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Thanks Pippi your pretty darn smart your self and very funny.
Pippi, most of my parts have come in I need just a few more parts to have what I need, hunting down the right parts was kinda tough, the mechanic seen the new custom brake rotors and drums said he was quite Impressed. I can’t wait to see it all together, I got the transmission pan with the cooling air tubes and my urethane bushings for my sway bars. the other day, I’m on the road trucking so I’m 1600 miles from home I’m trying to get there soon As I can,if I do I’ll get pictures for you. Pippi I still have to put in my 2 new 200 psi air compressor(s) and the 5 gallon aluminum air tank, air dryer, the guy who fabricated the mounting cross member didn’t do it right so I have to get a new one bent up to install the air tank and air dryer to the frame rails, this will be better then factory original. Which was over complicated and inefficient, underpowered. Airsteams have spring Jet rear air ride with truck style air bags. And air bags in the front coil springs. When it all works right it rides like a real land yacht, I just hope it’s not the Titanic.
Pippi I’m not trying to brag about the stuff I’m trying to do just trying to do it the best way possible and I hope to share these improvements with others to upgrade their motor homes, I learn a lot from other people and try to consolidate as much as I can, I know my limitations of what I can do. Pippi you seem to brave out and do it any ways for that I say good job.B.j.
Hukmut, it’s good your going through the brake system, your right the brake fluids like d.o.t 3 absorb moisture and rusts out your brake lines a gunks up you master cylinder and calipers. Sitting is the worste thing you can do to any piece of mechanical equipment, springs go bad electrical corodes up, tire rot and in general very thing in life such as people and vehicals need exersize.
Buy D.o.t. 4 silicone racing brake fluid is the best. You need to check every inch of your brake soft and hard lines, I thought my hard brake lines were in good shape visually looked good until I was working on my air ride ans had to move the brake line out of the way a few inches, that’s when the brake line shaped like a bread stick, it was rusted out internally. I’m currently changing “every” thing out, which required a lot of research on my part and some suppliers such as Super Steer Inc. because of the age of my motor home being an 1979 Airstream p30 chassis to determine the exact chassis and brake suspension type. I am replacing all soft and hard brake lines in stainless steel and braided stainless steel. The supplier that’s as I write this is shipping the custom silver zinc coated drums, rotors and calipers with hi performance metallic brake pads, the rotors are custom machined slotted cross drilled and camphered just like racing cars, over 30+% grater braking then stock brakes they run cooler and cleaner. Even the front wheel spacer 7″ is silver zinc coated by the mfg to resist rust. I have replaced 95% of the suspension, new springs with inner air bags ball joints, rear air bags, wheel bearings, all shocks replaced with Monroe gas shocks, I just ordered silicone rear sway bar bushings and brackets. My next project is the hi performance front sway bar and silicon bushings. Super steer steering bells and steering arms, tires. Also I ordered a high cappacity transmission oil pan with cooling air tubes to be installed as sone as it comes in the mail which will add 50 degree drop in trans temp and I’m also adding a trans cooler radiator and cooling fan and engine oil cooler. I would also recommend changing the rear differential fluid with a synthetic blend oil so it will run cooler and ware better, I also ordered a aluminum differential cover to replace the old 14 bolt steel cover so it will run cooler and disapate heat. “Heat is a killer” for lubricated components.
I’m also looking into a new invention for fuel economy that heats the gasoline and converts it into a vapor that’s supposed to increase your fuel economy by at least 4 times you can find it on you tube.
The goal is to make your vehicals safer and more efficient than factory new.
Pippi to bad you don’t think about a Murphy bed it would open up floor space, to exercise, ect. Pine Pippi is a soft wood that scratches and gouges out. If its a vinyl faux wood strip floor that’s a different deal. I think if I remember right didn’t you make your mattress fit by sawing and end off, now that’s funny. The idea of being able to quickly sweep and mop out a Moho in minutes makes a lot of sense to me. Pippi do you have central vacuum system?. I have one and it makes it much easier believe me.
Pippi, I’ve seen floors done in pennys it really looks nice, I don’t know if you every done this before, I think Its a must to level the countertop so you don’t have any dips or high spots for gluing the pennys down maybe a quick drying mastic or just some form of epoxy glue. foreground I think I would use black or dark chocolate brown for contrast, or white or creamy yellow. Pippy there’s a clear coating called casting resin that fairly easy to use. The key to having a smooth bubble free top it using a propane torch to draw out the bubbles you can look up the process on YouTube, you can make a edge dam by getting 1/2″x 2″ wood strips sprey painting gloss enamal let them cure for a day, buy some real paste wax coat the painted strips at least 12 coats this will keep the resin from sticking to your border dam so when you remove them after the resin cures you will have a perfect edge. For your table top decoupage ads interest or your an artist do a painting then clear coat it with urathane or epoxy.
Pippi, I’ve seen floors done in pennys it really looks nice, I don’t know if you every done this before, I think I’d be a must to level the countertop so you don’t have any dips or high spots. I meant for gluing it down maybe a quick drying mastic or just some form of epoxy glue. foreground I think I would use black or dark chocolate brown for contrast, or white or creamy yellow. Pippy there’s a clear coating called casting resin that fairly easy to use. The key to having a smooth bubble free top it using a propane torch to draw out the bubbles you can look up the process on YouTube, you can make a edge dam by getting 1/2″x 2″ wood strips sprey painting gloss enamal let them cure for a day, buy some real paste wax coat the painted strips at least 12 coats this will keep the resin from sticking to your border dam so when you remove them after the resin cures you will have a perfect edge. For your table top decoupage ads interest or your an artist do a painting then clear coat it with urathane or epoxy.
