Overdid it today!

Try anti-seize on the wheel studs, even though you are not supposed to put anything on them ;-)

I put some of the brake grease on them. I have used molybdenum grease and anti seize before on the Celica and the Tercel, and then torqued the nuts and then checked them again. Sure makes removal a LOT easier!

I weigh 260 LBS, and putting the wrench on the lugs and STANDING on the wrench wouldn't BUDGE them!!

I took an old metal tube from an Electrolux vacuum and used that as a 'breaker' bar! MAN!!!

I also replaced the nuts with standard sized one. The studs are the same size as the Corolla and the Celica. The studs are really meant for Alloy wheels, so I am a bit leery, but the chamfer mated with the holes in the wheel OK...

But, now I can use one of the DOZEN lug wrenches I have for Toyotas.

Time to invest in a compressor and impact gun!

LOL! I just placed a bid for a gun on e-Bay, and found a decent, low-priced compressor at Lowe's!!

Aslo going to get an air ratchet and a HVLP gun while I'm at it, too!

Now...for a lift...

The plastic cover on the trigger for my impact gun broke off so it kind of hurts to use my impact gun. It was a free sample and still works, but now I have an excuse for a new one!

The really nice thing about the Snap-On air ratchet is that it is reaction-less. When the bolt is finally tightened, it won't swing around and smash your knuckles. The not-so-nice thing about the Snap-On air ratchet is that it costs about 4 times what a Craftsman one costs, and its larger size makes it harder to fit into tight spots.

My craftsman air ratchet is good enough for what I use it for.

Keep in mind that pneumatic sanders and die-grinders use a lot more air than other tools, so a larger compressor with a capacity of at least 90 cubic feet per minute at 90 PSI is nice.

I'd love to have a lift too!

If you are buying retail and have a choice, an oil lube compressor is a MUST - they live a lot longer than the oilless.

If you have the room, get a belt-drive "old-style" unit with the horizontal tank, the slower compressor RPM adds to the longevity. The direct drive 1725 RPM units are a lot noisier, too.

Depending on who made it, those molded rubber grip sections are available as replacement parts. Or go get a set of the special "anti-vibration" gloves with the gel pads in the palms and second-knuckle areas of the fingers.

For HVLP, you are probably better off going with one of the turbine units, I have the Campbell Pro and it works fine for my uses.

Unless they've really improved them a lot the HVLP venturi conversion type guns use way too much shop air to run them. For a Body Shop with a pair of 15 HP turbine compressors the air consumption isn't a problem, but for home use it is.

90 CFM? Refer to that Body Shop above, with the twin 15 HP units... 9 CFM at 90 is plenty for anything at home.

I have a "5 HP" (around 3 real HP) 80-gallon two stage at home, and it will keep up with almost anything except the bead-blast cabinet - I can't just sit there and wail on a part non-stop or it runs dry. But as you stop to reposition the piece, and see if it's done yet or not, the compressor is catching up.

Anything bigger at home becomes a power draw problem - you have to make sure you have the juice available first. the "5 HP" runs on a

30A 220V clothes dryer circuit no problem.

Well then, go out to the highway overpass and stick out your thumb.

(Or keep your eyes open for a used one, new runs around $4K. Problem is, it'll cost you more than that to raise the ceiling in your garage - unless you want cars bumping into the attic joists...)

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I could have had one for $100! When I was selling used cars we had one in the shop. It was HUGE, but I would have been able to run ANYTHING off it! I don't really have room for that thing in my garage. Would have been nice, though! It was probably made sometime in the 50's or 60's.

I kind of kick myself now...

The oil-less compressors were just coming out when I got my compressor around 20 years ago, and since they were so new, I stuck to conventional (at that time) oil-lube compressor. I use my compressor quite a bit for everything from blowing off the lawnmower to filling tires to air tools.

The only thing I don't like about the compressor is the oily mess when I drain the tank.

Does the horizontal tank have an advantage over a vertical one or are you talking just about the belt drive configuration? BTW, how long do those belts last? I've never done any maintenance or repairs to the compressor other than draining the tank and refilling the oil.

