Tales Of A Mercenary Mechanic

[monkeyswrench]

We just got one of these about a year ago and on Monday while cutting (profiling, milling....) the street every single oil pan bolt broke and it dropped the pan and 48qts of oil all over the street. No other damage, they shut it off, crank, rods and pistons all intact and in their proper place.

I don't know the torque specs but I'm guessing what happened was, let's say the torque specs for the pan bolts are 25ft/lbs but the Chineseium bolts are only good for 15-18ft/lbs and cracked, and the vibration from the engine and the grinding finally broke them. 48qts is a big ass mess to clean up

View attachment 1433830

At least it happened while grinding, and not on the trailer. Asphalt going down soon to bury the stain. I'm sure somebody was screaming though

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, an update on the large referral gig. Last Monday I contacted the owner of the motorhome to get an update. The other shop had used the info I sent along, and got it running with no jumpers or such. They had issues with some wiring damage, and could not find any diagrams. When I was thinking it was going to be my job to fix it, I looked up, through some creative means, the chassis electrical for that coach with the same chassis.

This is how it went down...
When I contacted the shop that had the coach in their possession, they informed me I could not work on it there. That was a huge issue, as the tow bill would be excessive...thousands and that's not to move it to my place, just to a place towards Tucson where I could work on it.

So, I made a decision. Not better for my finances, but definitely better for the owner. I asked the shop lady what their hang up was. The coach builder is out of business, so the RV guys they dealt with wouldn't touch it. Nobody seemed to have available the schematics.
Well crap...
So, I gave her the link to my find. That was how they managed to get it running again. From there, there were a few other wiring hiccups, and normal rv stuff. A few minutes ago I got this:

I told him I should maybe set up mobile for big Glamis weekends. RV and genny repairs? Not the way I ever anticipated my return to the dunes, but hey, why not?

 

[coolchange]

Well, an update on the large referral gig. Last Monday I contacted the owner of the motorhome to get an update. The other shop had used the info I sent along, and got it running with no jumpers or such. They had issues with some wiring damage, and could not find any diagrams. When I was thinking it was going to be my job to fix it, I looked up, through some creative means, the chassis electrical for that coach with the same chassis.

This is how it went down...
When I contacted the shop that had the coach in their possession, they informed me I could not work on it there. That was a huge issue, as the tow bill would be excessive...thousands and that's not to move it to my place, just to a place towards Tucson where I could work on it.

So, I made a decision. Not better for my finances, but definitely better for the owner. I asked the shop lady what their hang up was. The coach builder is out of business, so the RV guys they dealt with wouldn't touch it. Nobody seemed to have available the schematics.
Well crap...
So, I gave her the link to my find. That was how they managed to get it running again. From there, there were a few other wiring hiccups, and normal rv stuff. A few minutes ago I got this:
View attachment 1434706
I told him I should maybe set up mobile for big Glamis weekends. RV and genny repairs? Not the way I ever anticipated my return to the dunes, but hey, why not?

And so how much was your invoice?

 

[monkeyswrench]

And so how much was your invoice?

There isn't one...Neither party involved know me from Adam. One is 240 miles away, and the other, crap, I don't know, 2400 miles away? People help me out that don't know who I am. In the long run, it works out.


Hey, if anyone needs info on a 20 year old Spartan K2 chassis, I'm your guy

 

[4Waters]

There isn't one...Neither party involved know me from Adam. One is 240 miles away, and the other, crap, I don't know, 2400 miles away? People help me out that don't know who I am. In the long run, it works out.


Hey, if anyone needs info on a 20 year old Spartan K2 chassis, I'm your guy

Spartan is still around, that is the company that makes the tram for the Universal Studios back lot tour

Home - Spartan Truck Manufacturing

Spartan Truck Company has been a leader in the manufacturing of quality refuse hauling equipment since 1972. Headquartered in Sun Valley, California.

spartantruck.com

 

[Activated]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><br><br>Hearing that the Verizon outage is more than just an outage. <br><br>Source tells me Verizon has been hacked on a national level and they don’t want to disclose it publicly, and that the phones affected have actually been DEREGISTRED from the Verizon system which is why…</p>&mdash; Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) <a href="

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1840844837161259127

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[monkeyswrench]

Spartan is still around, that is the company that makes the tram for the Universal Studios back lot tour

Home - Spartan Truck Manufacturing

Spartan Truck Company has been a leader in the manufacturing of quality refuse hauling equipment since 1972. Headquartered in Sun Valley, California.

spartantruck.com

The chassis builder is around...it's the people that built the coach on top that are gone. Most Spartan stuff is bus and firetruck, the coach builders then order them with air ride stuff a little different, and options for private use (bells and whistles a commercial doesn't need or want). Really a cool chassis, strong as hell.

 

[4Waters]

The chassis builder is around...it's the people that built the coach on top that are gone. Most Spartan stuff is bus and firetruck, the coach builders then order them with air ride stuff a little different, and options for private use (bells and whistles a commercial doesn't need or want). Really a cool chassis, strong as hell.

Gotcha

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, did the rectal probe. Apparently my camera/phone must have tilted and decided which way was "down". No way in hell rod was twisted, or broke. The piston lid showed no sign of being popped off either, but the "crack" looked bad...wondering if it "ate" something that scored the carbon?

