VinceB

9 minutes ago, Ken Thompson said:

Yeah, they are cheap. I wanted top quality for my coach. As usual, I go over the top! I know there’s a lot of Diplomat’s out there that need new emblems. For me to get them done, first I would have to have an exact drawing, or one of those stickers. Then I would have to beg, and prolly pay my wife to do the artwork. The last Dynasty emblem were about $85 each, if I remember right. That was over a year ago. We all know how prices for everything has went way up, so they may be too expensive for very many people to do them.  

I don’t recall what I did with them. Maybe tossed them. I’ll give a look after I get home next week. 

I found these and bought one. They didn’t appear to be able to withstand the elements for very long and so I didn’t use them. 
 

Basically the same as yours except different font and letters. 
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174259032200

On 11/13/2022 at 10:30 AM, tomevansfl said:

Are Diplomat emblems available?  I don’t need one yet, but others might…and I might eventually. 

I can use a set now.  There was 1 on each side and front and rear.

On 1/2/2024 at 1:27 PM, JDCrow said:

Pretty coach. I love the older paint schemes.  

Me too. 

Just recently replaced the cartridge in my kitchen faucet.  Took the old cartridge to Ace Hardware and the rep knew just what I needed.  Love Ace...

The kit will have everything you need - change out everything while you have it apart.  The  O-rings for the spout would not work so I had to use 2" slip joint washers for the spout because it is an off-brand/Delta knock off faucet. YMMV.

As some of you know, I had my coach painted last year. 

What a clusterxxxx - I won't publicly disparage the business entity that did it. PM me if you want to know.

That said, after a multitude of screw ups, (lost license plate, lost baggage door handles, miss wired lights, damage to seats, lost switch cover, drained new batteries to zero, blew main fuse due to improper jump starting, blown battery isolator, awning plugged in backwards, many, many go backs, etc, etc) I went to check oil before my trip last week and found one of my door props is missing. The paint shop doesn't have a clue where it is.

So, I found the source and want to share it as an FYI to all here that have been of such great help to me and others.

http://www.qmp-elkhart.com/

7 minutes ago, zmotorsports said:

 

Not sure why other than either an anomaly during the assembly process OR excessive wear from something in the valvetrain.  It's been my experience that the vast majority of the time the clearances decrease under normal circumstances and only increase if there's excessive wear or possibly a fluke.  Good thing you caught it nonetheless.    

 

Agreed. You can bet that I listen very carefully now in case it is something that is wearing prematurely. I'm at around 120k now.

On 11/13/2023 at 6:20 AM, jacwjames said:

Many won't ever have to consider a valve adjustment.  On my 8.3L ISC it recommends a check/adjustment at 150 K, I have 125 K on my rig now so I might have to consider doing one. 

I am also a member of IRV2 and like on the Monacoers when certain people post I pay attention.  One poster I follow is Zmotorsports, who maintains a long thread on his Dynasty upgrades where he provides lots of detail and even videos.  So Mike just got done doing a valve job on his ISL engine.  Great info. 

Here's a link https://www.irv2.com/forums/f123/cummins-isl-overhead-631208.html#post6657319

Still not sure if I'd try this but based on the video it seems very doable for DYI'er

I also have an 8.3 ISC.  At around 80K miles (IIRC), I could hear that I needed a valve adjustment. I took it to my mechanic and he heard the same thing. Sure enough, there were a few out of spec.  Why so early in its life?  Just one of those things I guess -but 150k is the max to not do anything.

22 hours ago, powerpro2000 said:

I would suggest you read the Kongsburg thread. Contact Frank McElroy on this site. He is a MUCH better source to help with your issue. I cannot recommend the "Candy Shop" 

A 12-page read...

Here's the passage to which I think powerpro2000 is refering: https://www.monacoers.org/topic/5849-kongsburg-ccm-alternative-restoration-replacement-2009-signature/page/11/#comments:~:text=do not lie.-,I will not mention,-a specific shop

30 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

How was it fixed?  Did you replace it??

