Rain, Rain, Rain, good reason not to drop the *******fuel tank!!

Rewired the roof A/C works great also has a heater circuit, surprised me for a 25 year old Duotherm Penguin.

Chasing down that DC wire for the fridge is a lost cause, runs all the way around the perimeter of the coach, and am unable to locate where it connects to power. Gonna just cut the wire and splice into DC power at a close source. There is a fuse in the fridge circuit so no problem.

Cleaned up the inside a bit and put my tools in a cardboard box.

The only things that still baffle me electrically are the stove hood fan, light, and auxiliary start solenoid.

Still a lot of stuff to do before 88 is good to go, but so far it has been a pleasurable experience.

BTW the Gorilla glue did not hold, should have followed instructions, like DannyZ!!

If there is a break in the rain, will reinstall the DC power supply and reassemble the generator housing tomorrow.

More Rain tomorrow!!

Had some rain today again, bugs are so bad, can not work outside in the evening.

Did get the DC power supply back in 88 and the shroud on the generator, and it is running pretty good, believe it will be fine after a new fuel line to the tank.

So not a real busy day, we may have rain all weekend so perhaps a few days not doing Barth work.

More Rain and the bugs are out in mass swarms!

Worked a bit inside 88, put an aluminum stiffener for the broken burner cover, hidden underneath. Glued it with super glue first and attached it with five countersunk stainless steel #10 screws and nuts screw heads are not on the top but in the front so stuff will not get in the drivers.

Ran a new wire to the fridge DC circuit, plugged in the 120 volts and turned it on AC. The flue is hot, so I guess the control works, wait for a few hours and see if it gets any cooling. I did not cut the old wire, put in a new one, just in case one day I find where the existing one gets power.

I need to add to my list check the furnace, summer and it never occurred to me might need heat one day. Still have not found that auxiliary start solenoid.

Every hose connection to the leveling system has been cut and the hoses strapped up, wonder what brought this on? Debating just to scrap the system, remove the stanchions.

New front air springs do not get here for a few weeks, unless one can blame the bug population, might have to drop that ******* fuel tank, running out of excuses!

Another day in 88 land!

Glad to hear you're keeping it up!

I finally replaced the circuit board in my coach gas water heater with a new Dinosaur board. Fires up first time now.

Got four tires on my beater 04 Chevy pickup on Wednesday, so I swapped all the brakes on Thursday. Sore back now. Ready for furniture runs to my house downstate.

Raining now and for many days ahead. Plenty of time to drop the tank Duane! Of all the many jobs I have done, that is one I always found a way around. Never had to drop one yet. No fun. Easier to sell the coach.... (oops, I guess I'm not helping)

Strange way to leave those levelers. I wonder why they didn't just remove them? With all lines cut what a nuisance to fix. In all honesty I never used them much on the Regal. Usually sat pretty level most places. If not I had a couple bottle jacks I used under the frame.

On my Regal the batteries were in a sliding tray under the pass front side. Both coach and chassis batteries were on the tray and a large manual disconnect switch as well.

Hidden inside of/behind the tray, tucked up against the frame, was the aux battery solenoid. Stupid location. I bypassed mine at that location, then remounted another solenoid right by the batteries on the shelf.

Keep up the good work. I will get back to the coach after the 4th. Fireworks soon!

quote:

On my Regal the batteries were in a sliding tray under the pass front side. Both coach and chassis batteries were on the tray and a large manual disconnect switch as well.

Steve, 88 is similar, but they are on a tray. in a box like the storage bins. Will examine that area more closely. Thanks, another reason to postpone dropping that ******* fuel tank!!

Took a quick look as Steve suggested on the inside of frame behind the battery compartment. There she be, the auxiliary start solenoid.

Some PO has had their way with the whole set up! Added a cutoff switch to the power going to it and a whole bunch of other wiring, that should not be there. So got to figure out what the heck they did and why, going to be a mess to get back to how it was intended. Steve is right the location could hardly be in a more difficult spot.

Good news is the fridge works fine!!!!

Mine looked like this: The shiny relay in the center was my aux start solenoid.

The wiring layout on my Regal was not ideal. For one thing, as GM often did, they ran the primary battery wire directly to the starter. The main feed wire for the chassis was also tied to the the starter terminal. I never liked that setup. The connection often gets corroded and loose way down there.

I ran one main wire from starting battery to the terminal of the aux relay. From that terminal I ran one wire down to the starter. To the same relay terminal I also connected the main chassis wire to that point. (At this point I am only using the aux relay as a common tie point on one side) Starter has only one wire that way and the chassis feed is connected closer to the battery.

Meanwhile, I mounted a new relay in the battery compartment between the batteries. Using nice short cables, one side goes to + on coach battery and other side to + on starter battery. I ran the wire from the original relay coil to my new relay. When the dash panel switch is on, the relay connects the two batteries.