Anyhow, dropped the pan. MF'r has an 80lb cast iron sump that needed to come off first, and then the rest, which is a 3/16 steel plate. Some funky bilge yoga crap, and may have found a wasp nest as well down there.

This is a 1 inch pipe that feeds oil to the rear from the pump. Grimy stuff is below the pan rail. This is how I found it. In the top right is the bottom of #6 rod. This is what must have caused the springy feeling when I rotated the crank. The tube was wedged, out of the bore, and then into the block about 10" front. I either need to rebend it, or find a replacement. Since I was there, I dropped the cap on #6, and checked the bearing and journal.

Both looked really good. Also, from the bottom, the pistons and sleeves look to be shiny and new.

So, for the time being, I pinned the pan back on, and the sump, and will fight it when we get a head set and figure out the pipe issue. The good thing though, it looked like the head gasket was leaking and needed to be done anyway. Main goal is to get it fired up, and then pick away at some other issues.

That was yesterday...I guess now day before yesterday, as it's 12:30. Today sucked in a different way, and I'll post that tomorrow

 

[callbob]

One of my favorite threads on here.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, yesterday sucked not because of position or surface...due to mass, and being sore from playing twister under the CAT.

Started with pulling off big wheels and tires, and then "persuading" drums to come off.

Once again, the cheap redneck spring remover. Some guys can do it without the crow bar...I am not one of them.

Pull the rear twin springs, and peel the shoes off as a pair. I sit them down like this, and put the new shoes next to them to set up...

This is a pin that can actually fit in a different hole, but is a one time use deal. It hammers in, and then holds the spring in the pic where the shoes are tied together. Someone can mess up if they're in a hurry...I'm pretty sure...so I lay them out

New drums, and adjust to contact, then back off a half turn. The drums are about 125lbs each...same with the wheels and tires. I was a bit sore.
Came home yesterday and ended the day mowing the yard. Will finish that today.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yesterday finished mowing the yard, and then repaid my debt. The tractor I was using is a neighbor's, but it has power steering and burns a lot less fuel. He let me borrow it, but had to do a service in trade. Pressure washed it before I took it back, new filters and oil, parked until spring. Kind of nice, the fuel tank sits higher than the filters, so just open the bleed screws on top to prime the system.

Today, well, it was a bit different. A customer at the shop down the road was told that he could have a very expensive problem, but they didn't want to bother trying to fix it. They took his money for a full service on an 02 Monaco Diplomat, then told him to take it to a diesel shop.

Customer guy is really cool, retired contractor. This coach is actually his daughter's, whose husband passed away last year...he was a nice guy too. Knowing the retired guy is pretty handy, when I found out about the deal, I contacted him. I have some of the TSB's from Cummins in regards to some of the symptoms. Yes, it could be a 2500$ part...but more likely a 200$ lift pump and maybe a 100$ sensor.

I told him I didn't want to "step on toes", but also knew he's pretty handy. I wanted him to see the TSB papers, so he may have some more knowledge now of the issues. He then asked me if I'd be interested in doing the work.

I told him to read through the stuff, and do a little digging online. I may be working on another coach, or helping him...either way, I'm good.

His son is the one with the gnarly American Dream I've worked on, and also the pontoon I've done service on. This family has used this shop for years. Up until today, they were under the impression I was a full-time hire...

 

[arch stanton]

On the double springs on the brake shoes I cut the old ones off with a small right angle cut off air operated tool from harbor freight saves a lot of time also before reinstalling of the new springs I put the tip of the spring in a vice and bend it out just a little maybe an 1/8 inch it makes it much easier to put the spring back in

 

[Willie B]

On the double springs on the brake shoes I cut the old ones off with a small right angle cut off air operated tool from harbor freight saves a lot of time also before reinstalling of the new springs I put the tip of the spring in a vice and bend it out just a little maybe an 1/8 inch it makes it much easier to put the spring back in

… i’ve done that before… Bent the springs a little…so they are easier to put on… Never seen it put in print before…lol…

 

[monkeyswrench]

I usually can get the springs in, but on occasion they get "almost in", and tap them in with the prybar. I always tap them when I'm done, just to make sure...kind of like pulling on quick connects, to make sure they really are connected.

 

[Willie B]

I usually can get the springs in, but on occasion they get "almost in", and tap them in with the prybar. I always tap them when I'm done, just to make sure...kind of like pulling on quick connects, to make sure they really are connected.

…Yep…lol…

 

[monkeyswrench]

The joys of being mercenary...
Coming home from doing some more inspections, get a text from neighbor shop. "Have any time? Have some 22.5's to mount..." and a truck's machine took a dump.
Sure!

Remember the death machine auger deal? Well, it kind of tried to eat itself. This broke off in the meat grinder, and jambed up the whole deal. This is a pto driven machine...it would self destruct, but the designer knew it would be operated by employees, and not owners I think.

The large gear on the left floats on the shaft. It is tied to the smaller gear with a 1/4" key. The small gear is keyed to the auger shaft, and then a chain runs the lower feeder. The key that ties them together is basically a fuse. In this case, it sheared the key. The managers had asked me to weld it before...they don't realize how costly a break like this could be. At minimum, chains (with no guards) explode. If they survive, gear boxes or sprockets need replacement. Nope, leave the key.

