bajajoaquin
Adventurer
In California, you can’t charge gas customers for air. Might be similar in other states. Try asking them to turn on the air for you.
Cummins Canoe (A Stepvan Story)
- Thread starter PlethoraOfGuns
- Start date
ben1ben1ben
New member
Great photos and description!! please could you add a schematic ?
Bikersmurf
Expedition Leader
I hate coin operated pumps… mostly because they are noisy and slow. I think every time I’ve spoken to a clerk because I didn’t have change… they’ve just turned it on.
That said, I love having onboard air and wouldn’t voluntarily be with out it. When you have an inner dually go flat in a rain storm, at 11pm, when there are hurricane force winds, you don’t want to have to look for a gas station. It also comes in handy for fabrication of repair parts &/or doing repairs in the middle of nowhere.
*been there & done that… ?
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Hmmm, most places I've come across charge you.
I can dig a schematic up. No way would I have been able to do it without figuring it on paper first.
Yep, I'd much rather have my own air!
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Driving down the road, started hearing a funny noise. Thought it was a little exhaust leak. Oh well, not a big deal, sounded like a later problem. Later that day, smoke started pouring into the cab. Pulled over and took a look...
Oil everywhere! Started the engine and observed. It was actually fuel and exhaust shooting out from around an injector.
Turns out the copper washer failed and the injector was no longer sealed to the cylinder head. Took a hike to some parts stores. Nothing a little sandpaper and copper washer kit can't fix.
A few hour delay and was back on track to our destination.
Oil everywhere! Started the engine and observed. It was actually fuel and exhaust shooting out from around an injector.
Turns out the copper washer failed and the injector was no longer sealed to the cylinder head. Took a hike to some parts stores. Nothing a little sandpaper and copper washer kit can't fix.
A few hour delay and was back on track to our destination.
chris the ogre
Beer Drinker
It will be a new truck when you are done with this trip!
bajajoaquin
Adventurer
That’s what I’m saying. In CA, by law they must give air for free to customers. So they can turn it on for you. Other states may have that same law. Or they may have the pay setup to deter abuse and the guy will just flip the switch for you anyway. It’s worth asking.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
The frequency of the rig breaking down is what keeps me in shape. I enjoy hiking!Your patience and perseverance are amazing. Maybe it's time to start carrying a small motorcycle on the back? Make those parts store runs a lot quicker.
Haha, I hope so!
Interesting. Regardless, I'd rather not depend on any place to get air in the tires.
Good eyes! Great place to rock climb!
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Nothing is breaking! This is great! I guess I can do some preventative maintenance instead.
Got the time to do it, so it's getting done. Drivers side balljoints and tie rods. Greased all the joints, packed the wheel bearings, and torqued everything down to the proper specs.
But, some things just couldn't go right. The driver side front shock mount broke off, so we had that welded up right quick. Once the tires were back on, it's off to an alignment shop. Three weeks to wait for an appointment, but only $70. Apparently, every mechanic shop is backed up and people are waited several weeks to get their vehicles in and fixed. I can't imagine waiting in line overtime something broke. Very fortunate I've been able to fix things myself. But alignments really shouldn't be done with a tape measure as a permanent fix.
Got the time to do it, so it's getting done. Drivers side balljoints and tie rods. Greased all the joints, packed the wheel bearings, and torqued everything down to the proper specs.
But, some things just couldn't go right. The driver side front shock mount broke off, so we had that welded up right quick. Once the tires were back on, it's off to an alignment shop. Three weeks to wait for an appointment, but only $70. Apparently, every mechanic shop is backed up and people are waited several weeks to get their vehicles in and fixed. I can't imagine waiting in line overtime something broke. Very fortunate I've been able to fix things myself. But alignments really shouldn't be done with a tape measure as a permanent fix.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Now that I'm not battling crippling repairs, I can finally make things more better!
