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Newbie question.. air bags [message #345564]

Fri, 19 July 2019 21:25

Tonypascone13

Messages: 6
Registered: July 2019
Location: Asheville, NC

Karma: 0

Junior Member

Hello all, just drove our new (1973 GlacierBay) coach from Fargo to North Carolina. What a great ride. Put the coach up on blocks as a couple of the tires need changing and wanted to inspect a few things as well. Looking over the airbags and was wondering if anybody can tell me what part number this airbag is? Would like to order a couple of spares. Also, is the leveling arm coming in to play on this? I see three valves going into the airbags and all are closed so I assume that this is been newly adjusted as a sound right?
Thank you so much for the help.
Tony

Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uYrDsA8wvUHSJttZ9

Tony Pascone Asheville, North Carolina 28804 828-838-4247 1973 GMC Glacier Bay Owner since 7/13/2019 Mods: Some sort of quad bag system Generac Generator 6.5kW Macerator Battery Combiner Still going through it>

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345568 is a reply to message #345564]

Sat, 20 July 2019 02:22

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Welcome to GMCnet.

That is a beautiful looking coach.

The air bag system that you have is not original. There have been many, many upgrade systems offered over the years. Yours looks like one of the 4 bag systems. It originally came with 2 bags (one per side). We will need more pictures to determine exactly which system you have.

Ken B.
(There are several Kens on this forum.)

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345569 is a reply to message #345564]

Sat, 20 July 2019 02:29

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

I am going to re-post your message because around 1/2 of the users here are on an email system and they usually miss the first message from a new user until their email system understands that you are a valid user. The problem seldom extends to a second message posted by a new user.

Locster13 wrote on Fri, 19 July 2019 21:25

Hello all, just drove our new (1973 GlacierBay) coach from Fargo to North Carolina. What a great ride. Put the coach up on blocks as a couple of the tires need changing and wanted to inspect a few things as well. Looking over the airbags and was wondering if anybody can tell me what part number this airbag is? Would like to order a couple of spares. Also, is the leveling arm coming in to play on this? I see three valves going into the airbags and all are closed so I assume that this is been newly adjusted as a sound right?
Thank you so much for the help.
Tony

Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uYrDsA8wvUHSJttZ9

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345574 is a reply to message #345564]

Sat, 20 July 2019 09:19

Matt Colie

Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan

Karma: 7

Senior Member

Tonypascone13 wrote on Fri, 19 July 2019 22:25

Hello all, just drove our new (1973 GlacierBay) coach from Fargo to North Carolina. What a great ride. Put the coach up on blocks as a couple of the tires need changing and wanted to inspect a few things as well. Looking over the airbags and was wondering if anybody can tell me what part number this airbag is? Would like to order a couple of spares. Also, is the leveling arm coming in to play on this? I see three valves going into the airbags and all are closed so I assume that this is been newly adjusted as a sound right?
Thank you so much for the help.
Tony

Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uYrDsA8wvUHSJttZ9

Tony,

Welcome to the group, family, cult, asylum......

You found your way here and that is great. This is a great community that you just became a part of, more on this down the page.

I have a lot to pass along here, so hold on tight because here we go!

The coach is a Glacier. The exterior has been repainted, If the interior is still all the original blues, then it is a Glacier. If the interior has been redone, just call it an ex-Glacier. The first two years, the four models were named for obscure national parks, Sequoia, Canyon Lands, Painted Desert and Glacier. These were just color schemes and nothing else is related to the model.

You do not have stock airsprings, that brass manifold is not stock and in the picture only two of the three valves are closed. Old 23' coaches are light and I find that the ride height and thereby the handling can change from light to heavy even with just the change in fuel load.

And, No, it can't be adjusted and left alone. The softness of the rear suspension precludes this. Try using the system as designed and you might have a pleasant surprise. If it leaks badly, fix the leaks.

As to part numbers for the airsprings (bags), with as little as your pictures show, it will just be a guess. If you still have the round knobs in the rear control panel, get ready to pull them out and rebuild them (or replace, kits for either from Applied).

Now, please do both us and yourself a big favor. Build a sigfile. It looks like you are working the forum, so go up to <Control Panel/Account Settings> and then Preferences (if there is a PLUS, click that) and scroll down to the "Signature" box. Please fill in a real name (we use those here because we like to know who we are helping), a short about the coach and include the major mods because it might matter and finally a geographic reference (The half that read this as e-mail can't see the "Asheville,NC". When done, scroll down to <Update> or it will all be lost.

