Hey everyone, I have been a fan of HornBlasters for 4 years now, and the moment I have been waiting for is finally here. I got a set of the new K6LA (yes k-SIX) through eBay. It is basically a K5 but with an extra horn to make it sound lower. It is going on my 2006 Toyota Corolla XRS.
I’ll be taking it to the Lodi, CA. installers as soon as they get here in the mail. But I wanted to get the opinion of the Forums as to all the gear I’ll need. I have been taking to my good friend Honduhh on here.
At first I was thinking a 20 gallon tank and several compressors. But then I found out that 20 gallons means I would need 4 compressors for warrenty. So now I am looking at maybe a single Oasis compressor.
But I’m wondering if a 20 gallon tank for one Oasis makes any sense. Or what the power requirements for the Oasis even is (I heard it eats Yellow Tops) I was hoping that the compressor(s) would be able to run off the stock battery and alternator, but now I’m thinking that both those need to be upgraded AND Honduhh was saying I might need a second battery as well. Also, if I could still have extra power to run a PA system or underbody lights, that would be great too.
Any ideas on the compressor(s) and the power? Any help would be awesome.
An Oasis takes something over 100 amps, 180 amps at max load. I don’t know what kind of vehicle you have but unless you have a really good battery, the voltage will go down with that kind of load and the alternator won’t keep up with that instantaneous load (unless you have big alternator maybe).
You could probably save a lot of money by getting 2 Viairs and attaching high speed 12V fans to them (like a Delta TFB1212GHE). You could get 2 more compressors or an Oasis but with the extra cost of those compressors, and the electrical upgrades, would it save you money even if the 2 Viairs have a reduced lifetime due to the duty cycle that you put on them?
Welcome!
I have never looked under a Corolla, but you must be using a bracket kit for individual mounting…? The additional 1L bell is BIG. Do you have some sort of plan?
How big is your alternator? An Oasis draws like 160amps so you would definitely need an extra battery and a good stock replacement.
I wouldn’t be happy with any less than an 8.5 gallon tank. You should measure your trunk and look up the measurements of some tanks. Some guys with trucks do a 12 gallon with dual compressors.
Looks like, but not confirmed, that the stock alternator is 80 amps at running speed (~1500 engine RPM +). Sounds about right for a car.
Here is a high output, 140 amp alternator, $260; http://www.maniacelectricmotors.com/1022112000.html
You should be able to find a good deal on something like that on Ebay. Look for a good warranty…
After this, you’d most likely need to beef up the wiring of the alternator to the battery and to case ground or however it’s wired. “The big 3”, although may not be necessary.
That should be enough to run 4 Viairs.
But you’d have to be at running speed or else the realistic output of the alternator is lower than 140 amps.
So bottom line, at minimum for 4 Viars, with a good battery, you’d need an alternator upgrade to be able to run the Viairs for any long length of time. With the stock battery, it can’t buffer power as much so the alternator would have to keep up with demand… Maybe make a switch so you can shut 2 of the 4 compressors off when you are idling and you might be able to stick with the stock battery.
, and for the Oasis beast you’d need a really, really, (really) good battery to buffer the load AND the alternator upgrade for the Oasis, and you couldn’t run it for that long because the battery would eventually run low and the alternator might start to smoke from being at full field (100%) for a long time. Unless you can find a 200 amp alternator for you car.
Hey guys. Well my car is still at the body shop (even though it was supposed to be ready on friday) after someone hit it in a parking lot. So I wont have the numbers on what kind of alternator I actually have until (hopefully) tomorrow.
Ear2ear: Yes, the horns came with a bracket kit for each horn. I have looked at the gallery of HB installs, and there is one in particular I really like. http://www.hornblasters.com/installs/set/?yamahar17kcorolla
A: Because its a Corolla similar to mine
B: the way the compressors at at the very back of the trunk, and the large airtank is in front of them. Like the tank is protecting the compressors from anything rolling around in the trunk.
C: How the horns are mounted in the grille area. I might try looking into that.
I do not plan on installing everything myself. Im trying to get all the pieces together that everyone here would recommend, and then take it to their installation shop. It’ll be pricey, but I have no idea what I’m doing, so for something like this, I’d rather have them figure it out.
So, thanks to you guys, I WILL be upgrading the alternator to something stonger. I’ll see what i can get to fit. The yellow top as well.
danwat12345: That link is AWESOME man, thank you! And I’ll need to look into “The Big 3” I am ordering a custom made switch panel. On it, there is a red safety covered switch labeled “ARM” for the horns, and four green switches (for either 4 compressors or all of them on for just 1), and some others for various things.
MarineOne: I checked out your install. Interesting. It’s just tied in with the engine? But last time I checked, its so close quarters in the engine bay. No idea if I’d have room.
