First off let me say thank you to Dave and the people who post here, you have created a great resource and it was a major factor in my decision to buy a barth. I purchased a fixer upper last winter and made plans to get it in order for some summer fun with the family. The coach had only 32k miles on it but had many cosmetic issues with the interior, so over the winter and the spring we put most things in order, and brought the maintenance up to date. The coach seemed to be a strong runner and I was feeling pretty confident about it's mechanical condition. I thought what a great Idea to travel down to the Indy 500 for our first trip in our new coach. Well the first 200 miles went almost too perfectly and after a pit stop in Lafayette Indiana we headed back onto I65 and blew the motor about 10 miles south of town. The whole story is way to long to go into here but I have to say this being stranded on the side of the road in a motorhome is way more luxurious than in a car. Fridge full of beer, fresh fruit, TV, Bathroom, the works We were towed back to a dealer in Lafayette that serviced motorhomes and wound up tent camping with friends across the street from the track in the rain. My two boys ages 9&11 said the best part of the trip was getting to ride in a big semi tow truck. Now after being quoted about $7,000 to install a reman engine I got a call from the dealer today to tell me that they dont think they can safely remove the engine with the equipment they have at their facillity. So I am stuck with an $8000 coach needing a $7000 engine 200 miles from home at a facillity that can't fix it and tow companies that tell me they can't cross state lines to tow it home. Somehow we still had a fun trip, watched a great race, and still like the Barth enough to want to fix it and try this again. Am I nuts or have I been bitten by the same bug that seems to afflict many of you? Sorry for the long winded post. If anyone has suggestions for a repair facility or how to get this thing towed home they would be much appreciated. Thanks

Tom, sorry to hear about your problems. Did you happen to buy this coach from a guy in Waukegan Il? I'm asking because I looked at this one also. It did seem to have a strong engine. Maybe it sat too long unused.

It was a consignment sale at sky harbor rv in rusell Ill. but the owner was from north chicago. I'm pretty sure it was the one you looked at. I agree with you, sitting is probably one of the worst things for these coaches and most likely did this one in. The engine had great oil pressure and ran smooth and cool right up to the last minute. I guess you never can tell.

They can't cross state lines to tow it to your place? Thats a new one on me. Why did they say that? Should be no problem finding a transport company to get it to anywhere you want.

I used to dispatch for a trucking company in Colorado. There were a number of times when a tractor broke down in Kansas, Nebraska and the towing company would go get it and the trailer and tow them back to the yard or the dealership. Something doesn't smell quite right with these towing companies. Do you belong to Good Sam or FMCA? Even if you don't have a towing policy with them, I'll bet they can help you find a good towing company that will tow your Barth wherever you need it to go.

FWIW, El Segundo Bill, (bill h) changed his engine by himself alone in his driveway, & worked out a DIY technique that doesn't require exotic equipment. Some time ago he offered his procedure to the membership.

Unfortunately, any dealer that immediately opines they can't do the job safely is probably not interested in doing the job, or reading the directions either, but it might be worth a try.

First thing is, do you really need a new engine? What was the failure mode?

The P30 engine can be changed with no special tools. Not even a jack. Any mechanic who can't do it by himself is in the wrong line of work. Or lazy. The hardest part of it was constantly getting down and underneath and back up and inside the coach. For a young man it should be pretty easy.

If you have decent mechanical skills, you can do it yourself. If you wanna tackle it, I can post my notes.

My way is only one way. There are others. Each has its advantages and drawbacks.

You might want to check on Chevy crate motors.

I definately feel that the dealer is giving me the brush off and maybe the towing companies are too. I called Three towing companies one of which was the guy who towed us off the interstate three weeks ago. He was the one who said he couldnt go over state lines the other two said they would call back with a quote and never did. I think I will call around locally here today to see if I can get someone to go down there and haul it back.

Roy, I may end up changing this engine myself so I will have to look up Bill's instructions.

It's amazing, it seems no one I call wants to get involved with this. I called one Truck repair shop down there, layed out my situation , asked if this was something they would do and the guy on the phone gives me a one word answer... Nope. All I could figure is if youre a mechanic in Indiana times must be good.

Bill, If you could post a rough outline of how you changed your motor that would be a big help.
I work for a car dealership and one of our older mechanics [ A guy who could actually fix things instead of just changing parts] asked me the same question about the failure mode. I belive it spun a bearing, the engine had full oil pressure all the way till the motor lost power, I know because as soon as I heard the noise up front I was focused on the guages. It sounded like putting a stick in a fan. The Ford dealer confirmed the engine being locked up and said there was a lot of metal in the oil. Our mechanic at work says it is possible to just do lower end bearings if the crank journals aren't blue. What do you think about the longevity of a repair like that?

A worn timing chain that jumps a tooth will sound like a "stick in the fan," but there may be other things too. That's not a likely failure in 32K miles, but a strong possibility at anything over 80K, or so.

My advice, FWIW, get 'er home any way you can. If you have the room at home, the time, & the skill (or learning ability) to tear into it yourself, check it out thoroughly, & find the precise cause. With 32K miles, if it isn't a catastrophic failure, it's likely to be repairable without replacing the engine.

quote:

The Ford dealer confirmed the engine being locked up and said there was a lot of metal in the oil.

metal in the oil is never good.

quote:

Our mechanic at work says it is possible to just do lower end bearings if the crank journals aren't blue. What do you think about the longevity of a repair like that?

A blue crank journal has indeed overheated. So has a straw yellow one. However, it would take a Brinnell tester to determine accurately if a crank had been heated enough to soften it or not. For a hard working application like a big MH, I would take the crank to a crank shop to have it tested. The crank can be removed by pulling back the transmission and removing the big crossember that supports the engine and mounts the front suspension. Six bolts on each side. I have heard of the oil pan being removed without removing the crossmember, but have not done it myself. It involves raising the engine somewhat.

I will post my notes on the engine removal under its own heading.