“Volksair” beetle engine compressor kit?

[gasket999]

Hi folks.

I have my blast cabinet up and running but for bigger jobs I’ve been considering a road compressor with a larger pot for blasting away from the workshop in the big shed. Know a few of you have gone down this route.

It’ll only be used periodically for blasting and all the ones I’ve seen in my budget are absolutely battered with high hours, plus they’re a hell of a lump to store being basically a big yellow trailer.

I keep coming back to the Volksair kits in the US (see here) that convert type 1 (bug) engines into a 58cfm, 100% cycle compressor.

I love building engines and think it’d be a hell of a nice project and I could even go daft dressing the engine. The price is very reasonable too, I have an old motor so could end up with a fully refurbished compressor for less than a knackered road comp. it’s permanently rebuildable too with VW parts (aside from the cam).

has anyone ever run one? I’ve been looking at the deluxe kit with a small receiver. I regularly get shipments from the US so postage and tax aren’t an issue.

 

[stuvy]

This topic was covered a while back have a search

it’s a nice idea but a compressor can’t be beaten against a converted engine

 

[Wildefalcon]

If it suits your skill set, and floats your boat, go for it!
Rebuild a bug engine, or a yellow trailer engine, that's the choice.

 

[gasket999]

thanks guys - I did search for this and found a passing reference, but not a thread - I'll have another look.

 

[stuvy]

Using a multicylinder engine as a compressor

Has anyone tried this? The Americans used V8 engines, one bank running normally for power, the other purely as an air compressor, no fuel nor sparks, as a air supply for surface supplied air scuba diving I'm sure there's lots of reasons why it's not done, but it's an interesting concept, well...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[brightspark]

68 cfm isnt a lot of use. a 3mm jet runs nice on a 28 cfm comp .the next size up is a 6.0mm jet and they require about 80 cfm at 90 psi pressure

 

[gasket999]

That’s a great link, thanks Stuvy.

brightspark, thank you - I hadn’t realised there was such a clear delineation but that makes perfect sense. I’ll set my eyes on a >80cfm road comp once the right one comes up.

 

[Brad93]

Road compressors are seriously dear for a low use user.
Why not just sub it out.

 

[brightspark]

next size up is about a 3/8th jet at about 125 cfm comp

 

[Brad93]

We run ¼” and our compressor is 120cfm

 

[Olderisbetter]

Ive looked into this as i have the bits to build a 1300 twin port engine so just need the kit.