Now, about Asheville, you are in the middle of the Dixielander's chapter. You want to hook up with them as soon as you can and you will understand why as soon as you do. You are also 5~600 miles from Mansfield OH, where the fall GMCMI Convention will be in early October. If you can possibly make it there, do so. You will not regret it, but the information overload may leave you dazed for so time after.

There is a thing that you may not yet realize about being a GMC (TZE) owner. This is not just a big new toy. It connects you to a community that is not at all typical. It is an amazing community of supportive and helping people. We have a list of those that are very willing to assist if you need. We call it the Black List because the man that started it is named Black. If you have not collected a current copy, get it and carry it always. As soon as you can, get your own listing there. You do not have to be a mechanic with a barn full of tools. Often, all a broken down owner needs is some local knowledge and/or a lift to a parts store. We never pass a stopped GMC without knowing why they are stopped.

As the only other community that I know of that is at all like this one is that of the watermen that are my world, I have taken to welcoming new owner here much as any new owner or vessel would be welcomed there.

May the Good Lord bless this coach and all those that set forth within her.

Welcome Tony

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345575 is a reply to message #345564]

Sat, 20 July 2019 10:53

Tonypascone13

Messages: 6
Registered: July 2019
Location: Asheville, NC

Karma: 0

Junior Member

Matt, Ken,

Thanks so much for the welcome and information. Somewhat stunned quite frankly!

Matt, I created the signature file. Not qutie complete as I'm not certain of all the mods made to this coach as the previous owner (lovely man!!) was into his later years and a bit uncertain..

I posted a few more photos of the airbags along with a couple of other components I was not sure about. Looks like a fuel switch of some sort under the coach?

Also, found the fuel leak on one of the "t-connections". Is there some sort of magic rubber \ silicone used to combat the ethanol based fuels? It would seem that all of the fuel line needs replacing as it is a bit 'spongy'.

Thanks again for everything!!

Tony

ps. How does one receive emails from the forum??

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345577 is a reply to message #345575]

Sat, 20 July 2019 11:16

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

That looks like the Leigh Harrison four bag system. Jim Kanamota, at Applied GMC, would know what bags are used in that system. Either do it the easy way and just order them from him, or I'm sure he would be willing to give you the part number for the bags and you can get them locally.

Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345590 is a reply to message #345575]

Sun, 21 July 2019 02:40

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Your leaking hose appears to be part of the fuel filling path and is 1" or 1-1/4". Those diameters in fuel rated hose are pretty rare and will be difficult to find. Jim Kanomata at Applied GMC has them in stock. I suggest that you call him. He will talk your ear off and will help you with all things GMC. He will help you over the phone any time you can find him which frequently includes after hours and weekends. The other person to talk to there is Nick.
1-800-752-7502
http://www.appliedgmc.com/
https://www.gmcrvparts.com/Default.asp
If you come to the Mansfield GMCMI rally Jim will be there.

I saw that worn tire in the photo. If that is the right side middle tire, then that is a common problem. It is caused by someone turning right too short and hitting a curb. That bends the arm slightly that supports the wheel and the wheel runs out of line. It is easily fixable by someone with a small porta-power. I had to fix mine once after my wife hit a curb. Someone on the east side of the country will chime in here with suggestions of who can fix it if you can not fix it yourself.

You appear to be missing the air system controls which are normally mounted in the lower center of the dash. I saw one other coach that came from the factory that way (without manual air controls. It simply ran in automatic all the time just like most car are. My Olds Toronado was built without manual air controls and runs just fine. We need to think about what you would like to do with that, if anything. Jim K. has the controls if you should decide to add them.
https://www.gmcrvparts.com/product-p/gm14-14.002.15.htm

So welcome again. A lot of people are here are willing to help and be friends with you. Also you might look to the Dixielander GMC club. They are a very, very nice group of people and always treated me like gold. I am a member of that group and I am hardly a Dixielander living in an Indiana suburb of Chicago. I believe Matt is also a member and he is living in Michigan.

Ken B.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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Re: Newbie question.. air bags [message #345635 is a reply to message #345590]

Tue, 23 July 2019 05:58

Tonypascone13

Messages: 6
Registered: July 2019
Location: Asheville, NC

Karma: 0

Junior Member

Thanks so much...
Looked at his online (candy) store..
Will reach out to him this week!
Best, Tony

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