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| [GMCnet] Today's Delay [message #212138] |
Mon, 24 June 2013 22:30  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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It was rumored that I was departing Manny's today. False. Here's the
sordid tale of why I didn't, told with the permission of the participants:
Yesterday afternoon, as I was beginning to prepare things for my departure
early this morning, Manny got a call from the wandering Works. After their
2800 miles or so crossing the country in their new Clasco, they found
themselves stranded at exit 179 of US-101, just south of Pismo Beach, and
209 miles south of Manny.
Seems in P, N, D, S, & L, the transmission was going "Screech, Scrunch,
Grrrllls, Scrape,...", but in R sounding quiet. Said condition began
suddenly, without warning, while they were in a small shopping center. So
Jerry backed the coach out of the shopping center into an adjacent dead end
street with no traffic. After deteremining that the sounds seemed to come
from the rear of the transmission (chain drive), he called Manny.
Manny, being Manny, agreed to bring a replacement transmission, just
rebuilt last week and still on the workbench, down and install it. So, I
"volunteered" to join him -- BEFORE I heard that he planned to leave here
at 4:00 AM this morning! Too, late -- I was committed. Manny quickly
replaced the chain drive on the rebuilt transmission with a PowerDrive
chain set (for 3.50:1 overall gear ratio with a 3.07 final drive). We
loaded the van with the "few" tools needed for the trip: Tray full of
wrenches, Gantry with come-a-longs & chains, Floor jack, Jack stands, 10
gallon air compressor, 3 gallons of transmission fluid, New torque
converter, etc., etc., etc. We only forgot a few things.
Sure 'nuff, my 3:45 alarm went off and I'd just poured my coffee when Manny
came knocking at the door.
We found the Works' hiding place at about 8:00. By 10:30 Manny, with a
little help from me, had the transmission and torque converter replaced.
Can you believe that? Actually, Jerry claimed it was only about a 1:30
job since we'd had breakfast and conversation too.
Then the fun began: Jerry cranked the coach and moved it fore and aft a
few feet as a preliminary test. The parking pawl didn't seem to be
engaging correctly, so Manny crawled under to adjust the shift linkage
while I shifted and moved slightly fore and aft to test the results -- no
safety lectures, please. About the 3rd time I cranked the engine, we ALL
heard "Screech, Scrunch, Grrrllls, Scrape,..." -- "...what th'...???"
The first thing Jerry said was "That sounds just like it did before!"
We spent the next 3-4 hours trying to figure out what happened. The sounds
are obviously from the chain's drive sprocket hitting the chain cover -- a
hand on the the cover confirms it. We pulled the cover from the
just-removed transmission and found the witness marks, and loose sprocket,
that prove IT's noise was coming from there. After pulling the starter and
the torque converter dust cover, and unbolting the torque converter, we
could discern NO evidence of flex plate damage -- it offers normal
resistance to deflection and, when struck, rings like an undamaged item.
The crankshaft, pried fore and aft, shows no end play. So WHY did two
transmissions fail in the same way in quick succession? We still don't
know. Jerry and I have completely discounted the possibility that Manny
failed to secure the chain sprocket properly on the rebuilt transmission --
he's not quite as confident, but the possibility is VERY remote.
Something, somewhere, caused the two identical failures in quick
succession.
After great deal of debating the next step, we decided that the Works
should spend another night on the dead end street, then have the coach
towed to Manny's for further investigation -- repeating what we'd already
done today didn't seem to make much sense and we couldn't think of any
better alternative.
If, when the flex plate is removed and fully examined, it's not damaged and
the culprit, the final drive becomes the next suspect. I personally can't
imagine how a flaw there could telegraph so quickly back through the
transmission and take out the sprocket at the other end of the chain. But
Manny & Jerry recently saw another weird FD failure, so they're not as
skeptical as I am.
All in all, a very interesting, though disappointing, day. I've had my
shower and am about to crash for tonight. The last plan I heard was for me
to depart tomorrow, vacating the only spot available for the Works' coach.
But the last thing Manny said to me was, "I'll tell you the new plan in
the morning...".
Wish me luck! And the Works even more! Manny will make his own.
Ken H.
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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