Well I finally got semi finished with my install. Of course now, I have to fine tune and work on a few problems here and there. The only way I got progress on this project was to pull an all nighter which was about 4 1/2 hrs. Its still in the works but here are my pics.
You can kinda see one of the compressors in the grill a little off center to the right.
The little black button has a lot of power. lol. That triggers my horn, and the led next to it blinks whenever my compressors are running. That helps me keep track of the blows I get to a full tank.
My two compressors in the front. I hope I dont have a wreck. lol
You can see my temporary press guage here.
Shot of my tank. Dont blast me for the pressure switch. I need some more elbow fittings. That will be fixed this week. You can see the bottom of the K3 too.
You can see the long bell, tucked in the bumper.
As you can see, the fitment is really tight. I dont like this tank. It has lots of ports but two of them, I cant really use.
This my problem area here. I have a BIG leak between my valve and regulator. Regulator works good, but that leak leaks about 6lbs every ten minutes or so. I can hear the air.
Other than the leak, the only problem I have is, I think only two of my bells are sounding. So I have to diagnose that. I dont know what it could be. I dont have a lot of space to test them without the cops being called but it sounds really high pitched. Something is missing.
If your horn has been taken apart and not blown since, you may just need to blow it a few times and seat the diaphragms… K horns usually need that. There’s nothing really to keep a K bell from sounding except maybe trash in it or bad diaphragms. I’ve had my whole K3 sound on as little at 60-80 PSI.
Get a recording sometime if you can. Mid-2000s K3s have bad #2 bells that weren’t machined to spec making them play G instead of F#. My horn used to sound bad like that but I was able to flip diaphragms around and make it sound better…
Yeah Im trying to get a recording. I havent been able to get away from the house that much but I plan on taking the tripod and camera out tonight. Its hard to tell. I know my k doesnt sound like the ones im used to hearing. Its higher pitched. I tried putting socks in the other two bells but they get blown out as soon as I hit the switch.
You could try taking 2 bells off the manifold and put your fingers over the manifold holes and have someone honk to test out the sound of each bell. (be sure to wear ear plugs!) I’ve also done that lol
only thing that concerns me about your install is the compressor that is upside down… i believe that is the only way that is not recommended to be installed… Water will sit in the head and not have a chance to escape…
Other than that, is the picture with the valve upside down? or is that the right way?? looks like a water filter you got there and its also upside down which wont help matters… but i think its jsut the pic.
I read around and asked around, Finally someone told me that upside down was fine. Im not sure about trapping water. If you think about it, with the compressor right side up, the hose is at the top of the head. So to me, thats like a water cooler turned upside down witht he spicket at the top. Where is the water gonna sit? Think about it, but its just my philosophy heck, I didnt know a bit more about this stuff 4 weeks ago till I got on here.
I dont have a water filter. That is a press. regulator. You cant see the guage cause its on the other side. I have a leak right there between the valve and the regulator. Since it was a holiday weekend, I didnt have the chance to get fittings this weekend, so I just tightened it up as much as I could. Its. dumping about 35lbs every 20 mins. Ill be fixing that today. But, whats wrong with the valvebeing upside down?
Are they supposed to heat up more that way? They take one minute flat to pump my tank from 165 to 200. With that leak, my compressors are always on when I start up. But it takes 5 minutes to fill my tank from 0-200 psi. So Im not working them that hard. That was my purpose. However, when I get a ten gal tank, I will also get one more compressor, because I want them to be on light duty.
Thanks man. Yours too. I told you that before but you wont add me to your fan club. lol
Neither did I. Thanks tho, it was like a puzzle I swear.
Yeah, Im not sure. It may be fine. I tried stuffing socks in em but they just blow out. Someone recomended taking the bells off but, that makes me nervous. Im just gonna blow em for a while. They are still loud but I will definately know once I get a video. Thanks.
Ok. I fixed that leak that I was complaining about. I ended up with a non-DOT fitting on the low side of my regulator. I changed it out for a DOT and now I dont have any leaks. Im using all teflon so We will see how long it stays sealed up. My system stays locked at 205 psi until I HORN. I can finally get in my truck after its sat for hours and the compressors NOT run immediately. I also added an AZ Digital Guage and some elbow fittings to my pressure switch. It was hanging pretty low.
My guage shows the system sittin at 205psi. The comps cut off at about 209 and it settles out to here and STAYS. Thats what I like.
My pressure regulator sittin at 150 psi. This thing works great. The fitting to the right was the one I changed out. It was leaking bad.
I cleaned up the wiring and added an elbow to my press. switch. Added the digital guage transducer with the label faced purposely for product placement. lol
Last time I forgot to post the pic of my intakes. I routed them right by the intake for the truck.
One more UPDATE: I fixed my non-working bell. The o-ring on that LONG bell. (I dont know which number. lol) was pinched. Whenever it was painted, they didnt seat the o-ring properly and it was partially covering the orifice and also not letting the horn seat properly on the manifold. So I had to replace that o-ring, (#15 o-ring in case anyone has to replace one. Home Depot) and wire brush the paint off. Blow everything out and reseat the horn. Now my chord is complete. This has been a definate learning experience. A month ago, I didnt know anything about a train horn. Now Im taking them apart.
How about NOT SOUNDING AT ALL. I wondered why I kept hearing a hissing noise when I blew em. I mean, the TWO were loud as crap so I was like well maybe its working. But I recorded it one night. Im a musician so, when I played it back, I only heard two notes. So lo- and behold thats what it was. I was nervous taking the horn aloose but theres nothin to it though.
I dont know what it could be. I dont have a lot of space to test them without the cops being called but it sounds really high pitched. Something is missing.
