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vanwill52

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Everything posted by vanwill52

  1. I removed my thermocouple, after approx 20K miles, and it was pristine. You are UNQUESTIONABLY correct about what happens to thermocouple pieces should the probe disintegrate (not necessarily that they destroy the turbo)...but I think the risk is miniscule. I would prefer to know the ACTUAL exhaust temperature, than an "extrapolated" one. And I hesitate to digress, but Ivan and several others realize EGT is NOT piston temperature...not even close. So many "experts" will say that EGT of 1100*F is above the softening temperature of the best piston materials. But EGT is NOT piston temperature...not by a long shot. If EGT temp equaled piston temp, ALL Cummins engines would self-destruct under high-load, low-RPM operation. Install an EGT gage (in the manifold, before the turbo) and you will quickly realize that I have what Bill D would call "personal experience". Even on a bone-stock ISC, you can easily see EGT's that FAR exceed the melting point of even the best piston materials. PLEASE do your research before you post internet BS. I have now been running a slightly "hopped up" ISC for nearly four years. Get your ICE (internal combustion engine) understanding before offering your virtually worthless personal (not from personal experience) OPINION on CI (compression ignition, i.e. DIESEL). Sorry if I seem to be condescending. I do not mean to be. But there is SOOO much worthless BS out there on the subject of EGT.
  2. I suspect it is reasonably linear, no matter where in the exhaust system you mounted it. I mounted mine in the exhaust manifold. Drilled and tapped where the front and rear cylinder manifolds came together. DO NOT DRILL DEAD CENTER OF THE MANIFOLD. There is a rib there. Drill on either side of it. Because of the laws of thermodynamics, the exhaust temperature at the turbo exit will surely be lower than at the exhaust manifold.
  3. Yes, the K-type thermocouple with a short lead is still used. Its output connects to the amplifier, and then plain copper wire from the amplifier is used to connect to the gage. Don't know why this wasn't thought of years ago! BTW, when you connect the EGT gage, you will be amazed at how high the temp will go in a bone-stock engine. It is easily possible to hit 1450*F in low-RPM, high-load conditions. So many posts on iRV2 by "experts" like "Wild Card" will tell you exceeding 1200*F will destroy your engine. Good luck never going above 1200*F. But the EGT gage will demonstrate the importance of keeping RPM's high in high-load conditions. Years ago, I ran TWO 14 AWG, 7-conductor cables from the engine compartment to the instrument panel and terminated each end in barrier terminal strips. That certainly simplifies adding electrical accessories.
  4. I replaced my original Delco starter with the correct Denso. HUGE improvement in cranking speed, AND, with a MEASURED reduction in the cranking current. At the same time, I replaced my 8D battery with two relocated Group 31 batteries relocated to a new tray on the driver side. This allowed me to change my battery trays to allow installation of (8) 6V batteries that were one size taller (same footprint) than the original GC2 (T-105) batteries. Replacement batteries were T-125 (T-145?) Total AH for house batteries after the change was approximately 1000 AH.
  5. Let me set this straight from the beginning---I am NOT a detailing guru. I am NOT offering top-notch professional advice. I only stopped using dishwashing detergent as my soap a few years ago. I DO NOT hand wash with a microfiber mitt. I use one of the extending flagged-tip brushes…still. But, I have learned a few things. Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax has replaced Palmolive Oxy. The first time I tried the Meguiar’s product, I was immediately impressed. Yeah, I know…I’m the last fool to understand that dishwashing soap removes wax you tediously applied. But as the rashest of amateurs, let me add a couple of things I’ve learned. #1: Random Oribital polishers were a God-send to folks who do not have the skills of Z-Mike. In my experience, pure rotary polishers are ONLY for professionals. The slightest bit of too much pressure, too little compound or lubricant, or carelessness at an edge or corner, and you may have done irreparable damage. If you lift a RA polisher from the surface, and it will “run away” and even if re-contacting the paint isn’t catastrophic, you will sling compound EVERYWHERE. I love my COLLECTION of Random-Orbital polishers. I still use them. But now I have something better. #2: For an AMATEUR who still likes polishing his coach, but finds it a daunting task for a 75 yo man, I found the ERGO Geared Orbital Polisher to speed up the process greatly. It is GEARED ORBITAL, meaning its orbit speed is fixed and will not “run away” if lifted off the paint surface. This makes its cutting action much faster, without sacrificing the protection of the orbital design. #3: Buy one assembly of scaffolding from Northern tool. It is much easier than using a ladder.
  6. Not trying to hijack this thread, but if you are anywhere close to Atlanta, GA, MTR Fleet Services in Cumming, GA is an EXCELLENT repair shop for just about ANYTHING large-vehicle related. Jason, the owner, is a friendly, compassionate fellow and an excellent diagnostician. Even Paul Whittle, the most DIY guy I know, takes his coach there for service.
