My air compressor can handle every job I am able to do with it, but I am curious if I could use it to fill the front fork and rear shocks with air? My compressor has a air pressure control and I believe I can dile it down to as low as 10 psi. Now I know my rear shocks can takes from 28 to 43 psi and the forks take 14 to 21 psi. I can further adjust the air pressure, by adding an inline adjustment as well.
What says the group? Should I forget the air compressor and use a hand pump? Or maybe use one of those small 12V compressor that I plan to carry in my sidecar with my tools?
I only use a Pingel hand pump designed for front fork and air shock useage.
0 to 60# limit with a guage. It can be installed and removed without pressure loss.
Even with reducers, pressure can build in a large air compressor and a surge in pressure can blow your seals out.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Where would one find this Pingel pump. Something I could add to my tools I can carry in my sidecar.
I got my 0-60# pump at Seattle Harley. In retrospect it may not have been a Pingel brand or Pingel doesn't list them anymore. There were two choices, 0-30# and 0-60# both with a pressure guage and no loss valve.
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 5/20/2007 3:06 PM
I only use a Pingel hand pump designed for front fork and air shock useage.
0 to 60# limit with a guage. It can be installed and removed without pressure loss.
Even with reducers, pressure can build in a large air compressor and a surge in pressure can blow your seals out.Lonnie
Another dowside of using compessors is that of inducing moisture into the system. The hand pumps that Lonnie is speaking of will not do this. Even a little moisture will not make a shock happy.
Northwest Sidecars
Pingel, Pengel, whose got the Pengel? I found the site at the Harley dealer also, but they list the pump at $49.95 plus shiping to me. I don't have the means at this time for such a high end purchase, that would be used once in a while.
Would the small 12V air pump work, or is it still going to cause problems?
By the way, my air compressor has a dehumidifier on it, since my air tools also hate moisture, not the least of which, is my sand blaster. Sand/medium gets kind of junky when you add moisture.
Not sure how good my Step Dad's old bicycle pump will do, but I guess it is worth a try.
The problem with most hand pumps is that there is usually a release of pressure when disconnecting from the schrader valve. The capacity of air shocks and air assisted front forks is quite small and any such loss will not give desired results. Also many front forks have a quite low maximum PSI and there is a chance of blowing the fork seals if over filled to compensate for air loss.
Though high priced, the $49.95 is cheaper than a shock or fork seal replacement.
IMOP,
Lonnie
