That's right, run the air locker (mine's ARB) with no compressor or extra wiring. Got the idea from a guy with a Samuri. Really small vehicle that he wanted to minimize weight and space taken. He was running both lockers off a 9oz paintball Co2 tank and an in-line 3-way pneumatic switch. The switch is normally off, flip it on and your locked, flip it off and it closes the valve and bleeds off line pressure. I regretfully didn't get any part #s from him but it seemed simple enough.

I've searched and searched and come up with nothing besides people claiming to have a setup, no pics or part #s or instructions.

I'm doing this on a budget as most do. ARB locker has been installed and working for a year now but I've recently ditched the compressor for a Power Tank. I want a separate small tank that I can fasten to my roll bar for the locker. Fully pneumatic is just so much more reliable, compact, light and quiet.

Here's what I "think" I need...

9oz Paintball tank $20


5-125psi Regulator kit w/20oz bottle $100 (much rather something cheaper and don't need the hose or big bottle) they don't sell the regulator alone



3-way pneumatic switch $60 (ordered)


I'm holding off on the regulator kit to see if perhaps you guys can help me out. I am pretty firm on using the more compact 9oz bottle. Just need a regulator to go from that to 1/4 NPT then the ARB blue line.

 

How much pressure does can hold?

How many cycles of activation/deactivations do you get before the low pressure starts running risk of damaging locker components? When does damage start occurring from "lazy/slow" activation?

Is this a race application?

Have seen some cool write ups on using a tank to operate airlocks but never a small 9oz tank.

Keep us informed..

 

Even small CO2 tanks carry substantial volume because the CO2 is liquified.

 

This would be my question. Everyone heard the guy with a leaky ARB... errrrr....

Plus most I know run the compressor so they can air tires up, run tools, stuff liek that.

But neat idea.

 

in your searching, try search terms with powertank - pretty sure i've come across a few people who use their powertank as the air source for lockers and it's the same concept just larger tank. i'd imagine a small co2 tank would last a while in a locker situation, just think of how many paint balls you can shoot off one tank.

 

Never getting to involved into paintball, my quick searches found that these bottles will have about 850psi at room temp. Paintball guys get pretty extreme so I'm sure there is bigger and better.

Not a race app. The few times that I have used the front locker, it's on for the short duration of the obstacle and then off. It's extremely hard to steer with the front locked and not good for the drive line.

Can't say for sure how many locks I'll get out of it. 9oz bottles are giving 500+ shots for paintball guns.

 

I get the paint ball guys shoot ***** amount of..... Thing. But seems that the pressure is gong to quickly dissipate over the length of the line. As you cycle the locker on and off each time the length of line will be pressurized, so the longer the line the more volume of pressurized gas to do so. Now I've only played paintball a couple of times but the pressure chamber of a paint ball market is not very big and the amount of pressure needed to proper a ball is not very significant.

ARB clearly states that low pressure causes premature wear of locker internals. Previously the stock ARB pressure switch was 70-90 psi new version compressors have higher rated switchs d/t the slow and incomplete locker actuation. I recently researched this when my compressor switch died.

So I'm curious for what the outcome will be both short and long term. I just don't see the risk to benefit.