Working on these old beauties sometimes is a challenge!!

Spent a few hours designing and building a circuit for the stairs, and installing it. Was searching around for a place to mount the up/down switch. Hidden under and attached to a wooden rack near the door was an unidentified switch. Took the rack off the wall found a wire bundle.

So a PO did not want to replace the Kwikee control either, made a device similar to the one I just made. Saw the wires before but they had no power to them and thought they were just junk, of course they were polarity switching and never activated the momentary switch for up or down, so they never showed any power.

Any way reused the old circuit because it was already in place. Works fine!!! Wonder if the parts store will take at least some of the parts back. Never took the switch from its package, did use the relays. Done Dog!!

Ok on to the Generator,,,, no not ready to drop the ******* fuel tank!!! Took off the flywheel cover and the crank turns freely. Seems the solenoid works but so far the starter will not turn, gonna pull it for a bench test!

Would like to spin the engine to see if there is any compression. Might just attach the electric impact wrench and give it a go. I assume it turns clockwise??? Carburetor needs a rebuild it is gummed up! The fuel pump has not seen any gas in a decade.

Went back pulled the starter it is toast hope I can find a replacement. Had to quit the bugs were eating me alive..

Another day in 88 land!

So slow day, but did order a new Generator starter, not 100% sure it is the correct one, but believe even if I have to use some of the old parts it can be made serviceable...Fingers crossed!

Pulled the carburetor off and stripped it down, was so full of of varnish and gook, took several hours to clean it check the jets, ports and get the throttle and choke to turn freely. While the fuel line was disconnected did a check on the fuel pump, seems to function fine, pumped about a quart of gas from a bottle through it. The rubber line to fuel tank is hard and cracked needs to be replaced when I drop the ******* tank..

Spun the crank by hand, seems to have compression, tried to hook up my electric impact driver to spin it but that did not work. Will have to wait for the new starter before any further investigation. Spark being my next concern.

So another day in 88 land BTW my yard is so full of weeds and the grass needs mowing, surprised the neighbors are not calling city hall on me!!! Can't understand why anyone would want to do yard work, if they have a Barth Regal to work on!!!

Ah, youth. Fortunately, Tere's 89 25' Regal had good care given it. So, she's going through things that mostly work and making them better.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
Ah, youth. Fortunately, Tere's 89 25' Regal had good care given it. So, she's going through things that mostly work and making them better.

Jim, this unit was at a good home, just more than they wanted to/could handle. Really a nice unit, just needs lots of TLC. Tere can still come fix it though!!!!

And it is now at the best place it can be. Knowing what you did to the glassnose, you will end up with a really great Barth.

Jim

Some of the so called mechanics that work on these RV's should be hung upside down!

When 88 first got here it had no brakes at all, inspection took me to the master cylinder and I replaced it, an idiot had used a toothed tool on the bleeder and was not able to loosen it, but I did have enough brake to drive carefully without a brake bleed. Had a slight pull to the drivers side when the brakes were first applied, second pump it was gone. Had the same problem on nose, pretty sure it was a clogged rubber brake line. Ordered new lines awhile ago, waited for the coil over shocks to arrive and thought great do it all at the same time. Easy Job. LOL

Chevy used some stupid attachment to hold the rubber lines to the A frame, same on Nose, impossible to unscrew it, grind it off!! Fitting from hard line to the rubber line, corroded Master blaster, not any help, had to heat it up with a torch, did not care was replacing the rubber line. Looks like because of this bleeder problem, new calipers are going to be needed, will take them off and try to get the bleeders loose but believe it to be a lost cause.

The shocks on the 88 are gas with huge diameter cylinders and really in good shape, don't think they are original equipment, and they might do a better job then the coil over replacement. will go ahead and make the change but might go back.

Not sure about this engine, took a picture of the manifold with the expansion joint in it, I will try to post it but will probably fail. I think this engine is from a GMC product not Chevrolet it is black and the oil pan seems different too.

Long hot day and not much to show for all the sweat!!

Did yardwork yesterday, probably should have today also!!

quote:

manifold with the expansion joint

That exhaust manifold design is a Chevrolet item, the expansion joint rusted out on mine prior to my purchase. The engine in mine was originally black from the factory.

