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cwk · 02-11-2021, 11:54 AM

Decided to start the main engine yesterday, just because...

Note: Coach is still "stationary" during the remodel. There are too many things loose (e.g., washing machine not secured, cabinets in the middle of the floor, etc.) to drive this anywhere.

The engine turned over very slowly about 1-2 times then nothing. I have a plug-in 12V cigarette type adapter for 2 USB plugs. It has a voltmeter on it that displayed about 12 volts. After a few starting attempts this morning, I think it read about 10 volts. Yup, the batteries are weak.

For fun, I tried the momentary switch on the dash that is the battery boost. But, since I only have a relatively small, single 12V battery in there temporarily, it did not do much.

The chassis batteries are two 12-volt maintenance free batteries wired in parallel. I am guessing that they are about 10 years old. Yup, they are due.

I believe they are SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries.

For now, I will simply try to charge these in place. I connected a small charger that is giving them about 3.5 amps of charge. Since I do not need to move the coach right now, I will see what happens. It may take a day or two at that rate, but time is not an issue right now.

I do want "maintenance-free" batteries. These are hard to reach and will be a pain to replace as it is.

What I do need to know is:

1) What replacements should I look for when it is time to replace them?

2) What does the "S" in "31S" mean?

No rush on this as the coach is parked at home.

Thanks!

NHRA225 · 02-11-2021, 04:58 PM

Hello Charles !
I believe the Letter signifies the performance parameter of the Battery.
I Always use Duracell - seem to get 7 to 8 yrs out of them- I think Your Batteries are Toast.
Great Job on you Coach !!

cwk · 02-22-2021, 04:46 PM

Chassis battery update: I used a small charger (about 4 amps) to charge the two 12V chassis batteries for about 3 days.

The main engine started fine. A couple of days later, still started fine.

So, the battery replacement can wait until more of the house remodel is done and is ready for the road.

So, thanks for the feedback.

Meanwhile, I am considering changing some of the battery cables. They probably have been in there for 30 years (1991) and look pretty dirty. Also, the new batteries for the house will have a different layout, so new cables will be required there. And, new wiring from/to the planned inverter/chargers is on the acquisition list.

I have read multiple times that "battery cables" can be replaced with "welding cables." They are much more flexible, so much easier to maneuver and install.

During my initial search I am finding at least two types of welding cables:

1) Class K (30 AWG strands;comes with red or black insulation)
2) Class M (34 AWG strands;usually has orange insulation)

From what I am reading, the Class M cable, with 34 AWG strands, is more flexible.

Is there a preference?

The plan is to cut the cable myself, use a hydraulic crimper to install copper ends, and use colored heatshrink to protect exposed area near the ends.

There is also marine cable.

Is marine cable a better alternative?

guardrail53 · 02-22-2021, 08:58 PM

Charles, i have always bought the pre made cables from the farm stores, for my semi's and for my MH's when I needed new cables! Way less expensive, and for what it's worth, they will last just as long as any other cable! They come in all sorts of sizes, colors, and length's!
Add it all up, by the time you buy the hydraulic crimper, the welding cable, and the ends, for a one time use, and the premade cables? Your choice?

Rail!

cwk · 02-22-2021, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guardrail53

Charles, i have always bought the pre made cables from the farm stores, for my semi's and for my MH's when I needed new cables! Way less expensive, and for what it's worth, they will last just as long as any other cable! They come in all sorts of sizes, colors, and length's!
Add it all up, by the time you buy the hydraulic crimper, the welding cable, and the ends, for a one time use, and the premade cables? Your choice?

Rail!

Thanks, Rail.

I already have the hydraulic crimper. I will be wiring up new inverters, batteries, etc. in locations unknown. I like the idea of adding a lug on one end, running the other end to its new location, then custom cutting to length.

The idea of using welding cable is the added flexibility of the cable itself. I understand that 4/0 battery cable is much harder to work with than 4/0 welding cable.

Maybe using black cables, then colored heat shrink to identify the polarities?

hannuva · 02-22-2021, 11:41 PM

Just wondering whether your odometer issue was resolved and if so, how? Do you have an e-mail address direct to Don at ISSPRO. Thanks

cwk · 02-23-2021, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hannuva

Just wondering whether your odometer issue was resolved and if so, how? Do you have an e-mail address direct to Don at ISSPRO. Thanks

Speedometer issue not yet resolved. Other projects have taken a higher priority.

The contact information that I have for Don can be found in Post #79 of this thread.

Gilley eagle · 03-01-2021, 12:38 PM

I’ve recently bought a 1991 American eagle coach and all of thee batteries were all stolen out of it and thee harness is laying on the the ground, so if u have pics of yours or how to wire it back up would be Awsome, so I can get her started

mike91eagle · 03-03-2021, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilley eagle

I’ve recently bought a 1991 American eagle coach and all of thee batteries were all stolen out of it and thee harness is laying on the the ground, so if u have pics of yours or how to wire it back up would be Awsome, so I can get her started

Not sure if this will help, a really good photo is tough due to the location inside a really small compartment. Hopefully the thief didn't cut the main cables as they aren't any too long.

The swing out tray has the engine batteries, 2-12V with 12V output. On mine the engine batteries have several small wires that attach to the neg. terminal. These may have been added by the PO or they may have factory, not sure.

On the bottom 4-6V golf cart batteries with 12V output from all 4.

