Quote:
Originally Posted by TenKen
What if I purchased a portable air compressor (Pep Boys Master Flow 1050) with alligator clips which hook onto a 12V source? Could I clip onto the TM battery?
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Good lord, but Pep Boys has a terrible web site! Never could find the Master Flow compressor you mentioned.
Hooking up to the TM battery with alligator clips? Sure. However, you'll be happier if you can keep the TM plugged into the car, and the car engine running while you pump. Many of these compressors draw around 15 amps of current, and the battery voltage will sag - meaning the compressor will run more slowly - under this load.
Like many here, I carry a small compressor, and it saved my bacon on one occasion. But as noted above, it is a pretty leisurely process. One thing I did discover is that if the bead seal is broken (the area where the tire contacts the wheel), then a small compressor will not provide the initial whoosh of air needed to pop it back out. Jellis' air tank approach would take care of that.
But in the end, a compressor is small, cheap, and easy to carry. Cheap insurance.
Bill