On Board Air Install 2022 F350 - need help saving $

[Yoda]

@ Yoda . . . not meaning to complication to this plan . . . but, have you gone looking for the upfitter switch wiring yet? They are not where it shows in the owners manual. Find the really short harness coming off the upfitter switch relay box. If you need to come into the passenger compartment, one end of that harness is buried behind the battery. The inside end is way up behind the side trim in the passenger footwell.

Rob

Yep I found the mystery bundle - actually my Ford service manager did for my DC-DC project. I also think I know where the wires into the cab are in that foorwell. Not much room for my dainty body to work in I used up fitter switch 1 for the DC-DC.. I remember a couple of big wires in the bundle., Now somewhere here is the color coding, but I am sure I can find that. Today before it got cold, I went looking fro the horn wire - that is still a mystery. I think I can see the horn behind the grill, but no wiring visible. Rain snow flurries tonight, but sunny and cold tomorrow.

More tomorrow
Keith

[Yoda]

Cate&Rob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6JG77pXTY This is probably the best video I have found that covers both the wire bundle through the firewall and the up fitter wiring. He also shows how to take some of the panels off - especially to get to the inside pass through wire bundle.

Waiting for it to warm up today to get back at it. Air tank should be here Friday.

Keith

[Cate&Rob]

Yoda . . . good video . . . (not much like the much simpler diagrams in the owners manual).

Rob

[Sandridge4]

Genius here . I am such a puts. I got the compressor mount made up, drilled an tapped for the bolts. I made it so it is removable. Then went on to adding the tank fittings and getting the tank in place IT WONT FIT!!!!!!! The tank by itself fits beautifully, but add the fittings and it wont. This genius here when measuring forgot to add the fitting dimensions. Amy one need a slightly dented 4 gallon aluminum 200 psi Tank? Don't ask about the dent

So I ordered the cheapest steel tank I could find that will give me enough room. The weather this coming week will not be very nice (cold) but I can move forward and get the horns installed and run some wiring. I need to find the horn wire. I think the horn is behind the grill but not sure how the wiring runs from it. I want to use that to fire a relay the operates the air valve. Then on to up fitter switch 6 and get it connected to the compressor.

So Have a laugh on me and learn from my expensive mistake.

Keith

I have just started looking into adding a train horn to my 2020 and came across this. Seems like an easy way to add.
https://limitlessautoworksllc.com/pr...ration-harness

[acoleman43]

We don't need more train horns in this world

[Yoda]

Had a pretty good day today . I figured out the mounting location for the 1st horn and cut and drilled the brackets. Will get pictures tomorrow. Second one should be easier..

Question - the compressor draws a max of 23 amps/. Up fitter switch 6 is good to 40 amps. I was thinking of putting a 30A fuse in line to protect the Ford system.
Thoughts?
Keith

[Yoda]

I have just started looking into adding a train horn to my 2020 and came across this. Seems like an easy way to add.
https://limitlessautoworksllc.com/pr...ration-harness

Save the $$$$. I believe you can do the same with a simple splice - Ill know more in a day of so.

[ncitro]

Had a pretty good day today . I figured out the mounting location for the 1st horn and cut and drilled the brackets. Will get pictures tomorrow. Second one should be easier..

Question - the compressor draws a max of 23 amps/. Up fitter switch 6 is good to 40 amps. I was thinking of putting a 30A fuse in line to protect the Ford system.
Thoughts?
Keith

I used a 40A upfitter switch and eliminated the Viair relay. You fuse to protect the wiring so if it's 10 gauge going to the compressor (I think it is) user a 30A in line fuse.

[Yoda]

I used a 40A up fitter switch and eliminated the Viair relay. You fuse to protect the wiring so if it's 10 gauge going to the compressor (I think it is) user a 30A in line fuse.

Thanks Neil
I have 8 awg for the long run and I know the compressor wiring is 10 awg. I believe the up fitter switch #6 (40A) is also 10 awg in the wire bundle. I just want to protect the up fitter switch relay and fuse. I have a 30A inline fuse holder and fuse available so Ill add that at the beginning.

