Engine Missing

[Tom&Marie]

Returned from a 3000 mile trip two weeks ago..Today drove the MH locally and engine started missing badly...Exact same symptoms last year after same trip and also after a short local drive...WH diagnosed as Burned #5 ignition wire... What should be done this time to correct the problem permanently..

Would like to carry a spare set of Taylor Extreme wires and a set of plugs What are the correct part #s....

I guess I can't complain too much being that both problems occurred after the trip and not on the road...2005 HR 8.1 Vortec 13,500 miles with a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad... Thanks Tom

[Tom&Marie]

Returned from a 3000 mile trip two weeks ago..Today drove the MH locally and engine started missing badly...Exact same symptoms last year after same trip and also after a short local drive...WH diagnosed as Burned #5 ignition wire... What should be done this time to correct the problem permanently..

Would like to carry a spare set of Taylor Extreme wires and a set of plugs What are the correct part #s....

I guess I can't complain too much being that both problems occurred after the trip and not on the road...2005 HR 8.1 Vortec 13,500 miles with a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad... Thanks Tom

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom&Marie:
Would like to carry a spare set of Taylor Extreme wires and a set of plugs What are the correct part #s.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Tom, The Taylors are a limetime guarantee part so I would doubt that you would need to have a set of these as a spare.

Did you burn out a Taylor wire or an OEM wire? I don't have the part number quickly at hand but I'm sure some one will respond before I retrieve that information.

We have seen where a Taylor wire did burn on a 2005 Trek and the unit did have a WCC cold air vent kit installed. Unfortunately these issues will present themselves on some models of motorhomes like the plague.

In an attempt to resolve this a powered vent kit using bilge blowers was installed however long term results are unavailable.

The stock plugs are AC 41-983s however the plugs will not likely need replacement.

[Max Hubrich]

Hi Tom

I have an '02 37' gas Mountain Aire, 28,000 miles. I had a plug wire come loose in the Boston area and I limped into Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. I thought I had a blown exhaust manifold gasket. A wire had come loose on #6 cylinder-- but it was still on the spark plug. Easy fix when I had time to check it out. Runs fine now. I have read alot of "threads" on this site addressing this issue. It seems mountain/hill climbing overheats the wires because of improper air cooling on some rigs. "Brazels" can give you some advice on improving the air flow over the engine. I know on my rig the thin rubber baffles around the radiator completely deteritated and I had to replace them with heavy duty rubber, hand fabricated,ones. I don't do much mountain pulling.
Good Luck,

Max H

[Full-Timers]

DriVer's post is right on. I have burnt 4 plug wires until Workhorse Oked to have the vent kit installed. That fixed the problem. I recently traveled in 110 degree weather climbing up to 6% grades with no failures. Your problem is only plug wires and the plugs do not have to be replaced. Your service center will most likely only replace the failed wire instead on a complete set as they did mine. Changing to Taylors will not have any effect on the problem but certainty won't hurt. Have your service center contact Workhorse about the vent kit. It's still under warranty so it most likely will be a freebe.

Oh, by the way, the problem is improper airflow or lack there of to the exhaust manifold area. The vent kit takes air from the front grill and directs it through ducts to that area. It is a ram air effect but worked well in my case. They also have a powered vent kit as DriVer mentioned.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Max Hubrich:
It seems mountain/hill climbing overheats the wires because of improper air cooling on some rigs. "Brazels" can give you some advice on improving the air flow over the engine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Max Hubrich, More important is to improve the air flow going through the radiator. Your effort in blocking the airflow around the radiator shows that your experience in consistent with what we have been suggesting to the members for many years.

Improving air flow over the engine is no way as important as improving the air flow through the radiator. Blocking off most large opening over and around the radiator is critical.

If you can cool the coolant in the engine effectively most wire burn outs can be prevented.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I don't do much mountain pulling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Do not fear the mountain the mountain is your friend "IF" your cooling system is up to par. My last run through the Appalachians showed that as I was climbing the grade I was both reducing the engine temperature observed on my Scan Gauge and the air coming from the dash registers was cooler.

Why we might ask? Because the the auxiliary cooling fans and the main engine fan were clutched up and spinning at their maximum efficiency. Depending on the box construction cooling systems can either be effective or deficient to the point where components fail.

