1986 U1300L Air line tire inflator connection point

[Dreadnought]

Hello again, I didn,t buy the U900 from Withams, somebody beat me to it, so I bought a low mileage 38,000kms U1300L (1986). So where is the place to connect a tyre inflator line??? I,ve got the picture in the handbook, but can,t find the actual place on the truck anywhere. I,m beginning to think that this truck is not Ex- Bundeswehr, it has circuit breakers just like my Pinzgauer and the exact same map reading light attached to the glove compartment. It does not have the air deflector on the roof in front of the roof hatch. So my Mog loving friends, is it Ex-Swiss? or something else?

[sammyb]

On a u1100 its on the bottom of the air cylinder, need a special fitting on it though !!!

[frenchian]

I had the same problem trying to work out where the point was. I finally discovered that it's the "test point" in the outlet airlines just in front of the air tanks. These test points look like small threaded (M14 I think?) valves with a rubber cover on them - mine has got one per tank.
Have a root around and you should find them - it helps if you've got the proper airline so you know exactly what you're looking for.
If you still have problems let me know & I'll take a photo.

Ian

[Dreadnought]

Thanks Ian, I,ll have a look.....Do you know how I can find out if my Mog is Ex Swiss or Bundeswehr??? It doesn,t have the air deflector on the roof in front of the hatch, Its has circuit breakers instead of Fuses, and the trailer couplings are all palm type couplings not civilian type. The light switch is the exact same as my Ex Swiss Pinzgauer and it has the exact same map reading light as my pinzgauer. Regards Steve

[frenchian]

Not sure how to identify if it's Swiss or German, mine is definitely BW - it doesn't have a wind deflector, it has the CBs and Palm couplings....

[normalbloke]

If you have trailer brake palm couplings,your best bet for an airline is to make an adapter(<£10) and use the red palm coupling on the back.It will flow more air than the test points.

[frenchian]

I've been looking for the parts to make an adaptor for some time but haven't worked out exactly whats needed yet. Any help?
Thanks, Ian

[normalbloke]

I bought a palm coupling from fleabay for £2.99, and a male PCL coupling from Machine Mart for the same amount that screws straight into the back.
This then enables you to run any conventional airline tool from the back end(if your Mog has the available CFM).
I tried usiing the official inflation point, but found that it was not flowing enough to seat beads etc.

Good luck.

[frenchian]

I think that the problem is that I've never seen the "free" part of a palm coupling - everytime I see one on ebay it looks very much like the ones on the truck. Do the free ones look similar?
I agree about the flow rates through the test points - it takes a while to reflate a tyre, not tried seating rims (yet), but I did suspect that it would be interesting!

Thanks, Ian

[normalbloke]

Here's one.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Commercial-vehicle-Air-li...sh=item5634e21c9c

[Dreadnought]

Thanks everyone, I think I will go down the Palm coupling route, it seems easiest/ best flow.....but I do have one of the screw on points for an inflator lead, it is under a rubber cap, but is a bit awkward being located right behind the Jerry Can rack. (At kleast I have the two options)

[Dreadnought]

OK I have all the parts, (to make up the palm coupling air inflator line) not tried it yet and won,t until I get an answer here, How does the air to the couplings turn on? Is it always on and automatiucally flows as soon as a coupling in joined to it? I remember (early 70,s) using these palm couplings with Brit Army 4 wheel drawbar trailers and there were always levers at the coupling to shut off the air or open it up.

[Dreadnought]

Have made up an inflator line as suggested. Very cheap, but in the past when I have used palm couplings there have been on/off levers at the couplings to turn on the air. Are Mercedes couplings/lines always active and as soon as I connect up air will be there? (No need to turn them on?)

[normalbloke]

If you have the female airline connector attached to the palm coupling it will self seal, ie no air will come out until you attach an airline or tool.I just have a rubber airline with a self sealing chuck on it,that will clip onto the valve.This enables you to let the truck inflate the tyre without having to bend down and hold the airline onto the valve( a real ballache).The only downside is you have to use a stand alone gauge to check the pressure.


Here's my mog BTW

[Dreadnought]

Nice Mog Normal Bloke. Looks the business, I,m going to have to remove my centre bumper eventually to mount one of those Atkinson Vos Electric Winches. I know they are not a patch on hydraulic for continuous work, but, I,m hoping I won,t ever get that stuck that I need to winch myself for half a mile or so! (And it has to be cheaper than having the hydraulic pump and lines fitted) I,m always interested in the differences between Mogs? do you happen to know why some, like yours, have a different grille and bonnet? is the radiator in a different place? my bonnet is taller and my grille likewise. I,ll try the air line tomorrow, its all together now and I,ll bet it worked out a darned sight cheaper than buying a Merc one. On tyres, I see you have Agri Tyres fitted, I internd to when these XZLs wear out. Are the Agri Tyres that are rated for 50MPH much more expensive than others?

