What does 80-cylinder mean for a car air pump?
4 Answers
An air pump, also known as an inflator or air compressor, features an 80mm diameter cylinder. Below is relevant information about air pumps: 1. Working principle: An air pump, alternatively called an inflator, air compressor, or tire pump, operates through motor rotation. During air intake, atmospheric pressure opens the valve in the connecting device, allowing air to enter the cylinder. When inflating tires, the valve closes due to internal cylinder pressure, directing air into the tire. 2. Overview: Air pumps utilize atmospheric pressure principles for inflation. Their applications include automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, balls, inflatable boats, and more.
Last time before camping when I was buying an air pump, I also researched this parameter! The so-called '80 cylinder' actually refers to an 80ml cylinder capacity, equivalent to 0.08 liters. This number directly determines the inflation speed. For example, inflating an ordinary sedan's flat tire to 2.5Bar would take about 3-4 minutes with an 80-cylinder machine. Current mainstream models range from 60-150 cylinders, and choosing 80 cylinders is quite practical—it can handle SUV tires too. Remember to check the product's labeled cylinder diameter × stroke, as some merchants may exaggerate the specs. It's best to choose a model with a longer piston stroke, as it delivers more power in actual use. By the way, for cigarette lighter socket models, don't exceed 150 cylinders—it's easy to blow a fuse.
In my decade-long experience as a mechanic, I've encountered numerous cases of people purchasing the wrong air pumps. The term '80-cylinder' doesn't refer to the number of cylinders; it's a unit indicating single-cylinder displacement. Converted, this roughly corresponds to a cylinder bore diameter of about 32mm (actual size depends on product design). This specification is a bit too powerful for bicycles but just right for cars. Pay attention to power matching: an 80-cylinder pump generally works fine with a cigarette lighter socket, but for truck tires, you'll need a dual-cylinder machine. Here's another tip: opt for metal cylinder bodies. Plastic cylinders tend to crack and leak air after about six months of use – last year alone, I repaired three units for friends, all with this same issue.
Last year before the road trip, I specifically compared the parameters: the cylinder volume of an 80-cylinder pump is roughly equivalent to the size of 5 bottles of eye drops. When tested on our family SUV, it took 5 minutes to inflate a 20-inch tire from 1.8Bar to 2.6Bar, which is twice as fast as the mechanical gauge version. Don’t just focus on the cylinder parameters—for the same 80-cylinder machine, a 500W brushed motor is more powerful than a 350W brushless one, though it’s heavier. Choose one with a pressure memory function so you don’t have to repeatedly adjust the settings when inflating all four tires.