A leaking lift pump is pretty common, happened to me at ~107K miles.  I was aware of the problem and kept an eye on mine.  Fine one day, leaked the next.

The lift pump only leaks when the lift pump runs, ~30-60 seconds, and then it shuts off and the CAPS pump takes over.  The real problem is that if it leaked while it ran, it probably was sucking air when the engine was running.  The air in the CAPS injector pump causes lots of problems and ultimately the CAPS pump will probably fail. 

Do a search for FASS and/or Air Dog transfer pumps, a number of Monaco owners have installed one of these.  I installed a FASS pump. 

Yes, replaced it.

I think I caught it right away as there was no fuel in the RV bay and only on restart in front of my house. I drove it directly to the shop - maybe 5 miles. Maybe I lucked out.

I noticed a fuel leak but only when the engine was running.

Bottom line is that the electric lift pump (transfer pump on the bill) had developed a leak. My mechanic says these fail all the time and last only about 60,000 miles.

Doesn't sound right to me. Thoughts?

330 ISC manufactured in September of 2000.

15 hours ago, Ken Smith said:

I tiled the sides and the entry step with matching floor tile, the trim is commercial tile stair moulding.

 

 

WOW! Nice job!

FWIW: I had my switch fail on a trip about 15 years ago.  I can't remember if I just unplugged it or put a jumper on 2 of the connector ports.  But I got rid of the alarm and was able to drive home in peace.

I've replaced the switch 2 or 3 times and carry a spare. If there's a next time I'll do the Nodine fix.

On 10/18/2023 at 3:51 AM, myrontruex said:

Looks like the leveling jack container to me as well.

Only fill when the jacks are up or it will overfill. Mine always seemed to have some spillage/dirt colleting until cleaning it spotless one day and placing a small bead of silicon around the fill plug. Not against it or connected to it. Just kind of made a round dam and things do not seem to get all greasy any more. 

My manual states to let one jack down 6" and fill until the alarm stops. Overfill has never been a problem.  Of course YMMV...

56 minutes ago, Tom Cherry said:

No doubt.  Mine was at the top.  I thought this was the lower mount. Your call on putting a small bead of white silicone over it.  Couple of “off the wall”, if it bothers you ideas.

Most marine stores or online vendors sell a “fiberglass color repair kit”.  It is basically nothing more than resin and hardener and several small tubes of pigment.  We, at the boat factory, when I worked there prior to college, used them.  I have used them to repair a FG tub that had a hole that would not be covered when I installed a new faucet. You could mix a smidge….keeping up with how many “dots” or the amount of each pigment and test it on a lower surface….them use it to fill in and end up with a slight “bump” over the crack.  Sand with 300, then 600 “water” and finish off with a finer grit.

Your “hole” may pop on you.  The trick is take a small stick or even a piece of cloth or a small piece of a “tuffy” scrubbing pad.  Use 2 pieces of dental floss and tie a “tail” on it.  Force it into the hole….so it becomes a “backer”.  Then backfill the hole with the dental floss hanging out.  Don’t level…just let it have a slight depression.  Cut off the floss and finish off…

OR….in a few years….put in a white painted 1/8” pop rivet….

OR….leave as is….

Thanks for the ideas. 

2 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

That should do the trick.  I experimented and talked to folks.  I would actually "cover" the existing crack with a thin bead or layer of white silicone.  That low, it will not be visible. That is what I did on my longer and more serious crack...and once I drilled the hole....it fixed it....and has been stable for maybe 6 years.

It sure pained me to drill a hole like that on a freshly painted surface. I tried to push some silicone into the crack and it just wouldn't go in - pretty narrow crack. That's a 1/8" hole and the crack is darned narrow if you compare it to the hole.

And FWIW it is about eye-level.

Update. Here are some pix and what I've done so far which is to drill a 1/8" hole as sugessted.  Then filled with white silicone.

We'll see if it spreads from there.