  7. Sometimes I feel like I am a spokesperson for Blue Sea. I don't mean to be. It is just such a simple, yet elegant, solution for a long-standing problem. And is applicable to sooo many cases of charging problems. Just buy the damned thing, install it according to the instructions, and kiss all your alternator interchangeability problems goodbye. The BIRD is an unnecessarily complex system that can be so easily replaced with the Blue Sea ML-ACR.
  8. The ML-ACR is just a heavy-duty switch which when ANY charging source is available connects both battery bank's charging cables together...IFF the engine batteries have risen to a suitable charge level. It does have voltage sensing circuitry to not connect the house batteries to the engine batteries until the engine batteries have risen to a suitable charge level. This is a simplification, but you essentially tie the output of your alternator PLUS the charging cable going to your engine batteries to the SAME large post on the ML-ACR. Therefore, your alternator is ALWAYS charging the engine batteries, regardless of the switching state of the ML-ACR. The HOUSE battery charging cable connects to the engine batteries when the engine batteries have risen to a suitable level. The ML-ACR has some sophisticated features that will isolate sensitive electronics during engine starting, for instance. But most folks do not need those extra features. You just want a simple, near-bulletproof system that never fails you. Blue Sea's warranty says it all--"We guarantee this device for as long as you own it." PERIOD. No, I have no affiliation with Blue Sea. But their products are known for their impeccable design and construction quality in every sector of the marine environment.
  9. The things everyone needs to grasp are that: 1) "Wandering", defined as you holding the steering wheel PERFECTLY still on a long, straight smooth road and your coach drifts slightly left...then slightly right...constantly, requiring you to make a steering correction. THAT is wandering. 2) Wandering is caused by ONE AND ONLY ONE THING--your coach is going in EXACTLY the direction its wheels are pointed. It doesn't magically go to the left when the wheels are pointed to the right. And unfortunately, the Roadmaster chassis design allows its wheels to be constantly changing direction with ZERO steering input. There is nothing magic about caster, camber, toe-in, steering stabilizers or any other add-on "steering correction" device. It's just a simple, basic design flaw in the Roadmaster chassis. 3) To cure that wandering, you need to solve the problem of your wheels not staying pointed in the direction your steering wheel is pointed. 4) And for the love of all that is intelligent, GIVE UP THIS CRAZY FANTASY THAT A "SHOCK ABSORBER" (misnomer) CAN CONTRIBUTE TO KEEPING YOUR WHEELS HEADED IN ANY DIRECTION AND DIMINISH WANDERING. What does a shock do? It DAMPS VERTICAL motion (described by the silly word "porpoising"). It does NOTHING else. It CANNOT do anything else. If you do not have an engineering or technical background, you are going to fall for someone's "snake oil", and that's what shocks are to wandering. Any time someone reports an improvement in wandering due to changing shocks, the change is only between the ears of the poor bugger who just parted with an insane amount of money to purchase the latest "holy grail" shock. 5) And NO, a stiffer shock will NOT make your coach ride "smoother", much less cure its wandering. If your desire is to feel every tar strip you roll over, buy the stiffest shock you can find. It will rattle your teeth out, but your wandering will not be improved even microscopically...except between your ears. 6) And yes, I AM the crazy man who removed all (8) of his shocks both before and after installing a Watts link and rear cross bars. I did not have a pre-conceived notion of a result I wanted to conform to what I believed. I was a mechanical engineer seeking data points. The result--with NO shocks, the coach has less vertical damping. But did shocks, or no shocks, or mega-bucks shocks affect the wandering? No, not one IOTA. And anyone who understands the construction details of the Roadmaster chassis could see that. If the subassembly that holds your axles is squirming around under you, how can you possibly expect it to NOT wander? If you have read this long rant, go back and reread #2. There is your answer. Stabilize your H-frame with and additional Panhard bar or a Watts link, plus rear cross-braces and your coach stops wandering. PERIOD. Sorry if I have offended anyone. That is not my intention.
  10. MTR Fleet Services in Cumming, GA was excellent for me to deal with when my ECM crapped out. Jason, the owner, is a most pleasant, honest young man who explains everything without BS. I would use them again any time! And I should also give thanks to Paul Whittle, who put me up for three weeks while the process of getting a replacement ECM drug on.
