| Author | Message | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
By "old guys" I mean, with knowledge bread by experience, and wisdom resulting from the same, with a side-dish of education. Age is irrelevant. Don't be offended. At almost 49, my son thinks I'm an "old guy", and the experience to justify the title will catch up with me soon enough. It is meant respectfully... in most cases.  I have an Eagle 05. The floor in front of the drivers seat sits at *almost* a 45 degree angle. Today I tore it out and began restoring in preparation for a new floor and dash. The framework prevents me from changing that angle without major reconstruction. Put a stereotypical, linkage-type accelerator pedal on that angle and it sits almost vertical, as it was when I bought the bus. That really raises hell with the ankle and calf muscle on long trips. I always took my shoe off and wrapped my toes around the top of the, very long, pedal and let the weight of my leg on the heel help with depression of the beast. I am not energetic enough to install an air throttle system when the throttle cable is in such good shape. Does anyone know of a pedal available with a shorter throw that will sit at a closer-to-horizontal angle. I can't find one, but I have not yet achieved full "old guy" status. Thanks so kindly, bob | ||
| mel 4104 Rating: N/A |
Bob you might want to rethink about an air throttle, i was like you and hated to get rid of my cable systembut changed mine out 6-7 years ago and boy was i bumd keeping the old system no more leg stress at the end of the day driving and very easy to install and maintain. worked well for me. this way you can run the plastic air line where ever you want to get around items to get to the engine | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A |
Go air. For real. Gary | ||
| Juan Navarro (Jnavarro)
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What Mel and Gary said. I have air on my 4104 and love it. no stress on your leg. Cheers, Juan '53 PD4104 | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
OK... Air sounds like the way to go. I was thinking it was a pain to install on the engine side. Don't know why. Thanks. Anyone using air for shifting their automatic? How's that to install? | ||
| BrianMCI Rating: N/A |
I'm actually not any older than you Bob, but in any case it see it as a problem of throw length. If you require all of the throw this pedal height gives you, then about the only thing you can do would be to raise the heel pivot and make a platform for the pedal to sit, and your heel to rest on ... not a satisfactory solution. However if the throw length is short enough and the cable ends are adjustable, you might be able to shorten the cable enough on both ends to lower the pedal to a more managable height. Another solution would be to lower the attachment point for the cable housing end, lowering the attachment point will lower the pedal, and if you lower it so that the full length of throw stops 1/2 inch above the floor, it ought to make for a very comfortable pedal height. How to lower the attachment point will depend on how it's attached now, of course, and I'm not familiar with your coach, so I can't help you there... I really don't see a change in pedals helping you with this... Brian | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary)
Rating: N/A |
the air servo on the engine side is pretty easy to cob up. the biggest pain IMO is running the line/hose. It's meen many moon since I even looked at an air shifter, but I remember them reminding me of a ratchet shifter, run by a little air ram, controlled electrically. the controls to the driver's station are elecrical, not air. It's entireley possible I halucinated the whole thing though, so I take no responsibility. Gary | ||
| Ray Lala (Rayshound)
Rating: N/A |
I did the air shifter. It's a stone Bennent, I took it off of a transit bus. I installed it on my allison 740-ht. Not much to install just like above the hardest part is running the cable. It is a belden type multi conductor wire. Mount the switch plate with the switch & a led that displays drive, nut, rev. etc. The switch plate needs 12 or 24 vdc You can get them both ways. On the transmission end the aluminum shift block bolts with a bracket to the pan bolts. The linkage to the transmission bell crank is hooked up, you hook-up your 8 conductor cable & a 1/4" air line. Tom Hall has a display of the system on his BBS. Hope this helps. Ray | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Cool! Thanks everyone! I wanted to be lazy about it and stay with the cables, but I think I am convinced to go with the air throttle and the remote shifter. Maybe my wife will buy me the gadgets for Christmas. I saw the shifter thingy and air throttle on Toms site. Looks easy enough, but I always say that and it turns out to be a bit of a problem. I already have a new dash from RM Fiberglass. I tore out the old drivers seat, floor and dash. The only part of the bus I had not yet touched. The deeper I went, the deeper I discovered I had to go. The whole front end is pretty much stripped clean now. It's a good time to make upgrades. I am considering all electronic, digital gauges too. Staying with the pneumatic wipers though. | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
Bob.. my '50 Merc. has digital guages.(nice)...just remember to order matching sending units from the same company... | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
I didn't think about that Twodogs. i'll have to be sure to do it. Here's a quick air-throttle question for whomever would care to contribute... When I start the bus I like to bring the RPMs up just a little to pump the air up quicker and because she idols with low oil pressure. The fast idol does not work until I have full air pressure. I am assuming that an air-throttle will not work until there is pressure. What do I do? | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
fix all your air leaks so your bus will hold air....then your air throttle will work all the time...or you can plumb the air throttle into a small (maybe a 10" tank) that is isolated from the rest of the bus with a check valve... that way the tank would always have air pressure... | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
You mean the vice grips I have pinching off all the disconnected air lines could be leaking?? Good point. | ||
| Derek (Derek_l)
Rating: N/A |
Whoa whoa whoa. You mean vice grips can leak? Are you using the brand name, or the no-name crap? I would seriously investigate this treason of tooling... Leaking vice grips, what next?! | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Well, there you have it! I bought the Vice Grips at K-Mart. Ya' get what ya' pay for I guess. They priobably have leaks built right into them Planned obsolescence ya' know. | ||
| pete hyser (4501pete)
Rating: N/A |
OLD GUYS? | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Yeah... Full of wisdom and experience with years of real-world education. | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Note: I did not include the phrase "& Gals", in the same sentence with the word "old". A guy could really get in trouble for that transgression. | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Prolly bought "vice grabs" by mistake. | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
On a more serious note, this bus had a ton of air lines that weren't hooked up to anything. They're everywhere! I haven't finished tracing the destination of all of them yet. When I do, I'll bet I will be able to eliminate some of the air loss. I think it better to inspect and repair the entire system, than tour the country with leaky channel locks dangling like dingleberries under my bus. | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A |
The King cruise control has an electrically operated fast idle. Needs no air to operate and is a great cruise control system. Richard | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks Richard. That sounds like the answer. I will look into it. You wouldn't happen to have a link would you? | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
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Sorry, can not find one. I believe thay are in Milwaukee, WI but do not know for sure. Richard | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A |
You could try the following, Bob. Craig Bartyzal King Controls 952-922-6889 HTH Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher | ||
| Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A |
Great! I'll give Craig a try. I am so bummed out about the way the holidays are slowing down my progress. The freezing rain doesn't help either. Maybe I can spend the time shopping for parts. |