As per the manual, I leave the coach plugged in. In hot weather, I need to top them off once a month. It looks like they might take a couple of cups in total. The newer the bateries are the less they take. In winter every 2 or 3 months is suficient. Same for my trailer that has solar.

I leave a gallon of distilled right in the bay and it takes only a minute.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FCAXT0/?coliid=I2L9O1JY1RGL8M&colid=34YFMY4ZYSY1X&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

9 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

Pardon the formatting…..this might be interesting.  It also makes one think that the clamping force needed for the presently instslled SS rivets resulted in the stress crack in the picture….admittedly my conclusion…..

Maybe the simple solution is to drill out and replace with larger 1/4” “tri arm” aluminum rivets and then use the same technique of controlled cinching and not letting the mandrel elongate enough to final “fail” or normally break off.

If you watch the video, the butyl (?) tape/sealer on the back of the mounting plate seems like a good idea….

Look at the screen shot below.  Didn’t know there was a repair kit for the standoff mounts….

 

 

FWIW: I refurbed my ladder myself while it was off.  The guy in the video does not install the star washers correctly. He has the assembly correct but not the installation. They are meant to be tightened from behind the plate with the bolt before installing the plate on the coach.  This will draw the ladder to the plate very tightly.

Pushing the ladder onto the plate after the plate is installed on the coach is the wrong way and will not result in a secure, tight, snug installation.

Good find on the ladder repair kit - wish I knew about it instead of purchasing everything seperately. Thanks to everyone that has contributed so far.

17 minutes ago, dl_racing427 said:

They shouldn't need to be anywhere near that long.
The fiberglass layup is probably in the 1/4" to 3/8" range, more or less. Ad another 1/8" or so for the bracket and a 5/8" to 7/8" rivet should work well.

I think the tri-fold rivets would be less likely to expand inside the hole and stress the fiberglass.

It feels thicker but I can't be certain without drilling one out and measuring. I'll do that at some point.

14 hours ago, dl_racing427 said:

Nice find Tom.  A little pricey, but they look like they'd have a wide grip range, which would work well with the varying fiberglass thickness likely to be found in chopper-gun layups.

What am I missing? The grip range looks to be about .787 (20mm). I think we need 2 to 3 ".  Longest I can find is 2.002"

https://www.hansonrivet.com/rivets/blind-pop-advel-rivets/extra-long-blind-rivets/

Got the coach back to day and now can post a pic of the crack. 

9 minutes ago, Ivan K said:

I don't know how the factory did it since my ladder is screwed in but I would have used backup rivet washers so that the expansion stop right there and consider redoing it. It just sounds like an expected outcome.

 Yes, that is what I suggested. The problem is that I don't see how one could possibly get backup washers on all of the rivets at the top. You have to be the size of a 4-year-old to climb all the way up inside the cap.

I am wondering if just much longer rivets would simply stop at the fibreglass?

I’ve always been a clean radiator guy as well.

I keep the bottom corners vacuumed so the road debris can’t accumulate. I use the purple stuff AutoZone or simple green with a sprayer – let it soak, spray a few times let it soak in between. Then garden hose with light spray to rinse – don’t want to bend any fins. I am careful to keep any suds off the paint because those degreasers will make it dull.

I do this about every 7,000-10,000 miles or when it looks dirty. Not much rain in CA and I think it’s rain that what causes more build up.

The biggest improvement in keeping the radiator clear was when I extended the crank case vent hose out to the rear past the radiator and into a catch can.

As many of you know, I had my coach painted recently (12 months ago to be exact) and I’m still working thought the final punch list.

The ladder was removed, repaired, and then remounted to the rear cap using the factory holes with S Steel pop rivets. 2 weeks ago I noticed that the fiberglass has a small crack where one of the pop rivets is. The crack is new since the ladder was R&R'd.

I can feel from behind that the pop rivets did not go all the way through the fiberglass and thus expanded inside the hole instead of outside of it. 

I’m thinking that the pop rivets are too short and I’ll eventually have cracks in all the mounting holes.  The paint shop owner says no; that’s the way the factory did it originally.

What say you all?