Getting a '97 Newmar London Aire ready for the prom

[J.R]

Hope this helps not sure if pics loaded ,hope so
Cheers
JR

[RKins]

I see you have the owners manual - that's great! I may need to ask you a few questions as I make this restoration journey, if you don't mind. I appreciate the pic of the Water Compartment drawing.

[Blitzkrieg]

Rick that sure is a sweet coach, i wish i had stairs like yours, molded into the rear cap, i love it. I'm in Fl. too and just bought a 1993 Pace Arrow DP and it has a drivers door. It will take some practice getting in and out through it with my bad back. I like you also am tackling a list of maintenance and broken issues but it certainly helps in understanding the beasts huh ??? I seemed to have found a cream puff of sorts like yours. I don't think you can go wrong with an old diesel pusher that was taken care of better than most. The one i got was stored inside for the first 20 yrs of its life and the exterior panels show it. My buddy said the exterior is brand new looking and i agree ,,,,, after 2 days of waxing lol . Good luck Rick with her Rick,, she is a fine old rig brother,, i love mine

[RKins]

Wow, she sure does look purdy!! My paint is cracked and crazed in places but it is 20 years old.
Looks like you have the same engine, tranny and genny that I have. If you have any question let me know - I've serviced them all personally.

[Blitzkrieg]

Originally Posted by RKins

Wow, she sure does look purdy!! My paint is cracked and crazed in places but it is 20 years old.
Looks like you have the same engine, tranny and genny that I have. If you have any question let me know - I've serviced them all personally.

Thanks man, i do have a question , how do i change the fuel filter on the Cummins 8.3. Will i have an issue with having ti bleed the injector lines or do i just fill it with fuel to the tippity top and will that be good ???? Same with my diesel genny, thanks

[guardrail53]

Originally Posted by Blitzkrieg

Thanks man, i do have a question , how do i change the fuel filter on the Cummins 8.3. Will i have an issue with having ti bleed the injector lines or do i just fill it with fuel to the tippity top and will that be good ???? Same with my diesel genny, thanks

If your fuel filters are vertical, fill them to the top with fuel, and put them on! Remember to take off the center small rubber gasket, and replace it with the new one that comes with the filter. hand tighten, then give it a a quarter turn with the filter wrench. You can pick up the filter wrenches at a Tractor Supply/ Rural King store cheaper than NAPA, or a auto parts store. Take your old #'s off the filters, and it will make getting the new one's easy! And take your new filters in with you when you go buy the filter wrenches, save you from getting the wrong size! Don't ask how i know this!
If your filter is horizontal on your generator, change it out, and hold the off button in to prime it! Rail!

[RKins]

Friday after work I stopped by HD and picked up some 2x10 and made 4 ramps - what a great tool to have. I need to make 2 more still.


So the four allowed me to lift the back of the coach 7.5 inches and crawl under with a buddy with plenty of room above us. We changed the jack springs - took about an hour per jack. We used a pry bar from Harbor Freight and drilled a hole in the bar maybe 8 inches up the bar. We took a "S" hook from a bungy cord and squeezed the hook a little tighter on one end and opened the other just a little so it would fit in the hole in the bar. Then we used the pry bar to stretch the springs enough to break apart all the paint that stuck the coils together, then we stretched them down and stuck a screwdriver through the coils about 1/3 of the way up the spring. Now we twisted the screwdriver enough to allow us to squeeze the S hook through that coil. Now we had the hook ready to hook to the pry bar and we could pull down the spring, straight down, beyond the hook hole and then with a smaller pry bar we could twist the very end of the spring (i.e. "the hook") to an angle that would get it through the hole. This part took the longest, trying to figure out a pry point. Definitely a 2 man job - can't imagine someone doing this by them self.


I also was able to take a spray bottle and squirt anything that looked like it could be an air connection. I took pics as I went - hopefully you guys can help me ID what I was spraying - what are these things and do the hose colors mean anything? Please excuse my ignorance at what I'm about to show you.
1) I saw a tank up high above this (I assume) air line thing - what is it and what is the tank for?


2) I also see this thing coming off that tank - what is this? Looks to have green hose going to it.


3) I see this thing with green hose on it too. What is this?


4) I see this new(er) hose coming off something - any idea what this hose carries? And what it is connected to on the engine to the right ion the pic?


5) I see these rollers, one on each side just aft of the engine - can you slide the engine out, like the genny?