Next up, tires. One of the wheels to breakdown had been together since Christ was a corporal. Sledge to break bead, then bending bars to dismount. No elasticity left.

And, apparently, the warehouse was out of 14 ply tires. These are Michelin 18 ply...they aren't fun. The only good thing, they weren't on polished Alcoas for a coach. Then there'd be blankets and cardboard...and a bit more profanity.

 

[monkeyswrench]

This is the back side of a little 2.5x6 inch control panel. It runs the 1" square push button on/of switches, like old NASA stuff. The 2 switches that were really important, only worked when they felt like it. I used a PowerProbe, and found that 2 of the non-important ones function well. So, the 1 on the lower left in this pic were swapped with the 2 on the upper right. This was a fact finding mission, as the pro and hydraulic controls were pretty much unknowns. Swapping the switches was the most direct way to start whittling down the issues.

 

[The Chicken]

View attachment 1440573
This is the back side of a little 2.5x6 inch control panel. It runs the 1" square push button on/of switches, like old NASA stuff. The 2 switches that were really important, only worked when they felt like it. I used a PowerProbe, and found that 2 of the non-important ones function well. So, the 1 on the lower left in this pic were swapped with the 2 on the upper right. This was a fact finding mission, as the pro and hydraulic controls were pretty much unknowns. Swapping the switches was the most direct way to start whittling down the issues.

Ha!
Don’t let him fool you!
Kevin did a lot more than mess with some fickle little switches yesterday.
He fiddled with the trucks old up fitter electrical control board (which we have no documentation for), rolled around in the dirt under the truck that was infested with nasty tumble weeds( if you have never dealt with tumbleweed first hand-they are disappointingly nasty bushes with thousands of needle-sharp thorns ) to deal with a cranky PTO gear box, rubbed my shaft clean( that sounds more exciting than it was-calm down-we are talking about a hydraulic ram shaft!), dug into the trucks electrical system, messed with a jammed-up hoist gear set, and who knows what else when I wasn’t paying attention.
All to see if we could get the crane working on a backup work truck we have.
At the end of the day, he had the crane operational, and I now know what else the crane needs to be fully functional in case @wash11 drags any more of his broken shit over to my place and we need another crane!
This was actually a big deal for us, and it was nice to finally get this crane at least yard functioning.
Here it is, uhh, fully erect.
Some of you big rig type people may spot that this crane-which in itself has a couple special options-is bolted to a rather rare 4-door Ford L-9000.
For the people who like the old Louisville trucks, these are high on the desirable list.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I usually leave the shaft talk for my Only Fans page content...

BTW, @The Chicken must have a thousand ways to kill or maim...and that's just the fun stuff.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, I have some soul searching, bank account digging and all mixed with wants and desires...well shit, being a grown-up sucks ballz! The utility truck I was bidding on had two main reasons I wanted it, it was a crewcab and had a crane. It went for a truly fair price, but that price was more than I could spend, and a lot more than I want to spend. So, I started looking at my current options. Now, I need to lay out wants, needs and dollars, and see what I can make happen. 7-8 years ago, I bought this for a few hundred bucks, with a title, and drove it home. I had grandiose dreams of putting a needle nose cab on it, bobbing some of the tool boxes and putting a coffin sleeper on it. Maybe an old COE, or even a 60's semi COE with a sleeper? Mainly, I figured the axle, at545 trans and Alcoas were worth more than I paid.

It's a '97 C6500 25,950lb truck with an 11ft utility bed. It's a cobbled together piece...the bed is partially welded to the frame, the cab was an Edison truck I think and the motor, well, it is a diesel, but...

It's a damn Mitsubishi Fuso In some ways, it's pretty cool, no electronics at all. Now, the back story on it...

There was an independent heavy mechanic. He may have had some dependency issues. He put the truck up for bond. He then sold the crane, and went to jail. Bondsman took vehicle, and then took it to my friend's shop. They wanted it ready to sell...

Well, the shifter is a cut down nub in a cup holder...not good. There is no parking brake...and AT545's have no "park"...really not good. The death trap topper, to shutoff the motor, you have to jump out, flip the hood forward, and pull the shut down lever on the fuel pump with your fingers...remember, no park position, and no parking brake...it's exciting.
My buddy wasn't too thrilled, and the customer didn't want to pay. They signed off the title, and it sat in my buddy's shop lot for a couple years. One day, a dumbass that had a couple hundred bucks, walked out back and asks "What's going on with this?"
Well fuk, look what follows him home.

This was supposed to end up being a hot rod hauler, maybe with a Cummins. Time and life got in the way. Priorities as well as paths change.

It isn't new, shiny or even safe. I own it already though, and it's a good start. Now I need to see a few things, like what it would take to get it somewhat legit to drive, and how much to register and insure. Lots of variables to weigh out and figure.
Parting shot...shifter in cup holder:

 

[monkeyswrench]

So, yesterday I'm in Flagstaff, doing something called a "service readiness assessment". Basically, seeing if the dealership has the tools the manufacturer requires. Never done one, it truly sucks. I get to go through a dumpster fire of a toolbox and do inventory. The box is communal...everyone can use it. Pigs, all of them. Tools are supposed to be in some type of order...

