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Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member
Username: Sean
Post Number: 693
Registered: 1-2003
Posted From: 162.6.240.134
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 7:27 pm: | |
In case anyone has not yet heard, my power steering pump has blown a shaft seal, and we've been dumping hydraulic fluid into the engine crankcase (read all about it here: http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-readers-to-rescue.html). A quick engine oil change, coupled with changing to 15W-40 in the steering system, has averted disaster and allowed us to fulfill our mission with the American Red Cross ("because Help can't wait..."). However, we will soon be finished with our relief operation here in Beaverton, Oregon, and we will need to get the pump repaired or replaced before we drive too much further.
Unfortunately, it will be pushing up against Christmas when we finish here, so I suspect we will be more or less stuck here through the holidays.
In any case, we are looking for a shop in the Pacific Northwest that can do the work. The closer to Portland, Oregon, the better, since we're loath to drive it this way any further than we have to. It also must be a shop that will allow us to live aboard while the work is in progress -- especially if the pump will need to be sent out to a rebuilder. Any and all recommendations are welcome.
For the record, yes, I am already familiar with Southern Oregon Diesel in the Roseburg area. That's a bit further than we'd like to drive from here, if at all possible. Also, David Gregory is, I think, in Mexico at the moment, and he's been reluctant to work on Odyssey in the past. Also for the record, I do not have the means to remove and replace the pump myself, nor do I know if it is a Vickers, Eaton, or some other make of pump. It's not really possible to get to it without a pit or a lift.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions. You can email me directly, but posting them here will benefit more people.
-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com |
Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member
Username: Luvrbus
Post Number: 212
Registered: 8-2006
Posted From: 74.33.62.149
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 7:55 pm: | |
Sean David set me to a outfit in Eugene to have work done on my Eagle steering sorry can't recall the name but Dennis will know and they have a 50amp service also for buses
(Message edited by luvrbus on December 13, 2007) |
joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member
Username: Joemc7ab
Post Number: 183
Registered: 6-2004
Posted From: 66.38.159.33
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 11:52 pm: | |
Sean
Get hold of Mark Renner, he is very close to Portland and had a bus garage nearby.
Joe. |
Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member
Username: Prevost82
Post Number: 355
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 208.181.210.47
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 2:02 am: | |
Sean you could try DD
Pacific Detroit Diesel Allison Inc
www.pacificdda.com
600 S 56th Pl
Ridgefield, WA 98642
Ph 360-887-7400 |
Mark Renner (Boomer)
Registered Member
Username: Boomer
Post Number: 75
Registered: 11-2006
Posted From: 12.180.53.193
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 12:45 pm: | |
Sean, further to my direct email to you on the pump: The closest shop to you that I could recommend is Hillsboro Diesel, right next to Beaverton. Speak with Rick or Ozzie. They are great folks with decades of 2 stroke experience. Tell them I referred you. Their shop is kinda tight, and in all honesty they may be too busy, or just not want to work on your bus, but I have seen buses in their shop many times. 503-640-4669. They don't have a pit or column lifts, probably use ramps.
You might also try Raz Transportation. Talk to Brian Reid, Director of Maintenance; 503-684-3322. They are a large bus company located (in a tight place) in Tigard, just off Hwy 99. Brian will work on outside coaches from time to time, and if you have a Vickers pump (I'm sure you do) he probably will have one. They have column lifts at their shop.
Thirdly, you could always go to Pacific Power up at Ridgefield. They are the DD distributor and have pits, lifts, etc. Expect to pay a lot, but all the resources are there. 360-887-7400.
As I mentioned, I would be very surprised if you do not have a Vickers pump on your 8V92. Previously, I mailed you the Vickers distributor info. Or you could have MCI Service Parts get one coming to you. The MCI part number is: 11G-9-1. Request a gasket with it.
Another option: I have a good servicable Eaton power steering pump, RH rotation, for a V92 DD. I will GIVE this pump to you (deliver it over to you too!) in exchange for some technical assistance with my electrical and hydronic system. You can email me direct or post here. Hope this helps. |
Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member
Username: Sean
Post Number: 694
Registered: 1-2003
Posted From: 162.6.228.172
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 5:13 pm: | |
Thanks, everyone.
