| Author |
Message |
Ross Carlisle (Ross) (207.88.97.38)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 6:53 pm: | |
Are the inner panels under the windows structural? I've heard that they are, but they are held on with aluminum pop rivets some of wich are loose or missing. How can these panels be structural?
Thanks...Ross |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.154.204.131)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 8:37 pm: | |
Check the rivets and you should find, if they are original MCI rivets, that the mandrel is still in the rivet, meaning that the rivets have very high shear strength. If they are loose, that means that the panel is shifting. Logical conclusion is: that the panel is needed to help stop the movement that loosened the rivets. If the bus has a million miles it is not unusual to find loose rivets. It's time to replace them to ensure the designed integrity of the shell. On the other hand, lots of people will tell you they don't make a bit of difference. Usage as a motorhome at 10,000 miles a year IS a lot different than 125,000 miles a year as a bus. You may be able to get away without the inner panels in use as a motorhome. You shouldn't try it if it is to continue in use as a commercial bus. Your choice, your bus, as Fast Fred would say, "do it your way". My way would be to keep the panels and put the rivets back in and have a structurally sound bus. If they weren't needed, you can bet MCI never would have put them in there. Think of the money they would have saved without the interior panels. Just another opinion.
Jim |
Ross Carlisle (Ross) (207.88.96.147)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 8:44 pm: | |
Thanks Jim....
You're right. Opinions vary on the subject. I want to remove the panels so I can atleast inspect the frames underneath them. Maybe I'll just remove and reinstall with new rivets one at a time.
Ross |
Jim Ashworth (Jimnh) (172.154.204.131)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 08, 2002 - 8:52 pm: | |
Buy the rivets from MCI. Hardware store variety does not retain the mandrel and have only 10% of the shear strength of the MCI rivets. Pretty much useless rivets in this situation if they don't have the mandrel left in them.
Jim |
Jim Nelson (166.90.108.147)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 9:26 pm: | |
Aircraft rivets are another option - Cherry & Monobolt aircraft rivets are what we use at Greyhound, since they are much cheaper in the quantities needed for major rework than MCISP's prices. Another option is to plug-weld steel panels in place of the inner panelling - that's what is done in the E4500 & G4500, from what I've seen. It takes a bit more work, but is an option if you have no ready source of aircraft hardware. |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior) (64.229.208.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2002 - 1:31 am: | |
The MCI maintenance/parts manuals detail exactly which kinds of rivets are needed for absolutely every rivet on the bus. Extensively detailed pictures showing what goes where.
They are identified by their supplier names, size and type. Cherry rivets figure prominently.
I'll concur that alternative sources to MCI Service Parts may give you a better price. Once you know what you are looking for, a few phone calls to the jobbers will set you straight.
happy coaching!
buswarrior |