Volks-Aire Air Compressor Kit, Fits Upright VW Engines, Standard Model, DR3S has been around for 25 years (Introduced in 1987) but new guys to the VW Hobby have never heard of them! These allow you to build an air compressor out of VW Parts, one that has 58cfm @ 100psi and 100% Duty Cycle (100% Duty Cycle means the compressor can go full tilt all day with no rest or cooling down periods!). These conversion kits allow you to build a lightweight, portable, electric start air compressor our of VW parts, at a fraction of the cost of comparable models. Many VW Enthusiasts probably have the stuff needed to build one of these lying around their garage! You also probably have a lot of the parts in your garage to build it, fix it, or give it a tune-up, and if the engine went bad, you probably know how to work on it too!
How does it work? The heart of the concept is a specially designed camshaft (patent pending), which allows two cylinders to run in their original fashion (four cycle) while the other two to pump air (two cycle). You can buy a compressor anywhere (Usually a Chinese piece of junk that will die in 6 months), but how about having one that's powered by your favorite powerplant! This compressor is probably capable of moving around 4X as much air as you'd ever need, but they are SO COOL!
These compressors are not only cheaper to build, but they produce far more air then other units, and offer numerous other advantages. These self-governing, auto-unloading units run with virtually no vibration! Their lightweight design and high speed capability make them very efficient.
One of the most unique factors about the Volks-Air Compressor is their ability to self-govern and auto-unload. When maximum pressure is attained the unit stops pumping air and slows down a little bit. When air is used and pressure drops the unit picks back up and starts pumping again.
In addition, these are some of the safest compressors on the market today since they cannot overpressure due to their design. Most people underestimate how well these things work! You can install this on any aircooled DUAL PORT 1500 or 1600cc engine, and the result is a 28hp, 58cfm (that's a LOT of air) compressor.
The high air volumes of these compressors make them ideal for sandblasting, just be sure to keep the compressor away from your "working area", the sand particles would lunch the engine in short order. If you sandblast, make SURE to wear proper skin and breathing gear, you only have one body.
The procedure for converting an engine is as follows:
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Replace stock camshaft with the special Volks-Air camshaft.
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Install compression boosters on the pumping pistons.
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Replace outlet valve spring retainer.
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Modify intake manifolds. (the manifold is made where on cylinder is provided with air-fuel mixture to run, while the other cylinder gets clean outside air to pump.)
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Bolt on the air flanges (bolts to old exhaust port on head) or lines depending on which kit is purchased.
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Ground spark plug wires no longer in use.
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Cut clutch housing from old transaxle and mount the VW starter.
This Standard Conversion Kit consists of the following components: (1) One high quality Volks-Air pumping camshaft with gear, (8) new lifters, (2) compression boosters with mounting hardware, (2) exhaust pipes and mufflers, (2) air outlet flanges, (2) valve spring shims, (2) threaded manifold adapters, (2) aluminum manifold block off plates, (2) fan housing plugs, (2) head shroud wire hole lugs, (1) gasket set, and detailed assembly instructions.