GU - Under Seat Air Compressor

[cgm]

Hi Guys, been very busy and haven't posted any updates for ages. I've managed to squeeze in quite a few mods since my last update, but haven't found the time or motivation to get them here.

Thought I better put something up. This was yesterday, so I'm out of sequence, but will try and catch up on some of the other mods through the week.

Was trying to finish the wiring for the rear battery (will post it later) and thinking about where to put the Air Compressor. I have plenty of space under the bonnet, but I tried that here once before and it just doesn't work. As soon as the hot weather comes it trips the thermal cut-out too quickly and then just never cools down enough to come back on. Last time I had it mounted between the fridge and the rear quarter window on top of the shelves. I was going to do that again, but it was nagging me that it takes away a flat surface that I could put something else on or pack on.

As you all know these little guys get very hot too, so you can't stack on them after they've just been used. I know the ARB ones often get mounted under the seats for lockers and such, so I thought I'd try that. Out with the seat then and here is where I ended up.

(Remember it's a left hand drive car, so it is under the right side passenger seat).

I wanted to mount it quickly without a huge need to make up some fancy bracket. The floor is not too flat under there, but doing a real rough "will it fit" test it looked like there was a chance. I realised that the base could be moved 90 degrees, so that I could still potentially screw the base down flat with the compressor on it's side, so that was the start:





Got the seat out, lifted the carpet. Can really see it is all sorts of angles and levels. Had a bit of wood lying around (that I'd grabbed from the slats when the neighbours threw out a kids bed). Here it can be hard to find things, especially wood is hard to get and expensive. Thought I could somehow screw something to the floor to make it flat and then build on that:



Next layer on top of the carpet:


Drilled a few holes in the base plate and screwed it straight to the wood:



A wider view of the situation:
(Note the red wire going under the door kick thing - that's the main wire running back to the rear/second battery)



Cut a bit of the insulation out and soldered straight onto the main/heavy wire running past. There is a fuse inline on the compressor, but it is not showing on the picture, being tucked under the carpet:



End result - just fits!:



For now I'll just hook my hose on and out the door. I see problems with that long term with the door blowing shut in the wind, so I'll have to look at running a bit of hose out through the floor to a mounted connector I think. Hope it doesn't get too hot to melt anything under there.

I proudly showed it to the wife and what do you think she said? "Why didn't you mount it under your seat?" Ha Ha, not too sure really

[NissanGQ4.2]

Cameron, I have copied your Air setup into the DIY section

Cheers

Todd

[04OFF]

Nice work mate, great pics and lots of em, good explanation and instructions as well

[Bloodyaussie]

I had to look a couple of times??? I thought is that photo reversed then realized it was left hand drive!!!! he he!! had a blonde moment.

[harro959]

Clean install... Nice job

[BigRAWesty]

Nice work. So how is the noise??
And this won't work with the GQ's as the piece of wire joining the rails goes from top to bottom across the middle of the space.. Good one Nissan..


Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[pearcey]

Big red compressor fitted to drivers seat of my GQ fitted it there 18 years ago and have never had any issues. it slides with the seat

[cgm]

So how is the noise??

Yep, a bit noisy, but it is not under my seat.

Haven't had time to go out and use it much at all since it went in. The weather is better here now that we're out of summer, but been busy at work and shifting house. Should be out this weekend for a day trip and give it another good test.

Getting the hose on an off is a little awkward, especially getting it off when it is hot. I think I need to revisit the idea of putting a hose out through one of the floor grommets, then don't need to worry about touching it when it is hot.

[cgm]

Big red compressor fitted to drivers seat of my GQ fitted it there 18 years ago and have never had any issues. it slides with the seat

Cool ... I like how some things seem obvious after you've seen someone else do it I would not have thought about mounting it to the seat itself.

The other thing I like about this post is the "18 years". It shows again and again that it worth spending a little extra to buy something decent and then it will last. The one I've put it is probably only in the middle quality category and I would like to have gone a little better, but too many things to spend it on as usual. Here I could only find this (Iron Man) the ARB one or "unknown" from down at the market. Some of my friends have got excited about how cheap "unknown" brand compressor is, but then you end up pumping their tyres for them after it fails on the first one! Some of the cheap ones look exactly the same but that's all.

[pearcey]

G`day CGM.
I`ve got a short Teflon stainless steel braided hose which gives me enough to easily connect the main hose and the fittings stay cool.