Gilley eagle · 03-04-2021, 05:11 AM

Looks like that could be very helpful, going to start on hupty sumptuous Monday so I’ll let u no how it went, just hooking up chassy batteries first. ..thx u so much

Winemaker2 · 03-04-2021, 06:01 AM

Cwk
IMO (may differ from others but read the link)
Marine cable will be your BEST cable for batty cables especially if around FLA battys. On marine cable each strand is tinned and will significantly reduce corrosion around any connection. Ancor wire is a good mfg.

Equally important is the terminal lug used. The best are power lugs not starter lugs. Power lugs have a longer and thicker barrel that gets crimped... room for 2 crimps. Also tinned copper lugs much better than bare copper. FTZ power lugs a good supplier.
Here is a great link. He also has other very good ones on crimpers & other (marine) electrical topics applicable to MHs.
https://marinehowto.com/making-your-own-battery-cables/

cwk · 05-20-2021, 05:15 PM

Well, I am in need of some advice again. So, here goes.

I've been working on the inside of the coach most of the time. However, in preparation for some travel for chassis suspension maintenance, I am spending some time getting the coach road-worthy again.

Today's adventure was to attempt to replace the dessicant filter on the air dryer. The dryer is mounted on the frame to the passenger side of the engine and a little bit in front of the exhaust system and a fuel filter. So, under the coach we went.

After reading through iRV2, I determined that the best way to change the filter was to remove the entire dryer and put it on the workbench. Thanks to Dutch Star Don and NHRA225 for posting their work and comments back in 2018(?). NHRA225 stated it takes him about 45 minutes to change the filter, so I figure I could get it done in a couple of hours, but I wanted to open it up before I ordered parts. I did learn about changing the O-rings. Not all the vendors online included O-rings, so I need to be careful when ordering.

Anyway, I disconnected the three airlines, unplugged the 12V connector, removed the ground wire from one of the bolts, loosened the clamp at the top, and removed the 2 long bolts holding everything to the bracket.

I did notice that the two bolts to the bracket were 9/16" while the rest were 14mm. That was a little bit frustrating when working on my back, but I got them out anyway. What that kinda tells me is that some of the parts may not be original (1991).

I did cover the ends of the three airlines to keep the local insect population from exploring the inner workings of the airlines.

Here is a photo of the dryer while still in the coach. Well, as best as I could get.

Here it is on the workbench with the bolts removed just before pulling it apart.

After removing the top cover, one can see the outer O-ring and a LOT of cruddy oil/water/dirt mixture. Somehow I don't think that is supposed to be there???

This one might be a bit confusing. This is a shot of the inside of the upper cover. What you are seeing is about 1/8th cup of water and a heavily rusted area. I have the cover upside down so the water does not run out yet. So, the rust is actually at the top of the cover.

I removed the outer O-ring and wiped off a lot of the muck. What I did notice was the inner O-ring. Part of it has slipped out of position by about 2 inches! Now I know that's not right.

I was able to remove the cartridge by spinning. Others in the past said theirs was on super-tight, so I was expecting a fight. But, happily, it easily unspun. And, here is the base plate with the inner O-ring and crud still intact.

Now, the questions I have are:

1) Do I try to clean this up as good as possible, replace the filter and O-rings, and reinstall?
or
2) Replace the entire unit?

2a) Do they come with a new purge valve? Does it need to be replaced also?

I am finding prices for the filters starting around $30. Prices for the entire unit starting around $110.

Or,
3) Replace the entire dryer with a different style that uses a spin-on filter that can be changed in the future without removing the dryer from the coach?

and,
4) What else do I not know?

In the past I have noticed water in the air tanks. And, I had to replace one brake relay due to internal rust and corrosion. These two are what prompted me to want to change the dessicant filter before I took it back on the road again. I am glad I looked at this. Now, I need to learn what to do.

And, I also wonder what other parts of the air system (brakes, airbags, levelers) might have been damaged. It appears that the PO, or his mechanic, did not pay attention to the dryer. Yes, I have owned this for about 3 years. But, I have not been driving it after I brought it home 3 years ago. Now, that I am preparing to get it back on the road soon, I need to address these issues.

Comments, suggestions, tips, advice, and more are all welcome. I am not a mechanic by trade. I can figure a lot of things out on my own. But, I would really appreciate some advice; especially since this is part of several safety systems for the coach.

guardrail53 · 05-20-2021, 08:31 PM

Charles, one thing I never scrimped on was my brake components, so I would always buy a re-built or new name brand air dryer or brake parts for my semi! I got burned buying re-built once, and they took the defective one back, but still had my time taking it off and putting the new one back on! So after that, I always bought new! Wabco and Haldex are the two most used by OEM air dryers, I believe. Now a MH does not get the miles a semi turns, but your choice! They are not hard to rebuild, but for the sake of saving time, I just bought new, and swapped them out!
One thing to watch out for is the air dryer short cycling, going off every 15 seconds or so! That is not normal, and is working your air compressor all the time! A air dryer should go off/purge when you reach 120 PSI or give or take 10 lbs. or so! And your compressor should kick back on around 90 PSI, so if you have a lot of air leaks, your dryer will kick off more. The air governor is what controls those pressures! The air governor is usually mounted close to the air compressor on your motor! And it is the little air line going to your dryer. They are cheap, easy to replace! Rail!

nbluesky · 05-20-2021, 09:09 PM

I would say for the few number of miles you will be putting on this compared to an OTR truck I would go for rebuilding this one. Looking at new units you will be spending several hundred dollars although the service kit will be about 150 or so. If it were me I would clean it up and rebuild it.

Yes replace the purge valve while you are at it. That is a different drier than mine but I was able to buy a kit that had everything I needed to rebuild and service it for $150.