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DriVer · 01-10-2009, 04:15 PM

Depchief came by the house today to help and offer his bi-annual supervision of my maintenance routine that I accomplish in January & July.
The weather first of all was excellent! Temperatures were in the high 60s.

Before we got started I forgot that I did not buy an oil filter so a quick trip to NAPA for a Gold 1060 was in order. I also picked up a tube of Kendall Super Blu High Temp EP. I didn't use the new grease; I had enough in my Lincoln to finish the job. I even remembered to grease the relay rod which I will typically lube after I have cleaned up everything and put all my tools away.

I finally got around to using the oil that I obtained from Jestme late last year. Good stuff Amsoil Synthetic 5W-30 Severe Service motor oil. The description of the oil states provides exceptional protection over extended drain intervals up to 25,000 miles or 1 year whichever comes first (WCF) when used in gasoline fueled personal passenger vehicles. Amsoil recommends that the filter should be changed twice a year or 12,500 WCF. API Service SL, SJ, CF. That said the motorhome chassis' engine is an extreme service engine so it is definitely not rated as a personal passenger vehicle. Even using this oil, I'll change it in July.

5 driveshaft, 5 left side and 3 on the right side and the relay rod = 13 grease fittings. On the spline shaft, I gave it 8 pumps and moved on. Greasing any of the other fittings a little spitting noise or visual confirmation that grease was flowing was sufficient. No need to over load the tie rods either just a few pumps does just fine. I really like using my single hand grease gun, I highly recommend it. The only thing better I guess would be a pneumatic gun but there's no feedback in the handle that would suggest grease is entering the fitting. A manual gun makes you part of the process I believe because you can feel if the grease is going in or not.

While I was busy greasing the chassis Beau was busy draining the oil and changing the filter. Beau also changed the Allison spin on filter. The last time that the Allison filter was changed was way back in 2005. The filter that we just installed is #4. The filter was provided and obtained from Dale Olsen of Oemy’s UltraPower Performance. Dale also provides 8 ounces of Transynd with the Allison 29539579.

Beau installed the filter by pre-charging the filter using the Transynd. Beau was only able to fill the filter with approximately 6 to 7 ounces. There remained about an ounce in the bottom of the bottle. Just a little fluid on the gasket and a hand tightened spin on was sufficient to install the filter. Getting the thing off however was a horse of a different color. Beau said that some of the jack hardware is in the way and it wasn’t that easy getting the filter off. Additionally we did not have the correct sized cup socket so Beau used our miracle ½” drive nylon strap oil filter strap. It was a challenge getting the old filter off but Beau persevered and it eventually it gave up its seat. ?

Meanwhile in the back of the bus, I was busy trying to figure out which tools to use to remove the fuel filter strap bolts. Bring a ½” socket by the way. ? I used a 5/8” wrench and an adjustable wrench to hold the filter. That worked just fine. The filter looks like it needs a 22mm or something weird like that so a thumb wrench worked just fine. With the motorhome up all the way on its jacks it was easy to just comfortably sit up and change the filter. Breaking the connections I was expecting some pressure but that didn’t happen. When I removed the lines from the ends of the filter a couple ounces of gasoline hit the ground. While I was installing the new filter the puddle of gasoline had evaporated. I used an AC GF481 fuel filter. The filter was provided and obtained from Dale Olsen of Oemy’s UltraPower Performance.

Please note the large particles on the paper towel that came out of the intake side of the filter. This is why you need to change your filters more often than not. Note the dark stains from the gas on the white towel.

You can see debris particles inside the filter. I'd say I changed this one in the nick of time!

Having completed the filter replacement I would be negligent if I didn’t check my differential while I was back there. Beau passed me a ½” drive ratchet and I removed the plug from the back of the pumpkin. At first nothing happened but I waited for it! What seemed like it took forever, 1 solitary drop made its way across the threads in the bottom of the hole and attempted to make a leap to the ground. Not so fast I thought as I replaced the plug back into the pumpkin. I looked at the ½” long drip coming off the bottom of the fill hole and the fluid was remarkably transparent. I’m keeping it.

We finished up by running the engine and checking the tranny after it warmed up a bit and then we checked the oil on the dipstick. No runs, no leaks no errors!

My next maintenance routine will be accomplished in July. This year, I will be bleeding and flushing my hydraulic brake fluid along with my LOF. It'll be 1 year since we've installed our new brakes. With 438 Hrs on the gen set, I'll probably do an LOF on the generator as well. I do that maintenance at each 100.

After everything was cleaned up and tools put away, I had the time to install my DeLorme LT-40 antenna. The LT-40 is located directly under my front cap and over the equipment on the right side of the upper cabinet. There’s a little bit of a cut out in the compartment and I can slip the antenna up on top of the cabinet liner. I then run the USB terminated cable through 2 holes that were previously drilled for the LT-20 installation. The cable ends mid-way in the right side “A” pillar where it connects to a USB extension cable. The cable ends up coming through the back of a drawer where the computer workstation table is located on the dash. I understand that the LT-40 is more than twice as responsive as the LT-20 which I was previously running. At this point we are running 2 GPS devices, DeLorme w/ Street Atlas 2009 and my Garmin Nuvi 200W. I’m sure we’ll still wind up getting lost at some point that’s what makes RV’ing fun!