6) I assume these are the air brakes (yes I am this ignorant on RVs - sorry)


7) More green hose but no air leaks - what is this?




So no air leaks on anything I sprayed with soapy water. We rolled off the ramps and moved them to the front. Climbed up ramps and changed the springs on the front. We heard air leaking from up front but I really don't know what I am looking for, so I spray everything - hit pay dirt on this thing by the drivers tire. What is this called?


The bubbles were coming out of the plug at the bottom and also to the right at an elbow that enters this thing.
We figured we could use teflon tape to seal them back up so I dumped the air (took forever, got stuck around 60 lbs). Now I got a closer look at the thing and it didn't look good
The "nut" that the elbow screws into on the right actually looks like it is being eaten away. The plug screws into the nut on the bottom and if I turn the plug the nut turns - maybe that is ok and I can use 2 wrenches


I think I need to replace this thing - where can I get one?
Also it has some linkage attached to it - if I order a new thing, will it come with what I need to swap the linkage to it?


I also got a chance to try again to drill out the screws on the top of the condenser fan - no luck yet. We were whooped so called it a day. Got back home at 5p so it was a full day.

Thanks in advance and again, please excuse my ignorance about these things (you won't have to tell me again though)

[Wroughtnharv]

Love your ramps. If you go to your HD and need junk lumber for a project like ramps ask for the returns and or warped lumber, get about 75% off original price.

We love to boondock and a couple of years ago buried the front end of the C5500 after pulling the fifth in. I let it set for three days and then went to the HD in Payson AZ and picked up some 2 X 10's that were warped and used them for blocks. I think I bottle jacked down five or six blocks before we started jacking the front end up. We got it out but I was sweating what it would have taken for a pair of tow trucks to get us out otherwise.

The great thing about having an older RV is the challenge in not only fixing but also finding some of the parts.

[Deano56]

Originally Posted by RKins

Friday after work I stopped by HD and picked up some 2x10 and made 4 ramps - what a great tool to have. I need to make 2 more still.


So the four allowed me to lift the back of the coach 7.5 inches and crawl under with a buddy with plenty of room above us. We changed the jack springs - took about an hour per jack. We used a pry bar from Harbor Freight and drilled a hole in the bar maybe 8 inches up the bar. We took a "S" hook from a bungy cord and squeezed the hook a little tighter on one end and opened the other just a little so it would fit in the hole in the bar. Then we used the pry bar to stretch the springs enough to break apart all the paint that stuck the coils together, then we stretched them down and stuck a screwdriver through the coils about 1/3 of the way up the spring. Now we twisted the screwdriver enough to allow us to squeeze the S hook through that coil. Now we had the hook ready to hook to the pry bar and we could pull down the spring, straight down, beyond the hook hole and then with a smaller pry bar we could twist the very end of the spring (i.e. "the hook") to an angle that would get it through the hole. This part took the longest, trying to figure out a pry point. Definitely a 2 man job - can't imagine someone doing this by them self.


I also was able to take a spray bottle and squirt anything that looked like it could be an air connection. I took pics as I went - hopefully you guys can help me ID what I was spraying - what are these things and do the hose colors mean anything? Please excuse my ignorance at what I'm about to show you.
1) I saw a tank up high above this (I assume) air line thing - what is it and what is the tank for?


2) I also see this thing coming off that tank - what is this? Looks to have green hose going to it.


3) I see this thing with green hose on it too. What is this?


4) I see this new(er) hose coming off something - any idea what this hose carries? And what it is connected to on the engine to the right ion the pic?


5) I see these rollers, one on each side just aft of the engine - can you slide the engine out, like the genny?


6) I assume these are the air brakes (yes I am this ignorant on RVs - sorry)


7) More green hose but no air leaks - what is this?




So no air leaks on anything I sprayed with soapy water. We rolled off the ramps and moved them to the front. Climbed up ramps and changed the springs on the front. We heard air leaking from up front but I really don't know what I am looking for, so I spray everything - hit pay dirt on this thing by the drivers tire. What is this called?


The bubbles were coming out of the plug at the bottom and also to the right at an elbow that enters this thing.
We figured we could use teflon tape to seal them back up so I dumped the air (took forever, got stuck around 60 lbs). Now I got a closer look at the thing and it didn't look good
The "nut" that the elbow screws into on the right actually looks like it is being eaten away. The plug screws into the nut on the bottom and if I turn the plug the nut turns - maybe that is ok and I can use 2 wrenches


I think I need to replace this thing - where can I get one?
Also it has some linkage attached to it - if I order a new thing, will it come with what I need to swap the linkage to it?


