Husky 1/2" impact croaked

[someotherguy]

Question for you guys with impacts. Would a little single tank hot dog compressor run an impact long enough to loosen a single nut? I only have hand tools but occasionally I run across bolts that dont want to move well, even with a breaker bar.

Hmm. Maybe? I dunno. Air tools like impacts, die grinders, DA sanders, etc. are real air hogs. Since you're in rust belt area with some really seized fasteners, you'd probably be better off with the battery options mentioned up there ^^^ as they do have some serious torque behind them and wouldn't make you buy a compressor.

Since I shut my shop down I sold off my big 60 gallon IR and bought a "little" 20 gallon IR unit; it's plenty for what I do, but I have noticed that running the die grinder a lot really makes it kick on frequently.

Of course you could always just use a big cheater pipe. Just please, please.. be sure you're using a really solid, quality breaker bar, and impact sockets. I will never forget the time I nearly took out several teeth using a Craftsman breaker bar and brand new Craftsman (chrome) socket trying to remove the receiver hitch bolts on my '96 GMC prior to taking it for the wrecker unit install. The brand new socket broke and the bar swung right towards my face, nearly missing giving me some free dental work.

Richard

 

[GoToGuy]

Volume vs pressure. The amount of air required say 90 cubic ft. Per min. At at least 125 psi. That would be the minimum for 1/2 inch impact. Normal operations should be more and higher.
If you can't get it with a 1/2 breaker bar, a pancake won't do it.
Just look at the specs. It can't do volume. That's why it works for nail guns. Pressure yes, volume no.

 

[454cid]

I had not looked at air requirements, so had no idea of volume needed. I won't bother with it, then. Thanks.

 

[Carlaisle]

Question for you guys with impacts. Would a little single tank hot dog compressor run an impact long enough to loosen a single nut? I only have hand tools but occasionally I run across bolts that dont want to move well, even with a breaker bar.

I'm going to disagree with the apparent consensus here. If you just need to motivate one fastener once in a while a small compressor will work just fine. A 1/2" impact will drain that tank in seconds, but it will also deliver over a hundred hits in that short period of time. You'll be disappointed if you try to use that setup to free up 1" bolts that have been submerged in a lake for 10 years, but for anything on these trucks it will accomplish what it sounds like you want it to do.

 

[termite]

Before upgrading to a larger 25? gallon compressor, I used a dewalt 4 gallon hot dog compressor with a 1/2 inch impact. Wasn't efficient, but would work well enough to bust lugs off to rotate tires or get one stubborn bolt loose.

If it were my money, I'd either get a larger compressor or go battery powered.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I have a bunch of air tools, but if I were starting out, I'd go electric and just get a small compressor for airing up tires.

 

[Komet]

Question for you guys with impacts. Would a little single tank hot dog compressor run an impact long enough to loosen a single nut? I only have hand tools but occasionally I run across bolts that dont want to move well, even with a breaker bar.

I'd say yeah, you could probably get 4-5 ugga duggas out of it before the tank drains.

However, air impacts want large compressors for the volume as others have said so they lend themselves more to people who already have an existing large(r) compressor setup or want to invest in one. I get by with just a pancake air compressor and I heavily invested in the Milwaukee Fuel stuff which works great. It sounds like you'd be happier with a cordless solution. Then you can ugga dugga all day long, even the fasteners you don't need it for, and speed up your wrenching / save fatigue by a large margin.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Then you can ugga dugga all day long, even the fasteners you don't need it for, and speed up your wrenching / save fatigue by a large margin.

Yeah, my son figures if he can't get at it with a cordless or air powered tool, he's doing something wrong.

 

[Komet]

Took me less time to walk 100yds back to the garage, grab the impact with socket, walk back, and pull the trigger than it did trying to bonkabonkabonka a single front crossmember bolt out by hand. Sometimes the efficiency gains are huge.

 

[someotherguy]

Got my new-to-me Husky 1/2" impact from ebay, seems to work fine and is heavy as a brick. The Japanese-made 4140 seems to weigh a bit more than the Chinesium HSTC4140; there's definitely some differences in the design as well. The Chinese one isn't a direct copy but there was one other variation on the 4140 I've seen that seems newer; the HSTC4140 might be a copy of that one.

You must be registered for see images attach

Whole pile of little parts for the '93 C3500 as well, if I can get around to working on it today...plus a few more not pictured.

Richard