Cubflyer

my same experience, the Watts link on the front, crossbars on the back, HUGE improvement... IMHO, TRW steering box not needed... precise steering not required if the coach is stable on it's own.

Download it, save as a PDF, go to an 'office store" and have them print the file...

Looks like it may be a good item to add to a recurrent inspection list. Check for cracks, loose bolts, solid welds, etc. I do not believe that sheared off, completely, all the way around without being cracked partially, for awhile, before this incident.

It sounds to me like you were running the electric heater on an inverter outlet.... and as far as I know... (correct me if I'm wrong...) I do not believe your inverter can not output AC power to the outlets and charge the batteries at the same time.... (unless on shore power (30 or higher amp)). OR... the inverter 'load sheds' battery charging when it has "limited" AC amperage input..... Ken

working good here! Thanks for all you do!

As Ivan said, you need to be sure that both house and chassis batteries are being charged by the genny.... I have a BlueSea in place of my Big boy contactor (that joins the two battery banks together). That allows me to run them isolated or automatically charging the lowest battery or combined (to do just what you are needing at this time). I never run combined when driving with both the alternator and genny charging... (two sources of charge fighting to charge one combined set of batteries... bad) Ken

Tom, That is great news! Looking back, do you think the first (original) problem was the ECM? Lesson from this being... Computer diagnostic is critical once you are sure all the basics (fuel-air-spark(compression)) are there? I'm knocking on wood hoping I never have to go thru what you just did! Glad you made it. Ken

Tom, If you already have the watts link up front, the cross links/bars are redundant... watts links are actually better at holding things steady.... One of the big reasons that cross links are not used in the front, and more expensive watts links is because of the genny up front does not let the cross links fit. Rik, I installed the front watts link and the rear cross link rods, I would do that (one day job for both if you want to work all day) I prefer to work a couple of hours a day these days... The challenge these days is (or can be) availability of the watts link and cross link rod kits. Might have to wait to get them. I'm not sure on the "slide out support", ..... what slide are you referring to? I installed the plates on my bedroom slideout, easy job, takes a few hours. Both were a couple of the best things I did.... One man job for the most part, but extra hands can be helpful if nothing more than saving you from crawling in and out from underneath the coach Ken

Sorry to hear this is giving you such a rough time.... please keep us updated... You are into things way past my 'paygrade/knowledge/experience'... Ken

Tom, Are you up and running again?? Ken

I'm no expert. I do not know what or if any codes will be displayed by a capps failure... BUT I sure wanted you to be SURE the CAPPS pump had a good fuel supply before condemning the CAPP$$ pump. Sounds like you did, but again, I was amazed at how much time with constant air pressure on my tank, with a fulltime running FASS pump while cranking the engine it took for it to fire up..... and that was after bleeding the fuel line I had replaced! Ken

Last fall on my way to Pensacola, FL coming thru Mobile, AL I discovered that my fuel line between my FASS pump and the filter on the engine just before the CAPPS injector pump had a pin hole. I turned off the FASS pump, and continued to Pensacola. The MH sat there for a couple of months, I bought a new fuel hose and installed it. I tried to start the engine, after running the FASS pump thinking that it would have no problem filling that new fuel hose..... I was wrong, engine just sputtered, and gray smoke.... (FASS pumps put out lots of volume, and 18-20 psi). So then I put air pressure on the fuel tank, ran the FASS pump and cracked the fuel line I had replaced at the engine end until fuel flowed out if it. Cranked it again with air on the tank and the FASS pump running and the engine finally fired and has run like a top ever since. My point here is, it takes an amazing amount of "bleeding" to get the air out of the system... you said you replaced filters (first thing), then found the lift pump gasket leaking.... I'm telling you, do not replace that CAPPS pump until you are SURE that it is getting a solid supply of fuel... no air. Diesels run on fuel.... fuel starved engines do not run.... I'm betting a fuel starved CAPPS put out fault codes ..... It's not expensive, it's not hard to do.... blow and bleed the crXp out of that thing before you spend 6-7-8k on a CAPPS pump! Ken

What a great photo Ivan! Showing one side of a disk brake rotor totally shot while the other side looks new!

This problem started with a -no start-, the first thing you did was replace the fuel filters, (inducing a bunch of air into the fuel supply system), then you had a fuel leak at the lift pump, still no start, now you are going to change a lift pump gasket and hope it starts.... What is your game plan if 1- you can not change the gasket (wrong gasket or since that gasket change is a bit of a PITA) 2- you get the gasket changed and still no start? If it were me, I would concentrate on getting the engine running (seems fuel to the injector pump IS the problem), by forcing fuel through those new filters and to the lift pump and on the the injector pump...... many an engine would not start after fuel filter changes as pumps can not pump air very well, you need to prime the pumps! Once running, determine if the lift pump is leaking a little or a lot. I drove mine (unknowingly) from south FL to Memphis, where I realized that the drip of liquid (fuel) hanging off the starter was a sign of a leaking lift pump. Best of luck, Ken