The best path toward resolving or improving engine cooling on front gas Workhorse powered motorhomes is to make sure that the air dams or fabric as it is known, is in place and is solid.

2003 and previous chassis had thin rubber fabric. This fabric would in short time dry out, rip and would eventually fall away from its attached position. Newer motorhomes and retro fixes demonstrate a rubber fabric that appears to have a fiber inner sheet and is approximately 1/8 of an inch thick. This new fabric remains attached to its anchors and provides the necessary damming that is required to direct air flow through the radiator.

The next issue is overheating with the new fabric in place. WCC has provided a cold air vent kit which when installed properly discharges a small differential temperature of air locally on the problematic plug which reduces the temperature enough to keep the wire from over heating and failing. The person behind the vent kit was Chris Christy who borrowed an idea from NASCAR where a passive vent kit type device is used to cool brake rotors.

The new WCC "Cool Pack" installed on 2007 and beyond front gas chassis so far has not demonstrated plug wire failures which we see on vehicles equipped with electric auxiliary cooling fans. I should temper my enthusiasm and await the long term use of the 07 cool pack before stating that plug wire failures will not reoccur.

The UFO has an totally enclosed shroud which looks like a tunnel and blows air away from the engine and through the cool pack. Tested in the SW desert in Death Valley the UFO cooling system performed flawlessly.

[Tom&Marie]

Thanks for everyone's replies... Are all the ignition wires the same length and can you purchase less than a complete set... Not familiar with the coil for each plug how do you remove the wire from the coil...am I correct that the odd # cylinders are on the passenger side with the #1 #3 #5 #7 from front to rear

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom&Marie:
... Not familiar with the coil for each plug how do you remove the wire from the coil... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>All 8 spark plug wires are fed from a separate coil so you have 8 coils, 8 plugs and 8 wires.

This type of ignition system is called "Coil Over Plug"

The 1,3,5,7 plugs are located on the driver's side, 1 being in front.

[Jestme13]

and I'll bet 5 & 7 wires are burnt, or just one. Any takers

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jestme13:
and I'll bet 5 & 7 wires are burnt, or just one. Any takers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>There you are!

["007"]

Your not playing fair Steve you have known the answer many times.

[ghamblen]

The rubber air dam material around the radiator in our motorhome rotted away and some of it fell off. As a result, the fans came on more often and ran longer to keep the engine cool. While in Caldwell, ID this spring I replaced the rubber air dam with the material they use for shower pan liners. I bought it at Lowes and it is much cheaper than the material Workhorse want to sell to you. So far this summer things seem to be back to normal. The fans don't come on very often and when they do they only run for a short period of time. We have driven in temperatures near 100 degrees and the cooling system has no trouble keeping things cool.

[CoastieSCPO]

Tom;
The number 7 plug on my 04 Allegro burned on two different trips. I installed Taylor extremes with heat socks and fashioned a RAM air vent kit with supplies purchased at Lowes and other stores. So far, after numerous short trips and a western trip with some mountain driving and a couple of trips to the heat of Florida it has worked but we're keeping the fingers crossed. It must have been however, an air flow problem because the newer Tiffin gassers have two grill opening while my unit only has one. We're making our twice yearly trip to the Bristol NASCAR scene in two weeks and if this heat that we're having in Tennessee continues, the efficiency of the RV's air flow will be put to the test. Just my two cents.
Bob

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CoastieSCPO:
It must have been however, an air flow problem because the newer Tiffin gassers have two grill opening while my unit only has one. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Bob, Your observation and experience is consistent with the needs that should be met by all box makers. Git some air in that thing and it'll run all day long, no problem!

Now what brings shudders to my entire body is when I see any type of front gas motorhome with a vinyl/nylon mesh bra fitted on its nose. The bra does more to push air out of the way than it does in allowing the prescribed flow of air to enter and pass through the radiator. If you have one of these on your motorhome, do your engine a favor and loose it.

One other dysfunctional grill that we see is a flat metal sheet type grill work with small geometric cutouts either circles, squares, diamonds or whatever. This grill work looks great BUT it pushes more air out of the way than allows air to pass through.

Open grill work, as wide as practical on the motorhome's front coach work is the best type of opening that allows unrestricted flow of air to the radiator.

Referring to a previous post regarding air flow in this forum about air dams and rubber fabric positioning is critical as well.