I did already speak with Rick at Hillsboro Diesel, on a recommendation from Jerry Liebler (on the other board). They don't have a pit or lifts, and ramps won't work with our setup (plus I understand they don't really want to work on buses). They did refer me to a local rebuilder, Pro Steering. Pro Steering can turn the pump around in a day or so for $200-$400 depending on model and condition. I also called, on recommendation of both of those folks, Northwest Truck Repair, but they don't have a pit either.
I will call Raz next, and cross my fingers.
And, Mark, thanks for the pump offer -- I will keep that option in reserve if I need it. I'm happy to help with your electrical/hydronic in any case, and, if you're back up in the Pacific NorthWet, we should at least get together for a chat over lunch or something. Just as soon as we can break loose from the Red Cross here.
Keep the suggestions coming -- we've probably got a week or so before we can get this done anyway.
-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com |
bill chisholm (Billybandman)
Registered Member
Username: Billybandman
Post Number: 128
Registered: 2-2001
Posted From: 198.236.64.24
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 5:36 pm: | |
Sean,
Hardy Diesel right next to Jubitz Truck stop in North Portland can do that. Talk to Ed Hardy.
Bill |
Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member
Username: Sean
Post Number: 696
Registered: 1-2003
Posted From: 166.129.122.177
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 20, 2007 - 1:34 am: | |
Quick update on this:
Ed Hardy Diesel was willing to do the work, but there was no way to make the logistics work -- they would need to go in through the hatch in the bedroom and keep the bus for a few days while the pump was out.
Raz was willing to get us in, and we were able to get away from headquarters for a couple hours this afternoon to have them look at it enough to get a part number.
That's the good news -- the bad news was that their 16,000lb column lifts couldn't lift us. It's a four-lift set, and we're 34,000+ in the back. When the lifts registered 17,000 a piece they refused to go any higher -- the drivers were about a foot off the ground, with the tags just resting on the floor. Brian thinks he can get us in the air on his older 15,000lb lifts. Lower capacity, but not smart enough to quit when they're overloaded.
Brian was able to wriggle far enough under the bus as it was to see the pump, and it looks the same as an MCI Vickers. They ordered a brand new pump today from MCI, with whom they have a great parts contract. I think a new pump is going to cost me $240, which is less than having the old one rebuilt.
Hopefully, the pump will be here about the same time we wrap up the Red Cross operation, and we can be on the road by New Years.
So thanks to Mark and everyone who wrote in with suggestions. I'll let you all know how it comes out.
-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com |
Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member
Username: Sean
Post Number: 701
Registered: 1-2003
Posted From: 72.171.0.138
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 06, 2008 - 12:53 am: | |
Well, we have finally resolved this problem, and I thought I would report back here on the results. (The long delay had to do with the fact that we spent three weeks dealing with the flood relief operation here, after which we ran smack dab into the holidays, when getting into a shop is a challenge.)
And (drumroll please), here is what we think happened:
For whatever reason, probably just age, the fiber drive "gear" (really just a disk with four notches for a pair of dogs on the camshaft to mate with a pair of dogs on the steering pump) completely disintegrated.
Once the gear was gone, the dogs on the camshaft basically beat the heck out of the dogs on the steering pump, with the inevitable result being the failure of the shaft seal.
As you now know, we blew a bunch of ATF into the crankcase before we figured out that's where it was going, which thinned the 40-weight down to the consistency of gasoline.
The net result was that, between the debris from the gear itself, and the lack of lubricating viscosity, we toasted the bearings (which, I might add, were less than 10,000 miles old) in less than a thousand miles.
We now have a brand new Eaton/Vickers steering pump (ordered from MCI), a fresh set of 26 bearings, and fresh Delo-100 40-weight oil and things are mostly back to normal (well, my wallet is lighter). We are counting ourselves lucky not to have completely grenaded our freshly-rebuilt engine.
More detail on the pump replacement, complete with photos, is here:
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/01/our-moose-is-gone.html
More detail on the bearing replacement and discovery of the gear debris, also with photos, is here:
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/01/hunkering-down.html
It's (IMHO, of course) a good read, and I hope it will save someone else from the same fate.
In summary, we had the pump replaced at Raz transportation, the Coach USA affiliate here (who got me a great price on a new pump, thanks to their volume discount from MCI).
We then had to have the main and rod bearings replaced, at Hardy Diesel, when we went there to follow up the pump replacement with an oil change.
-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com |
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