There are many days which seem to have high sweat to progress ratios when dealing with the old parts. But they lead to the nice days of all parts coming together and working right. And that leads to the happy days of getting out on the road and to the camp sites.
Matt

quote:

Originally posted by BarthBluesmobile:

quote:

manifold with the expansion joint

That exhaust manifold design is a Chevrolet item, the expansion joint rusted out on mine prior to my purchase. The engine in mine was originally black from the factory.

There are many days which seem to have high sweat to progress ratios when dealing with the old parts. But they lead to the nice days of all parts coming together and working right. And that leads to the happy days of getting out on the road and to the camp sites.
Matt

Thanks Matt, was worried about origins of the engine!

Another day in Barth land. Saved the calipers, removed them from the coach and put them in a vice. Was able to clamp the bleeder valve with a large set of vice grips. Whacked them with a hammer and break them loose. Got new bleeder valves, checked for movement in the calipers, all seems ok!!!

Took about 6 hours work to fix the caliper, change the rubber fluid line, put in the new coil over shock on the passenger side. Experience pays off and the drivers side took about an hour and a half.

The brake pads have very little wear, and I have an old set off Nose that makes a bit of a squeal when they get hot, think the ones on the 88 are getting reused.

Ordered new front air springs, was not going to replace them however, really want to improve the handling of this unit as much as possible. Said previously the back air bags are functionable.

Finish up and bleed the brakes tomorrow, not sure if I will put it back on its wheels or wait for the air springs.

Our coach sounded like overloaded dump truck when first got it. Replaced brake fluid and new ceramic pads. No noise and no black brake dust. Have been told the ceramic pads still make noise but frequency is to high hear. also may not be as aggressive. I have been happy with the ceramic. I have not flushed my brake fluid in a few years. I just added the list for this year. They claim 2-3% Moisture per year.

Craig, put ceramic pads on Nose, no noise to my ear, the pads on 88 show so little wear they may be ceramic too!

Sure did have a clogged line not even able to blow air through the passenger side line. Bled out the front lines have good pedal, need to do the back drums. My bet the passenger side front brake barely worked for a long time. Hope the Idiot that got hold of the front bleeders did not do the same to the back ones.

Got the new starter for the generator late Saturday, so back to that project, maybe Tuesday.

Short day in 88 land today!

Happy Fathers day to all you Dads out there!!

Installed the new generator starter, it is the right one, but a more simplified version. So far works fine.

Already had cleaned the carburetor and checked the fuel pump. Cleaned, filed and set the points. After a lot of fiddling about finally got some spark to the plugs. Used a can of starting fluid, got a few pops from the engine and finally a couple seconds of rough running.

Filled a plastic coke bottle with gasoline ran a tube from the fuel pump, stuck it in the bottle of gas, cranked that baby over.

Took a bit of cranking but it kicked off!! Running a bit rough, missing now then, got a bit better after 5 minutes or so, still needs some TLC, but running well enough to turn the generator on, got 130 volts, not sure about the Amps yet. Restarts pretty well, under both hot and warm conditions.

Not to bad for a unit that probably had not been started in a decade.

Another day!!!

A piddle around day. Does anyone know where the auxiliary start solenoid is located, mine seems to be stuck in the on position.

Got the drivers electric seat going, but it needs a new bezel for the position locater switches. Again anyone have a source, will try local junk yards. Someone cut the wires to the passenger seat controls, needs a rewire job.

There is a plastic burner cover that was cracked, trying Gorilla Glue, wonder if it is any good. leave it in the clamp for a day or so??

Ok so I am still dodging dropping that ******* fuel tank!!

Interesting tidbit about Gorilla glue. I was trying to re-glue my data tag to a surface under the hood, but the GG didn't want to make a secure bond. As a last resort I read the instructions, which said to moisten one surface with water and put the glue on the other surface, so I tried that and you couldn't remove the tag with a jackhammer now. I've been doing it wrong for years!

quote:

Originally posted by Danny Z:
Interesting tidbit about Gorilla glue. I was trying to re-glue my data tag to a surface under the hood, but the GG didn't want to make a secure bond. As a last resort I read the instructions, which said to moisten one surface with water and put the glue on the other surface, so I tried that and you couldn't remove the tag with a jackhammer now. I've been doing it wrong for years!

Read that too, I thought maybe the high humidity might be adequate to make it cure...will see. Thanks Danny