[normalbloke]

Mine is a U1000.This was the only Mog of this shape(square cab) that had the lower "scalloped" bonnet line.All the rest of the models had the higher grille and bonnet like yours.I think the U1000 had this design so as to allow a better forward view towards the ground when using implements like a verge mower etc.I personally do not like it, and have a second hand larger grill to go on, but only as and when I get a suitable bonnet!
The radiator is still in the same position as yours.I believe that the higher bonnet is also required for the factory intercooler to fit, as the top pipe goes over the top of the radiator.
The tyres are TVS Eurogrip.405/70/20.Speed rated to G which is 90 kph.
They were a cheap find on Ebay, and have surpassed my expectatios on and offroad by a huge amount, to the effect that I have a brand new spare set exactly the same sat in my garage for when these finally die.
Will keep you up to speed when we next do a day on the Plain!

[frenchian]

I've just got one of the connectors as suggested from ebay and offered it up to the truck. It turns out that the truck is fitted with this part - what I need is the other half of the mating pair. Any ideas please? Thanks, Ian

[normalbloke]

As far as I was aware the 2 halves are identical.Mine are.

[frenchian]

Maybe I need to try when there's some light!!!
In the dark it wasn't obvious how they mate together.
Ian

[Dreadnought]

Hi Frenchian, I thought the same, so I looked and I looked and they are the same but they are universal, each can be the other and they do hook up. Good luck with your version. I have done the same as Normalbloke, I was going to use the airline that came with my cheap Aldi compressor, but when I was in Machine Mart buying the connectors, I saw the coily airline and though what the heck!!!! look after it and it will last a lifetime, so my outlay was the palm coupling off e bay, two males and a female, the coily line and the guage/connector from my cheap Aldi compressor for blowing up tyres etc. I don,t know how much a pukka Merc one is? I saw some on an American site - genuine Merc, for over £100 dollars, plus shipping.... and they didn,t have a guage....god knows what they would cost from a Unimog outlet here? Normalbloke, Mog is all fuelled up and ready to play on the Plain.

[normalbloke]

Typical, mine is laid up while we attack some corrsion on the n/s footwell.As usual the further you dig the more you find.Just had £500 of panels delivered from Vos yesterday,and started cuttting out and drilling spotwelds out today.
If you're in the Fareham area feel free to pop in and have a brew and talk Mog b@llocks!

[frenchian]

I've got 2 of the Mercedes airlines that screw onto the test points - they work but are relatively slow. I let all 4 tyres down to get the truck under the new camper body recently - it took maybe 20 minutes to reflate them all. I've got a 240v compressor that I use for airtools etc, so I've got the various attachments - just got to work out how the couplings work!

[Dreadnought]

Good luck Frenchian, let us know how you get on and thanks for the offer Normalbloke, I,m not down in the Posh areas any time soon, but am still happy to go play on Salisbury Plain as soon as your Mog is healthy again. That drivers side footwell is supposed to be a weak spot, mine seem OK under the rubber mats.

[frenchian]

Dreadnought - do you know what the thread in the palm connector is? I've just been into Machine Mart - they didn't have anything like it - tried a plumbers merchants looking for an adaptor - no luck either.
Thanks, Ian

[Dreadnought]

Hi Frenchian, I think this must be a case of your particular Machine Mart, not stocking the items. I went into mine and they had a load of little plastic boxes on the wall by the air line kit, full of different sizes of connectors. They were Male and Female in two sizes....I took my nice shiny palm coupling with me and found that the fatter of the female couplings fitted into it.....I then screwed a (smaller thread) male into the coily, and it was the same ish at the guage end only the female was a small thread. So look again in your machine mart, maybe they are stashed away somewhere. Regards Steve

[normalbloke]

If your particular Machine Mart is poo( and some truly are) then try any hydraulic hose shop,they should be able to sort you out.

[mogmaner]

if you are still looking for the corect hose googl vonsmog he has some new old stock ones hope this is of youse.

[dxmedia]

benzworld is the place to find him.

Oh mogmanner any idea when you want to pick up that cab? The roads are all very clear around here now.

[mogmaner]

will give you a bell tomorow need to see if trailers free ,glad to here the roads have cleared .

[Dreadnought]

Just as a follow up, I made mine ages ago and only just got to use it. It works great, plenty of flow from the RED airline coupling. (First time I had coupled a palm coupling since oooohhhhh 1975!!!!!!)