When I first got my coach, it had a leaking gasket at the lift pump...... BUT, I did not know it.... I only discovered it when I was t/s a ABS light problem. I was turning the key on and off a number of times without starting the engine..... pretty soon I noticed a puddle of fuel under the engine, dripping from the starter... I 'lucked out' and promptly bypassed that pump and installed a FASS system. Best thing I ever did for my engine, and gained the knowledge that the injector pump always has a positive pressure of clean air-free fuel to it's inlet (from the FASS) with a fuel pressure gauge installation. Ken

Jim C It would appear that your photos are of an ISX lift pump since it does not look like the ISC pump on my 2003 8.3. I am sure that on my 2003 8.3 ISC engine the output of the factory, engine mounted lift pump feeds directly (through a rigid metal tube) to a spin-on filter before continuing on to the injector pump. The mounting bolts (three) are long and install from the top down through the housing body and screw into the lift pump... From your photos the ISX lift pump seems to mount differently... Ken

You might try blowing air into the tank by way of the vent also, not sure if that will work due to the rollover check valve, but it should... try there first, then if not a rag wrapped tight should work. I believe the fuel cap is just a 2" (or so) pipe thread, so you could get a plumbing cap (rubber?) and put a small hole in it.... be careful to not put too much pressure on the tank... it should only need a couple of psi.... Ken

Those three bolts I believe are metric..... 6mm or 8mm... I'm old and tightened mine almost two years ago.... I'm not sure of the size, but 1/4" drive 18" extension with swivel socket or u-joint will help. If your lift pump is running, but no fuel is being pumped, it most likely lost it's prime, the gasket that leaks and drips down on the starter usually leaks with lift pump ops and no engine start (like when you just cycle the ignition key but do not engage the starter, that's how I found out mine was leaking). That gasket leaking allows the injector pump to draw air when the engine is running and the (30 sec) lift pump is not running. Sounds like you need to put that air pressure on the fuel tank to force fuel to the lift pump.... to get the engine to start/run. Get it running and find out why it lost it's prime later...

Once you tighten the three bolts, loosen the filter just down stream of the lift pump, before the injector pump. Get a rag, wrap it around an air nozzle, and blow air into the filler neck of your fuel tank, watch for fuel to leak from the loose filter, tighten that filter and keeping the air pressure on the tank, start the engine....

Rik, I have found, that the side to side angle of the coach at the fueling station has a larger effect on MPG than hills or things being towed... I've seen swings like yours running flat lands and the same speeds. I do a mileage-fuel pumped calculation every fill up and have never gotten two the same in a row... same day, same terrain. But I LOVED your story!! Ken

Todd, What you may be referring to is FASS do not want a 90 degree fitting right off of the FASS assembly, but the photo you linked with a 90 degree sweep fitting should be fine (good) (not a problem).. 90 degree elbow fittings are restrictive of flow, 90 degree sweeps are not (so much, hardly at all) restrictive. Also, the 90 degree sweep fitting in the photo coming off the FASS system seems to be steel with a nickel or cad plating, not zinc... Only the fittings at the fuel tank photo are zinc. I kind of believe the zinc is not a major issue, being in the 'flow' verses being the 'container'..... mostly due to time of exposure... Ken

Thanks, Tom, yes I did see those wires' insulation, they actually look like someone (prior to me) cut the insulation to expose them (maybe for test??) I will be checking everything I can before I dive into those switches. I am very experienced in electrical systems, switches, relays, etc (50 years as an A&P mechanic) Please Frank, if you can find me a wiring diagram for a 2003 Holiday Rambler Endeavor PST that would be super! Thanks, Ken

Frank, I'm away from the coach at the moment (7 hrs)... but when I was trouble shooting this 'inop coach brake lights', I was able to operate my coach and tow dolly lights with my exhaust brake switch or my brake controller. The coach brake lights and the trailer/dolly brake lights were only inop when stepping on the brake pedal, also when I first hit the pedal, sometimes the coach and the trailer lights would just turn on for an instant (blink and you would miss it). So what you are saying about the coach brake light relay and the trailer brake light relay makes sense that both of my pedal switches have failed. As a side note I have had issues with my ABS that does not show any faults yet the ABS light is on. So maybe my ABS also has a relationship to those switches. In the next month or so I will be able to fix this problem.... and maybe even my ABS...! Ken Thanks Tom, I appreciate your input, it will be a while before I can get back to this problem, but when I do, I will use your counsel. Yes, bad connections can give electrons fits! Ken

Seems there are latches with bushings and without bushings.... My 2003 Endeavor had no bushing and had no room to add a bushing... same it seems as Jim J, yet I have the same make and year of coach as Rik and his photos show the space and need for a bushing. Mine only required a rod (#12....?) adjustment (between the outside latch lever and the inside latch mechanism). Snowflakes..... Ken

I was able to fix mine by just an adjustment to remove the "slack" in the linkage.....-Ken