I'd called a week previous, and had to leave a message. No response, so a couple days later I was in the area, and stopped by. Contact person was called, and on speaker says "I thought he was coming next week!"
He apparently got the message, but hadn't called to verify...So, yesterday I did my deal. They had a week warning. After 4 hours of BS, I share my findings with him, as I was told to do. Same deal, had to track him down. He really had no interest at all...until he asked a question. "What is this list for?"
Well, I believe what you don't have, they will order for you...and then bill you.


Well shit howdy! Suddenly this is important. He drug me around for another 2 hours, hoping to find stuff I didn't. I'd already been through the shop, and know my way around the stuff. A couple of the techs were helpful as well when I was on my quest.
2 hours later, he found a few more items hiding in the parts room.


Towards the end of this, I get a text from shop down the road. Freightliner down! In Flagstaff...well then, I'm in town already, and POS is loaded for bear most days.
Truck is at jobsite, in limp. 5mph. I check all the basics, and scan it...yep, I'm pretty sure it needs a doodad I don't have. The scanner showed derate, and that was a given. It also showed codes for the def system being valid, but out of range. A bit of digging around on the data, NoX sensor pre and post treatment showing goose eggs. Well, it runs on diesel, not rainbows, so that's a bad sign.

Boss man from company that owns truck calls me directly. I tell him what I found...but it's not my call. I also make sure he understands I'm only there because I was working up there. The part is down the road at the dealer. He offers to pay for the part, and "make it worth my while"...crap. I tell him I need to talk to the shop boss, it's on him.

I call the shop boss, gets the lowdown, and my opinion. He asked if I Googled it No, I've just seen it before, with the same company's trucks no less. He talks about having it towed. I tell him he could swap the part off of one of the downed trucks if he's worried. I tell him he gets to call back the company boss.

When I went by today to get paid, one of their guys was pulling the NoX module off of another truck their, and getting ready to drive to Flag. Apparently, Google agreed with me.

I wish the business guy would just hire me to do the stuff the other guy brings me in for. It would be cheaper for him, and better for me. Maybe eventually?

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yesterday was a "diverse" kind of day. Not in the political sense, but oddity of stuff putting iron to. Did a lift kit. Not really like one I'd ever seen. It was for an awd, passenger car. It was kind of like a body lift, but the rear subframe gets dropped, to lift the rear. Pretty trick cnc'd aluminum spacers, not like the hockey puck or Skyjacker body lifts of old. The front were custom struts as well. It will get tires and alignment this week.

The next thing...knuckle boom again. @The Chicken was able to source parts for the crane winch. So, I played with another one of his shafts Heck, this time I got to ram his shiny shaft into a tight hole I didn't get pics...I was about to shit myself, as the new shaft, which has two keyways on the gear side, is a pretty tough press into the gear...and the gear's not cheap. The instructions said to press the shaft through 3/4"...the width of the bearing. Luckily, Dan left a micrometer out, so I could get it. With it creaking and popping, and my face right up to it, .7505...that'll do! Assembled dry, and checked gap with a feeler gauge, did my math and put on the required gaskets. Preload felt good...thank God!

Hung the contraption on the crane, and did the same preload for the hydraulic motor. I fought the old cable out of the drum, mounted it on the shaft, and bolted the end carrier, also with a new bearing in place.

Just before 7 last night, I put oil in it, fired up the truck, and crossed my fingers. Better it blow up now with no witnesses

Success! I didn't run up the pto speed for my initial trial...so it was slow. The setup is a 27:1, so before I stabbed the motor, I could spin the input by hand. That's a lot of spinning to make sure the gear had no tight spots, but it made sure nothing "should" explode.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, at 6 Sunday evening I get a phone call. The guy with the motorhome that was at the Cummins dealer. It was successfully driven to a shop of one of his friends. Well, now it won't start, again. Crank, no start. No info from the scanner, no ecm power. I told them a few things to check.
Monday afternoon, get the text...could I come down to look at it.

A little before 4am, I hit the road. The owner is hoping to use it this weekend, so I figured an early start was a good idea...
Turns out, a better idea would have been to let the call go to voice-mail

Good looking coach, 500ISM...but every other monkey has had a paw on it. When I hooked up the battery, all the gauge warning lights were blinking, but not cycling at all with the key...kind of ghost powered. Started checking continuity from the ignition switch...both accessory wires had been probed heavily...to the point of intermittent connection when moved. Did some splices, and got that better. There are three unknown wires that have a big draw at the batteries, so pulled them for now. Found the clean grounds for the ECU on the B+ side...not good. Got the blinking red lights to turn off...but still no juice to the ecu, tcu and thus, no gauges or start juice.

The switch flips on some relays at the front, which, in theory, trigger the engine relays out back...they don't. Spent 10+ hours cleaning up some of the front wiring, and chasing wires out back. I had to tell him I couldn't finish up...some goofy things going on. I think it was pure luck it had started. Just the right combination of things back feeding. I'll go back down next week, with fresh eyes and a better idea of what can of worms I got smacked with

Got home about 10. Beat to crap, and temporarily defeated. Motorhome guy offered to get me a hotel room. I explained I had already scheduled something for tomorrow. He seems like a really nice guy...that's a good thing, he's a big guy, could probably tear me in two

 

[Sharky]

I hope you charged the MH owner straight time. For all time spent.

At $200 an hour. +travel.

