| Author |
Message |
HondoJoe04
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:02 pm: | |
Stock type Leveling valves On my 4104 have been acting up.
One side leaking down, after a week the bus is tilted. Now it is the other way around. That left rear side is now way way high and the rite side is way low. I know I can adjust them, but was thinking of just replacing them. Or can they be EASILY be disassembled to be cleaned.
Just happened on a 100 mile run today & got home real lopped off.........
(Hey TwoDoggies, also got home & to my surprise the packaged tailpipe arrived. wow 2 days for the USPS is great. Pipe is BOOTIFUL!! Thanks again) Hondo Joe |
mel 4104
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 11:32 pm: | |
HJ, the air bags on the 04 have an air check valve on the input side and these cause lots of trouble with leveling. as you know if the front goes down then it is the front air suspension parts to look at but if it just leans to one side then it is the rear suspension parts on the leaning side that has gone down. the level adjustment on the level valve is used to set the height that the bus sits when parked as when you are driving the valves operate all the time but when you come to a stop that is when they level the bus to a pre set height. the easy thing to do is make your self up a adaptor that you can disconnect air lines and be able to air up that sectoin you want to work on and use your shop air to supply air to the suspension tank with a shut off in in so that you will have no bleed back and get out the windex or bubble bath soap and go looking for leaks. just be sure that you block the bus up good so that you can get in and out from under it if the air goes out in a hurray a pit is the best. |
Stan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 7:49 am: | |
Your leveling valves should have a short rubber exhaust tube hanging down. Stick the end of the tube in water and see if it bubbles. Bubbles show an internal leak in the valve. Valves can be repaired but are cheap to replace.
If their is no leak in the valves then follow Mel's suggestion to find a leak in the suspension. |
john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 01, 2005 - 5:05 pm: | |
I've rebuilt GM leveling valves for a 4104, 4905 by the book. Takes a fair amount of time if you have it. Since they use air suspension on a lot of trucks now, NEW leveling valves are really reasonable and I won't take the time to mess around with them any more. You can get the rebuild kits from Mohawk Industries if you are intent on fixing them. Make sure you get some of the fluid for them ( which effects the delay characteristics).Most transit campanies get a universal replacement which will work on front, rear, left or right. |
HondoJoe04
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 01, 2005 - 9:31 pm: | |
Thanks Guys, Took your advice & got new ones sent out today from CJ Bus in Bloominton,MN
They are handy for tips & parts overnite delivery.
Valves cost $55 for one $60 for other.
So much better new than taking the time & risk how they may work. Will get at it on Monday, cause I am busy now putting 2Ds tail pipe on my bus. Joe |
HondoJoe04
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 1:41 am: | |
Found the problem in the RH leveling valve. It fully raised bus, but would not releses air to lower. Loosend air-line to bag to lower.
Put new valve on & it leaked rite out of the box.
So now waiting for replacement valve.
Also found leak in fitting & fixed it. the soap bubbles worked great!! This slow leak was what lowered it down over time |
Stan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 8:58 am: | |
Hondojoe: You can buy expensive leak detector solution at the parts place that sticks better and bubbles better. A cheap alternative is kid's bubble solution. It produces large bubbles on small leaks and will foam on infitesimal leaks.
Nobody expects their tires to go flat overnight or even in a month. Busses loose air because there are leaks. If you want an airtight bus, plan on spending a lot of hours with the bubble solution.
As Mel pointed out, get yourself a piece of airline and a selection of fittings that fit the various types of fittings on your bus. On the other end put a tee with a pressure gauge and then a valve. Since some systems operate on less than tank pressure, it is helpful to have a pressure regulator on the test line. Use this to pressure up individual systems or even individual components with shop air, close the valve and wait to see if the pressure drops. If the pressure is dropping get busy with the bubble solution in a squirt bottle.
The only leak that I could not find with bubble solution was a leaking pilot valve inside the compressor. To find that one you have to remove and cap off the line going to the compressor governor. Be sure to replace the line before starting the engine. |