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Elite Veteran
 
Location: Medford, OR | Got back to work on 324...I received another axle, and I have a drive flange on the way, it's as bad as the old axle. I'll have spares to carry with me...ugh. A little word of advise, when you reinstall, and you get to the 2nd bearing (the outer bearing), be sure to slide in the race FIRST. I mistakenly slid the bearing in, then tapped the race in towards the bearing (WRONG), installed the 25 dollar grease seal (OUCH), yoke then nut, tightened... but WAIT??? The axle has a ton of up/down slop??? The yoke doesn't seem to be putting any preload on the bearings?? Then it hit me....like a dummy I realized what I did. I put the bearing in backwards....It took me an hour to get that race slid back out of the housing without damaging the bearing using a pick, and some different screw drivers etc...all freshly greased of course. Luckily my small puller didn't ruin the new oil seal, I was able to reuse. I know why I made this mistake, I'm rebuilding a Dana D18 transfer case in my jeep, the output shaft bearing is installed bearing first, then race, then you set the pre load with shims. I also just got done replacing the axle bearings in my rear Dana 44 in the Jeep, same deal, bearing then race. So anyway....
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p...
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | that flange is clapped out..great find on the axle shafts!
Edited by LCAC_Man 2020-08-03 3:19 PM
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Contributor
Location: Bowling Green Ky. | Hello and good day Dan
Those axle splines if my memory serves me well, had a lot of wear when I reworked all of that back in 02-03. I had the same concerns that you have. I called Leslie up in Illinois, he said it was normal, just to be careful to make sure the coach is completely stopped before changing directions, forward to reverse and back. Not sure if that helps any. Also I will get those build sheets and receipts to you when I get a moment to box them up and send them out. I think bearings and races where replaced on the passenger side and the driver side, was ok and I reused the bearings. All seals and brake components were replaced at that time as well. Good to hear 324 is alive and improving daily 
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Contributor
Location: Bowling Green Ky. | That newly delivered axle definitely is in much better shape. Something just came back to my mind about what causes that wear. You may already know this. I was told to use the emergency break when doing multiple front to back shifts, when parking or monuevering into a site. Use the emergency brake to stop the driveline and hold it when shifting from forward to reverse and back. Keeps that slop to a minimum. Hope that made some sense.
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Expert
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | LCAC_Man - 2020-08-03 1:11 PM that flange is clapped out..great find on the axle shafts!
That why we try to preserve parts from dead coaches. That axel came from coach #150 which burned about 15 years ago. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | You could probably have the flanges repaired, boring them out and pressing in(then welding) a newly broached center would be pretty doable. |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | That’s a good reason to hold onto anything coming off these coaches. If nothing else it’s 90% of a pattern.
Bill |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I see what your saying Darrel about minimizing running gear slop with the parking brake... I just got rid of a ton of running gear slop with this axle/flange fix. This was a good find. Thanks for your input, very appreciated. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I got my "new" drive flange! Thanks Mike (AKA Mario Coach). You can hardly tell, or 'feel' I should say, when you switch between drive and reverse. Very smooth now like it should be.... HUGE difference. I'm happy.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p...
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | After loading #324 with valuables (well things I value? lol) a couple weeks ago for a possible fire evacuation, luckily I didn't have to evac. I unloaded it this weekend and resumed getting it ready for the upcoming rally in Oakridge. I finally put my new LED cab marker lights on. I'm pretty sure replacing cab lights is the worst job on the planet. I don't like it. Never have, never will. Anyway....I have never even driven an FMC in the dark of night?? lol...But at least they look cool.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p...
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Elite Veteran
Location: Oceanside, CA | that is a suck job...way to tough it out!
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | You found some 'retro' looking ones - cool!
Mine are LED, too, but look quite different than original.
Glad ya'all got through the fires; was worried about all you guys living on the West Coast.
Times are a changin'!
Terry
#846 |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I put a couple more touches on 324 last night...I can't wait to get her out on the road next week to Oakridge. This weekend will be wash the roof off and a quick "yearly" clean of the motor...
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p... |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Good job!
Question: were your hinges rusty-as-hell before you painted them?
Mine look like sh-h-h-h-e-e-e-e-e-it and I was thinkin' of going this route.
Pain in the ass to take all the doors off just to get hinges re-chromed eh.
Stay healthy my Friend.
