| Author |
Message |
john david lebrun (Davidlebrun)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 11:08 am: | |
We got the bus yesterday, and were bring it home,
10 miles from the house, the lights when out and
my wife saw sparks pouring out of the engine bay.
The bus is now setting on the side of the road, and I have a tow service coming to pick it up, and Monday their going to take it too Paul's garage (Luke say they were trustworthy).
Anyway what's the correct towing procdure for the bus, I understand disconnect the drive shaft. The maintance manual say's to also chain up the front axle, anything else.
Thanks
David |
Brian (Bigbusguy)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 2:03 pm: | |
Dont chain up the front axle lift it from the front axle . Or use a low boy type trailer.
Air up the bus and make sure they know how to release the brakes. Most towing Co. will pull the axles I would be there to make sure somthing is covering the axle holes so not dirt gets in.
Are you sure the sparks was from the electral?
My bus has sparks comming out the exhust from unburned carbon that burned out after 20 miles or so of hard driving.
I soulds like your going to have a hard time with a old bus if you have to have it towed every time somthing goes wrong . It can be a normal thing to have to do little things all the time to a older bus to keep it going until you work all the bugs out.
Its a good idea to have a shop give it a good look over. But you should have tools and some know how to fix little things or you will not get very far. Or learn how.
Dont take this the wrong way but its the way it will be with a older bus or any bus.
Brian 4905 Oregon? |
john david lebrun (Davidlebrun)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 5:47 pm: | |
Brian;
Not taking your comments the wrong way, but I think we went into this with our eye's open.
I still think we got a basicly a good bus, never been in a wreck, buckheads never repaired, engine with 5,000 miles on a inframe overhaul and rebuilt transmission.
In looking at the bus this morning, I noticed a wire from the starter solenoid was fried, in looking at the wiring diagram, I think this wire runs to the voltage regulator field terminal. Unless I'm wrong, wouldn't be the first time, this would keep the voltage regulator from charging the batteries from being charged. We needed a jump start on the way home yesterday, so maybe this is the problem with the charging.
As to the sparks the wife saw them coming from the center portion of the bumper and when we stopped the engine bay had smoke in it, so no I don't think the sparks were from the exhaust.
Our plan on the bus is to get the bus drive line in good shape and get the unit back on to some type of manintance schd. My experince with old airplanes and hydrulic turbines, are that with good upkeep, old equipment can be very reliable.
The most unreliable systems always seeem to be the electrical, 40 year old wiring tends to get brittle, but we'll deal with that as it occurs.
Anyway on the way home this bus pulled all the hills on I81 from NC to PA in 4th gear at between 60-65 mph, power to weight, I think the bus only weights 24,200 lbs.
So we'll get it back on the road shorty, and start the proccess of getting things straight.
Hell, when the tow operator pulled his airline out of the dry tank, water everywere, no drain valve in the tank just a plug. So if none of the air tanks have been drain on a regular basis, I would think we would be looking at having to overhaul, or replace some the control valves, just part of the process.
Thanks for respond
David |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2005 - 6:38 am: | |
"water everywere, no drain valve in the tank just a plug."
One of the least expensive upgrades will be to install a cable pull for the tanks, at $8.00 each at the truck store.
If the wiring is a problem its probably from a "mechanic" messing with it.
Again a better upgrade than R&R the imbecile coach volts regulator is a better one that actually monitors the battset , rather than just pumping out a fixed voltage.
There are lots of cheap up grades as you return to a functioning mechanically reliable coach .
Eg , when you check the brakes and re pack the wheel bearings , new seals are cheap , and the newer synthetic grease does the best job at very low outlay.
Your 06 will be just under 20,000 lb with seats out and air cond compressor and huge heater removed.With 190-200 or so HP at he rear wheels the power to weight ratio is as good as it gets.
Enjoy the "Sports Car of Coaches!and welcome to a great hobby.
FAST FRED |
mel 4104
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2005 - 10:27 am: | |
John you say that your wife seen sparks from the center of the coach , are they still visagle when you pulled the bus to the side of the road and if so were they coming from the bumper side or the bulk head side of the bus engine. as this is a DD 8v71 you do not need any 24v power to the coach . you can disconect the feed to the starter sel this means all wires and the use a jumper cable with a different set of charged batteries and you can get it started and it will runso that you can drive it home that is if there is no engine trouble mechaically wrong. also check for loose wires on the starter before you go much farther. |
Stan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2005 - 2:44 pm: | |
Mel: If a 4905 has a solenoid valve for shutdown, that valve has to be energized to run the engine unless you blank off the air line going to the governor. |
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