We’re getting ready to begin our 2009 schedule. We’ll be going to the Rally Park in Seffner next week and from there we are going to the Fort Meyers RV Show and then we’ll hold over for a bit and then we’ll be going to the FMCA SEA in Brooksville. Don’t look for me in Tampa but I hope to see you in Ft. Meyers or Brooksville. Please drop by and say hello if you are in the neighborhood.

"007" · 01-10-2009, 09:13 PM

DriVer I only wish you could send up that 60* weather and

up here, ice under MH and a nice coat of snow falling on it now.

Waiting for my January thaw or Globel Warming so I can get out of here.

Bigdaddy · 01-11-2009, 02:25 AM

Maybe I did not read right, but did you lift the front wheels off the ground to grease the king pins??? I always raise the wheels off the groung, turn to one side, grease, then turn to other side and grease.

DriVer · 01-11-2009, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bigdaddy:
Maybe I did not read right, but did you lift the front wheels off the ground to grease the king pins??? I always raise the wheels off the ground, turn to one side, grease, then turn to other side and grease.

Bigdaddy, In my preparations to do the service, I ran the engine for about 30 minutes before the oil change and yes I raised the motorhome up to the full travel of the jacks. This removes enough of the load on the king pins to do a good job. Turning the wheels left and right is a personal preference but in my opinion not required. When the kingpins are lubed and a trace is observed there's enough grease in that joint. Operating the vehicle afterward will distribute the grease. If you do the lube on your chassis at regular intervals subsequent lubrications go a lot smoother.

One of the most important properties and benefit of a grease job is to displace water at the most critical junctions. Assuring a good grease job eliminates the interaction between moisture and metal which significantly improves the longevity of all the components which are lubed.

When we first started working on the motorhome the entire underside of the chassis was totally soaked like it was under a sprinkler head. Accomplishing a good lube job at least twice a year combats the effects of the environment.

"007" · 01-11-2009, 06:52 AM

One thing I should have added because we up north have to contend with the winter

months is lube and change your oils before the winter weather sets in. As the last post by DriVer points out the under chassis area needs to be protected.
Than when you brake for that

you know the road salts and water won't hamper your dash.

Captain Bud · 01-11-2009, 07:08 AM

Mike, did you sterilize your Black Tank? Would you believe that there is a chance of bacteria growing in that environment. I think after 6 months of use you are due.....IMHO LOL

Jeepster47 · 01-11-2009, 07:39 AM

Captain Bud,

How do you "sterilize" your Black Tank?

Ed
WCMC - VP West Rallies

Captain Bud · 01-11-2009, 09:16 AM

I am going to defer your question to Mike (Driver) evidently he is a proponent of this procedure. BTW This is all done in jest....I think

exrench · 01-13-2009, 03:33 PM

Driver makes good points in his detailed outline for the maintenance on his MH.He apparently had the same boss as I had who said repeatedly to "just grease each joint until the grease barely comes out".I think the original rationale for this was to postpone the very messy job of filling the grease gun from a five gallon pail-cartridges had not been invented yet!
The fact of the matter is that one should look at the "grease job" as an opportunity to change the old grease in the joint.Notice that the old lube coming out is of a very different color than what you are putting in via the grease gun.Something has happened to it since it was put in and it is no longer the same stuff.Since it was injected into the joint it has been subject to heat,impact and shear forces as well as the corrosive effects of water and de-iceing agents.The grease needs to be changed just as we agree that all the engine oil should be dumped rather than just draining a quart and adding a quart of new oil.

DriVer · 01-13-2009, 05:46 PM

exwrench,

I worked as an HD mechanic for a number of years and all that was required was just a dab here and a dab there. There's no need as you observed to drown out a grease joint.

On our motorhomes it's important to be doing regular grease jobs because we are actually feeding fresh grease into a joint that is already pretty well lubed. A lube job at 3,000 miles in most cases is overkill so I have chosen to do my service every 6 months regardless of miles.

dieselclacker · 01-14-2009, 04:55 AM

Driver, I agree that lubing the chassis at 3000 mile intervals is overkill. I live and do most of my driving on the western portion of the country, might feel differently if I resided in the east. My old boss told me when lubing a joint with the grease gun, that the grease that you force out lubricates nothing.

Dieselclacker

two2go · 01-14-2009, 07:52 AM

Interesting read on the maintenance job, but no mention of how many band-aids were required, or how many barley pops were sacrificed.
My body no longer cooperates with crawling under vehicles to that extent. Enjoy!

exrench · 01-14-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dieselclacker:
Driver, I agree that lubing the chassis at 3000 mile intervals is overkill. I live and do most of my driving on the western portion of the country, might feel differently if I resided in the east. My old boss told me when lubing a joint with the grease gun, that the grease that you force out lubricates nothing.

Dieselclacker

Your old boss was correct as the forced-out grease has done pretty well all the lubricating that should be expected from it.

DriVer · 01-14-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by exrench:
Your old boss was correct as the forced-out grease has done pretty well all the lubricating that should be expected from it.

exwrench, .... and another thing it becomes a dirt sponge. So just a little bit showing is good for me. I am not that anal to be wiping up all the forced out grease but I will wipe up any excess around the rotors.

Hello from JAX, FL. I'm back in Pecan Park off the approach end of JAX International. This is a great place if you like to inspect aircraft under carriages. I just can't stay away from the park, streets are all paved and every site is a concrete pull through will full hookups.