So battery and alternator is a “will do”. So with 1 Oasis or 4 Viars/AZ, and a 6 horn set up, 12 gallon or 20 gallon tank? They are both the same length and I think it just barely fits.
Again, upgrading the alternator really depends on how often is the demand for power and the time the alternator has to recharge. Optima batteries can’t handle many large current draws based on customer testimonies.
I didn’t think I would have room either, especially with all the emissions gear on my diesel engine, but it actually bolts to the engine via a mounting bracket like the alternator or A/C pump does. They included a new tensioner and belt, plus all mounting hardware.
The big plus … I can fill a 5 gallon tank from empty to 175psi in under 80 seconds.
Horns just came in the mail. DAMN they are huge! Much bigger then what I was expecting. I have NO idea where the hell they are going to fit? Short of tearing out the entire trunk and spare wheel well. I’m interested to see where the workshop might try to place them. I’m trying to make an album and post the unboxing pics, but having problems with the upload. I’ll get back to you guys about it.
And of course the Manifold Distribution Block is meant for a K5, not a K6. And one of the Bracketts is for some reason taller then the rest. Since I’m in no hurry to install these right away without figuring out a few other things, I contacted my eBay seller and hopefully can get this fixed sometime soon.
Greeting and Happy Holidays to everyone! Merry Christmas to those in the States and happy day after to everyone in a different timezone like myself.
So this project of mine is nearly 2 years further down the road and no more complete than when I left it. I ran into some $$$ trouble and had to put this thing on hold. However, a deployment to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps has solved that for me. I have one last month out here before finally coming home, and the train horn installation is the FIRST thing I want to spend my money on! Haha.
So the facts:
K6LA horns
2006 Toyota Corolla XRS
20 gallon air tank
upgraded battery to ODYSSEY MODEL 35-PC1400T
upgraded alternator to the high output, 140 amp suggested earlier
And a sweet stick shift with a red FIRE button on top for the horns
All I need is to do is decide the air compressor situation. I want to buy these things soon so I can have them waiting for me at home when i get back. I cannot choose between getting 2 “Air Zenith Dual OB2 Air Compressor Kit” for a total of 4 compressors, or one “Oasis XD4000”.
With the AZ, I could have them all wired to switches, so I can turn all 4 on if I’m rolling at speed for a quick refill, or just 2 if I’m idling and time to refill is on my side.
Or i could go with just one solid Oasis and call it a day.
The price difference is not an issue anymore. I am just curious about effectiveness, maintenance, and life span on both set-ups? Will being able to switch around the AZ improve its life? Would the Oasis need oil changes so I need to make it accessible in the trunk? How much of a pain is it to clean the fans and filters? With the electrical upgrade to my car, can I run either set-up now?
But overall, you guys with your experience, if money is no option, which would you go for? 4 Air Zeniths or 1 Oasis compressor? I’m tired of trying to figure this out myself and just want to get the ball rolling again on this project.
Oasis air compressors are environmentally hardy but we have recently learned that rust can develop around the motor brushes and their guides. Now we recommend spraying “Liquid Wrench†or “Fluid Film†through the brush cover slots at the end of the motor about once a month. The air intake filter must be kept dry or water might mix with the oil in the pump which will damage the bearings, piston rings, and cylinder walls. The same can occur when the oil level gets as low as 6 ounces. Their typical oil discharge rate is 1 ounce every 50 hours of run time. That rate increases as the pump’s temperature increases so keep an eye on the oil level for several months until you can develop a maintenance cycle. Just add 2 ouinces when the level gets near the bottom of the sight glass.
The Odyssey battery and the 140 amp alternator should supply enough power to run an XD4000 almost all day. This is unlikely since the compressor will fill 5 gallons from 0 to 150 PSI in 55 seconds.
Alright Dan, you’ve just about sold me on an Oasis. Just one last question. Reading up on it, I keep seeing that it needs to be in a well ventilated area, and that it can get pretty hot. How will it do if it is all the way in the far back of my car trunk? Its not ventilated as far as i can tell, and if it is in the back against the far wall of the trunk, and then with the air tank in front of it, I don’t know if that gives it a lot of breathing room? Any ideas?
Oh, and on top of that, with my cars specs, would you recommend 12 or 24v, and which is the one that HornBlasters provide?
Heat is only an issue if the compressor runs continuously for 15 to 20 minutes. This is unlikely if it’s only being used for horns unless it’s New Years, the 4th of July, or some other venue where it’s being used a lot.
Dan, thank you so much for all your help and insight. I now should have a XD4000, air valve, and pressure switch waiting for me back home.
And to everyone else who helped me out on this extremely long project of mine, thank you as well.
If all goes well, in about a month, I should be returning back home from this deployment, and this install is going to be top priority!..right after seeing family and friends and having a drink.
I’ll keep you all posted!
K6LA in a Toyota Corolla!!
America!!!
