Installed new valves on front air tanks

Installed new valves on front air tanks - Printable Version

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Installed new valves on front air tanks - Jack Houpe - 03-19-2025

We are still in Gulf Shores area and met up with some friends we made from the last rally. He and I had a discussion over the phone about replacing the valves on the bottom of the front tanks that sit behind the front axle and prone to air leaking plus difficult to get to. One of the valves was up against the frame and totally impossible to open or take out without loosening up the mounts and shifting the tank, so I had an idea and we made a Lowes, Home Depot and Harbor Freight run and came back with the fittings to drain the tanks from the end of the tank where there is a 3/8" brass plug. We bought two 90 degree 1/4" mpt by 1/4" compression fittings and two 3/8" by 1/4" inch brass reducers and one 1/8" by 2" brass nipple and a small roll of 1/4" copper tubing. We cut the 1/8" brass nipple in two pieces then tapped the bottom side of the two 90 degree 1/4" mpt by 1/4" compression fittings with 1/8" MPT pipe threads and screwed the nipple into the bottom of the fitting then I cut about a foot of copper tubing and bent it to stick through the end of the tank and just touch the bottom of the tank then marked the tubing cut and soldered it into the 1/8" brass nipple. After putting pipe thread compound on the threads I installed the units in the end of the tank with the 90 degree 1/4" pointing down which is where the tubing is pointing at the bottom of the tank.

I am terrible at explaining this but a picture is worth a thousand words. We drained at least 3 gallon of water from the tank that could not be accessed the other was dry.

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - Wardworks - 03-19-2025

Unfortunately, that is only going to let out air not any condensation in the tank. Water settles to the bottom of the tank so the drain is on the bottom to drain out the accumulated water. The plug that you are draining from is half way up the tank so no water is going to come out of there other then vapor mixed with the air.

If you had 3 gallons of water come out of the other tank it probably had never been drained before.

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - Jack Houpe - 03-19-2025

I hate to differ with you but please look at the pictures there is a copper tube that goes to the bottom of the tank.

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - RussWhite - 03-19-2025

Very clever Jack. The other guy just didn’t realize you had a tube all the way to the bottom of the tank. Air will force all the water out! Nice job!

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - Jack Houpe - 03-19-2025

Thanks Russ I had little choice and as you know those tanks will not come out without cutting.

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - Wardworks - 03-19-2025

Ok the other guy sees it now. Smile

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - [email protected] - 03-19-2025

Nice work and good idea Jack, especially since you could not get to the bottom valve.

I ran a line from one of my rear wet tanks to the side of the bus just between the drive and tag axle where I have a drain valve. I need to add one to the front tank as it gets water from the onboard compressor, its on my to-do list.

RE: Installed new valves on front air tanks - Jack Houpe - 03-20-2025

Thanks Jeff this is my 3rd Newell I've done and all three have different tank heights from the frame, this Newell was the worst I've seen so I had to go in the end of the tanks, hope yours is one of the easer ones.

Other guy (Ron) no problem brother.