Wabco air compressor vs York.

[PLanB419]

So I'm running a cummins 4bta, with a home made bracket for the stock power steering pump, '72 Blazer in signature. I would like to add an air compressor to this truck for, well reasons I shouldn't have to explain. I currently have both a York air compressor leftover from another project and a Wabco unit that is gear drive specific for cummins. I have a belt driven vacuum pump for my power brakes.

The dilemma: which one do I run?

Option one: sell/ trade wabco unit for dodge power steering/ vacuum unit and fab a mount for the york.


Option two: mount wabco unit and modify existing power steering bracket.

The issue I've heard with the wabco over the York is the ability to turn it on and off ( York) whereas the wabco runs constant. The other is the ability to cool the wabco unit.

What do you guys think?

 

[Ironman03R]

If I'm understanding it correctly you are thinking of using the wabco unit for medium duty trucks that is designed to run constantly. I would use the wabco since it is designed to run air brakes and you should have no reliability issues.

 

[PLanB419]

If I'm understanding it correctly you are thinking of using the wabco unit for medium duty trucks that is designed to run constantly. I would use the wabco since it is designed to run air brakes and you should have no reliability issues.

Reliability is definitely a factor but what to do with all that un used air? If it’s running all the time is it constantly pushing more air?

Can I mount a dodge power steering pump on the back of the Wabco compressor?

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[PLanB419]

You must be registered for see images attach

Back of the Wabco

 

[PLanB419]

You must be registered for see images attach

Ok, guessing I just need an adapter or coupler?

 

[Ironman03R]

I can't answer all your questions since I have not worked on one but that compressor should have a governor that kick out at 125. Usually big trucks have a power steering pump piggybacked to a compressor or ip.

 

[PLanB419]

Guess I’ll head to the Cummins dealer in the morning and see if I can get some part numbers. Thanks for the help

 

[jaluhn83]

Wabco, assuming it will fit on your build and it's in better condition than it looks externally.

The York (unless I'm much mistaken) isn't an air compressor, it's a AC compressor that can be used as an air compressor for certain values of reliability. Some folks have had good luck, but at the end of the day it's really not designed for that use.

The Wabco is a real high duty cycle long life air compressor. No comparison. It should also bolt to the gear case which will be cleaner and one less belt to mess with. It does look like you may have an interference issues with you oil filler tube however.

1st gen cummins have a PS pump that should bolt up to that - the drive adapter is a washer with 2 slots. *Should* be easy to find.

As far an unwanted air, you can unload the compressor when not needed - it'll still turn but woln't be compressing anything, just free flowing and shouldn't be much in any real parasitic load. Air brake rigs use a governor valve which kicks it on and off at about 120/95 psi, and when not required it's unloaded and not actually doing anything but spinning. Probably be easy to use that on yours, only down side is you'd need a tank (can be small) and you'd need to build air when first started/leaked down - it uses air to operate the unloaded. As another option, you could probably figure some sort of a manual unloader setup.

Do clean up that gear before use and make sure it's in decent shape - hard to tell how badly corroded it really is from the picture. Wouldn't want to trash the cam gear because you had a junk compressor gear meshing with it.

 

[PLanB419]

I had looked at the early dodge units but couldn’t seem to find a picture that coupler, other than the washer.

The rust on that unit is all surface rust from sitting in storage on the bay in Alaska, otherwise it’s a freshly rebuilt unit. But I definitely plan to clean and paint before installing it, good call on the rusty gear as well.

I plan to either get a valve cover with a fill tube or weld one on.

 

[PLanB419]

So Cummins doesn’t seem to be able to find anything on the adapter coupler. I called WABCO and they were even less help. Anyone have a part number that may work?

 

[PLanB419]

Can't seem to find the "adapter" for this pump to mate to a power steering pump. Everything shows a 2 bolt flange like the front of the pump, rather than the 4 bolt I have on the back.

 

[u2slow]

I've seen several direct mount compressors for the 6BT... but never a WABCO one. That drive coupler looks the same as what's comes on the stock dodge WABCO vac pump. Maybe you can build an adapter?

I'm more inclined to use a York with a clutch for my air requirements. Either high-mount it like it is on Medium duty trucks, or put it in the alternator location - swapping the alternator down low where the stock AC comp would be.