Under Hood Air - Cheap?

I have a JD Marz under hood compressor mount, but I have been moving my Viaair between my Bronco and F150. I don’t really like the bungie mounting method, so I decided to permanently mount something on the JD Marz mount https://broncoaccessoriesusa.com/.

I have done some research and several different brands use the same basic compressor. I found the least expensive “reputable” reseller on Ebay and ordered one up. I will do a report once I have it mounted and operating. I figure I should use the least expensive option, as living under the hood seems like it will be a tough environment (John form JD Marz has done a lot of testing on these compressors and finds no negative effects from the under hood heat).

I think the whole set up, including an inline fuse holder and 12v quick disconnect would be under $300. Full disclosure, John gave me the mount for testing and promotion if I liked it. I do, it is super solid and easy to install. I can replace 3 more compressors before I equal the price of the ARB. I have used this same compressor on rides in the past. It is very similar in capacity to the ARB, although I expect is not up to the same quality and duty cycle of ARB or similar compressors. Since I am not running lockers or any other accessories, it seems like a reasonable solution.

Very nice setup there.

Are you going to mount air-chuck connections somewhere?

I am going to try a couple of different options. A small tank and pressure regulator would be cool too.

I have this setup and it works great. Got it from JD Marz as well and I went with the All Top dual compressor which works great. I had/ have the Viair but like having it hard mounted and ready to go anytime.

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We will have to compare notes :slight_smile: What do you think about doing the winter ride at DI in March btw?

I would be interested in that. Definitely let me know when dates are figured out.

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Ok, the compressor came in today. It appears basically identical to the NAPA and similar twin compressors. I had to loosen the mount and shift it forward to make it fit, but it’s really solid. More finishing work and testing, but so far, so good :blush:



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Hey there everyone, I’m glad this is working for some of you. This under hood mount for air supply has been doing really good out there in the wild. I finally trashed my compressor which had a total of 275 fill ups. That’s 275 time filling up 4 tires. It didn’t actually just up and die, it was just taking 10 minutes plus to fill the tires so I did a teardown of the unit and seen the seal was torn. I would suggest passing some oil through it every once in a while to help keep it lubricated. Hope to see you all out there and let me know if you have any questions. thank you again.

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Pretty strong performance for the price. Good reminder as that’s something i forget to do with my home air compressor as well.

I built my own 4 tire inflation system. I still don’t know if it saves time, but it does let me air down quicker for sure. I tried a couple of different set ups, so I didn’t save any money, but I think you can put together your own version for just under $100. Nice part, I can trim it to just the right length. I went with 3/8” id hose, it’s really nice and flexible, but it’s a big could have hose to store.


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One more little update. I had a temporary wiring solution and it was not adequate (even on a short run, the 12ga wire was to small). I also couldn’t keep a fuse in the 12v line from the battery. I fixed both with a 150 amp breaker and running a very well insulated 10GA power and ground to the battery and common ground. Seems to be working great now and I feel much safer with the revised setup. I was inspired by the great job @AB8DT did on his power distribution setup.

I edited the pictures a bit to try and show where I mounted the breaker. It’s on a 1/2” (it’s so odd there is SAE on vehicles still) bolt and really sturdy.

1/2 inch is 12 mm, FYI. There are no SAE bolts on a car. Everything is Metric.

(19 mm is also 3/4, which is why most lug nuts are 19 mm to work with all the 3/4 tools for swapping wheels).

Further insanity, almost all battery terminals are a 10 mm. In fact almost every fastener in your car is one of the following:

7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19 mm. Literally you will not find 9, 11, 14, 16 or 18 mm fasteners. If you do its a rare one off (like on a suspension fastener). When I work on my car I grab those tools and I almost never go back to the tool box.

Well, that’s what I thought too, but the 12mm that I was using just wouldn’t t fit on the fender bolt, 1/2” worked perfectly. Maybe my socket was damaged :man_shrugging:t2: I don’t even really touch my SAE tools anymore, unless it’s an old mower or household project.

I’ve seen that with Torx bits and Allen bits.

I have two of the same tool, one fits the other doesn’t (ones a socket type the other are key or screwdriver type). Usually its a tolerance issue on the tool.

Was a 13 too loose?

Yep I am going to try it again next time I open the hood. I noticed I still need to tie wrap the ground anyway.