Cubflyer

Good tip on SpaceCoast Plating... I have used them and they really do a great job. Separately, Rik, this summer while driving, I was getting a reflection of the sun into my eyes from the tops of the mirror arms... I'm going to paint the tops of those arms flat black to eliminate that glare/reflection. Ken

Bob S, What?? I don't want to challenge your brother.... but if the photo you sent is of your engine and you have a 2001 Dip...... you have a Cummins 8.3 ISC 330 hp engine. https://www.rvroundtable.com/wp-content/uploads/Monaco/Diplomat-LE/2001.Diplomatle.pdf see page 4 https://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2001/Monaco Ken

Yes, the cylinder like thing with the wires plugged into it on the bottom of that housing with the hose fittings and three bolts thru it...

Bob S. If that is a photo of your leaking pump, and it is not leaking on the ground, seems minor enough to continue... I unknowingly drove mine from South FL to Memphis with a pump leaking worse than that.... never mind if that is not a current photo... ASAP, bypass that expensive pos with a FASS pump or FASS pump/filter system..... Ken

Mike, The Blue Sea has a remote control switch (I have yet to install it) and there is a "both batteries combined" position (for starting). Also an "either battery charged" if there is voltage higher than 'nominal battery voltage' so both batteries can be charged from one source, or the batteries can be isolated.... which is what I do if I'm running the engine (alternator) and any other charging source (invertor powered by shore or genny) so I'm not charging from two sources. the original "Boost" switch is inop in my case, not needed or connected anymore.

My 8.3 ISC looks more like this.... the lift pump is hard to see but the three mounting bolts (vertical) on the housing that has the brass fitting by the bell housing and the silver colored hard line coming out the front going to the white fuel filter is easy to see....

Yes, Lift pump is above the starter. My experience with a 'leaking lift pump' the pump was fine, but the gasket between the pump and the housing it is bolted to was bad. The leak first showed up as a dampness on the starter and bellhousing. Really 'showed' itself while I was t/s'ing a ABS light, that required me to cycle the ignition switch causing the pump to run without the engine running. That created a puddle under the engine about 2 ft in diameter. The pump is held to the housing with three bolts (8mm socket if I remember correctly) from the top, accessible with a long 1/4" extension (18"). Gasket gets old and hard, bolts loosen up and fuel can seep out and air can be drawn in (bad thing for the injector $ pump. I bypassed the stock lift pump by installing a union fitting with a pressure tap (1/8" pipe thread) in the fuel feed hose and pipe. Then replaced the 'primary filter' with a FASS pump and filter system. I feel it was a great improvement in the fuel system, and highly recommend it.

I believe with the ML-ACR both chassis and house do... that has been my experience with it in "auto" mode... if I'm running the genny and the engine I isolate them..... The original relay and control I have no idea how it was designed to work....

I would suggest you take that relay and black box out and replace it with one of these (see photo)Blue Sea ML-ACR.... Look it up, read about it.... I can now "control" if my alternator or my inverter (powered by shore or genny) charges one or both batteries or joins them together to start the engine.

Since I have returned to my home base last week, I have put a temporary tap on the low pressure tube, found no pressure (Freon), put some nitrogen pressure on the system and found a leak in a tube with soapy water. This afternoon my A/C service friend came by and we (he) put a permanent tap on and soldered up the area that was making bubbles. It is now setting with nitrogen pressure to confirm the "fix". If the pressure holds, he will service it with R22, I will clean all the coils, put new seals everywhere. and reassemble the package (It's currently off the roof)..... if not holding pressure I will be buying a new unit.... finger crossed...

Thanks Jim!

I know Bob... I have not found one for the HR either, but I found a good one with a TOC for a 2003 Monaco Dynasty that the systems match fairly good. I tried to post but it is too big (78 MB) .... but the good news is that I found it here in the "downloads". I'm using the strategy of "the nuts do not fall far from the tree"... and so far the systems are about the same.... Dick, makes sense.. they (as far as I can tell) are working fine and not giving me any problems.... I just like to know what things are.... Thanks! Ken

So I'm troubleshooting an inop dash A/C and the wiring says there is a relay (for the compressor) in the rear of the coach, I have not looked under a plastic cover in the right rear compartment just above the inverter (compartment aft of the battery compartment). So I remove the cover and these big relays and 120A fuses or cb's are there.... can anyone shed some light on what these three do?? They are not the relay I was looking for... They are not marked and the 'control' wires are just white, no text.

Dick B, I agree, you are correct, solid liquid does not compress. Having positive pressure on the input of the pump is not intended to increase injector pump output (except that if the pump is not pumping a solid liquid, it's not pumping at 100% designed output) The Capps pump is lubed and cooled by fuel, again, not getting 100% fuel (without air) is not good for it. Having a positive pressure on the input of a pump assures that it is not sucking air My lift pump gasket was leaking.... like Richard Smith's, without leaking on the ground (with the engine running), I only discovered it leaking while I was troubleshooting another problem that required my turning the ignition key on and off without starting the engine. The pump would run but the fuel had no where to go except (finally) on the ground. My theory is, if the gasket leaks fuel out it would leak air in (physics). Expecting top performance and reliability out of a pump that is cavitating....? Ken

I'm not running any "extra power" but I had a leaking lift pump gasket and the first thing I did was bypass the original lift pump and install a "tap" for a pressure gauge in it's place, mounted and plumbed the FASS pump/filter at the original "primary fuel filter" location and installed a separate return fuel line to the tank. I now can "see" the inlet pressure to the injector pump and the injector pump is running with inlet pressure rather than suction.... the FASS pump is providing 100% filtered and air free diesel fuel to the injector pump. I believe it is the best thing I have done to assure solid engine performance. I have made two round trips to Salt Lake City from Memphis area this summer with it running solid and strong. I can not imagine running extra power with the stock fuel system. Ken

Are you guys running the Banks power pack systems still using the stock "lift pump" (that only runs for a few seconds at engine start)..??

