| Author | Message | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
Does anyone know a good cheap diesel mechanic in the Brooksville, Florida area? My bus is close to Hwy 50 and I-75. I got my bus yesterday from the Gainesville RTS bus yard. It's not perfect, but for $2,500 bucks, how perfect can you expect? When we started it at the yard, it started right up, ran fine, no problems. We revved it up and held it at a high idle for a while. Nothing bad to report. Max speed is 65mph, so I held 65mph on I-75. We stopped at one truck stop not far from the bus yard, and fueled up. No problems up to here. The A/C didn't work, the windows aren't sliders, so I was driving with the toll window and front door open.. It was still hot. We stopped after an hour, so I could cool off. I noticed oil drips on the rear bumper. When we opened the engine door, we saw the bad news. Oil splattered all over the left side of the engine. There's some one the right side too, but not as bad. We were 1 gallon low on oil at this point. We topped off the oil, and got back on our way. Obviously, I need to get this oil leak fixed before I can drive it any more.. Does anyone have suggestions on mechanics in Brooksville? I'm guessing that it's some of the seals. It had sat for a year, and has quite a few miles on it, so the seals probably dried, cracked, and now are leaking. That's the biggest problem. The steering is a little loose, which will have to be addressed eventually. It's only about 5 to 10 degrees of play in the steering wheel. It also needs 4.10 gears, so I don't have to block traffic on the interstates. I'm not positive that I'm keeping the rear doors, but I'm strongly leaning towards it. They kinda need to be replaced. The glass in one is cracked, and they're both dented a little. I guess someone didn't swing that right turn as well as they thought they were doing.  If anyone happens to have a spare pare of doors for an '82 GMC RTS, I'll be more than happy to take them off your hands. They need to be the curved doors though, I don't want the square ones. The second biggest problem is how freakin' dirty it is inside. It'll be better once we rip out the entire inside. I was nervous about driving it at first. I think I've mentioned on here, that I've driven up to the 26' moving vans, but nothing bigger. This was a hell of a lot easier than a loaded moving van. Well, I've driven some U-Haul's and Ryders in really pathetic condition. 90 degrees of play in the steering, barely running engines, brakes that don't actually stop.. By the time I was out of the bus yard (the whole 1 minute of driving), I knew I'd have no problems. Between the bus yard and highway, there was construction, where they had cones on the left side, and a cement curb on the right side. I didn't knock over any cones, nor hit the curb. I did rub it a little, because they were unloading some equipment that hung over into traffic a little. When we got to our destination, I had to back in a dirt driveway a couple hundred feet, and swing into a spot that had a tree overhanging it. One of the guys watching wanted to bet $50 that I couldn't do it. I offered a $1 bet, just to keep it friendly. I got it, first try. I'll post pictures later. | ||
| Phil Smith
Rating: N/A |
On the oil leaks. The best way to find them is to clean the engine and compartment pretty good, maybe a power washer or whatever. Then drive it around a bit. Check it for leaks and see where the source(s) are. Most of the time it will be obvious where the oil is coming from. THen go thru that 'clean and drive' cycle again and again until you've narrowed it down to the 'slobber tubes'. At that point, you can decide the 'health' of the engine. Lots of slobber means oil is getting past the rings(oil control) or some seeping blower seals. What you want to do is eliminate all the easy stuff first. What engine do you have? Being an '82, it's probably a 6v92T. Hopefully an MUI, not a DDEC. Have fun and be aware of the RTS board on yahoo for more specific RTS info. Phil in AZ. ( RTS ).. | ||
| David Hartley (Drdave)
Rating: N/A |
JW, The Southeast Cruisers Rally will be at Brooksville from Thursday thru Sunday at the Hernando Airport. Bring it by and let me look at what you have and maybe I can help steer you in the right direction. I have an 83 and lots of experience with oil leaks and may be able to spot why yours is belching oil. There will be quite a few Bus Nuts there also that you can talk to. I will be in my MC9.. David.... | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Rating: N/A |
As of last night, we have 40 coaches registered for this rally. Best days to come by are Friday or Saturday. Some won't arrive until Thursday PM or Friday AM. Most start pulling out on Sunday AM. Hernando Coujnty Airport is a few miles south of Brooksville on US 41. Jack | ||
| jlvickers Rating: N/A |
(a good cheap diesel mechanic) I have never found a diesel mechanic like that. Most are costly if they are good. About 5 or 6 miles north of Brooksville,FL on US-98 there use to be a diesel engine place on the right I can not remember the name of the place. (Ring Power)? comes to mind. Do you live Hernando county? Florida 50&I-75 area jlv | ||
