Cummins Canoe (A Stepvan Story)
- Thread starter PlethoraOfGuns
- Start date
marret
Active member
"We have the worst luck!"
But the best attitudes.
Sure do, and skills to get themselves on the way.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Thanks everyone! We're winging it as we go. Fixing things and making improvements.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
L. Ron Hubbard couldn't make this stuff up...
The next day after we replace the clutch and leave town, the clutch master cylinder gives out. We camped at a BLM campsite and the parking wasn't great, van was angled to the side, we didn't care, so tired. In the morning, I decided to move it to flatter ground, put the key in, pushed the clutch down like I normally do when starting engine, and I hear a pop, clutch pedal goes to the floor, and hydraulic fluid is leaking all over under the dash.
Take the clutch master cylinder apart because again, we're in the middle of nowhere and you just need to fix things with what you got. Turns out the hydraulic piston cracked. Great. This is a new one. But who knows how old this part is, so it is what it is. I'm an idiot and don't carry extra master cylinder pistons, so...
We can epoxy these things make together! Right?
Well, while that epoxy sets up, we felt very down, so we cracked open our emergency rations of crab legs out of the freezer and watched a movie, trying to get our minds back to a stable place.
The next day after we replace the clutch and leave town, the clutch master cylinder gives out. We camped at a BLM campsite and the parking wasn't great, van was angled to the side, we didn't care, so tired. In the morning, I decided to move it to flatter ground, put the key in, pushed the clutch down like I normally do when starting engine, and I hear a pop, clutch pedal goes to the floor, and hydraulic fluid is leaking all over under the dash.
Take the clutch master cylinder apart because again, we're in the middle of nowhere and you just need to fix things with what you got. Turns out the hydraulic piston cracked. Great. This is a new one. But who knows how old this part is, so it is what it is. I'm an idiot and don't carry extra master cylinder pistons, so...
We can epoxy these things make together! Right?
Well, while that epoxy sets up, we felt very down, so we cracked open our emergency rations of crab legs out of the freezer and watched a movie, trying to get our minds back to a stable place.
Fork-N-Road
Member
By watching "Kill Bill"??
This is one of my favorite threads on the site, love watching your adventures and I admire how you guys adapt and keep pushing forward. You are likely living some of the best memories that you will have in the future.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Thanks everyone! Enjoy the **** show! As long as this rig keeps breaking down, we'll have plenty of content! I guess breaking down is similar to not catching fish? This will be a great blog thing to look back on and ourselves why we did it.
Good eyes on the Kill Bill. We do find it relaxing. Humbles you to know that things could be worse, a crazy blond with assassin skills could always be coming after you!
Good eyes on the Kill Bill. We do find it relaxing. Humbles you to know that things could be worse, a crazy blond with assassin skills could always be coming after you!
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Boy, we had high hopes for that epoxy repair. Gave it all plenty of time to cure. The epoxy surely helped, and hydraulic fluid is no longer getting past the plastic, but now it leaks fluid only when I let off the clutch pedal!
Took it all back apart and find a crack in the piston seal. Only solution for that is some careful application of RTV sealant. We'll wait yet another day and see if that works.
In case anyone is wondering how we do bench bleeds on the side of the road, here ya go. Made this tool out of another tool to hold a socket in the slave cylinder to replicate the clutch pressure. The slave cylinder goes down to the ground in a catch pan while the master cylinder sits in the vise. And then we pump, hold, drain the air out of the slave cylinder. Easy as can be, but after the 6th time, it gets kinda old.
We also think we spend too much time broken down. We're starting to see weird things out in the woods now...
Took it all back apart and find a crack in the piston seal. Only solution for that is some careful application of RTV sealant. We'll wait yet another day and see if that works.
In case anyone is wondering how we do bench bleeds on the side of the road, here ya go. Made this tool out of another tool to hold a socket in the slave cylinder to replicate the clutch pressure. The slave cylinder goes down to the ground in a catch pan while the master cylinder sits in the vise. And then we pump, hold, drain the air out of the slave cylinder. Easy as can be, but after the 6th time, it gets kinda old.
We also think we spend too much time broken down. We're starting to see weird things out in the woods now...
screwball48
Explorer
Once you replace everything and are basically driving a new truck you will begin to get bored.
Last edited:
Skinny
Active member
This is a great thread I just stumbled upon. I mean if you dont dig bread trucks with Cummins power and a gear jammer for a transmission you arent alive...
Good luck woth the repairs. Based on the thread build, you guys will Macgyver this thing back together.
Did I see an M1031 early on? I have one too.
I will say after seeing this I no longer want an old bread truck for a side hustle work van
Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk
Good luck woth the repairs. Based on the thread build, you guys will Macgyver this thing back together.
Did I see an M1031 early on? I have one too.
I will say after seeing this I no longer want an old bread truck for a side hustle work van
Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Haha, don't worry, I can't wait until things stop breaking.
I thought this drivetrain was the way to go. I still think so. Every other part though, oh my. This is just a string of bad luck. Everything related to the stupid clutch it seems...This is a great thread I just stumbled upon. I mean if you dont dig bread trucks with Cummins power and a gear jammer for a transmission you arent alive...
Good luck woth the repairs. Based on the thread build, you guys will Macgyver this thing back together.
Did I see an M1031 early on? I have one too.
I will say after seeing this I no longer want an old bread truck for a side hustle work van
Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk
My last rig was a M1031, it's a great truck. But the step van is just easier to work on, and it's not rotting away.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Well shucks, the RTV repair didn't work. Oh well, we're not screwed. Luckily, the rig is parked in front of a downhill area, so we pushed it down and popped it into first gear and drove it 30 miles to nearest town and picked up a new clutch master cylinder. We'll keep the old one for spare parts, who knows at this point.
Everything was fixed and we were going again. But then, not far down the road, I pushed the clutch pedal down and heard a pop and a clunk, but no fluid leaking. We were already going down the road, and once again, clutchless, so we made a direct drive back to the parts store without stopping and found this. Luckily, we didn't lose anything important. I don't think the c-clip was on very good and the whole thing separated from the mounting flange. Easy fix, didn't have to bleed the clutch for 8th time, not worth griping over.
And finally all back together and on the road! Feels good to be moving freely once again...
Everything was fixed and we were going again. But then, not far down the road, I pushed the clutch pedal down and heard a pop and a clunk, but no fluid leaking. We were already going down the road, and once again, clutchless, so we made a direct drive back to the parts store without stopping and found this. Luckily, we didn't lose anything important. I don't think the c-clip was on very good and the whole thing separated from the mounting flange. Easy fix, didn't have to bleed the clutch for 8th time, not worth griping over.
And finally all back together and on the road! Feels good to be moving freely once again...
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