 

[Rajobigguy]

Electrical issues can be frustrating. Yesterday my neighbor called me and asked if I know anything about automotive electrical because he was having an issue with his ‘64 bug. I said sure let me grab my tools and I’ll be right over.
He had installed a Painless fuse block, Autometer GPS Speedo and new gauges.
It all worked initially but he added something else in the mix and now all the gremlins reared their ugly little heads.
It took a couple hrs to sort through the mess and determine what was back feeding into the fuse block. Turned out that he had moved the fuse block to gain access to something behind it and when he put it back together he had one wire laying there that had come loose so he put it on the only spade connecter that didn’t have a wire attached. Turned out that that wire needed to go to the back of the tach which had dual spades that were not easily visible. Once I figured that out and cleaned things up a bit ( it still a birds next in there) everything got back to normal operation.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I hope you charged the MH owner straight time. For all time spent.

At $200 an hour. +travel.

Before I agreed to go down, I told him there was a heavy surcharge just to show up. He agreed to that. My hourly is nowhere near that though. It's what I see as fair, and we pay the bills. Heck, we even have a new fridge coming tomorrow, so must be doing ok. (Old fridge died this summer, been using one that a friend had sitting in his shop...but now it's dying too )

Electrical issues can be frustrating. Yesterday my neighbor called me and asked if I know anything about automotive electrical because he was having an issue with his ‘64 bug. I said sure let me grab my tools and I’ll be right over.
He had installed a Painless fuse block, Autometer GPS Speedo and new gauges.
It all worked initially but he added something else in the mix and now all the gremlins reared their ugly little heads.
It took a couple hrs to sort through the mess and determine what was back feeding into the fuse block. Turned out that he had moved the fuse block to gain access to something behind it and when he put it back together he had one wire laying there that had come loose so he put it on the only spade connecter that didn’t have a wire attached. Turned out that that wire needed to go to the back of the tach which had dual spades that were not easily visible. Once I figured that out and cleaned things up a bit ( it still a birds next in there) everything got back to normal operation.

This thing has gremlins the size of cattle, and a whole herd at that I'll get pics next week. Motorhomes are their own special kind of hell. There are 5 fuse panels, and 3 of them have been redone recently...maybe due to a smoke show it had recently.

Anywho...just got home from crane fuckery 101. The big pulley was not on it in the previous posts. It was kind of siezed with an odd mixture of rust, aluminum oxide, dirt and grease. That, and the frame had a little tweak to it from pulling sideways I think. Pulled the pin, pried out the pulley and cleaned the bearings up. "Persuaded" the frame a little, reassembled and greased the spindle through the zerk. The pulley itself is aluminum, and had some nicks in it from God knows what. I went ahead and flat filed those, just in case it could mess up the new cable.

Now, apparently you need to spool these things under tension. Bossman said he'd done it before with a SxS, and the parking brake partially set. I was going to drag a semi wheel and tire, but it may have plowed the ground. So, I went Ranger fishing.

Got it pretty close, and then had to figure out what to do with the hook. Most cranes have the spool above, and the hook tags a ring on the boom. For now, I looped a strap through the ring, and brought the strap against the motor.

 

[rush1]

Well, at 6 Sunday evening I get a phone call. The guy with the motorhome that was at the Cummins dealer. It was successfully driven to a shop of one of his friends. Well, now it won't start, again. Crank, no start. No info from the scanner, no ecm power. I told them a few things to check.
Monday afternoon, get the text...could I come down to look at it. View attachment 1444527
A little before 4am, I hit the road. The owner is hoping to use it this weekend, so I figured an early start was a good idea...
Turns out, a better idea would have been to let the call go to voice-mail
View attachment 1444528
Good looking coach, 500ISM...but every other monkey has had a paw on it. When I hooked up the battery, all the gauge warning lights were blinking, but not cycling at all with the key...kind of ghost powered. Started checking continuity from the ignition switch...both accessory wires had been probed heavily...to the point of intermittent connection when moved. Did some splices, and got that better. There are three unknown wires that have a big draw at the batteries, so pulled them for now. Found the clean grounds for the ECU on the B+ side...not good. Got the blinking red lights to turn off...but still no juice to the ecu, tcu and thus, no gauges or start juice.

The switch flips on some relays at the front, which, in theory, trigger the engine relays out back...they don't. Spent 10+ hours cleaning up some of the front wiring, and chasing wires out back. I had to tell him I couldn't finish up...some goofy things going on. I think it was pure luck it had started. Just the right combination of things back feeding. I'll go back down next week, with fresh eyes and a better idea of what can of worms I got smacked with View attachment 1444529
Got home about 10. Beat to crap, and temporarily defeated. Motorhome guy offered to get me a hotel room. I explained I had already scheduled something for tomorrow. He seems like a really nice guy...that's a good thing, he's a big guy, could probably tear me in two

That's on a spartan chassis call them with the vin number and they'll email you the chassis wiring schematic

 

[monkeyswrench]

That's on a spartan chassis call them with the vin number and they'll email you the chassis wiring schematic

The Spartan stuff really isn't the issue, it's all the coach stuff. The chassis is set up basically as three sections, "Engine", "Backbone" and "Driver". That's how Spartan ships them out I believe. The coach builders then tap into that, as well as adding more. This coach builder went out or was bought out, so that isn't readily handy...though I did find a fair amount of it online. It's a screwed up web page, and I have to screenshot and trim to print. It's also the type of print that you need strong readers to follow. A whole lot better than nothing though.

