Vacuum pump to air compressor

bike-maker

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Odd question for anyone that has had one of our vacuum pumps torn down;
Is it possible to convert one to an air compressor?
Not necessarily enough to run air tools off of, but enough to fill the rear air bags (about 50 psi)?
 

riotwarrior

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I would think the diaphragm would crap out building pressure....it's not designed for that.

JM2CW

Al
 

icanfixall

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The problem would be converting the suction side to a presure side. That means you have to reverse the valve in the head. I don't know how you could unroll the can seal and not damage the diaphram. These vacuum pumps suck running clockwise or counter clockwise... They are an interesting suction pump being that they suck being driven any direction.
 

Silver Burner

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I doubt it would work anyway. Don't the vacuum pumps make only 20-25 lbs of vacuum? That's not real strong...
 

icanfixall

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Vacuum is the absence of pressure. Its not measured in lbs of vacuum but commonly refered to that way. Its measured in inches of mercury on a u tube monometer.
 

sassyrel

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I doubt it would work anyway. Don't the vacuum pumps make only 20-25 lbs of vacuum? That's not real strong...

not lbs...inches of vacuum....as ican said also..water column measure,,of mercury in a vertical tube,,and how far it will pull it up...
 

icanfixall

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Absolute vacuum like found in space like on the moon is 29.2 or 4 I think.. I know its 29 inches. On earth if we can pull 28 inches its comcidered about all we can suck out of something. It takes a really high quality vacuum pump to pull down to 28 inches. They are very expensive pumps but... The refrigerater compressers in the kitchen frig or any water cooler is a great vacuum pump. I have made several vacuum pumps from those. They cost around $25.00 at a frig repair second hand store. Or just take it from a frig thats stopped working. Solder on the fitting or JB Weld them and your golden.. For next to nothing.. Ebay has many vacuum pumps too but look out for the high costs. McMaster carr sells them as does Graingers...
Wow.....:eek: I was just on ebay under the search.... Small vacuum pumps... I will tell some thats not a place to be looking for a vacuum pump.... Wow...
 
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madpogue

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how many inches of vacuum,,will a vacuum pump for a air conditioning system pull?????
If you're talking about the little electric pumps on the later trucks like the SDs that had hydroboost brakes, and the vac pump was only for the HVAC, they'll still pull 20 inHg, I would reckon, but at very low volume. Remember, in both cases, the vacuum pump only operates the _controls_ for A/C-equipped trucks. The actual cooling _power_ comes from the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor.
 

bike-maker

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^^^ this is what I was thinking. I've already done the hydroboost conversion, and was considering using an electric vacuum pump off of a newer Superduty, leaving me thinking about what to do with a now useless belt driven vacuum pump. It was worth a shot.

And FWIW, the welding chambers I work in will pull down to somewhere in the 28-29 pound range; most are computer controlled, but I've been working out of an old school one with a bunch of manual valves on it - 6 different valves have to be opened in the correct order when the correct vacuum has been achieved and you are back filling with argon. The manual ones are SCARY to throw the valves open on. So far the worst I've seen is the glass exploded in one under full vacuum (and we're talking 1" thick glass). One of them has skid marks where it tore loose from it's concrete footing and set back down about 2' away when a valve exploded...
I've developed a serious respect for what a good vacuum can do since working in these things.
 

Wicked97

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You could use a small electric or mount an old york ac compressor somewhere.
 
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