mitch236

I am having a nitrogen bottle delivered and want to know what else do I need to get. Where can I get these parts. The supplier just delivers the bottles. I'm sure I need some sort of regulator and connections for the air hose.

Al P.

local welders supply for the regulator, automotive for the hoses. The cylinder should (required by some sanctioning bodies) have a valve protector on it. You should be able to get that from the welders supply

Lemming

Make sure that you chain the tank to the wall. Dropping a tank with a regulator on it can make a really nasty torpedo!

ngoldrich

The regulator and hose you get are determined by their intended use. For Air Jacks you will need hose rated for 500 psi or more since they most often require 400 psi.

For 3/4" and 1" impacts you need high flow/volume. So make sure you get a regulator that can handle both the pressure and volume you need. If you need to run a big impact like for centerlocks, use 1/2" dia hose as well so you can maintain the volume.

If you only will ever use it to fill tires and shocks, then smaller hose and lower rating is probably fine as well as a lower flow regulator.

Norm

ltc

I bought wall mount nitrogen cradles from PitPal:
http://pitpal.com/brackets3.asp (#257 halfway down)

I went to a local hydraulics shop and they made a custom length high pressure (3000 psi) flexible hose (Parker) with swivel fittings on each end (with whatever NPT thread size needed) while I waited.
They also sold me some high pressure quick disconnect fittings as well.

The high pressure regulator (600 psi) I bought from HRPWorld (on sale):
http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?fo...action=product
http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?fo...roduct_picture

Here in MA, the only size bottle you can legally purchase is 80 cu ft (about 3' tall). Anything bigger and you have to lease it from a bottled gas supplier. Refills are $15. I eneded up buying the nitrogen bottle.

ngoldrich

Same thing here on buy/lease bottle size. That is a good regulator. I got the same one from HRP.

Norm

mitch236

Yup, ordered the regulator. Now I need the hose and fittings which I am finding out is no small thing. Can anyone give me their setup for air hose attachments. For now, all I need to do is fill the tires and run some small air tools. (no impact wrench).

Lemming

Question: What is the benefit of using nitrogen over compressed air?

GUMBALL

mitch236:
Like itc said, look in the yellow pages for a hydraulics shop (a shop that will make hoses) they normally carry a supply of airline couplers and nipples as well. If you are only using the bottle for tires, (90 psi) a normal NAPA type air hose is fine. An FYI about air tools - because they use a lot of volume, an air drill or grinder will empty a bottle pretty quickly. Be careful when setting regulator pressure - for tires and small air tools, 90-100 psi is max.

Lemming:
All race teams use nitrogen for tires because it has no water vapor (or other grunge) therefore the tire pressure stays more consistant thru temp changes.

ltc

Mitch,
My local hydraulics shop uses Parker hoses and fittings.
They can install any threaded end (normally NPT) in any size (1/4", 3/8").
I would recommend swivel end fittings, as this allows you to screw the hose into the regulator without the whole thing coiling up on you like an anaconda.

You have purchased a 600psi regulator, so I would NOT use a hose or quick disconnect fittings rated for less than that. (I have airjacks, so I am normally around 300-400)

For high pressure, high flow quick disconnects, these are the Parker ones (thanks Google) the hydraulics shop supplied (female on the hose and males on my accessories):

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...mId=1611737450
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/sea...ults.jsp?xi=xi

Again, standard NPT threads, reasonably priced and designed to handle pressure and flow. You can get these online from other places, Grainger was just the first Google hit.

Lemming,
Another advantage to nitrogen is that it is drier than compressed air, so you don't have to worry about moisture problems with airjacks, airtools, etc.

APKhaos

Seems that compressed, dried, SCUBA breathing air has all of the attributes of nitrogen, or am I missing something? Just installed an old 92 cu ft scuba tank and primary regulator [125psi] on my trailer, and after a few events it seems to be doing the job beautifully.

GUMBALL

itc:
For an air jack that coupler is fine.
If you are running a large impact gun (like the DP guns the Indycar teams use) that coupler style will not allow enough flow.

APKhaos:
If you have a drier that WORKS, then your set-up is fine for tires. The problem comes because most air compressors do not have a drier on them, or is is never serviced - pumping out an UNKNOWN quantity of water with your air.
Industrial nitrogen has a maximum allowed 6 ppm (parts per million) water vapor.

ltc

Gumball,
You are correct, the first link/pic is a 1/4" NPT, which has ~6GPM flow rate.
The second link has QD's up to 3/4" NPT which would be fine for an impact wrench.
I should have been more specific; I just posted the pic as an example. Thanks.

GUMBALL

itc:
What size/mfg air gun do you use? Does your car have center-lock wheels?

Regardless of fitting size, that style of fitting (hydraulic with center button) will not provide sufficient volume for the DP wheelguns that the CART/IRL/Prototype teams use.

Professor Helmüt Tester

What are the benefits of nitrogen over other sources (air, compressor, etc.) ?

1. Nitrogen is CHEEP. Large tank refills are $10-15. 1 tank gets us thru a 24 hour race, using it for 2 airguns, and for an air-chuck for trimming tire pressures. 1 tank will probably last you an entire season of sprint racing/HPDE.
2. Nitrogen bottles don't require power. Open the valve, and it works. Compressors need electric power, which means you have to find somplace to plug in, or coax a generator to life. Baaa...screw that.
3. Nitrogen is generally dry, so you're not injecting moisture into anything.

To answer Mitch's questions:
Welding shop can probably supply you everything you need - Regulator, airhoses, quick-disconnects. For a 1/2" impact gun, you won't be running pressure higher than about 75-90 lbs., so you'll need a regulator that works ~ 0-150lbs. Air hoses - welding shop, or Grainger...Grainger has a nice selection of 25' - 100' hoses with 1/4" NPT ends..you don't need anything bigger. They also have all the quick disconnect fittings. I like 50' hoses...anything longer and the flow is too restricted.

Figure out what regulator pressure/impact gun setting gives you approximately what torque value. You can really overtorque stuff with an air gun if you're not careful. We take the time to roughly calibrate all our air guns, and set them to get us just below or normal torque for wheels. That gives us just a little yeild on the torque wrench when applied afterward.

I haven't gone to a race track without a nitrogen bottle in over 10 years. I refer to the tank as my "Big Red Buddy".