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[GMCnet] It's all breaking at once... [message #170932]

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:02

Richard Denney

Messages: 920
Registered: April 2010

Karma: 9

Senior Member

So, everyone knows about my alternator issues, probably caused by a
faulty connector in the steering column, which was possibly wiggled
loose by tugging on the steering-column harness for an old
cruise-control system I was removing. And everyone knows about how the
combiner did not, as it turns out, survive my Big Mistake of briefly
wiring the chassis battery backwards when I was replacing it.

But when I got home from Bean Station, I also went back to retract my
Fantastic Fan, and as soon as I touched the handle, the cover slammed
down closed without turning it a bit. Something let go.

And then when I tried to dump the last bit of water in the waste tank,
the macerator wouldn't work.

ARGH!

But finally back in town with the long weekend, I spent nearly a whole
day working on the coach, for the first time in a couple of years
(excepting the time at Bean Station).

First, the Fantastic Fan. I discovered that only the lid has the
lifetime warranty. So, I got on eBay and found a new model 6600
(motorized, rain sensor, remote, thermostatically controlled, snap-out
screen) for a little under $200. I installed that today, and the only
issue with that was when I tugged on a the wire emerging from the edge
of the ceiling panel, it came out in my hands. I had to remove the
strip that holds on the panel and fish the wire from the back, but in
so doing replaced a couple of poorly made crimp joints. The fan works
wonderfully, and I'm looking forward to being able to leave the fan on
at night and maybe not being awakened by cold and damp at 4 in the
morning to turn off the fan. The rain sensor is sensitive--it was
triggered by today's hyper-humidity (just a couple of degrees above
the dew point, it seemed like). That may be a bit too sensitive--I'll
have to get more experience with it.

I installed the fan with butyl tape instead of the foam gasket it
comes with. I learned that lesson with the previous fan.

My only beef with the fan is the pop-off screen, which is held in
place with tabs that grip too aggressively, and I'm scared I'll break
it when trying to remove it. I've already broken off one of the tabs
trying to put it back on.

The old fan's actuator arm broke off, sheering the shaft on which it
rides. I'll use it for parts.

Autozone provided me with a new alternator to replace the failed one,
which their test machine laughed at (FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!). I installed
the new one and it works perfectly--for the moment. I keep thinking I
ought to replace my light-bulb current-limiting resistor that we put
in place of the nicrome wire circuit at Bean Station, but it's nice to
have a built-in indicator which is easy to see if I open the
fuse-block cover. On the alternator, my fingers are crossed. Maybe
this one will last more than 80 miles.

For the combiner, I corresponded with Ann-Marie Foster at Yandina, and
she told me that my early C50 (West Marine labeling) was still covered
under warranty and they would replace it with a similar model. Given
that I fried it through sheer stupidity on my part, I just didn't feel
right about that, so she sold me a brand new C100 (instead of a refurb
C50) for $43 including shipping, well under the usual discounted
price. I installed that today, and it combines a bit more aggressively
than the old C50, and at a slightly lower voltage (about 12.95 volts).
I prefer that--it will stay combined even during the trickle-charge
stage of my converter. But it cycles a bit during the period when a
fresh surface charge is bleeding off.

Finally, I messed with the macerator. It's blowing fuses, so I removed
the end cap and turned the shaft with a screwdriver. It then ran for
about a second and then started making an unhappy sound with no
pumping. I suspect the impeller has lost its teeth. But the thing was
on the coach before the PO bought it (he didn't even know it was
there), so it's at least a dozen years old. I'll probably go ahead and
replace it. Can't live without a macerator!

Rick "who might finish the new cruise control installation on Monday,
in preparation for a trip in two weeks" Denney

--
'73 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
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