The original aux switch was a momentary rocker. I replaced it with a standard lighted rocker. When you trip the switch, the light comes on and the batteries are connected. You can do this for help when starting or you can use it while running to charge the coach batteries. Be sure to use beefy cables and a good sized continuous duty relay.

So Steve what you did is similar to the way Nose is wired including the toggle switch, the AUX relay is in the battery compartment above the stairs. the starter battery and house battery's do connect at the starter though.

Going to rewire the 88 similar, except there is no room on the battery tray for the relay. Might have to leave that as is!!

The oil pressure gauge did not work, was poking around and found a vacant purple wire tied up on the chassis, it has a spade connector and rubber protector cap. Just like the wiring diagram shows, connected it to the oil pressure sending unit started the engine and oil pressure gauge works, but not real accurately. The terminals are dirty and a bit corroded will clean them off or get a new sending unit. Wonder if that wire just came off, looks like it has been disconnected for a long time. With the engine off the gauge shows about 30% oil pressure, engine running the pressure is maxed out.

Had not started 88 in a week or so, took a long time to get fuel into the carburetor, so it probably drains fuel, but also wonder if the electric fuel pump is functioning properly. Was going to rebuild the Rochester anyway, so will make extra sure to seal that plug area. Drop the ******* fuel tank you lazy bum!!

Lost the internet yesterday, cable went Kaput!!

Was poking around the AUX start relay, discovered it is a start relay from a 70-80's Ford. Thought it did not work, because there was no continuity between what seemed to be the coil terminals. Actually the coil is between the frame and one of the terminals labeled 8. So $30 on a relay not needed! No returns on electrical parts.

A PO wired in a cabin disconnect switch, also wired a direct line to the alternator. They attached the battery separator line to this switch also.

Going to delete the wire to the alternator and connect the wire from the separator directly to the house batteries.

The engine battery is connected to the starter on the output of AUX relay as Steve wired his Regal. Have to leave the relay on the frame though, no room in the battery tray.

Debating the disconnect set-up, the wire used to and from the switch is a lighter cable than the actual power source cable, does not seem to be stressed or ever been overheated, but it is lighter.

Rewire this today and see how the thing works. Started this because the house batteries were always connected to engine battery through something, believe it was the alternator.

The AUX relay is powered by a momentary switch as Steve said, he changed to an on/off toggle, but this Ford relay may not handle that full time load. So gonna leave it as is for now.

Raining out again, see what happens!!!

sent yo a p.m.

Been a weird day!! The AUX start is actually working! There was not power to the dash switch, had a talk with the Doorman and after running a new line got it working as it is supposed too. Am a bit dismayed at the wiring. Hard to figure out why this line was either cut or an inline termination came apart. Was able to find the fuse, reused that location so somewhere between the fuse and the switch it was open, very hidden unable to locate the break. Had to remove the dash panel to get this far, left the switch out, might just change from a momentary to a on/off as Steve did. Seems like some of the other systems on the dash do not function, during this process the radio got disconnected hope it is not a big deal to find out where?

Also saw the cruise control has been removed, switch is there but no throttle control unit. Perhaps will install a replacement. curious how this connects to the digital speedometer.

Just gonna remove the hydraulic leveling system, the pump is missing and all the lines have been cut and tied to the frame. The return springs are rusty and one is broken, so probably going to be nothing but trouble if it was repaired.

I hear something running under the dog house when the chassis battery is connected, Joe told me the battery drains over night if not disconnected, whatever this is might be the reason. Probably something to do with the heater A/C fan.

Might have to take a break from 88 and install the shim on Noses' Gilmer pully system.

Barth work never ends!!

Thank you Duane ❤️
Sue

So the electrical system is this coach is driving me nuts. Started on the A/C, Heater system, once again no power to the control. There must be some place all this stuff terminates, found the chassis fuse box it has only 7 or 8 fuses.

Pretty sure gonna find there is no power to the fog lights too. The Radio uses two of the chassis fuses, or so it says. BTW must have popped a fuse in one of those and that is why no radio yesterday.

Someone has been in this heater, A/C control, lots of broken up mounting plastic, cobbled together. So once again a new power line, but as has been noted in other posts there is only the mid speed fan circuit working, will have to check those posts and find out where the speed coils are located. Another strange thing the auxiliary dash mounted fans only work when either the A/C or Heater is on, thought this was strange too.

Another day in 88 world!!

Got a chance to search old posts, and found a picture of the fan speed resistor pack. I know I have seen it on 88 somewhere, believe it was above the radiator. Good data in old posts here!!

I don't believe it but that blower fan resistor is a Ford part D32H19A706AB. Wonder if GM or Barth installed it, either way the connector was so rusted to the resistor, no continuity and of course I broke it when loosing the connector.

Strange place to put that thing, above the radiator lets any water from the front vent soak it.