  11. I will admit I have only skimmed this post, but here are some observations from experience. 1) If genny is running while driving, there is always a chance the "Alt Fail" light will come on. Shut of the genny or pull on the headlight switch and see if it goes off. 2) Rick (waterskier) is correct--Measure voltage AT THE BATTERY TERMINALS to determine whether that is the problem or not. 3) DUVAC will always be a PITA, as almost NO ONE understands why a "generic" alternator will not work with a Sollid State Isolator. Install the ML-ACR and it won't matter WHAT alternator you use--It will work. Until the DUVAC alternator is replaced, you will always be at the mercy of mechanics who do not understand what the remote sensing is for...and will almost invariably hook up the new alternator incorrectly. With the ML-ACR, even a Klutz mechanic will get it right. There are many more good reasons for the ML-ACR changeover, but precluding problems with needing a very specific alternator will be eliminated.
  12. I suffered the wandering on my 1993 Monaco Dynasty. After a three-hour drive, I was worn out. My first attempts at solving the problem involved only front and rear X-bars...that were only 1/2" diameter, front and rear. The coach went from a "road-wild" beast to a two-finger driver, in spite of passing tractor-trailers. 1993 was the last year (for Dynasty) that X-bars could be installed on the FRONT. All subsequent years placed the generator in a position that precluded X-bars...hence the idea of a front Watts link. I am very thankful to the folks who purchased my "prototype" Watts links and helped me solve that ubiquitous problem. I sold them at (less) than my cost of making them, and never imagined making them a commercial product. Thank you, Mike Hughes, for taking over this project and doing so well at adapting it to more coaches than I imagined. I hope you have made at least a modest profit off this low-volume, low-demand product. Not everything one does has to have a profit motive.
  13. If this thread is referring to the trans cooler located INSIDE the engine coolant radiator: I was leery of having the problem of engine coolant getting into the trans (even though my coach was not one of the affected ones) before my trip to Alaska in 2016. I added a remote trans cooler in the rear of the coach and used a high-powered electric fan to cool it. Had to make up new hoses, of course. The trans fluid no longer goes through the engine coolant radiator. It comes straight from the trans and goes to the added cooler.
  14. Had quite a bit of modification to fit the RF18 (RF197 no longer available at the time) to my 2000 Dynasty 36 with no slides just before a trip to Alaska with friends. Suburban furnace was located below. Suburban was rated for mounting DIRECTLY onto wooden floor. Dropping it off the 2x4's it was mounted on, recutting the inlet/outlet screens through side of coach allowed mounting the RF18 with one hair's height above clearance above the molding. No problems with fridge in seven years. 75% more capacity. Flawless operation. As reported by SO MANY posters, the change to residential fridge was a life-changer-- nearly double the space, and reliable compressor-type refrigeration unit, plus "Twin Cooling" (separate evaporators in fridge and freezer--a feature decades overdue in residential fridges) made for a quantum leap in fridge capability. Had it for seven years. No problems. Fridge at 34* and freezer at 0*. HEAVEN! No quarrel with those that prefer absorption, or any other technology. But my choice was PROVEN residential technology. I've never regretted a moment of the effort to change.
  15. Although I must confess to not reading this thread carefully or from the beginning, nor do I have anything other than a passing interest in Lithium battery conversations, perhaps I can add something of value to the conversation. If I am wrong, feel justified to flame me. My coach has had carefully maintained LA batteries for over seven years now...a MIX of Interstate and Trojan (yeah, I know you absolutely, positively cannot do that) I cannot definitively rate their performance at this point today...but in my limited dry-camping experience, they have performed admirably. To get that capacity, I had to use T-145 size batteries (approximately 1.5" taller than the normal T-105 battery), re-weld the house battery trays and relocate the chassis (maintenance-free LA) batteries to another location. Overnight, and using a propane-powered furnace and residential fridge, in 45*F overnight temps (in my antique 2000 Dynasty with no slides), my 1000 AH of house battery capacity, had nearly 70% capacity after a long, cool night. This was affirmed by my Hobart Engineering battery monitor device. Although I am a mechanical engineer, "techie", and likely to "bite" on new technology, I think my next move (if any) will be to AGM. I am too close (at 74 years old) to "hanging up the keys", to be willing to go through the full, meticulous change to Lithium. That does not mean I disapprove of those who have made the switch, especially those who researched the challenges before they made the switch. MIke Fitzgerald comes to mind. I just wait to see that it is "commonplace" and "no big deal" before I invest the time and upgrading required to make a truly successful changeover...especially at my 74 years young age. NO, I have not switched to Win 11, either. Keep providing me with useful information for us "old folks".