| Pete/RTS Daytona (Pete_rtsdaytona)
Rating: N/A |
Hi Two Guys John Tucker and Jacky (Beau) Grimes Both RTS mechanics have a shop in Astatula Fl (about 75 miles from you) give John a call - his cell# is (---407---325---2525---) Both good guys - may even have access to 4.55 flex punpkins 4.55 were very common in Flexs and the Pumpkin (chuck) is ALMOST identical - the flex rear is missing the hole in the outer casing tab to secure the RTS parking brake - It's my understanding that all you have to do is drill the big mounting whole in the tab - RTS's (unlike Flex's have the E-brake on the drive shaft. Also get the Flex PTO alternator mounting braket to mount your 12v supplemental alternator Tell them Pete from a Daytona sent you Pete RTS/Daytona | ||
| Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat)
Rating: N/A |
The best "Cheap" diesel mechanic will turn out to be yourself... At least for me, a big part of buying a bus and converting it is in gaining understanding of how every little piece of it works, and becoming familiar with every little doodah on a firsthand basis. Unless you're rich, buying a bus and sticking in some nice woodwork, and calling it done, is probably a quick road to disaster and roadside emergencies. Take the time to clean your engine, restart it and find the leak, then fix it yourself. You'll get lots of help from the guys here, as we all have been there. Then you'll have learned a bit more about your engine and it won't be as scary the next time. Buy some manuals for your engine. Study them. Find out what all the parts that you see stuck to it do, Follow the hoses, identify them and learn what they're for, and how/when/why to replace them. Ask questions on the bus boards. Eventually you'll have a better feel for things about your engine and how to repair many of them without having to resort to calling mechanics and having your bus towed. Hee hee, that said from someone who has loads of mechanical skills, but has now experienced blown engines on three busses and had to have the last one towed... you can know what you know but Murphy, it seems, often has better ideas... | ||
| ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A |
Nicely put, Gary. | ||
| JR Rating: N/A |
Go easy with the pressure washer. If you jam the wand up against valve cover gaskets, blower boots, and any other viton or rubber gasketed area, you'll likely force water into the engine. Then you'll really have a mess. Get you some good degreaser, soak the engine, and spray it off with a garden hose...or steam clean the engine. Be careful with adding oil to 2 strokes when stopping at rest stops. They take a right good amount of time for the oil to drip back into the pan. Very likely, if there's any oil on the dipstick, you may not need any more...check the oil after it sits overnight and see what you have. Keep the coach level when checking the oil. A little oil looks like a larger problem than it may be. Maybe not. I should state, that running out of oil is very bad also. I went thru the same thing will an oil leak, dumped in oil and brought if back up...promptly pumped out more oil. Had 6 gallons of oil with me, and continued on my 500 mile trip. Only used 1 gallon, but the rear of the bus was black with oil and road grime. I ended up pulling the engine and installing a rear seal and wear ring. Solved most of oil control issues, so far. Didn't leak if driven below 55 MPH. Only an interstate leak. JR | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
Guys, Thanks!!!!!!! I'll try to make it to the rally. You'll laugh though, this bus is nasty inside. I see right through it, to what can be done, but you won't want to sit on the seats, unless you like getting really dirty. I'll be the guy with the bone-stock white RTS, with all the stickers peeled off the side, and (hopefully) the seats removed. From what I understand of Florida law, if the bus is seated for more than 15 people, I'm not suppose to be driving it, so I have to yank the seats out before I drive it. I kinda ignored that on the 100 mile drive on Monday. I need to pick up an air compressor for the bus. My regular one is in California, but I brought my impact gun and air wrachet and a hose (25', I think). I figured I could buy the rest here. Like, I don't own enough tools already.... Gary, ya, I know exactly what you're talking about. I stopped taking my cars to shops for most things. I'll do most anything to a car, if I have the time. I can always do it better and cheaper, and I'll know it was done right if I did it. If something's half-assed, it's because *I* did it, and it's a decision *I* made. I rarely half-ass much. If I don't go with the original equipment, I'm upgrading, which I love doing. Blowing up a few engines is par for the course. It just feels more personal when its your own work that breaks. Anyone else would just bitch that their car/truck/bus broke, and bitch about the price to get it fixed. We're still trying to figure out where to work on the bus. I was pretty much set on doing everything out here in Florida. My girlfriend wants me to bring it back to California as soon as it's servicable on the highway. That would be: 1) fix the oil