| Author |
Message |
Howard Berman (68.84.47.234)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 6:19 am: | |
I have tried to clean the cable on my 4104 with little luck. The cable looks to be good(no kinks or shredded areas). I am now thinking that it must be the housing. Before I try to replace parts or the housing(BIG JOB), how about using 1/8" stainless cable and the clamps that are used on motorcycle cables?? This would be thinner than the existing cable and go through the ends that are on the bus now.
Any thoughts??
Howard
PDP4104-4139
Near Phila, PA |
Tom Connolly (Tomconnolly) (64.58.196.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 8:58 am: | |
Howard,
Here is how I cleaned my cable when it stuck on a trip about 12 years ago, it has worked flawlessly since!
I removed the inner cable and coiled it up in a five gallon bucket, and siphoned diesel fuel from the 4104 fuel tank covering the cable (about ½ bucket full) I let it soak while I held a funnel on the outer cable at the engine and poured diesel in-to it (lots of diesel) then I fed the inner cable back in-to the outer cable while scrubbing it with a diesel soaked scotch-brite, then I pulled the inner cable back and forth for several minutes to clean the inside of the outer cable, then I removed the inner cable and soaked it again while I poured more fuel in-to the outer cable and repeated the re-insertion / back and forth, finally with clean fuel I soaked and cleaned the outer cable again and poured clean fuel in-to the outer cable and blew it through with my air nozzle catching the bulk of the mess in the front compartment with rags, I repeated this several times. When I was satisfied that I had removed all the old dried gunk I lubed the inner cable with a runny mix of synthetic motor oil and grease as I fed it back in. This sounds like a big deal but in fact I diagnosed the problem and completed the service/repair in a convenience store parking lot in less than 2 hours, with my wife’s help!
Hope this helps you, Tom C |
TWO DOGS (65.179.193.77)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 9:31 am: | |
GREAT...diesel has MANY uses...I always use it to wash parts...have seen truckdrivers put their smashed or cut hand in the fuel tank....if I have an old car that the engine has 'stuck' in...I remove the spark plugs put 1/2 pt. in each cylinder ,let it sit for a day or so ...& turn that baby over (WITH the plugs out)
DIESEL THE UNIVERSAL TOOL |
Sam Sperbeck (204.248.119.254)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 11:38 am: | |
Hi Howard,
I am not trying to insult your inteligence, and take this for what you are paying for it, but are you sure the problem is in the cable? I thought my sticking throttle was caused by the cable, it wasn't. It was caused by the throttle pedal pivot. In Minnesota we normally don't use our bus for 6-7 months and the shaft the pedal pivots on rusted enough to cause the pedal to bind. My solution was to spray penetrating oil on it and work it back and forth until it was free. On our 4106 (may be different on a 4104) there is an 1/8" pipe plug in the pedal at the pivot point and I removed that plug and installed a grease fitting in its place. I had to apply all the pressure I could on the grease gun and work the pedal back and forth to get it to take grease but that was the end of my sticking throttle. This winter the same problem happened on the Prevost we are working on and I knew where to look right away. It was the throttle pedal sticking. I hesitated about posting this because this may not be your problem but I thought it might help someone else. Best of luck solving your problem.
Thanks, Sam Sperbeck
La Crescent, MN |
Doug (68.82.242.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 1:06 pm: | |
the bearing in the bell crank on the governor went south on my 04.....felt like stuck throttle cable..... operate the bell crank by hand with engine running and see what happens |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 2:06 pm: | |
and the best solution ::: replace it all complete with an air throttle... www.ronthebusnut.com.....i did on my 5105.... best $200 ive ever spent.... |
Doug (68.83.22.144)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 4:26 pm: | |
I for one do not care for the air throttle. no feel to them....... guess I'm a young guy from the old school |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 5:10 pm: | |
i'm a young guy too...45....but i was faced with replacing the throttle cable/linkage on the '54 gm tdh5105 i bought....there are maybe 3 different pivot pionts, 3 pieses of cable, 3-4 robber covers... and a foot pedal.. all in the 1st 5 feet of thebus... and it all was rusty/stuck/broken....so the air throttle was the best way for me to go...i really like it... it does require a return spring for help... but its great!!! |
Doug (68.83.22.144)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 7:01 pm: | |
perhaps if I was comfronted with a non maintained throttle cable in a bus I purchased I might......my cable slides like a hot knife through butter though.....and has great actual mechanical feel too not fake feel.
I'd have to look but I beleive I have one cable not sectioned in my 04 |
John Rigbyj (66.25.227.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 10:20 pm: | |
Howard
Your problem could be a rusted out bend. As the tube leaves the rear it makes to 90deg bends, I have heard of one of these bends rusting though. Do you have a book to look and see the connection points. check it by pushing the cable in and out through the rear tube. You may have to replace the tube? If you dont have a manual, tekebird has them at a reasonable price.You will need one.
John |
FAST FRED (65.154.177.182)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 5:36 am: | |
Diesel is a great penitrating oil , but leaves a residusl aroma.
I have used PB Blaster to clean the cable chase and it too works fine ,
Blow out with air .
Tefflon grease works great after you get the chase clean,
T grease works to 50 below and is nice & slippery.
Worked for me,
FAST FRED |
Howard Berman (68.84.47.234)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 5:48 am: | |
Thanks to everyone for the advise. I have determined that it is the cable not the linkage. Next is to look at the bend over the wheels. Then I can decide what to to.(Fix or Air Throttle)
Thanks
Howard Berman
PDP4104-4139
Near Phila, PA |
Jim Wilke (12.46.52.74)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 2:47 pm: | |
Howard, I had the same problem. Cable would only move about 3/4 inch & would stick in open throttle position (Exciting!). The 4104 outer tube is made in sections of brass tubing with flare fitting connections about every 3 feet. If the cable is sticking or hanging up in the tube, most likely your problem is in the last section just in front of the engine. That's where the bends are (not over the wheels) and where the grease cooks out from the radiator & manifold/muffler heat. That's where it will wear through if it does. Open the access hatch in the seat part of the rear seat. You will be able to remove the rear section of the tube. Be careful with it as it is brass & will break or kink VERY easily.
Clean as described above. Lube & reassemble. You WILL need the adjustment section from the 4104 manual to set it up right. It will perform flawlessly for another 42 years! I did mine about 4 years ago & it is great! For one thing, I can throttle up as soon as I start it, not wait till it builds air. (4104 tends to lose air because when stopped, air is always applied to the stop piston.) I also know there are no seals to replace & the ability to make tiny throttle adjustments is very necessary if you don't have an automatic. You'll appreciate this when you want to shift outside the normal shift points & you have to gently rev or slow the engine 'till the gears will mesh.
In my opinion, the GM engineers who made the 4104 were very smart. They made the most rugged, simple, reliable bus possible. I try to stick to the original design though I sometimes have to replace a valve or relay with a current part.
Just my $.02
Jim Wilke
41044039 @ aol.com(remove spaces)
West Palm Bch, FL |
John Rigbyj (66.25.227.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 9:23 pm: | |
Jim
Nice to read from a fellow believer on just how well the GM coaches were engineered and built.
John |