July 2024/August 2024
Well, it's to hot to ride and too wet to plow....so think I'll get a little maintenance and repairs done.
When we arrived home I noticed a puddle under the front of the coach.
Thinking it was just water from the wash job I had done previously.
Wrong.....it was a hydraulic oil leak coming from the steering box....and as you can see it is buried down under the chassis.
View from another angle, this ain't gonna be fun..
View from underneath the coach, looking up at a 90 pound steering box.
Now, how am I going to take the mounting bolts out while holding this monster up without dropping it on my face...
Time to call in some back-up boys....Calling Greg and Austin right about now.
After sliding the Generator tray out, removing the Remote Generator Controls Box and several other items we are ready to disconnect the pitman arm, steering shaft, hydraulic hoses, and tie a rope onto the u-joint at the steering shaft.
This is where the back-up boys come in.
And by the way, the removal of this Pitman Arm requires a special puller. My current puller for cars and light trucks won't begin to fit this huge arm.
It should be here tomorrow.....$240.00 + freight
Also requires cutting a 4 inch hole in the side of the Generator Box to access the bolt holding the arm onto the Steering Box.
Tiger Tools.....a very heavy duty but low profile Pitman Arm Puller....
A must have to do this job....
And should I mention it also requires a monster Allen Socket and a 3/4 inch drive Impact Gun to take the nut off. Which I borrowed from a long time Certified Tech at Tech-Tune Auto Center.
It is torqued at 350 lbs......
So.....after carefully taking measurements from the back side I cut a 4 inch hole in the Generator Box and VIOLA....I can see the Pitman Arm Shaft.
Oh, should I mention I am sitting on the floor, coach jacked up about 8 inches, with my head crammed up inside the "Generator Box"..with just enough room to use one arm to hold the Impact Gun.
And yes....the coach is aired up all the way with chassis jack stands in place and an Oak Log under the frame for back up.
She is secure...I think.
FYI...had this part failed on the road, miles from home it would cost over $4,000 dollars at a truck shop and several days downtime.
We were very lucky it failed (leaking) just before we arrived home.
One new Red Head Steering box installed and ready for the next road trip.
Well, that job went well so think I will continue on to the next one.
On our trip to Brimstone to ride with the Happy Hoosiers our Air Conditioner locked up just as we were leaving the campground. It had performed beautifully for the past year and half.
So first thing to do is remove the compressor and see if I can figure out what caused it to lock up.
But before that can be done the refrigerant must be recovered..
Since I no longer have recovery equipment I drove over to Tech-Tune and the fine folks over there recovered the R134A for me.
now, back to my shop and remove the compressor.
Step Two....
Disassemble the compressor
Step Three....
One of the pistons is stuck in the cylinder.
Scratches on the cylinder wall....
Caught just in time before compressor eat itself. It failed on start up so it was not run with time to cause more damage.
Cause....no oil in compressor. How did it go this long?? More diagnostics required...
Next step........ remove the receiver/drier (which should always be replaced when doing A/C repairs).
The desiccant beads are intact but oil soaked....outlet fitting was dry......meaning probably a blockage somewhere...
Well I found that blockage when I removed the inlet line at the receiver/drier. I got soaked in oil when the line came loose. NOTE..I am under the coach with no room to run when it started pouring into my armpit.
Cutting open this unit I found no metal shavings but will flush thoroughly anyway. Including the condenser and lines.
One new compressor installed and ready to keep us cool.
Next step is install new compressor, receiver/drier and the line that had to be cut off. Flush the system (four times) to remove all debris and oil. Add specified amount of compressor oil. Pull out my vacuum pump and draw down to max vacuum and let it sit overnight to see if it holds.
All good the next day, max vacuum. Hooray. Now hook up the gauges and refill with specified amount of R134A freon. System is holding correct pressures and no leaks that I can find. Time for a test drive.
Just another episode of owning a 25 year old Motorcoach. But.... she is worth it.
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