old air compressor
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,635
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From: Niceville, FL.
old air compressor
When I was a youngster of about 14 or so (circa 1953) my father hired a man to break up a section of sidewalk with a jack hammer. The air compressor he used was made from an old Ford truck engine and front section of the truck. Truck was cut off behind where the original cab was and turned into a trailer using the front wheels/axle. It had a large tank mounted about where the original seat would have been. The interesting part was the flathead engine/compressor. As I remember it, the four cylinders on the right bank served as the engine and the four on the left bank were converted to serve as the compressor. I think the air entered via plumbing screwed into the original sparkplug holes and came out the exhaust ports or something like that (memory not too clear). I do remember him saying he bought a conversion kit during the war (WWII) to make it. Has anyone ever seen one of these conversions, know the name of the kits, or have any other information?
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 3
From: Sapulpa OK
I have worked on several of these over the years although it has been years since. They used the Ford 60 engine and had a special head on one side to accomodate the necessary valving. I'd love to have one today to restore. I think a company named Schramm marketed them.
There have been several other converted engines over the years. There was a Ford V8 292 & 302, a continental 4 cylinder flathead, a white truck 6 cylinder engine. They never seemed to work very well though. Were always prone to oil leaks and the air discharged was too hot and would carbonize the lube oil.
There have been several other converted engines over the years. There was a Ford V8 292 & 302, a continental 4 cylinder flathead, a white truck 6 cylinder engine. They never seemed to work very well though. Were always prone to oil leaks and the air discharged was too hot and would carbonize the lube oil.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Where I work, we have a Smith air compressor mad out of a 302. Basically, they took a standard 302, put a different intake on to feed just one head, a special head for the compressor side, and a tank in the back of the trailer. I'm trying to do this with a Subaru engine, I'm just having problems working out the valve system for the compressor side.
