PM
When I redid my brake airlines, we got new ones from an industrial hose shop.  It looked like they could make anything one could need.  If there is such a shop near you, you could ask.
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Busted Knuckle on September 22, 2008, 07:29:00 AM
Quote from: gus link
BK and Gerry,

Thanks, even at my age I learn something new every day. I would have lost a pile of money betting on that one!

Now, where do I find this hose for my 4104? Where do truckers get theirs?

As far as I know mine is the original from '54, it is hard as a rock. I was planning on replacing it with a made-to-order one frorm my friendly auto parts guy, now what do I do?

I believe that if you are in or near a major "metro" area and can find an Industrial Hose Supply outlet you should be able to have one made!

Now that said remember we are in Podunk BFE! We ain't quite exactly out in the middle of NOWHERE, but you can see it from down by the pond levee!
Our local NAPA, IH dealer, and HCI Supply don't carry what is needed. But I'll bet that in a larger area such as Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, St. Louis, Chicago, etc. I could find exactly what is needed in a short time.

Now if that don't work check out getting one from MCI, Prevost, Setra, etc and using bushings if the ends aren't the same!
FWIW  ;D  BK  ;D
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: gus on September 22, 2008, 02:46:27 PM
BK,

You may think you live in Podunk but sounds like you live in a big town to me!

We have no  NAPA, IH dealer or HCI Supply. We have WM, an ACE hardware and two Bumper-Bumper stores, that's it!

I do make trips to the outer world on occasion so will look for something before mine fails.
Title: Re: Air compressor discharge hose
Post by: Ncbob on September 22, 2008, 04:32:14 PM
I learned this on the hard way.....

http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=5286.msg49133;topicseen#msg49133

I found the solution the hard way.

NCbob