Markus' Big Radiator Project

[markusfmeyer]

Ok, so last weekend I drove it back and forth from my barn, about half hour each way. Gauges seemed to run normal, which was good. Finished wrapping up wires, zip tying things, and covering hoses with extra hose as additional protection anyplace hoses touched each other. Used the fuel line wrap on the two long lines to/from the racor. Stared some more at the exhaust and plotted a way to secure it better. Put it back in the barn for the past rainy week and got to work figuring out what I needed for the exhaust. I poked around at the barn in the metal scrap bin and found a perfect bar for my needs. Brought it home during the week and sanded and painted it. Today my buddy and I went back to install it. First we drilled two holes at the top and secured it to the braces for the battery tray. Then drilled two holes at the bottom, put a 5" u-bolt clamp on the exhaust pipe and connected the two together. See the pics. That exhaust pipe isn't going anywhere!

We then figured out where I had a small fuel leak - it was where the hose I replaced that goes from the engine to the return line to the tank connected, I hadn't made that tight enough. Hopefully that leak is history. Then we took it for a good two hour ride today. Some highway, some back roads. Temps were right where they should be. Noticed a few things. First, my jake brake is working again. Yee ha, that is awesome. Second, wife asked when I brought it home last weekend why it sounded louder? Did I mention how nice it was to have a working jake and take the foot off the gas pedal and not have to brake as much? I also noticed the trans temps seemed to run a bit cooler, maybe 10-15 degrees. The engine water temps ran about 5-10 degrees cooler. Overall ran very well. Have it home again now to clean it up over the weekend and see what is left to do. Just like a house, always something. But I feel pretty confident its road worthy at this point.

I really also need to thank a few people for the help they have provided getting to this point. Shane of course, he came over a few times to sort some things out I couldn't figure out. Steve Pappas, his brother Pete and his son Alex. They spent quite a bit of time helping me get the old radiator out and the new one in. Plus installing the water pump and fuel lines. My buddy Mike who went back and forth with me multiple times to help on various things. I felt today that the many weeks, hours, dollars, cuts, bruises, dirty fingernails, etc were all worth it.

Before I use it next month for our big trip, I have some things I still want to get done. First, I want to protect the new hydraulic lines wherever they touch each other or something else. Need to measure what I need, buy it and install it. Want to get the new chassis hoses bled out of old coolant (from the heaters in the bus) and new coolant put in place. Want to install a new toilet, as well as new furniture already on order. Finish painting the goat rails I started in the fall and get them reinstalled. Think that's enough!

[Randy Dupree]

holy cow!
thats a bracket!
Job well done Markus!

[markusfmeyer]

This weekend I headed over to Shane's to flush and refill the chassis loops with new coolant. I hadn't gotten the old green stuff out of the heaters yet but had replaced the lines and turned all the valves off. On the way there I noticed the voltage was low so kicked the gennie with charger on. Unfortunately with all the work I was doing over the past few months I wasn't watching the battery water level enough and ran them down and they were acting flaky. Ran over to Sam's club to buy new ones and swapped them in, along with a new heavy gauge wire from the batteries to the starter that Shane just happened to have in his shed, right length, connectors already on! I did notice on the way home I didn't have proper voltage all the time so thinking the alternator is acting up. Never a dull moment, less than a week before blastoff for our big summer trip. Yesterday I replaced the toilet so that's off the list. Time to figure out a spare alternator today.

[Rick Davis]

Markus, I sorta followed along this project of your's whenever I got an internet signal while I was working a temp job in the boonies of Indonesia during this Spring, and had it on my to-do list to go back and read it carefully when I got a chance. Well tonight I got that chance, and I gotta tell you "thanks" for taking us along, being brief but descriptive of each step, and taking the time to post the pics and supplier contacts. I learned a lot.

[markusfmeyer]

Here are two Word documents - first one showing a list of parts I bought, where I bought them, and cost. Second one has a list of steps I followed for this project. Hopefully someone else finds this useful.