The other thing I cant find yet is the fuse rating on the horn wire as it is apart of another control module and relay. I was going to use a relay on the horn air valve power from the battery and use the horn wire as the trigger. Once I have the horns mounted that is my next task - find that brown wire in the bundle before it goes to the control module. I can see it through the grill where the horns are mounted. Found it 20A https://www.startmycar.com/us/ford/f...o/fusebox/2022

Thanks again for all the help.
Keith

[Yoda]

Good day today.
First I got the air compressor mounted.
In test fitting I found the compressor and its mount fit perfectly in the space beside the spare tore mount and above the tire when in place. I drilled and tapped four holes with 3/8" bolts. The reason for this is with the mount in place I could not get to the top of the bolts, so doing this locked them in place. On thing to watch for is compressor head clearance. In the picture the bed cross member intrudes about 2.5" into the space. In test fitting I found the head of the compressor fit the rear portion of the space and the output line cleared the cross member.


The Viair mounting bracket is designed to fit most of thier compressors. Its a cheep cost add on for the ease of mounting. The mounting bracket is 1/2' angle iron bolted to the side of the Viaie bracket.



Final install note that the bottom of the compressor housing is above where the spare fits which is against the raised cross members. Your looking up ant the bottom of the compressor mounting plate. Mounting here does require a remote air intake which Viair included in the kit. I hane not decided where to put it, but probably above the saper out of the elements.

The new tank cam today and will fit perfectly up against the truck bed and against the forward cross member. Ill get a picture tomorrow once I decide hot to hold it in place. On option is strapping. I was going to use my ratchet stars and a test fit. Otherwise I have an option of fabricating another simple bracket. My drill press is sure handy for all the drilling I am doing

to be continued.......

[Jlawles2]

Keith,

I suggest you invest in some carriage bolts and put them Head down (head on bottom of mounting plate). Reason is that bracket could flex on the perfectly smooth roads we all seem to travel these days leading to an imperfection in the sidewall of a tire.

For the remote intake, Follow the differential vent line (it should be right there next to where you are working. That should be a safe place to put the intake for the compressor.

[Yoda]

Now for the noise

To mount my horns I did not want to drill in the frame, so I am using U-bolts to hold a bracket in place.



I got the 3/8" U-bolts here https://uboltstore.com/ They are 8 1/8 wide by 10" long. They are fine threaded so get the hardware when you order. I did not and had a bit of a time finding the proper nuts. TSC had them in the expensive blister packets and the were $$$$. However the Ford frame changes thickness and height depending on where you are. In some areas is closer to 9" wide by 12" deep I do need to add some offset spacers to make sure some of the wiring does not get pinched. Getting them into place was frustrating at times. Figuring out how to get then in and down. For the most part, just put them in long wise above the frame and swing down, but be careful for wiring bundles. Its amazing how may wiring bundles go to the trans, exhaust system, and other places that is hidden above the frame.


These are the noise makers. Original Grover air horns off the roof of a big old Mac truck if I remember correctly (It could have been a Kenworth or Freightlinere to) - probably 60's or 70's vintage. Originally lanyard operated. I got them at a truck wrecking yard that was outside of Denver. There is a subdivision there now. One is 35" and the other is 37". They are tunable to.. The mounting bracket is 1.5" x 1/2" roiled C channel, 1/8" thick. As you can see in the second photo the air fittings come out through the mounting bracket. I will mount them up tomorrow along with the tank.

BTW I did find the horn wire, but need to remove the plastic radiator cover - held in place with those stubborn plastic push pins to really find a place to splice in.. Now to remember how to take the up fitter box off its mount to get at the wire bundle. I did it before,,,,,CRS moment

More later
Keith

[Yoda]

Keith,

I suggest you invest in some carriage bolts and put them Head down (head on bottom of mounting plate). Reason is that bracket could flex on the perfectly smooth roads we all seem to travel these days leading to an imperfection in the sidewall of a tire.

For the remote intake, Follow the differential vent line (it should be right there next to where you are working. That should be a safe place to put the intake for the compressor.

Interesting thought on the carriage bolts. I do have lock washer and thread locker on the bolts screwed from the top down through the spare tire bracket (4 bolts in through the green tape) and lock washers and thread locker from below. There is not really a slot for the carriage bolt to lock into. Compressor mounting hardware is also treated with thread locker. However I will keep and eye on it. Thanks for the tip on the differential vent to find a good remote place for the air intake.

[Jlawles2]

UMM, If the carriage bolts go up from the bottom of the plate the slots for the compressor mount would be the locking you need, or just grind the square under head to round before you install it.

I have a very similar set of horns that "fell off" a truck at work in the bone yard. Also a steel tank may have fallen off the side of the truck.

[Yoda]

UMM,. Also a steel tank may have fallen off the side of the truck.

LOL it just happen to fall OFF

We just have to share a cup of coffee somewhere

Keith