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9/20/09
I used my motorhome over Labor day weekend. I bought it in 97 and havent used it much in the last 7 years. It is an 85 Barth Regal. Anyway it left me stranded, which turned out to be the starter. It suffers from much deffered maintanance from me. i have decided to invest the time at fixing it.

First thing is the tires. It has michelin six 8R 19.5 tires that were new in 94. About 7000 miles on them but dryrot has set in. One had sidewall cracks big enough to bury half a penny!!

I got 3 estimates for 6 tires installed $2900, 2800 and 2700. Now being cheap, that was just too much money to spend on something I hardly use.
I looked at Sams club and the tires were $346 each, no instalation available.
I started looking on the net and found: http://www.trucktireretreading.com/s...res/Categories
They had these Chinese tires for $135 each delivered. I hate to buy Chinese but these will need to be replaced due to age, not wear.

I made the decision to mount them myself. I have a tire machine from the 40s but the bead braking hardware was not far enough out to handle these.
I broke the beads with a lead hammer. Getting the tire off the rim, and the new tire on the rim were easy. The hard part was getting that narrow tire to bead to the rim. For an hour, nothing I tried worked. i though, if I could find something to fill the big gap at the top I could get the bottom to bead.
Then it clicked, I would use a 20 inch bicycle innertube.

I have an electronic wheel balancer, but dont have an adaptor to handle these wheels.









9/22/09
Now the next thing to address will be the exhaust. I bought this in my 20s and that 454 had some balls. I had a punk in a ricer come up on the right side at a red light. He was in a right turn lane and had every intent on going straight and cutting me off. I put the trans in low 1 and pushed the pedal down. That thing can really jump off the line and I dusted him something awfull.
The bad part? I blew an exhaust donut out. Ever since that hot rod day, I cannot keep a donut in the exhaust on that side.

9/24/09
So I bought the Headman elite 14 gauge headers. A balance pipe, 2 Flowmaster 70 Big Block mufflers, and a heat sheild for the starter. The headers are factory thermal coated.






9/28 - 10-4
I started the install work. The manifold come off the drivers side just fine. The passenger side, which is the one with all the room, I had 2 bolts snap off.
I have tried the blue wrench method, drilling, vice grip, nothing is working. 2 days invested going nowhere.




I do have the 2 mufflers on and the drivers side header.

The fit was excellent, no issues bolting it in at all. The directions stated that for some applications the engine may have to be unbolted and jacked up, but I had no such issues.

Next I need to get the angle on my H pipe bent up a bit more.
Then it will be back to the broken stud, so that I can connect the exhaust and wrap the job up.

I went to the covered bridge festival in indiana from 10-9 to 10-16, and unfortunately had to hotel it, as the job wasnt done.

10-17 and 10-18

I finished the install, wrapped the starter in a heat blanket, altered the wiring on the starter to avoid the headers, and took it for a ride.

Wow! What a difference that made! It sounds like a big block should, and it has poke like a big block should.

Next on the agenda will be having the distributer curved.

1)tires on bead - starting fluid and match. bike tire pretty cool idea
2)exhaust head bolts - drill and blind tap... less than 1 hour when i did mine - what did you finally do?

am glad to see you documenting the resurrection. could you snap a picture of your data tag for us too?

If you'll pardon my stealing a book title that describes wodnek's experience, this is an example of "sense & sensibility." Not pricey, no big name manufacturers, not a restoration, just practical Midwestern ingenuity to economically achieve a purposeful, well-working coach.

Wodnek, you must have grown up on a farm where you had to make do, or do without. You're a man after my own heart.

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
If you'll pardon my stealing a book title that describes wodnek's experience, this is an example of "sense & sensibility." Not pricey, no big name manufacturers, not a restoration, just practical Midwestern ingenuity to economically achieve a purposeful, well-working coach.

Wodnek, you must have grown up on a farm where you had to make do, or do without. You're a man after my own heart.

I didn't grow up on a farm, but My Dad has owned an auto body/repair garage since I was 2. With that upbringing you cant help but learn how to wrench and fix things.

The best lesson i learned? There are 2 things to never skimp on quality, shoes, and tools.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:
1)tires on bead - starting fluid and match. bike tire pretty cool idea
2)exhaust head bolts - drill and blind tap... less than 1 hour when i did mine - what did you finally do?

am glad to see you documenting the resurrection. could you snap a picture of your data tag for us too?

19.5 rims dont have a real bead so i didnt think that would work. I may be wrong though.

I will shoot you a picture of the data tag. My pictures are a bit grainy due to being shot with a blackberry curve and not a real camera.

My data tag

quote:

They had these Chinese tires for $135 each delivered. I hate to buy Chinese but these will need to be replaced due to age, not wear.

Hi Wodnek,

We have two Wanli Chinese tires on the front of our Breakaway that went on two years ago, a set of TOYOs on the right rear (one week old) and a set of GOODYEARs on the left rear (4 months old). Like you, I hate to buy Chinese but the Wanli's are wider and beefier than the other two brands and would not hesitate to get them again.

Carl Feren

When mounting tubeless tires I use a ratcheting strap tiedown. With a little "touch" here and there the beads are in place and the compressor can be a piece of junk and still get it done.
When the job is done you can tie the spare down to the roof with it.

You can also get tires mounted by GCR truck tire sales for $12.50 each unbalanced or $20 each balanced.

wodnek,

What tranny does your coach have? TH
475 or AT542?
The headers are a great add...had a '85 34' Fleetwood Pace Arrow with the 454/TH475 set up with headers and it would cruise at 80mph thru Wyoming along I-80 like nothing.....That engine breathed beautifully. Of course, new shielded plug leads, overhauled Rodchester carb, new fuel lines also played a part. But the headers made the main difference. It gave us 10 mpg at 80mph and 12 at 60 mpg. Son has this coach now.

Loved your story....great ideas.