The brand name on the gun is Fuji, which I've never heard of here in the U.S. I got it from my dad, who says that company supplies them to factories. The guns supposedly can be calibrated to apply accurate torque over many uses. The instructions were in Japanese and I never bothered to ask someone to translate for me. I like the gun because it is relatively light and it doesn't over-torque alloy wheels. I don't like the gun because it is relatively gutless at removing stubborn bolts that someone with one of those monster impact guns torqued.

Oops! typo! I meant 9 CFM.

My compressor is Craftsman brand, listed as 220V, 5 HP 30 gallon single stage. I don't know who made it. It is fine for air ratchets and impact guns but it runs quite a bit when I use a cutoff tool or die grinder.

But we have to dream about something!

You could have put just the compressor and motor in the garage and put the tank outside or up in the rafters and connected them with pipe.

hey Hach, a bit of Moly grease on the threads does good regardless of what it says, but I'd use sparingly. Its high temp so hangs in there.

Ron

I had a wheel fall off because the tire guy didn't tigten the lugs about 6 years ago...

Bet your @ss I check lug nuts, greased or not!

So put a hose on the tank drain and aim it into a bucket of kitty litter. The water evaporates and the clay absorbs the oil nicely for easy disposal.

I was talking about the belt between motor and pump. For small units with the 14 to 20-gallon tanks, they're usually horizontal.

Belt drive lets them use a more efficient 3600 RPM motor and gear it down with the pulleys for a compressor head that would rather see 600

- 900 RPM for long life and better volumetric efficiency.

Direct drives have to run the compressor head at either 1800 or 3600 RPM in lock-step with the motor, which is not the preferred way to go. You have to go with smaller pistons and/or shorter crank throws, and it's harder to dissipate heat.

Time to do a web search for Fuji, finds a parts list, and order one. You can get a new monster gun for doing lug nuts and crank pulleys if you want, but there are times when finesse beats brute strength.

Plus, Murphy's Law says the tool breaks 5 minutes after you could possibly get to the last store in the area that sells them before they close - and the car HAS to be on the road tomorrow morning...

Yeah, Right, Suuuuuuuure ya did... ;-P

If you have a "5 Sears Horsepower" unit, it is probably a 2-HP or possibly a 3-HP unit - check the nameplate for the running amps to divine the true HP ratings. Sears has had to correct their literature, electric motors are supposed to be rated at Full Load Current, not the bigger and more impressive sounding Stall Current rating Sears wanted to use...

According to the NEC, 2-HP is 12A at 230V. 3-HP is 17A at 230V,

5-HP is 28A at 230V for a single-phase motor. Real 5-Horse units need a magnetic motor starter, the pressure switch contacts can't switch that much juice reliably.

Look at the motor nameplate and Century Electric Motors refuses to lie about it, they just mark the HP Rating box as "Special" - any HP claims made are not theirs.

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Great idea! I'll have to raise the compressor a bit so that I can get something larger underneath the compressor, but there should be a lot less mess.

When you explain it that way, it makes a lot of sense.

Hmm, looks like an outfit in NY imports them. Time for more research...

True, plus, one cannot have too many tools!

Well, more of a brain fart than a typo.

Yup, as usual, you were right. The motor is GE, 13.1 A at 220 V. The compressor is rated at 12 CFM at 90 PSI.

I know that Sears has a tendency to over rate their lawn mower HP, it makes sense that they would do it for compressors. Oh well, it is good enough for my needs most of the time.

Man, I'll be DIPPED!

Sears has a compressor on sale for $279, all the pressure I would need (6SCFM@40PSI, 4SCFM@90PSI) WITH a 24 piece tool kit, including an Impact wrench and a socket wrench!

DAMN!

Sounds like a pretty good deal!

4CFM at 90 is only a 1-HP unit - plenty for running one framing or two finish nailers, but not for doing real work with shop tools.

It's enough to run that impact wrench in short bursts. But you have to pause after breaking loose every lug nut, and then wait quite a while between running each loose lugnut off the threads. And forget about a bead blaster.

If you want to buy it once and keep it for a while, look for 2-HP minimum, oil-lube.

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