INSTALLATION TIPS & TRICKS

Setting Up For Success

You have been waiting patiently for your kit to come in the mail. Your boxes finally come in and you can’t wait to get your horns on and take them through the neighborhood for a test run. As bad as you want to get it on there and get out and honking, taking your time with the install and doing it by the book (literally) is hands down the best way to make sure that your kit outlasts the vehicle that it's installed on. Hopefully, before you even got your kit, you did a little planning on where your kit is going to fit on your vehicle.

If you are going to pick up one of our installation brackets, you are already ahead of the game. You can install your kit onto the bracket from the comfort of a workbench or table. If you decide to go without an installation bracket, the very first thing you want to do, before you even purchase your kit, is to take the dimensions of the major components in the kit you want to purchase and decide where they are going to mount on your vehicle. You can find dimensions and weights (along with a ton of other useful info) for all of our products in the Specifications Tab on the product page for that item.

Rushing your install and forcing your components to fit in places they don't is a sure-fire way to damage your kit or make it difficult to maintain or troubleshoot if needed. Take your time and make sure everything is in its proper place. The single best piece of advice that we can give you on how to best install your kit is to follow the instructions. Unlike other horn manufacturers that assume everyone is a certified mechanic, we ensure that that our instructions are detailed and easy to read, even if you aren't very mechanically inclined.

Now, we get it. No one likes to go by the instructions when you are putting something together and it's almost as bad as having to ask for directions, but even if this isn’t your first horn kit install, you still want to go over the instructions to make sure you’re not installing your kit in a way that could potentially damage it and void your warranty. Just in case you still want to figure things out yourself, here are a few important points to note about installing your major components that will make sure that your kit is installed in the best way to ensure longevity for your system.

Air Tank

The air tank can be positioned any way that will fit best, however you want to make sure that you install your drain cock on the bottom-most port to allow the tank to drain properly. If you ordered one of our tanks or got a tank with one of our kits, you should have a port on the top, bottom, ends, and side of the tank, ensuring that you are able to properly drain your tank however you decide to orient it. This is a very important step. If you cannot drain the moisture out of your tank over time, it will find its way into your horns and other components and can lead to component failure.

If you purchased a complete HornBlasters kit, you will have everything you need from start to finish. If you are doing a custom kit, you will want to ensure that you have the following fittings:

• Drain Cock
• Safety Blowoff Valve
• Pressure Switch
• Air Gauge
• Compression or Outlet Fittings

All of your ports need to be used or plugged for your air tank to hold air. You want to at least pick up a plug if you find yourself with extra ports.

Compressor

Your compressor is the heart of your system. In fact, installing your air compressor improperly is one of the fastest ways to ruin your system. Your compressor should be installed in a way that it is oriented upright. This allows the heat to dissipate out of the head through the fins quickly, keeping the compressor cooled and ensuring that it runs at full efficiency and continues to do so down the road. If the air compressor is susceptible to rain or dust, it is recommended to relocate your air filter. All of our kits come with an Air Filter Relocation Kit (works like a snorkel on a vehicle) and they are also available on our website should you need to move it somewhere high and dry.

Some air compressors are sealed, while others are not. If your air compressor is not sealed, it needs to be installed somewhere dry and free of debris regardless of the air filter is being relocated or not. Common install areas for non-sealed air compressors would be the trunk of a car, a toolbox, a bed with a topper, or in the cab of the vehicle. Installing a non-sealed air compressor out in the elements will not only void your warranty but is a sure-fire way to render your air compressor inoperable. Not sure if your compressor is sealed or not? Our 127H and 228H series kits are a great example, these air systems come with the air compressor mounted to the air tank. These aren't fully sealed air compressors and are required to be mounted somewhere out of the elements. If you have a 232 kit or higher, you can install the entire kit outside the vehicle.

As a general rule, most tank-mounted compressors are not sealed. And most air compressors & tanks that are separately mounted components are sealed.

Pressure Switch

Almost as important as your compressor, your pressure switch screws directly into your tank and controls when your compressor turns on and off. This means if your pressure switch is malfunctioning, your compressor won't be able to turn on or (even worse) won't be able to turn off. While some pressure switches can be waterproof, most are only water-resistant and should be treated as such. While it is still fine to install a water-resistant pressure switch outside the vehicle, if you find your vehicle getting especially wet or dirty, you can relocate your pressure switch just like your air filter by using a tee and air line to move your pressure switch somewhere dry.

Be careful when installing the pressure switch into the tank, as the thread can shear off if over-torqued. Hand-tighten only.

Air Valve

Your electric air valve controls when your horns sound off. Your valve is a simple mechanism, that is closed by default and opens when it receives power. While there is nothing complicated about installing it, there are a few things to note that will help your installation go smoothly. First off, the most common mistake that people make is putting the valve on backward. All of our in-line valves are directional valves, meaning that they are designed for the air to flow in one direction only. If installed backward, your valve will not be able to close all the way and will constantly let air through. If your horns are constantly humming, this is a good indication that your valve is on backward. On our brass inline valves, you will find an arrow etched into the valve itself. Make sure this arrow is pointing in the direction of the airflow (pointing towards your horns) and you will be good to go!

Our valves have dual-polarity, meaning that either wire can be positive or negative. Just hook one to power and ground the other and you are all set!