We are supposed to lock our bay doors??? I do not even know which key works on the basement doors..... Ken

Jim, Sounds like you have it under control.... I would still recommend adding the SS plates, as the engineer that designed that slide with a fiberglass panel covering a wood bottom of the slide never thought about it being around 20 years later. My wood must have gotten wet, deteriorated, and the fiberglass was not up to the task of having that much weight concentrated on the contact area of the rollers.... As a person who maintained mechanical devices for a living (now retired??) I totally agree, designers should have to take apart and access the stuff they design!! Ken

Jim, Are the surfaces of the bottom of the slide where the rollers ride still solid? Mine had gotten soft and the slide made all kinds of different sounds while moving.... a pair of .040" 304 SS plates for the rollers to ride on made all the difference.... Ken

Ok Rik and others here... Later this morning, with my new knowledge of how things are supposed to work, (fan- rev valve solenoid- compressor) and cool morning air, I got up on the roof and pulled the cover. It was dirty, the foam was slightly out of place, and some wires had insulation in rough shape. with the cover off, I had the wife turn it on while I observed... fan, solenoid, compressor all ran (in that sequence). The compressor did get warm to the touch after a while, but the condensor never got warm, the high side never got hot, the evaporator never got cool.... I did not see any clear signs of a freon leak (oily residue) but it sure acts like low freon, unless there is something else that I do not know about. I understand and I'm familiar with 'straight Air Cond', but have no experience with reverse-cycle 'heat pumps' so if there is some other sensor or control that can cause these symptoms I would like to hear about it. Thanks for listening! Ken P.S. my cell phone (hot-spot internet connection) fell out of my pocket on to the gravel surface while getting things in/out of my basement compartments and now I only have internet while at McDonalds or some where..!! "home" button is inop. If I get a call I can answer it, but I can do nothing else.... no "Home page"

This morning with the advice given here, Ivan, Jim, Gary, Gary... I let the machine talk to me with my ears tuned in... It is doing all the things Ivan said it should, so freon could be the issue... I'm on the road so I do not have access to the equipment I have at home (torch/silver solder, vac pump). For now, I'll see if I can get my wife to tough it out with just one a/c... 🙂 She wanted me to just have a new one installed (at camping world (oh God!). Ken

Now that I'm in the camping mode and things always seem to run in threes.... My front A/C was not blowing cold today, and to check if is just not cooling of not heating or cooling I tried the heat pump..... No Joy on either heat or cool. That leaves me with the idea either I have an inop compressor or nothing to compress.. (freon). Of course, this is an old unit, has been working fine until today, but if it is freon or compressor, it is beyond economic repair (IMO) So, any suggestions on fixing or replacing?? I will climb up on the roof tomorrow and pull the cover to take a look, maybe I can hear if the compressor is running or not... Thanks, Ken

Dick, Wayne, Rik, Thanks for the good wishes!, You all were great support. My run from Rawlings to Laramie was almost 'hose to tank'!...not sure I would have made it over the mountain between Laramie and Cheyenne! My only problem with the end price was only because I literally never take my cars, (or much of anything) to a shop. I'm a hands on mech, parts and my labor are all I have paid for years... as an older, less agile, person I'm picking my battles these days. I did appreciate Cody's efforts with a sizable cash tip..... something I rarely got turning wrenches.... but know how much they are appreciated. I cleared the closet, opened the hatch, covered the bed, did not throw a moving blanket over the floor and into the closet but should have, and will if I ever have to work back there. He seemed to have had no problem getting it done from there, I thought he knocked it out pretty fast. Yes, the pump kit was the same one you used... It appears to me to be more robust, and for sure a totally different shape/design. Happy to be back 'free to run' again! Ken Jim, I used the same technique (hose from faucet to tank) to keep enough water in the system, just not a continuous hook up... to get to the shop in Laramie.

The Laramie, WY, Love's shop mechanic (Cody) did a great job of the new pump installation, all thru the closet 'hell hole'. A new belt and about 5 gallons of anti-freeze completed the job. We were on the road to Denver by 11am. Ran great, steady water temp under 200 degrees (about 180) even on the steepest grades. I'm pleased to be back to normal ops. Things I would have done differently...?? Given the age and past usage of the coach, replacing the pump when I was doing the PM service and filter changes would have been prudent. Having a pump on hand would have made this a minor inconvenience and saved me at least $150 just on the cost of the pump, between "opportunity costs" (buying it retail at 'spot' price), plus the fee charged to go pick the part up (.75/mile). A $700+ invoice had only 1 hr of labor on it.. at @$120/hr. Richard, I have Good Sam road service that offers unlimited towing to a shop 'capable and willing' to do the repair, that may compare to your suggested Coach-Net, but I'm a stubborn, independent old mechanic, and unless I'm dead-in-the-water, I did not think about using that service.... probably should have.....

Here is what a bad water pump leak can look like... Engine off, not hot, no cap on system waterpumpLEAK.MOV waterpumpLEAK.MOV