 

[Willie B]

… Nice to see you en El barrio Orcas today… As neighbor girl, and I were trying to find out where our polling place would be for early voting… Orcas has been around since the 40s, I believe… It has its own little government… And if you live there you better not screw up… And if you don’t live there… You really shouldn’t be there… So I have been told… I think someone may have previously posted one of these company work truck photos

 

[monkeyswrench]

… Nice to see you en El barrio de Orcas today… As neighbor girl, and I were trying to find out where our polling place would be for early voting… Orcas has been around since the 40s, I believe… It has its own little government… And if you live there you better not screw up… And if you don’t live there… You really shouldn’t be there… So I have been told… I think someone may have previously posted one of these company work truck photos
View attachment 1445035

Haven't seen this one We had a Monkey Wrench towing posted up recently though.

 

[callbob]

Just goes to show you……If Monkey Wrench can’t fix it, it is time to send it to the boneyard. Well done sir, wish I had a fraction of that talent and knowledge.

 

[rush1]

The Spartan stuff really isn't the issue, it's all the coach stuff. The chassis is set up basically as three sections, "Engine", "Backbone" and "Driver". That's how Spartan ships them out I believe. The coach builders then tap into that, as well as adding more. This coach builder went out or was bought out, so that isn't readily handy...though I did find a fair amount of it online. It's a screwed up web page, and I have to screenshot and trim to print. It's also the type of print that you need strong readers to follow. A whole lot better than nothing though.

American coach builds the chassis that way. Entegra was bought out by Jayco and they use 2x4's for the floor and the walls are lag bolted through the 2x4s , complete junk in my opinion . best of luck this one will be a pain in the butt to chase down.

 

[monkeyswrench]

American coach builds the chassis that way. Entegra was bought out by Jayco and they use 2x4's for the floor and the walls are lag bolted through the 2x4s , complete junk in my opinion . best of luck this one will be a pain in the butt to chase down.

It is really kind of sad. The coach is really beautiful. It goes to show people though, all motorhomes have their problems. It really doesn't matter if it's a new "bus" or an a 20 year old one, none of us would expect our houses to travel thousands of miles with no problems. These things are like moving condos at a minimum

 

[Taboma]

It is really kind of sad. The coach is really beautiful. It goes to show people though, all motorhomes have their problems. It really doesn't matter if it's a new "bus" or an a 20 year old one, none of us would expect our houses to travel thousands of miles with no problems. These things are like moving condos at a minimum

Many years ago during the early "Winnebago" days of motorhomes, one of the better electricians I knew and went through the apprenticeship with, was working on his then newer Winnebago Class A chasing some electrical gremlin that was parked in his driveway.
Heads in for a quick lunch, but 30 or so minutes later, is interrupted when his young son runs in screaming that the motorhome's on fire. Thankfully it was back far enough away and the fire department showed up quick and brought it under control before it caught his house on fire.

Just goes to show, some motorhome gremlins are not so easily exorcised and can get flat pissy about your meddling.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Many years ago during the early "Winnebago" days of motorhomes, one of the better electricians I knew and went through the apprenticeship with, was working on his then newer Winnebago Class A chasing some electrical gremlin that was parked in his driveway.
Heads in for a quick lunch, but 30 or so minutes later, is interrupted when his young son runs in screaming that the motorhome's on fire. Thankfully it was back far enough away and the fire department showed up quick and brought it under control before it caught his house on fire.

Just goes to show, some motorhome gremlins are not so easily exorcised and can get flat pissy about your meddling.

And that is why I disconnected all the batteries I could find before I left! Lots and lots of wires!

 

[Rajobigguy]

Motor homes and travel trailers are particularly difficult because you have a mix of automotive and residential wiring and most of it is substandard.

 

[callbob]

But the weather is when you get out of Colorado for the winter. Just pulled into Havasu and plugged and turned the a/c on. Snowed at home yesterday

 

[monkeyswrench]

This is the type of stuff I fought with that motorhome. The grey panel in back is the Spartan chassis setup...the three fuse panels on the left are for "extra" coach stuff. There are also 4 slide out controllers. That's just in one cubby

This is the chassis battery tray. After tracing and ohming wires, was able to figure out what went where. It was interesting, and not what was there when I got there the first time.

RV stuff...may or may not have white wires as ground, and blacks as hots...like house wiring. There are also "normal" 12v electrical, where black is ground. All kinds of fun!

Doing what it's supposed to! At least the gauges and shifter stuff. Low voltage, alternator is done...motor sounds good though.

Left home at 5am, got home about 8:30. Not quite there yet, but real close. It has some issues, but I think it may be due to the low voltage. Need to get that squared away and see what happens.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Ok, a minor snapshot of my week. Monday did some nondescript, maintenance kind of stuff. Tuesday, started the day going to Flagstaff for an inspection, then came back down the hill, and ran around for several appointments.