leak 2) fix the steering play 3) get the rear end gears 4) mount the generator temporarly 5) get the A/C on, at least temporarly. She's looking for a shop environment for me to work on it in. She found one, that sounded great. They seem to have all the heavy tools (fork lift, benches & tools, shop air, etc, etc), but their ad says $500 for larger vehicles. I don't know if larger is like a pickup truck compared to a subcompact car, or if a 40' bus still only qualifies as "larger". She's going to call tomorrow, and see what the rates really are. I'm split on it. I know the Tampa area, this is where I lived for a long time. She knows LA, but doesn't know anything in this realm. All my tools and crap are in LA, but I gave away the big stuff when I moved a few years ago (air compressor, air tools, engine stand, cherry picker, bigger jacks, etc, etc) I'm a bit out of my element working on big diesel motors, but I look at it, and recognize most of the parts. A filter is a filter. A blower is a blower. Gas or diesel, the general function is still the same. Air goes in one end, and goes out the other. The fuel heats it, and through that expansion rotates the crank. Everything else supports that process. It's just that everything here is on a MUCH bigger scale. | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
Oh, and about me and the bus... The bus is living in Brooksville (50 and I75). I live.. well.. Wherever there's a bed to sleep in. I'm typically spread between the Los Angeles area, and the Tampa area. Tonight, I'll be a resident of Brandon. This weekend, we'll see where I end up.. I may be a resident of the rally, sleeping in the dirty back of my bus. Aparently, by the number of miles I've driven in the last three days, I'm a resident of my car, even though I haven't slept there yet. 600 miles in 3 days should be mileage for a road trip, not just running around like a madman. If you think that's confusing, try telling that to my friends, who try to figure out what state or country I may be in. | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
Hi everyone. I'm posting here, in case any of you go back to this thread.. I'm not going to make it to the rally. I was worried about driving it with the oil leak. I was really afraid that the oil may catch on fire on the outside of the block, and then I'd be screwed. My friend and I worked on the bus pretty much solid all day today. We quit around 6pm, and I drove back to another friends house in Brandon, where my clean clothes were. The inside of the air ducts were disgusting. They were black. I feel sorry for anyone who tried to breathe on that bus. The seats are all unbolted, and all but 6 are already at the dump. The handrails are gone. The A/C ductwork on the passenger side is gone. We were still working on the drivers side ductwork. In the process of cutting wires on the passenger side, it seems I cut some wire that was a control for the rear door, so it now requires releaseing the emergency release to purge air pressure to the door so it can open. I'll hunt down those wires another day. With the heavy engine control wiring harness just dangling in space, I didn't really want to drive it. I was worried that bouncing on a road may make enough tension, and break the wires.. I also didn't want to put them back, because it was enough work to get them down in the first place. I'll hook up with you guys another time, I'm sure.. How often are these rallies? | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Rating: N/A |
The SE Cruisers next rally will be in May at Sebring, FL. You can go to www.cruiser-magazine.com for more information about our club and upcoming rally locations. | ||
| H3-40 Rating: N/A |
Jack what are the dates for the May Rally? I went to the web site you mentioned but there are no dates for the May event unless of course it's covered up by the surprise menu! Can anyone attend or is this club members only? I filled out the club form about a month ago but never got a reply! Hmm, ya'll trying to tell me something? LOL Ace | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Rating: N/A |
Ace, The SE Cruisers May rally will be be May 19,20,21. at Lake Josephine Campground in Sebring. Rally is open to members and quest. All are welcome to attend as my guest (with advance registration). I don't know what happened to your application. You can print an application from the website, complete and mail to me if you want to join our club. Because the club is a chapter of the FMCA, FMCA membership is required to be a member of the SE Cruisers. Jack | ||
| H3-40 Rating: N/A |
I've been a member of FMCA for a couple three years now so that's not a problem! I'll fill it out again and get it to you asap! Ace | ||
| H3-40 Rating: N/A |
Jack I see they clearewd the viewing of the May rally on the web site but did they also raise the rally fee from $50 to $62? If so, why is that? Ace | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Rating: N/A |
Ace, The Campground raised the camping fees since last year and cost of food for the meals has increased. Jack PS: we will probably go over on Wednesday when Pauls gets off work. (Well, SOMEONE in the family has to work LOL). |