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GMC Western States |
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Tech
Center Number 23 - November 1998 |
Roundup Tech Seminars
by Chuck Garton
The Hope roundup covered a number of interesting subjects.
Those of you who could not attend and are interested in these
topics can contact me for more information.
The seminars began with "Sealants and More" with Gord
Evans of O'Connor RV Centre Ltd. in Chilliwack BC. Gord gave an
enlightening session covering the use of sealants available and
what to use where. Especially noteworthy was "Sikaflex-221".
This acts as both a sealant and glue. He also mentioned "Geocel
Proflex' that works under water and can be used during a rain
storm{
Bob Cook and Chuck Garton followed with an update of their Prescott
seminar on used parts available from junk yards.
Next Blue Ox demonstrated their towing equipment currently available.
Bill and Marilyn Harvey followed with window coverings. Bill began
the session with the theory of heat transfer which led to techniques
to keep our coaches cool or warm.
Chuck Garton concluded the tech seminars with some modification
ideas to improve and modernize our coaches:
1. Providing a way to drain the oil from the area forward of
the drive axle
2. Rerouting the sewer pipes and adding a macerator pump
3. Installing a 400 Watt inverter to run the refrigerator on 110
VAC on the road from the alternator.
4. Fuel tank modification by removing the socks from the pickup
tube in the fuel tanks and repositioning the pickup tubes
5. Adding a relay to the house fresh water pump
6. Installing a light that comes on when closet doors are opened
7. Updating AC-DC converters to current technology which substantially
increases the charge current and truly charges the battery when
on shore power
Remember: What you do to your coach is your responsibility.
Nobody else is responsible!
Transmission Venting Simplified
by Bill Harvey
Most of us would like to be able to direct any overflow or
"burping" of our transmission {trany) away from possible
contact with the hot exhaust line in the immediate area. This
burping is suspected of being the culprit in many coach engine
fires.
Thanks to Paul Burkhart, of the GMC Mountainaires, a trany vent
can be installed without dropping the trany. The following tools
and materials may be used to do this:
* Thin 1/2" open-end wrench
* 1/4" nut driver
* 1/2" flexible tubing bender
* 1/2' drill
* 1/4" drill
* 1/2" ID radiator elbow (Car Quest P/N 21784)
* 29" length of 1/2" OD soft copper tubing
* Two 1' hose clamps
* Clear Pill Bottle with tamper-proof lid
* One or two 8" cable ties
* A few inches of electricians tape
Proceed as follows:
Open up the engine hatch and locate the existing vent cap on the
top of the trany under the chassis cross member. (See Figure 1).
The vent cap is crimped loosely around the vent opening. Insert
the '/2" open end wrench under the cap and pry it off. It
is recommended that a flat bladed screwdriver not be used for
this because of the tendency to damage the vent as it comes out
of the trany.
Figure 1
Cut 3/8" off of one leg of the radiator tube elbow. This
end of the elbow will go on the trany vent. Cut 5/8" off
of the other leg.
Bend the 1/2" OD copper tubing into the approximate configuration
shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Bend about 4" at 22 degrees from the trany end and about
6" at 90 degrees at the collector end. Keep all bends in
the same plane.
Drill a 1/2' hole in the cap of the pill bottle. Do not remove
the inner seal, but drill through that as well.
Drill a couple of 1/4" holes near the top of the pill bottle
to permit venting.
Force the 6" end of the tube through the lid and wrap the
end of this with the length of tape.
Place the pill bottle in its cap and the elbow on the other end
of the tube. Clamp the elbow to the tube with the hose clamp.
Install the other clamp loosely on the elbow being sure that the
tightening screw will be accessible when the assembly is in place.
To install this assembly, carefully work the pill bottle behind
the speedometer cable and the domestic water heater hoses. It
should then be positioned just to the rear of the fender liner.
Force the elbow over the trany vent tightly against the trany
housing. Clamp it.
Adjust the position of the tube and bottle so that the bottom
of the bottle is visible when observed from the left front wheel
area. (See Figure 3.)
Figure 3
Using the cable ties, secure the tube to the heater hoses. This
system will carry trany fluid "burped" from trany over
and away from the exhaust system and provide a visual indication
of excess venting.
Remember: What you do to your coach is your responsibility.
Nobody else is responsible!