Community Forums

Aroadracer · 09-09-2018, 09:09 AM

Jim Barone, I found your posts on the wax fan controller. I think my electronic controller has probably failed as I get high fan on start up. How much was the kit from Source Engineering?

James Barone · 09-10-2018, 07:27 AM

I’m towing a Kia Soul with a 6 speed manual and I typically drive at 60mph. The wax valve kit from Source Eng. was $600.00 and I was fortunate to have an accessible bung plug in the radiator so that I installed the kit myself in about an hour. Jim Barone 2001 Affinity, currently on my way to Lafayette La for the winter.

Aroadracer · 09-10-2018, 09:20 AM

Birdhunter, can you give me a ball park of what they charged you to replace the CAC? Have a part number by chance? My CAT shop says my CAC has a big crack and they suggest having a local radiator shop build one.
Thanks,
Jim

gruse · 09-10-2018, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroadracer

Birdhunter, can you give me a ball park of what they charged you to replace the CAC? Have a part number by chance? My CAT shop says my CAC has a big crack and they suggest having a local radiator shop build one.
Thanks,
Jim

Here's info from my experience on my 2000 Affinity, 42' tag axle, C12. If birdhunter or anyone can share details on their Duralite that would be awesome too.

Part of my research last year I called Duralite directly. They were very helpful, gave me a part number, but said they don't make that part # anymore. Said Colton might have one in stock. I talked with Colton for several days and emailed drawings back and forth but none of us could get comfortable with exactly which part # was needed. Colton had all the Duralite design prints, and we could easily tell that the part number Duralite originally gave me wasn't correct.

I talked briefly w/ CJG, but couldn't get totally comfortable with them either.

Talked with Kevin Waite, who talked w/ Radiator Supply House. Even after providing them pictures, part numbers, and measurements, they still sent me the wrong unit initially. They got the correct one built and shipped within two weeks the second time. First one took 3-4 weeks. Total cost with shipping was around $2500. The correct RSH part number was 5681 (RSH-5681-CAC).

This was for my 42' tag axle chassis. I don't know if the 40' single axle is identical or not. What I gathered from talking to a few folks is that Country Coach used oversized radiator and CAC, so it was more unique that what other similar coaches used.

Main challenge I noted that should be watched if you have one made.... the original CAC was a molded intake port and tank, which had a rounded corner. The RSH replacement is welded plates, so much more square. Fitting that "square" corner up in the space behind the tag axle was really tight fit. (Reminds me I need to check it at some point and make sure nothing is rubbing.)

Attached should be a .pdf file of what I measured once I got the original CAC off the coach. I did my own removal/installation. Not the hardest, not the easiest. Mostly heavy, awkward lifting of all the different cooling components that fit together. I started making notes of the process, but I think that fell by the wayside at some point. I didn't remove the radiator, just loosened everything, lowered the oil cooler, and pulled the CAC out the side. Several posts from other DIY owners gave good pictures and pointers that I referenced.

I still have the old one. Big crack in one of the tank sections. I'm assuming I should sell it for the price of scrap metal, but haven't made time to figure that out. Could theoretically be repaired, but I decided it wasn't worth the risk of just getting another failure on 20 year old aluminum joints.

birdhunter · 09-10-2018, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroadracer

Birdhunter, can you give me a ball park of what they charged you to replace the CAC? Have a part number by chance? My CAT shop says my CAC has a big crack and they suggest having a local radiator shop build one.
Thanks,
Jim

This was done at Colton about 6 years ago or more. While he is far more current than I on this matter, I'm a little confused at Grabe's response. I have a 42 Magna with a tag axle. There was no issue as to which Duralite it was and they had done them multiple times before I believe. It was pretty much Plug and Play although they pulled the entire cooling package to do it using a forklift. I would just call Colton if I were you. I think it cost around 3k installed maybe a little more. I would strongly suggest the duralite if possible since it has these rubber inserts that allow it to deal with the flexing the CAC experiences in our coaches. It is my impression that Duralites are the Cadillac of CAC's for semis.

Rich 2002 Magna

Aroadracer · 09-12-2018, 09:48 AM

Gruse, thanks for the great info, especially the .pdf you attached. How did you get to the two middle, inner mounting bolts top and bottom (between the CAC and the radiator? Yours looks like mine but it will probably be best to remove mine and measure it before I have another one built.

Rich, thanks for your input as well. Duralite sounds like a good way to go if they still make one for it.

In the meantime, the crack in mine appears to be accessible for welding. I plan to reinforce it somewhat if it will indeed weld. Hopefully this will get me by until I have the time to remove it and replace it.
I'll post the outcome shortly.

birdhunter · 09-12-2018, 10:40 PM

Here's what I can tell you about why they crack as explained to me by Colton: essentially the mounting system in our coaches experiences a certain degree of flex which compresses parts of the CAC. The OEM CACs cannot handle flex or compression and eventually crack. I could actually see where that happened on my original one. Duralite CACs are made differently and use a rubber like material between the various components that can absorb the flex or compression without cracking. You can read about it on their website

Rich 2002 Magna

gruse · 09-12-2018, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroadracer

Gruse, thanks for the great info, especially the .pdf you attached. How did you get to the two middle, inner mounting bolts top and bottom (between the CAC and the radiator? Yours looks like mine but it will probably be best to remove mine and measure it before I have another one made.

I don’t remember exactly how I got to those bolts. I think the top was fine. I think those are shoulder bolts that go into the radiator. I think the tricky ones were the middle ones that attach the CAC to the oil cooler. Seems like a long 1/2" end-wrench and my skinny hands weren't too difficult once everything was a little loose. There's more gap between the CAC and the radiator than I expected, which is also good at collecting dirt and debris but is hard to clean without dismantling. I used jacks and blocking to hold the oil cooler in position since I didn't want to drain and fully remove it.

Aroadracer · 09-13-2018, 03:27 PM

As an interim measure, I had my aerospace welder friend weld mine up. We added a 1.5” x .065” strip to bridge from the crack to the tank for more reinforcement. I’m now seeing 24.5 - 25.1 psi boost max so think that was the only crack. I’m wondering if all of the Affinity or Magna CAC’s cracked eventually or if it is a random issue. Pretty sure this is the original CAC.