I also got a chance to try again to drill out the screws on the top of the condenser fan - no luck yet. We were whooped so called it a day. Got back home at 5p so it was a full day.

Thanks in advance and again, please excuse my ignorance about these things (you won't have to tell me again though)

wouldn't those linkages be for auto leveling?

[guardrail53]

Well, i will try to answer your questions? Nice job on the springs, and the ramps, by the way!
1. Leveling valve, looks newer than the others! Try to get the #'s off it, and get a spare, if you have to have one for the back!
2. ? I do see your tank drain valve on the bottom of the air tank, spray that with some PBlaster for a couple of days, and slowly try to get it to turn, and drain the air tank!
3. Bottom of air dryer?
4. Hyd. hose going to your hyd. pump?
5. ? Sounds good as any?
6. Brake chambers!
7. Air dump valves!
8. leveling valves!

On the air leak from your leveling valve, did you give it time to adjust the height after you drove it up on the ramps? If leaking between the body of the valve and the big nut, you will have to dismantle it, and see if you can use thread tape or pipe putty to get it tight, but if the housing is stripped, you will need to replace the leveling valve! I would be very careful, spray it with PBlaster for a day or so, let it work, then try to gently take it apart, and see if you can tighten everything up with thread tape!
Also, when trying to get all the air out of the system, the dump valves will only let it go down to around 60 PSI or so, then you have to pump the brake peddle to get the rest of the air out of the system!
Hope this helps? Rail!

[RKins]

Originally Posted by guardrail53

Well, i will try to answer your questions? Nice job on the springs, and the ramps, by the way! Thanks
1. Leveling valve, looks newer than the others! Try to get the #'s off it, and get a spare, if you have to have one for the back! As I look at that leveling valve I now see the same deterioration on the top nut. I think I might have a better looking valve on the passenger front tire. I'll see if I can get numbers off it.
2. ? I do see your tank drain valve on the bottom of the air tank, spray that with some PBlaster for a couple of days, and slowly try to get it to turn, and drain the air tank! I hadn't noticed the petcock on the bottom of the tank - good eye! No idea what the device is below the tank though?
3. Bottom of air dryer? ahHaa, so that is the air dryer
4. Hyd. hose going to your hyd. pump? Looks to be newer so hopefully should last a while
5. ? Sounds good as any?
6. Brake chambers!
7. Air dump valves!
8. leveling valves!

On the air leak from your leveling valve, did you give it time to adjust the height after you drove it up on the ramps? Yes, several times - seemed to get to 110 lbs. You can see the difference in the linkage position in the pic while the leak was evident and after the dump.
If leaking between the body of the valve and the big nut, you will have to dismantle it, and see if you can use thread tape or pipe putty to get it tight, but if the housing is stripped, you will need to replace the leveling valve! I would be very careful, spray it with PBlaster for a day or so, let it work, then try to gently take it apart, and see if you can tighten everything up with thread tape! Are the valves expensive? I think I would rather replace once instead mess with this more than once. At least with the ramps I still have room to work with the air dumped! Are the connections of the air lines a compression type fitting?
Also, when trying to get all the air out of the system, the dump valves will only let it go down to around 60 PSI or so, then you have to pump the brake peddle to get the rest of the air out of the system! Ahhh, that's the secret - thanks
Hope this helps? Rail! It does - thanks a lot Rail!!

Thanks again - see answers inside quote.

[Blitzkrieg]

Nice work, i'm watching your progress closely as my leveling system needs serious attention. Wow, these systems look complicated, like i said before, i wish my dad were still alive, he was a hydraulic wizard. I noticed your rig has ground affects and flared wheel wells,,, nice

[RKins]

I found out from Newmar that the valve in pic #2 is the only valve they installed in this year - it's a dump valve. It's part# 00036 and it's $220.92 (wow)


I was referred to Spartan for the leveling valves. They are nice enough to give you manuf part #s. The height leveling valves are Haldex 90555105. Upon a google of that part # I can find it easy enough but it has bolt where the linkage attaches.

https://www.haldex.com/en/na/suspens...lves/90555105/


Not sure how to remove and attach the piece that the rod slides through or of it's even possible. Spartan wants $127.63 for the valve and the linkage (part# 8295). Seems hard to beat that.

[beenthere]

i just traded my '97 london aire. had mine for 3-4 yrs..same floor plan and was cherry cabinets