Well I’ve just bought my latest set of fittings and pipes so I can run 1/2" all the way to each bell in my K3LA setup. I’m also going to fit another 1/2" line running all the way from the tank to the horns via a manual valve. Got all the bits ready (hopefully) apart from the manual valve which I couldn’t source locally.
I noticed Hornblasters have a Graham White 353 or a Black Widow 1/2". For a start, both appear out of stock, but any advice on which to pick? There’s a $100 in price difference so there must be a big quality difference. Just curious if people have installed one or the other and any comments regarding other options.
Nitto is just a common brand of 1/4" quick coupler (used for air powered tools). It’s just what we tend to call them here, so there’s probably another more commonly used term in the US for them.
I already have the Nitto circuit on the car in the existing setup. One under each of the front doors. I just use it for tyre inflator, dust gun etc.
The second solenoid was an idea I’ll probably shelve for the moment because I couldn’t get a spare valve today from anywhere. It’s basically to balance out the 1/2" flow straight from the tank into the three 1/2" lines going to the horns. Effectively that will give me 1" line air flow equivalent straight up to the horns. I’ll be able to test whether the dual line flow will make a big difference by just opening the manual whilst I’ve got the horn button pressed. If I can get a noticeable difference then I’ll install the second solenoid circuit.
The reason for the elbows is because I want to come straight up from under the car into the cab. My preferred space for mounting the 353 is pretty tight.
Anyway… I better get to it. I’m hoping to have it all done by tonight.
Pics to follow soon
Damn and double-damn. Here I was hoping to be up and running tonight. Not to be.
Turns out I’ve got two major issues:
The 200 psi pressure sensor that comes in the Dual Viair 480 kit has got some kind of microscopic thread size. Looks like a 1/8th. Damnations! I only had 1/4" reducer to fit my 1/2" port.
Although there’s a fuse holder included with the twin compressor kit… no fuse! What the heck??? How hard is it to include a 40A fuse or similar?
Well… at least I can go get a fuse tomorrow… but I won’t have any luck getting a 1/8" NPT reducer. That’ll have to wait till Monday now.
I’m going to run the 150 switch from Hornblasters until then. Totally ran out of time today.
All good. It’s all done. Got the 1/8" reducer and fuse today.
Full independent dual 1/2 lines. The left side via Graham White and the right side is the SMC solenoid.
I installed a dual battery kit while I had the whole box enclosure undone. So the twin 480’s now run off the 2nd battery which is much nicer.
All closed up it looks like this:
Louder… hell yea! Going to full 1/2" on all lines has upped the volume for sure. I won’t bother with the 2nd solenoid. Opening up the twin lines (i.e. full on the manual and the solenoid open via the horn button) makes no real difference. Just goes to show that the max flow you can get through the horns themselves is pretty much limited to the 1/2" line.
Love the manual valve. Even the first stage is damn loud.
Videos soon…
