I think it would be interesting to share how much time it took you to acquire and install your Train Horn System. And, also, how much grip you had to spend. Ill start.
$ - Well Im at about $1,141.00 in expenses. Time - INSTALL - I’ve invested about 8 hrs into it and so far, I only have lines, valve, horn and one compressor mounted. Remaining, I have a compressor, tank, regulator, press. guage, press switch, relays and switched left plus all the fittings in between. AQUISITION - I started all this August 21st. So tomorrow will be two weeks. UPS has been to my house three times and Im still waiting on a digital guage from suicidedoors.com. My System -
K3LA with 5/8" lines
dual 480C’s @ 200 psi
165-200 press sw.
5 Gallon 8 port tank (which is too many ports)
225cfm regulator w/ 1/2" ports (to get my solid 150psi with the same punch. and keep a 50psi reserve. )
200 psi rated Solenoid Valve
Im using 4 relays. 2 for the comps, 1 for the valve and 1 to switch the system on if the car isnt running. Not sure about that last one. I cant think of a need to blast with the engine off but you never know.
I have a tight area to work with. I will have pics soon, but my tank wouldnt fit between the frame rails. so I have to mout EVERYTHING in the front under that radiator. And suprisingly it fits. I have both compressors, tank and k3 in the grille basically. I dont like it but I need my bed space and spare tire. so.
i dont have the fancy digital gauge unfortunaly. man i would really consider a tool box for everything, but i can respect you need your bed, other than that looks like you have a great set up, were gonna need pics asap!
I have about 1400.00 in my setup only bcuz I didn’t know any place that sold all the parts.I also used all DOT stuff (airlines and fittings) hey no leaks LOL. Mine started out as A siege chrome setup and it was not what I wanted. Then I was stuck at A RR crossing and heard the K5la and said I gotta get me one of those. So I stumbled on A K3ha and found A guy selling the 3A and 5 horns and A 1L so I have all the notes I want. lots of time setting up and engineering the system so it is all hidden.I wish I would of known about HB it would saved me lots of hassle. My system is faultless and works like intended but it was lots of time invested. About 25 hours or so A little here A little there.
$ & Parts:
Dual 400c compressors… $319
5Gal 8port tank $72 (which is not enough ports)
Air Lines $50+
Shockers $200
1/2" valve $50
3/8" valve $32
Air source relocation Kit $20
Wire $70
Distribution Block $30
Digital Gauge $110
Time:
I would say that I Have probably about 3 days total invested in the initial setup. 2 days trying to mount the tank without dropping the drive shaft/exhaust because it is mounted in the middle of the bed (Under) with carriage bolts inside the bed. I had to get the tank in there (It would ONLY go in one way, and then I had to flip it long way so it would mount where I could get to all of the ports but I needed about 1 more inch than I had). That was the longest portion of the install. Then I had probably about another full day mounting the compressors, air fittings, horns, air source relocation kit, remote drain, running all of the cable for power to all of the fittings and compressors.
Now I have another idea which is going to take me about another 2 hours or so… bigger air source relocation kit… 3/8" air line, and 3/8" air tool fittings.
Heck yeah. Upgrades, maintenance, installs. Its all time and money. lol
man, you got videos? that would be cool to see. I just finished mine yeasterday morning about 4am then had to catch a 745 flight. so i didnt get much time to play.
WOW. MANPOWER
Ha! Thats usually how it is. Every fitting, every wire has your fingerprint.
I know. You always get to a point where one THING is holding everything else up. Mine were the compressors. It took forever for me to make brackets for the compressors. I had the horns on my truck for three weeks befor finally getting everything else on there. My tank barely fit up front. Im sure ill be spending more money redoing it.
1 Canadian tune K5, and 1 American tune K5. 10 horns total, 8 are Powder Coated Chrome. Number 5 Bell Exhaust tips are Powdered Coated Matte Black. All horns hung using my Custom Brackets. 2, 8.5 gallon tanks. 2 viair 480c compressors. Custom side exhaust thats Powder Coated Black. 150 psi Cutoff switch, 2 3/4 inch valves, One 1/2 inch ball valve. Horns are hooked to the Keyless Entry, Horn Button on the steering wheel, and the Alarm. Labor about 70 hours. All work was performed by myself.
If this was a customers car it would be a 4-4500 dollars job.
All the horns plus cleaning and painting on 2 of them was around $1400… Paying for the install for the shockers just cost me fittings so that’s about $15-20.
Time was about 10 hours give or take… Hard to find a spot for these things on a Honda Accord (especially since I squeezed them all up front).
Original Omega AH-500 horn setup: $400 for parts and accessories. Roughly 80 total hours spent installing, tuning, and improving the setup over the course of two years.
Current Shocker XL HB4H and Omega AH-500 horn setup with many upgrades from the first kit: An additional $600 for parts and accessories. Roughly 80 total hours spent installing, tuning, and improving the setup over the course of four weeks.
Time spent researching on the web, browsing the forums, searching for parts and tools, documenting my setup, talking to others about it, showing it off: roughly 120 total hours over the course of the past 3 years.
Way more time / money than I ever planned and it was more expensive to start with one system and then upgrade later. A pretty steep price-per-honk ratio but it was all worth it for sure. These things should be factory options on all big trucks!
Man, on a Hoss truck like that, K5 sounds mighty righteous. But, Im tryna figure out why you down grade the hose size when you get to the valve. You had to put reducers on right? 1/2 down to 3/8?
time? a lot. I got the stuff one at a time when I come across suitable ones…