Is it reasonable that the compressor runs on my Shocker horn kit in the mornings after not using it overnight sometimes? It seems fine during the day(hours at a time that I’m keeping an eye on it). Or are some leaks bound to happen and it’s not too bad? Thanks.
mine holds consistent pressure during day and looses about half a tank at night… Mainly because of the temp change… 80+ during day and drops to 60 or so at night,
I just installed a k3 with 5 gallon tank and it sat for 4 days and compressor still didn’t come on. You have a leak somewhere but if it doesn’t bother you it’s not a big deal.
its fine. mine does the same thing lol
Thanks for the replies. I’ll keep an eye on it, but at least I dont have to freak out.
i lived with a leak for a couple of years. Every morning compressor came on and a couple X’s per day.
It sucked.
My new install has ZERO noticeable leak down.
Just put a teaspoon of dish soap in a sprayer with H2o and spray your system until u find the leak.
For the compressor to have to come on every morning is just unnecessary useage…
James
yea same. i did the water and soap mix and sprayed it on each bolt on the tank. it really helped in finding leaks.
right now the airline from the tank is the only minor leak i have that i plan on fixing when i have the right tools. for now im not freaking out or anything.
i have a slight leak of about 5 psi every 48 hours. and how did you guys put all your fittings together? all i did is torque the fittings extremely hard and the soapy water test.
Well i solved half my tank problem… i changed out 4 compresssion fittings that were coming off the tank to PTC fittings… That night i only lost 17 psi… still not perfect, but a lot better that losing 60-70 psi EVERY night… so i know of 3 other compression i gotta change over and i should be set! I wish i would have used PIC from the start… i just didnt believe that they could seal as well as compression! I was wrong, lol
BTW- for any threaded fitting going into the tank or connecting to elbows / nipples / pipe / valve, i used loctite 545 and havent had one of those fittings leak. I check them all with soap / water mix…
Another vote for Loctite.
I previously spent many hours fooling around with teflon plumbers tape, misc. liquid sealants, and the pre-applied junk that some fittings come coated in. After seeing and chasing lots of leaks I finally settled on Loctite as the best option. No leaks the first time, no mess, easy and cheap.
I use the blue medium strength formula #243and it works wonders. Sets up and forms a great seal but also not too hard to get it back apart when you want to change things around. Highly recommended.
Only thing about the Loctite is that when you take a joint apart you need to clean the threads out good with a needle or pic before you reset them. The stuff dries hard and doesn’t pull off easily like the teflon does.
If you still have leaks then check the hose clamps. Sometimes you need to replace those or cut 1" of the air hose to remove a worn section that was previously clamped too tight. Also check any quick-disconnect fittings and make sure the male and female ends are all the same kind. I learned the hard way that there are several types and sizes which look identicaly and initially fit but they leak if not matched exactly. I found that the automotive type is the best for me.
is there a proper procedure to using this stuff or is it just squirt it all over the threads and screw it in?
I make sure both fittings are clean and free of previous tape or gunk, then apply a few drops on each side of the female threads until I have a complete ring of fluid around the very end of the fitting which is maybe 1/8" or 3/16" wide. Then as you screw the fittings together the excess liquid will be pushed back to coat the remaining threads. If you use too much it will just run off anyway, but too little and you won’t get a complete seal. Then I wipe up the excess with a rag so the fittings are clean.
awesome thanks… appreciate it
Excess definately runs off… my first couple i did i had a little bit of a mess of it leaking down tank, but once you do a couple and just apply it to the first couple threads 3-4 at most, its great…
My compressors used to start up every morning, and afternoon after the truck had been sitting a while… I got down there and tightened up all of the fittings and used plummers tape… works great, my compressors don’t come on unless I blast the horns…
okay well i used loc-tite on every fitting and even waited 24hrs for it to cure before filling the tank with air…
STILL LEAKING
still the same leak rate too. something’s not right here. I broke the leader hose fitting when putting it back together so i ordered a new one and got that installed too. Still leaking. I’ve sprayed everything down and can’t find anything that’s bubbling.
I do have two coupling quick connect fittings for on-board air that could be leaking internally that i’m unable to check. I guess i could replace those, but I think i’ve narrowed it down to either the valve itself is leaking or the compressor.
My tank has a leak that is barely detectable with soap and water. Sometimes if I didn’t drive much the day before, it will come on the next morning when I start my car. I know where my leak is, but taking 15 hours+ to make the compressors kick on isn’t that big of a deal to me lol
another thing you all may botice if you have leaks that only appear at night ( like mine) are when the temp drops… it will take the smallest of leaks u got and find em and drain quicker… I have mine fairly all tight now , only loose 18 psi at most at night / 24 hr period… And i know if i change out 2 of the remaining compression to PTC it will solve em. but just gotta find time.
How tight did you get your fittings? Don’t be afraid to wrench down on them… I have a habit of over-tightening everything, but this time nothing leaks… so in this case it is a good thing…
If I don’t drive my truck for a week, it will need to run for a few minutes to top off. Just overnight or a couple days, it stays full. I don’t think that’s too bad for a 20 gallon tank.