EASY 018 Gen2 Air Horn Install--No Tank necc

[Renomaan]

I bought a dual airhorn kit from Amazon which uses two on demand air compressors, so no tank is necessary.

Finding space on these Gen2 is tough!

Here is a quick summary of the install with some pics

I mounted the Horns behind the front grill
The black plastic grate in the bumper pulls off without any screws
I made a small bracket that mounts the horns horizontally with a slight drain angle
I used self tapping #12 screws to fasten the bracket to the bent metal frame on the bumper

I bought extra hose from Home depot with barbed couplers, I used crimp style hoseclamps
from Mcmaster Carr-who wants to dig everything out later if a hose pops off?

I made a narrow bracket from thin sheet metal and mounted both small compressors to it, one on ea side
fastened the elex wires to the compressors with Faston crimp connectors.
I slid the bracket with compressors thru the side black fender vent and bent the sheetmetal such that the
narrow part of it came up under the top of the fender so I could TEC screw it to the inner engine bar area.
The hoses and wires to the compressor run up thru the hood hinge passthru hole.
--I can sketch out how this looks if anyone needs a pic---

Elex hookup:

==relays have 4 contacts, 2 things go on in there: the coil uses low current to throw the switch on the High current contactor.==

I ran two relays (they come with the horns) one relay uses a trigger wire from the OEM horns

------lift the rubber flap to the left of the radiator and you can reach in and unplug the horn harness connector. Pull that up and tap a wire into the Yellow/Org wire and reconnect the OEM horn)--

This tapped in wire will active the coil on Relay one (other side of coil to GND).
The switched contactor of Relay 1 will provide the GND for the coil on RELAY2.
The Coil of Relay 2 will get triggered from an Upfitter switch
The contactors of Relay 2 will throw the 12V 30A line to the horn compressors (in Parallel)
The otherside of the horn compressor goes to GND

If the upfitter sw is off the OEM horn honks
If the upfitter sw is one both the OEM and the Train horns work

Easy Install, took maybe 1-1/2 hr
all parts for about $120....Horn kit $104...extra hose $20

Horn
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071NJB8HH/?tag=fordraptorforum-20

 

[dew.man]

Let's see/hear video in action! Preferably as you coast by some unsuspecting Starbucks customers [emoji1787]

 

[Renomaan]

a video wouldnt do it justice

Its reserved for Texters at green lights who arent looking out their window!

 

[zemuron99]

That looks like a lot of hose to pressurize before the trumpets sound. What's the delay between punching the horn button on the wheel and when sound starts? Seems like there 'should' be a closer place to mount the compressors? I'd like a video as well, just to see what 'deep and loud' (per the package) really sounds like. Thinking of some air horns myself but all of them so far have been too high-pitched for my taste.

 

[Renomaan]

Instant response..the airlines dont need pressurized....there is already air in them when the compressor turns on the pulse at the compressor is the same as at the horn ...its not in a vacume until its on?
i.e. its like a garden hose , you trun on the water and the water already in it comes out the far end..it doesnt need to fill up each time if its still connected.

Ill see if I can get a clip posted to hear..sounds like a train!

 

[smurfslayer]

Big thanks to @Renomaan for the suggestion. I’d love to have a train horn setup, but seeing the space in the front, the only viable option is along the frame rail or where the spare tire is. If you don’t have lights in the bumper, you could possibly point them in pairs toward the opening but it’s still kind of crowded.

I picked up the same kit and installed it, albeit somewhat differently. I have the trumpets facing the other way in front of the I/C, and as far toward the passenger side as possible. They jam between one of the bumper insert tabs and I fabricated a bumper mount out of a small piece of aluminum.

That hose he’s using is a PITA to work with and does not want to stay on the compressors. get clamps.

I ran the compressors to the cavity beside the passenger headlight and grille, stacking them vertically.

After the initial install, and several instances of “the look” from my wife... and dog, I wanted to see if I could improve the performance by going to a “better” compressor; the Wolo 808c is rated at 18-21 psi, more than the Marco compressors.

I lost 4 db going to the Wolo compressors. bummer.

iPhone video of the horn blaring a couple feet behind the sound meter.

These horns are good for 117 db.
The stock horns measure in at 109 db consistently. Is it worth it for 8db?

to give some perspective, although not quite comfortable, 109db is not going to damage your hearing with a horn blast.

https://www.noisehelp.com/noise-dose.html

My suppressed 9mm’s run about 102-105 db through an SWR shadow 9. The best 9 suppressed I’ve seen or read of is my buddy’s Liberty Mystic. He can repeatedly get 99.x db; hearing safe.

an unsuppressed and subsonic 9mm or a .45 is about the 110-115 db range. it is a sharp, uncomfortable report. .357 magnum is about 118-120db depending on conditions and you do not want to be around it without at least ear plugs.

a suppressed .223/5.56mm is about 125 give or take db, and will leave your ears ringing.

so, will you get results with this horn? it’s way better than stock. It’s not a train horn, people aren’t going to hear you from 3 miles out, but it sounds more like a truck, less like an econobox.

 

[Truckzor]

Instant response..the airlines dont need pressurized....there is already air in them when the compressor turns on the pulse at the compressor is the same as at the horn ...its not in a vacume until its on?
i.e. its like a garden hose , you trun on the water and the water already in it comes out the far end..it doesnt need to fill up each time if its still connected.

Ill see if I can get a clip posted to hear..sounds like a train!

Why did they use pressure hose if there wasn't going to be any pressure in the lines?

 

[Renomaan]

My system came with clear ploy lines...I needed longer so I bought reinforced line from Hobre Depot..I only want to do things once and for $10 extra bucks..Ill buy better than was supplied

 

[smurfslayer]

what he said. the stock hose might work ok, if the compressor is right next to the horns. I think you get 2x 4’ sections of hose. The compressors aren’t weather proof and have to be mounted vertically.

I wish someone made direct drive with decent psi.

BTW - with the wolo 808c’s hooked up, there was a noticeable lag in the horn blast, the marco compressors were just better in every aspect.