Thanks for the update! You are making progress!

The engine can be timed from below using #5 cylinder and the timing scale on driver's side front of oil pan. Need two people, one to watch the marks below, other one turns the distributor from above.



The instant water heat is nice but be careful. Most heaters run about 140 degrees, the engine will run it to 200 degrees, easy to scald you if not careful.

Good luck, keep us posted!

What great fun I've had with my Barth, given all the problems I have the minute she's on the road. Actually it's not restricted to a Barth, but any motor home. You're lucky to get there without something breaking along the way. That's just the way it is.

Anyway on my last trip, I decided to check the Master Cylinder and top off the reservoir but found that it was completely dry. Has anyone ever tried to change out one of these??? It's a nightmare!! Brake lines are on the engine side and is a pain to get to. Working from the top and over the tire and from under the RV, I finally got it free. It was twice as hard getting the new one in. So I bled the brakes and off I went to the camp ground. She ran poorly and kept sputtering and would shut down at traffic lights, but I made it. The brakes were mushy so I bled them again to no avail. I could not bleed the Tag Axle brakes as the bleed screw from the control valve was frozen. Figuring it was the culprit, I disconnected that line and plugged it for now. No more mushy brakes.

Neatly tucked away in my camping spot, I was finally able to relax and have a drink or two. You can forget about that relaxing part cause all hell broke loose right after I decided to move her over a bit. Thinking I had everything unplugged, I moved her over and all was fine until I noticed I had forgotten to uncouple the water hose. Well the water house won and the connector on the RV lost. It went down hill really fast after that. So I jump in the car and drove to five different RV stores to no avail. They just did not have that particular water hook up connector. Anyway to make a short story long, I made up a temporary connector, hooked it up to the inside piping and had water again. Yippee! Did I mention that while I was out, a great big storm came by, dumped a ton of rain, filled up my awning, and due to all the weight, broke one of the arms and the whole damn thing came collapsing down on everyone's head? Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid, LOL So off I go to the RV store again, and 50 dollars later, I had my awning arm installed and I was once again happy, or so I thought. My sister-in-law came out and said the toilet would not flush and indeed it would not. The flapper flipper something or other thing would not slide out of the way to flush away the excrements. That's when I went for my gun to blow my head off but I forgot the bullets. Then the GODS yelled down at me and said it was not my turn and that they were having way too much fun laughing at me.

I did not take the Barth out this year so she's been parked over a year now. She looks sad but I keep her fluids warm, the batteries fully charge and she gets a bath once in a while. I start her up once a week including the generator, and I take her out once around the block every so often. She hasn't passed an inspection so she's not road worthy here in Virginia. Lets see here ,the last attempt at an inspection, they did not like the running light. Said the reflectors were dirty and she had an exhaust leak and something with the turn signals. The little red lights on the side kept turning off when the brakes are applied. And now she has a cracked windshield that just appeared one day. I swear if someone offers me $7000 for her, I think I will sell it.

OK so the Barth needs a new toilet and brake work. Mainly remove that rusted bleed screw from the control valve and replace it, hook the line back up and bleed the brakes. The timing was way advanced and off the scale and think the distributor is at fault. It is all rusty in there and think the counter weights might be sticking so it needs a new distributor. I'll work on all that after the holidays.

Take care everyone and Happy Holidays

It sounds like you are making progress, keep up the good work.

I have always tried to "fix things before they break". I replaced all the brakes and lines except tag axle and everyting else I could think of. New engine, trans, etc. I really hate being stuck on the road.

It seems that these old coaches have periodic needs for maintainance and repair. Seems to come in waves. However, once tweaked they often have an "era of stability." One of my goals with my Regal was to be able to take it on a trip and not have to work on anything. It has happened only two or three times, and usually any needed work was minor.

Ironically, just when I got about 40,000 miles on it and it is running stable, I bought the diesel coach.

Anyway, keep up the good work, it will pay off. And you're right, all older coaches are this way.

BTW, you're right on that master cylinder. Nasty location. I have replaced lines and calipers and rotors but luckily the cylinder was changed before I got it. Power steering lines aint no fun either.

My 98 is in the shop for new air bags, air system overhaul, and oil change. Noticed the air system was leaking down, told them to change everything they could find that was not right. I haven't gotten the bill but it will be a couple "coachbucks" for sure. Well worth it considering brakes and suspension depend on the air system.

Geez you guys are having bad some bad luck! My Glassnose never breaks down or needs repair!!

Yeah and God didn't make lil green apples!!!! lol