Wednesday, was "interesting". 6:30 get a call, trailer issues . Crap, this is someone that uses their trailer to make a living. Broken leaf spring. I head out to drop my son off at school, then back to Flagstaff. I'm already thinking I can pick up a leaf spring after, do my 5 o'clock with my son, and head out and do the spring tonight. Trailer owner calls, wants to swap out all 4 springs. He got his day figured, so I could do it another day. Makes sense, as they all are the same age...and it wasn't a curb hit, it was a rear spring. I get to Flagstaff...a freaking adventure. It had snowed. I40 closed, several rollovers, and it turns out, a lot of Flag people can't drive in ice and snow either. It was a mess.

Get back into town, and hit my trailer place. They have 3 springs...crap. I grab them, and hit another place. They give me the same price as my place after a beating. Come home and load the car with needed stuff.

Take another car to pick up one kid, and go to his appointment, then off to pick up the other boy. Get home, gas up Prius, then eat dinner. The next day shouldn't be bad really, done a lot of trailer springs...

I start with the broken spring, and one at a time. Always figure to do it that way so if something happens, like I have a heartattack or break my arm, less stuff is apart. Well, 3 of the first four break
So, hop in the car, and head into town...about 50 miles. Decided to get 8 new ones, no sense in risking it.

snugged the bearings and adjust up the brakes, greased the spindles and called it a day.

Friday was in the previous post. All said and done I think I clocked over 1200 miles this week. This weekend I need to service the POS, and clean out some stuff. Ohm meters along with 3/4 drive sockets and such...she may need air bags or helper springs soon

 

[OLDRAAT]

Kev,
What's the toggle switch with the zip tie around it for on the moho?

 

[monkeyswrench]

Kev,
What's the toggle switch with the zip tie around it for on the moho?

Honestly, the "why" is a question. The previous owner had installed it and it is a power feed for one of the slide controllers. It worked, wasn't shorted, but I have no idea why they put it in. Previous owner, from what I heard, was an 80 year old man from Missouri. I think he was the original owner, and probably could have been a wealth of information. Looks like he owned it for 20 years, and maybe wintered in it? I think the coach has 80k on the clock, and only 2200hrs on the motor.

 

[OLDRAAT]

Just like buying a used bote. A lot of mystery is almost a given.

I thought maybe you found the switch for the elusive flux capacitor.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Just like buying a used bote. A lot of mystery is almost a given.

I thought maybe you found the switch for the elusive flux capacitor.

Nah, that switch is on the console, next to the nitrous button

 

[monkeyswrench]

Well, Thursday and Friday ended up being long days, and Saturday I woke up to some lower back pain. No big deal, pretty common. The problem was, it proceeded to worsen. Not normal. Went about my day, just kind of grit my teeth.

Sunday rolled around. F'n hurt when I moved a certain way. Still both sides, about 3-4 inches each side of my spine...crap, this is new. Still went about my day, but in the evening I started to think about it. The end of last week I'd had quite a few antacid things, like Tums. Also, I hadn't had squat for water both Thursday and Friday. Stupid, I have it with me, just too busy I guess. That's when it dawned on me. The pain is mirror image, but I usually only get kidney stone issues on my right side, and not my left. Today didn't do much. Did an inspection this morning, and made a parts list for the C6500...other than that, sat and drank lemon water. Right side is much better, left side feels like I still have a 16 penny driven in there. Oh well...car stuff!

This is how I traced wires in the motor home. It's a PowerProbe deal. It hooks to a 12v supply, and emits a signal down the wire you attach it to. One tone means the circuit is open, a different one will tell you if it's a short. You can adjust the sensitivity to zero in on it. Harbor Freight sells them cheaper than the tool trucks as well. I have powered it from a Dewalt 12v battery instead of the car battery at times. Handy for wiring nightmares.

Also from HF, a cheesy bundle of jumper wires. A couple bucks, but with these and some paperclips you can jump wires, or plug into harness plugs without pulling pins. A lot of times you really need 3 or 4 hands, and they aren't there. It also helps when you need to test continuity on pairs that end on the opposite side of the car or truck.

 

[Willie B]

Well, Thursday and Friday ended up being long days, and Saturday I woke up to some lower back pain. No big deal, pretty common. The problem was, it proceeded to worsen. Not normal. Went about my day, just kind of grit my teeth.

Sunday rolled around. F'n hurt when I moved a certain way. Still both sides, about 3-4 inches each side of my spine...crap, this is new. Still went about my day, but in the evening I started to think about it. The end of last week I'd had quite a few antacid things, like Tums. Also, I hadn't had squat for water both Thursday and Friday. Stupid, I have it with me, just too busy I guess. That's when it dawned on me. The pain is mirror image, but I usually only get kidney stone issues on my right side, and not my left. Today didn't do much. Did an inspection this morning, and made a parts list for the C6500...other than that, sat and drank lemon water. Right side is much better, left side feels like I still have a 16 penny driven in there. Oh well...car stuff!
View attachment 1449651
This is how I traced wires in the motor home. It's a PowerProbe deal. It hooks to a 12v supply, and emits a signal down the wire you attach it to. One tone means the circuit is open, a different one will tell you if it's a short. You can adjust the sensitivity to zero in on it. Harbor Freight sells them cheaper than the tool trucks as well. I have powered it from a Dewalt 12v battery instead of the car battery at times. Handy for wiring nightmares. View attachment 1449652
Also from HF, a cheesy bundle of jumper wires. A couple bucks, but with these and some paperclips you can jump wires, or plug into harness plugs without pulling pins. A lot of times you really need 3 or 4 hands, and they aren't there. It also helps when you need to test continuity on pairs that end on the opposite side of the car or truck.