Terry
#846 |
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Regular
| Did you do any prep on the metal outside of cleaning? I have been thinking about this as a stop gap before we repaint the entire home. At that point as I would be tearing out all the windows to reseal, and taking the doors off, the bumpers and hinges would go out for recroming. Assuming I can get it done in this state or Oregon. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | I sanded the old paint with 150 then 220 grit paper. Might be a bad habit of mine, but I have always sprayed whatever it is I'm going to paint with starting fluid and then wipe off with a cloth to get the surface clean, I never get fish eyes. The original chrome plating is still there under the paint I think... The hinges were already painted black due to the chrome getting rusty years ago...I just swiped some 220 paper across them and painted.
I had a set of valve covers chromed here locally in Medford about 15 years ago, they have since closed up. Portland should still have a plating place. If it didn't get looted. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Hey, wait a minute, "...Portland... looted." isn't that 'political'?
Better watch the language there buddy-boy or the powers-that-be may pounce.
Ha-ha... and I'm totally sober!
Cheers,
Terry
#846 |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Another fine fix....
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p... |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | The last trip I made in 324 was to Oakridge, OR, and I noticed mice poops appearing, and when I went to light the furnace in Oakridge, I seen mouse nest material in and around the furnace that went inside the duct work that runs to rear of the coach...so needless to say, I just used my electric heater instead of the furnace. So I borrowed a mouse trap from Stephen to see If I could catch anything while camping...nothing. After I got home, and still no snap of the traps, I came to the conclusion that my mouse must of been visiting and left last winter or something. I wanted to clean the duct work out, because the furnace is nice on the cold mornings camping. So I started digging in, and ultimately came to the conclusion that I am going to slide the furnace out, and either replace the duct work, or clean as good as I can while the furnace is out. With the furnace out, you will have a straight shot at the duct work so you can get a vacuum in there. I also pulled the tail lights loose and spray foamed (the best I could) up into the body cavity that runs up on both sides of the rear window. This cavity is known to allow exhaust fumes to enter inside the coach through the cabinets. I've had a terrible time managing the fumes (getting it out of the rig) while traveling. The best I've done, is turn the Fantastic Fan inside the bathroom on and leaving the bathroom door open, and having the front side windows open 5-6". It seems to suck the fumes out the bathroom vent ok, but not perfect. So hopefully the work I did will help. I want to get a Fantastic Fan for the front roof vent, just haven't done it yet because I also want to add a ceiling light. I need to run power etc.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p... |
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Veteran
Location: Soquel, CA. | Hi Dan. All I can say is that when I have had mice, the traps worked. So, it is very possible they are temporarily gone. Mine did like to use the little mouse highway that exists from the engine compartment that you are trying to fill. I used foam from below, up high in the generator compartment (when generator was out), and same on engine side. It was messy, but it appears to have worked. Fixed the fume issue too. I think there may be a way to get to those cavities from the back corner of the upper cabinets, if you remove the curved cardboard finish in the back (at least that is how mine works). I am in the process of replacing my furnace. It comes out pretty easy. I would replace those ducts. No point in always wondering how clean they really are. With the furnace out, you might find a few other place to spray foam. Lastly, I am big fan (so to speak) of replacing the vents with fantastic fans. It is particularly nice to have two of them so you can set them up with one bringing air in and the other pushing air out. I think air quality in our RVs is an often overlooked issue. |
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Elite Veteran
Location: Medford, OR | Hi Greg
I removed the furnace on 850 and bench tested it before trying to use it, It came out easy with the exception of having to trim the exterior aluminum paneling some. Hopefully 324's just slides out without having to modify anything.....
Where the ducting runs under the toilet on 324, it's seems to be stuffed tightly with fiberglass insulation, not sure the ducting will come out without removing the toilet and floor, if that's the case, the duct replacing will wait a bit...
I will look at the rear cabinets interior trim and see if any access is obtainable also for foaming.
Does anyone have the sheet metal 90 degree piece to hook the duct up to the vent under the kitchen sink for sale? I don't really want to make one unless last resort, or maybe it's an item I can buy, I haven't invested any time into looking yet...Here's a pic though.
http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=200&p...
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Expert
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | Dan, I had fume issues in my coach when I first got it. I foamed the junction of the top of the engine compartment from the forward edge of the compartment all the way around to the forward edge of the other side. Did a big U shaped path of continuous foam bead. That totally sealed off all fumes and have not had a issue since. That stopped the fumes at the source. |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | Dan, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen one of the duct to vent adapters in the “golden container” of FMC parts. You just need the one adapter? I noticed a handful of the adapters for duct to heater box. When I have it in hand I’ll let you know.
Bill |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | I’m thinking the piece I have is fiberglass not sheet metal.
Bill |
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Veteran
Location: Olympia, Washington | Remember as you are breathing fumes going down the road how nice it would be if there were fresh air coming in to thin out the fumes. I can not think of any other vehicle that does not have fresh air. |
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#324