There aren't many good things to say about stock headlights from 30 years ago, except that they would last forever and not fog up like modern plastic ones do. But the light output was really terrible, and I really did everything I could to avoid driving at night, so it was time to upgrade. The lights are definitely better, but I was hoping for better. The new led ones from Maxima are still kind of spotty. On high beam, oh boy, they light up the whole town! But I can't always have them on. Oh well. I feel comfortable driving at night so all is well.
It's been very hard to keep the hood closed lately. Found out the hood latch bracket was broken.
Had a spare headset for the intercom system. It always shorts out and causes interference over the whole intercom system. Found the reason why.
Nothing a little solder and heat shrink can't fix.
The passenger side seatbelt has been a pain to operate. It was a hasty install and was bolted on crooked due to interference with the sliding door. Cut the mounting bracket and welded it at an offset angle so it's nice and straight.
The big rear cabinet under the workbench needed shelves too. Much better to keep organized instead of just piling things in there and ramming the door shut real quick in hopes that it all won't avalanche back out.
Came up with a new idea to keep the fridge doors closed. A simple wooden peg with a piece of rubber hose on it put through a ring. Simple and effective. Using the ratchet strap across the door to keep the milk and eggs in the fridge was getting very old.
There aren't many good things to say about stock headlights from 30 years ago, except that they would last forever and not fog up like modern plastic ones do. But the light output was really terrible, and I really did everything I could to avoid driving at night, so it was time to upgrade. The lights are definitely better, but I was hoping for better. The new led ones from Maxima are still kind of spotty. On high beam, oh boy, they light up the whole town! But I can't always have them on. Oh well. I feel comfortable driving at night so all is well.
It's been very hard to keep the hood closed lately. Found out the hood latch bracket was broken.
Had a spare headset for the intercom system. It always shorts out and causes interference over the whole intercom system. Found the reason why.
Nothing a little solder and heat shrink can't fix.
The passenger side seatbelt has been a pain to operate. It was a hasty install and was bolted on crooked due to interference with the sliding door. Cut the mounting bracket and welded it at an offset angle so it's nice and straight.
The big rear cabinet under the workbench needed shelves too. Much better to keep organized instead of just piling things in there and ramming the door shut real quick in hopes that it all won't avalanche back out.
Came up with a new idea to keep the fridge doors closed. A simple wooden peg with a piece of rubber hose on it put through a ring. Simple and effective. Using the ratchet strap across the door to keep the milk and eggs in the fridge was getting very old.
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
I don't think I'll ever win. Noticed my coolant levels in radiator have been dropping and eventually a small puddle of coolant under the rig. Other than that, everything is running great. Tracked it down from dripping from the bell housing, behind the starter, up the side of the block, under the exhaust manifold...
Oh great, less than a year and the head gasket already went.
But wait, that's leaking from the head bolt? Ok, could still be head gasket. Checked torque on bolt, seemed to be ok, removed it, everything seemed fine. Put bolt back in, re-torqued it. Ran engine again while looking closely. Coolant was not leaking from bolt.
In the corner of the casting, there is a small crack that coolant is bubbling through, hard to see, but it's clearly there, maybe an inch long. Just what I need. Winter is fast approaching and I might need a new cylinder head. I bought a Cummins so I wouldn't have these issues. This rig is cursed...
Oh great, less than a year and the head gasket already went.
But wait, that's leaking from the head bolt? Ok, could still be head gasket. Checked torque on bolt, seemed to be ok, removed it, everything seemed fine. Put bolt back in, re-torqued it. Ran engine again while looking closely. Coolant was not leaking from bolt.
In the corner of the casting, there is a small crack that coolant is bubbling through, hard to see, but it's clearly there, maybe an inch long. Just what I need. Winter is fast approaching and I might need a new cylinder head. I bought a Cummins so I wouldn't have these issues. This rig is cursed...
PlethoraOfGuns
Adventurer
Haha, nah. I used it all up on the crankshaft. I might need to go buy another tube!