  16. David, I respect your knowledge and experience, but what you describe has never happened to me. In my fifteen years of RV experience, I have never once "bottomed out" or risen high enough to reach the point at which shocks would be extended to their limit. Nor have I known anyone who has. My restraint chains are for nothing but keeping the load off the shocks, and ESPECIALLY the upper shock mounts, when I am STATIONARY, and using my hydraulic leveling jacks to pick the wheels off the ground before I insert jack stands under the coach prior to crawling underneath it. There are many instances reported on this forum and iRV2 of upper shock mount breakage, especially the FRONT cantilevered ones, and I doubt even one of them was caused by a HUGE vertical "leap" of the coach under driving conditions. So far, all damage I have ever read of, was caused by lifting a wheel off the ground with the hydraulic leveling jacks. And, as I said, the upper mounts are a BITCH to repair, as they require welding in a very confined space...ask me how I know. I have repaired one of these upper mounts (NOT on my coach), and even with the Miller "confined spaces helmet", if you don't have a welding blanket to cover yourself, you will at the least have BB holes in all you are wearing, OR something you are wearing will begin smoldering. And as far as the noise chains might make, I mentioned that concern myself in a post when I was installing them. However, I found that even when trying VERY HARD to notice the noise chains might make, I've heard NOTHING. I had expected to have to enclose them in rubber tubing to diminish the noise. That proved to be totally unnecessary. I had the same experience when installing 3/4" diameter restraint "rods" (as opposed to chains) on Paul Whittle's 2004 (?) Sig. The rods were easier to install (still required welding), stronger even than the chains, and were TOTALLY silent. They performed the same function as the chains--when raising the coach by external means (with or without hydraulic jacks), the rods took all the load off the shocks for supporting the weight of the axles when wheels were raised above the ground. I have so far found NO negative aspects to having "restraint chains", but considerable benefit when crawling under the coach. And I bet I have removed wheels from my coach more than 99% of owners. I remove them simply to make polishing my (non--coated) wheels easier to polish with a home-built/welded) wheel spindle, or to make access to under-coach systems more accessible. So, I just want to say, David, I read all your posts because they contain valuable info and insight. But I think on this one subject you have missed the point. The restraint straps/chains/rods have NOTHING to do with suspension movements DURING TRAVELING. They are simply to prevent damaging shocks or, more importantly, the shock mounts themselves when the coach is being raised for service and the wheels are being raised off the ground level. Thank you for your many insightful contributions.
  17. Wow! Interesting about the methanol injection system!
  18. Harry, how often do you wax your engine? 🙂 Just rolled over 200K. Going strong. I think "everything else" will wear out before the engine or trans.
  19. Add your coach specifics to your sign-on ID and you will get more (and more targeted) responses. If you don't know how, ask Scotty. He is a very patient and friendly fellow.
  20. Are you asking about replacing the "Ozite" (outdoor carpeting) glued to the ceiling of my 2000 Dynasty? I've done that. Big job, but beautiful result.
  21. Ray, I'm not sure I'm explaining this explicitly. But yes, there are a total of FOUR chains on my coach...one on each side of the front H-frame, and one on each side of the rear H-frame. They are all attached to the H-FRAME, and then to the COACH FRAME. NONE are attached to the axle itself. "In the middle fore and aft" refers to the chains being attached at approximately the center point (for and aft) of the H-frame, which also equates to approximately at the location of either the front or rear axle. Each one is APPROXIMATELY centered over the respective axle. Since the trailing arms make the movement of the H-frame into the movement of a parallelogram (verical movement only--no tipping fore or aft) ONLY ONE chain is required on EACH SIDE of the front H-frame, and ONE CHAIN on EACH SIDE of the rear H-frame. Actually, in all honesty, I must admit that my technically astute partner Paul Whittle (who was assisting in this procedure), asked, "Why are you putting two chains on EACH side of the H-frame? Due to the trailing arms, the H-frame is moving vertically, NOT on an arc (neglecting the minor effect of the Panhard bar), so ONE chain will suffice. Much like a four-legged chair, only three legs are guaranteed to touch the floor, until the chair frame bends and allows the fourth leg to touch the floor. Had I installed two chains on each corner (total of eight), probably only four of them would be under tension. The important thing is that you be sure that the single chain is tight and supporting weight BEFORE the shocks bottom out and possibly put all that weight on the upper shock mounts in the front. Does that make sense? Sometimes pictures or drawings are better at explaining this stuff, but I'm really pressed for time in the next few days, doing some physically taxing work for some church friends before I leave on my short trip. If this still does not make sense to you, let me know, and when I return from my short trip, I'll try to post pix. Thank you for being one of the "gentlemen" on this forum.
  22. The H-frame is essentially a parallelogram, so a single chain can be placed on both the driver and passenger side to adequately restrain its movement. It seems reasonable to me to place the chain in the approximate middle position fore and aft. I would not choose to drill through the frame members, although I realize not everyone has welding capability.
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