Hello, Pippi my computer is kaputs so I’m using my Android to write these blogs so I can’t use the features on this page so I’ll tell you where to search.
Changing your transmission fluid. by, Popular Mechanics.
Has an article on line answering your questions and the also have illustrations
On how to do the basic the procedures.One thing I would like to explain that for most people would take their vehicles to the shop. Especially an r.v. one is convenience the other is fear, The reason an individual who owns an r.v. should and must know how to work on their r.v. is-
(1) to get over their fear.
(2) shop rates are ridiculous ranging between $75,00 to $150,00 an hour.
(3) it helps you understand the systems and mechanical components of the vehical, and to get a grasp of how long it takes to repair a problem so if you have go to a garage you’ll understand what’s involved so you won’t get ripped off.Pippi I don’t know what kind of hand tools you have,it important that you have a decent set of hand tools. Sears has craftsman tools that are good (novice) quality hand tools. You arewrenches o need a min 1/2″ drive ratchet, a set of standard sockets. Note Sears has complete sets in packages that have rachets and wrenches so find a set that will meet you needs. Also a must have is a quility torque wrench a must have.
This job should be simple fairly simple and a little messy. Because factory transmission pan don’t have drain plugs. In your paper work that you are supposed to have when you buy your motorhome you should have a manual for every system and equipment that came in you motorhome and or a build sheet. You need to know what type of transmission you have don’t geuss, if you don’t call the manufacturer of your motorhome or a dealer who sells you Moho,they will go off your serial numbers and tell you what you have.
When you get the new pan gasket, my preference is felpro, I recommend Gorilla Snot gasket adhesive, any top brand auto parts store carry these products.
Get a oil drain pan, large capacity they are cheap to buy. A good investment is a mechanics creeper, that will save you a lot of discomfort while working underneath the motorhome, remember these tools you will be using over and over, as you work on other systems and mechanical repairs, like oil changes. Also many auto parts store either have tool loan or rental programs.
Fallow the instructions laid out in the arrival that I mentioned above and be careful to not over tighten the trans oil pan bolts when reinstalling, or bend the pan edges when removing the pan you may need a puddy knife or a flat head screwdriver to loosen the ban. When using the adhesive you only need a thin layer on both side of the gasket make sure the holes line up, I usually put the bolts in on the reverse side on the gasket until the adhesive sticks and remove the bolts the butter the top with adhivsive,
Its very important to complely clean the trans oil pan completely, you want it clean enough to cook Christmas dinner in it. Before installing the gasket or adhivsive. Make sure you have plenty of clean rags. When taking out the bolts remember this poam, righty tite’ty, lefty loose’y. Turn right to tighten and left to losen the nuts or bolts. Sometimes I used the poam when I get brain stall. When bolting in the pan or any thing that attaches two metal parts using multable bolts or nuts you must use a crisscross patern tobtightin it up failure to do this is not only evividence that your lazy but it will lead to leaks or mechanical failure, this the part is secured evenly, also as you are first bolting the pan in by bolting the for corners in first but only finger tite, then the remainder the same, then using the rachet getting them snug you can use the torque wrench to tighten them down to factory specs. The filter is easy to change just 1 or 2 bolts after taking the filter out wipe with a clean rag any contaminates from around the area where the pan gasket touches on the transmission itself. After reinstalling filter and pan, refill transmission, with factory crecomended type transmission fluid or higher quality synthetic recommend for you transmission type.
Note: Pippi I will try to send you info on the various trans cooler oil pan with air cooling tubes, addional inexpensive types of trans coolers as well. Please hold off on you project until I send you the info, you’ll be impressed. The 1# thing that destroys automatic transmissions is heat.
Also in the next sigment we’ll talk about engine oil coolers/installation. Special screens over and above your oil filter.
Pippi did you get the link I sent you about the transmission cooler oil pan its really slick, it has cooling 6 tubes running thru the transmission pan allowing fresh air to pass thru the tubes and it has higher fluid capacity and a drain plug, which the factory pan does not. The problem with the shops that change the fluid out at these oil change places do a clown job changing the fluid now is they don’t take out the filter they flush out the trans through the trans coolent lines.this is a half baked Idea. Because the transmission has a filter there for a reason. And back fishing the system does not address the filter, the filter must be replaced to assure efficiency and clean system. Motorhomes have a lot of road conditions that effect the transmission such as mountains especially out west have long extreme grades and hi head winds or both, places pressure on these transmissions,
Good advice about the mice, they can eat up you wiring and find ways to get inside your motorhome you never new existed they often find holes in your floor and they make nests in the insulation. Rodents on the west coast carry Henta virus and its found in there fecal matter, handle with care when you dispose of any of it. I found birds nests behind my grill and wasp nest hidden in various place’s. One thing that’s important is tire rot, I found 1 tire that’s splitting. It has no more then 2500 miles on it. So keep them covered. Especially in the west coast and desert areas, as well as the south U.V.is killer on rubber.
Pippi it’s good to check you’re all your fluids, its also important to change the transmission fluid and filter, you should ccheck the service records and see if this has been done. Motorhomes put a lot of stress on automatic transmissions they get very hot. So its very important to change the fluid and filter and pan gaskit. Also an aftermarket transmission cooler is a big bonus, you have transmission cooling lines going into you radiator its good to check these for leakage. Which brings up another important issue that is your cooling system which keeps your transmission cool, you can get coolent testers can be gotten at just about any auto parts store. They are inexpensive and check your violent gravity and also for rust.