… I had completely forgotten about the alternative use for paper clips…

 

[ltbaney1]

Well, Thursday and Friday ended up being long days, and Saturday I woke up to some lower back pain. No big deal, pretty common. The problem was, it proceeded to worsen. Not normal. Went about my day, just kind of grit my teeth.

Sunday rolled around. F'n hurt when I moved a certain way. Still both sides, about 3-4 inches each side of my spine...crap, this is new. Still went about my day, but in the evening I started to think about it. The end of last week I'd had quite a few antacid things, like Tums. Also, I hadn't had squat for water both Thursday and Friday. Stupid, I have it with me, just too busy I guess. That's when it dawned on me. The pain is mirror image, but I usually only get kidney stone issues on my right side, and not my left. Today didn't do much. Did an inspection this morning, and made a parts list for the C6500...other than that, sat and drank lemon water. Right side is much better, left side feels like I still have a 16 penny driven in there. Oh well...car stuff!
View attachment 1449651
This is how I traced wires in the motor home. It's a PowerProbe deal. It hooks to a 12v supply, and emits a signal down the wire you attach it to. One tone means the circuit is open, a different one will tell you if it's a short. You can adjust the sensitivity to zero in on it. Harbor Freight sells them cheaper than the tool trucks as well. I have powered it from a Dewalt 12v battery instead of the car battery at times. Handy for wiring nightmares. View attachment 1449652
Also from HF, a cheesy bundle of jumper wires. A couple bucks, but with these and some paperclips you can jump wires, or plug into harness plugs without pulling pins. A lot of times you really need 3 or 4 hands, and they aren't there. It also helps when you need to test continuity on pairs that end on the opposite side of the car or truck.

i always carry some of those jumper leads, they have saved my ass more that once.

 

[monkeyswrench]

This will be fun...Customer just got a screaming deal on a 2018 Camry for his son's first car. Now he knows why. 20g wires that mice have used for floss. Lots of lights work on the dash, they're lit up The shifter won't shift unless the mechanical release is used, and a few other things. Tedious BS, but can do most of it sitting. There will be some heat shrink and cutting back loom. Ok, a lot of heat shrink

 

[monkeyswrench]

Ok, tedious, profanity laced day. The 16 penny nail in my side has subsided to a more manageable, cap nail. Really just enough to piss me off. Until it goes away though, worried it may ramp back up

Onward! So, staying close to home, went by the salvage yard and found a late teens Toyota. I don't do much with canvas and digital type auto crap...I don't keep a bunch of colors of 20g wire. So, I snipped about three feet out of the door jamb harness. About 3/4" thick, 20-30 wires, Toyota colors (or close enough to differentiate)

This is my scrap wire bucket. These are some of the ones I didn't use. I then drove over to the Camry, and started cutting back loom, and damaged wires.

After a couple hours, mostly done...Had to pul the shifter to get the other loom from the bvm where I could mess with it.

The shifter now releases, the door chime stops, the flashing lights on the dash turned off...and the key fob deal works now.

The airbag system still has a fault though...but I also don't know what else the little bastard got into. I'll go back and tag the scanner on it in the next couple of days. For now though, the owner is really happy. The 16yo kid? He's super excited.

 

[Taboma]

Ok, tedious, profanity laced day. The 16 penny nail in my side has subsided to a more manageable, cap nail. Really just enough to piss me off. Until it goes away though, worried it may ramp back up

Onward! So, staying close to home, went by the salvage yard and found a late teens Toyota. I don't do much with canvas and digital type auto crap...I don't keep a bunch of colors of 20g wire. So, I snipped about three feet out of the door jamb harness. About 3/4" thick, 20-30 wires, Toyota colors (or close enough to differentiate) View attachment 1450118
This is my scrap wire bucket. These are some of the ones I didn't use. I then drove over to the Camry, and started cutting back loom, and damaged wires. View attachment 1450120
After a couple hours, mostly done...Had to pul the shifter to get the other loom from the bvm where I could mess with it. View attachment 1450122
The shifter now releases, the door chime stops, the flashing lights on the dash turned off...and the key fob deal works now.

The airbag system still has a fault though...but I also don't know what else the little bastard got into. I'll go back and tag the scanner on it in the next couple of days. For now though, the owner is really happy. The 16yo kid? He's super excited.

Pretty fancy stripper ya got there sparky
I kid, because although I own and have owned, many more elaborate devices, those vintage yellow handled versions served me well throughout my entire career and there's one in my ole pouch exactly like yours. They do require a very delicate and sensitive touch for auto-wiring.

Having burned my fingers using a similar Bic for heat shrinking small conductor splices and softening the tips of my irrigation drip tubes for fitting insertion, I'm still experimenting.
I tried a small butane torch I robbed from a tweeker , problem is, it doesn't work right when held sideways or upside down ( Those positions also tend to burn my fingers with the Bic ).
I'm currently testing a Chinese branded cordless torch that holds my Makita batts that I bought on Amazon for about $38. Although kinda large, it will work in any position so I think it's going to save my fingers.

PS: Hopefully you vacuumed up the rat turds