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| Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167223] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 20:27  |
armandminnie
Messages: 864
Registered: May 2009
Location: Marana, AZ
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I have to think that anyone who loves GMCs would love Travcos - from a distance of course. We are on our way to the GMCWS rally in Hollister and stopped at San Lorenzo County Park where we had a rally last year. We parked real close to a '67 Travco which turns out to have a broken exhaust valve - 2 days into a 14 day trip. The young couple is from Ventura, Calif. -about 200 miles away.
Any advice on how to get them towed home for a reasonable price since they don't have road service for it.
Armand Minnie
Marana, AZ
'76 Eleganza II TZE166V103202
visit my gmc blog
click here to visit gmcws.org
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| Re: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167226 is a reply to message #167223] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 20:42  |
roy1
Messages: 2126
Registered: July 2004
Location: Minden nevada
Karma: 6
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| armandminnie wrote on Sun, 22 April 2012 18:27 |
I have to think that anyone who loves GMCs would love Travcos - from a distance of course. We are on our way to the GMCWS rally in Hollister and stopped at San Lorenzo County Park where we had a rally last year. We parked real close to a '67 Travco which turns out to have a broken exhaust valve - 2 days into a 14 day trip. The young couple is from Ventura, Calif. -about 200 miles away.
Any advice on how to get them towed home for a reasonable price since they don't have road service for it.
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Did broken parts drop into the cylinder? If it is rocker arm problems bent or burnt valve it would make it home with a dead cylinder. If there are loose parts in the cylinder that couldn't be removed thru the spark plug hole their best would probably be to remove the head and get it fixed locally if the cylinder&piston are OK put it back together with new gaskets. A 200 mile tow would be costly. I have replaced a head in a campground once without being seen working on the coach.
Roy Keen
Minden,NV
76 X Glenbrook
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| Re: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167230 is a reply to message #167226] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 21:05 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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| roy1 wrote on Sun, 22 April 2012 18:42 |
| armandminnie wrote on Sun, 22 April 2012 18:27 |
I have to think that anyone who loves GMCs would love Travcos - from a distance of course. We are on our way to the GMCWS rally in Hollister and stopped at San Lorenzo County Park where we had a rally last year. We parked real close to a '67 Travco which turns out to have a broken exhaust valve - 2 days into a 14 day trip. The young couple is from Ventura, Calif. -about 200 miles away.
Any advice on how to get them towed home for a reasonable price since they don't have road service for it.
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Did broken parts drop into the cylinder? If it is rocker arm problems bent or burnt valve it would make it home with a dead cylinder. If there are loose parts in the cylinder that couldn't be removed thru the spark plug hole their best would probably be to remove the head and get it fixed locally if the cylinder&piston are OK put it back together with new gaskets. A 200 mile tow would be costly. I have replaced a head in a campground once without being seen working on the coach.
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Armand,
As Roy suggested above, it might be drivable, or even a relatively minor repair. I have heard of Dodge engines breaking, or wearing a hole in a rocker arm. The rocker arm could easily be replaced on site, or if the valve hasn't dropped into the cylinder, it could be driven 200 miles. If the valve has actually dropped into the cylinder, it's probably new engine time.
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: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167233 is a reply to message #167223] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 21:28 |
armandminnie
Messages: 864
Registered: May 2009
Location: Marana, AZ
Karma: 2
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He went out and bought himself a few tools and took the head off to reveal a hole in the top of the piston and a missing exhaust valve. He put it back together so he could drive it to a local shop but this is a small town. He is the engine rebuilder and can fix it himself at home, he just needs to get it there.
Armand Minnie
Marana, AZ
'76 Eleganza II TZE166V103202
visit my gmc blog
click here to visit gmcws.org
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| Re: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167236 is a reply to message #167233] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 21:47 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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| armandminnie wrote on Sun, 22 April 2012 19:28 |
He went out and bought himself a few tools and took the head off to reveal a hole in the top of the piston and a missing exhaust valve. He put it back together so he could drive it to a local shop but this is a small town. He is the engine rebuilder and can fix it himself at home, he just needs to get it there.
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Wow! That's a pretty serious failure. He's lucky it wasn't any worse. I had a valve seat drop out of a 360 head once. The next thing to go was the valve, which punched a hole in the head, bound up the piston, broke both connecting rods on that crank journal, and shattered the cylinder walls of those two pistons. Needless to say, it was new engine time for THAT old 1-ton Dodge. I don't know how we got away with this, or even pulled it off without dire consequences, but My Dad towed me home, from near Gila Bend to Tucson, behind his Southwind motor home on a 20' chain. It was nerve wracking being less than 20 feet behind his class A motor home going 60 + mph with no power brakes. My Dad had GUTS and I guess I did too, back then. I wouldn't even consider doing that today (not even with my GMC [GMC content]).
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: [GMCnet] Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167239 is a reply to message #167235] |
Sun, 22 April 2012 22:28 |
emerystora
Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004
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If you do this don't forget to ground the spark plug wire going to that cylinder.
Emery Stora
On Apr 22, 2012, at 8:37 PM, Kosier <gkosier@roadrunner.com> wrote:
> Whittle a wooden plug to fit the hole in the piston, rig
> something to keep the lifters for that cylinder
> from jumping out of their holes and drive it home slowly on
> seven.
> Yes, I really am serious.
>
> Gary Kosier
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Armand Minnie" <armand@minniebiz.com>
> To: <gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Can we help a Travco owner?
>
>
>>
>>
>> He went out and bought himself a few tools and took the head
>> off to reveal a hole in the top of the piston and a missing
>> exhaust valve. He put it back together so he could drive it to
>> a local shop but this is a small town. He is the engine
>> rebuilder and can fix it himself at home, he just needs to get
>> it there.
>> --
>> Armand Minnie
>> Marana, AZ
>> '76 Eleganza II
>> TZE166V103202
>> http://www.minniebiz.com/gmcmotorhome
>> use the forum - it's easy
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
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| Re: [GMCnet] Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167242 is a reply to message #167235] |
Mon, 23 April 2012 00:14 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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| Kosier wrote on Sun, 22 April 2012 21:37 |
Whittle a wooden plug to fit the hole in the piston, rig
something to keep the lifters for that cylinder
from jumping out of their holes and drive it home slowly on
seven.
Yes, I really am serious.
Gary Kosier
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I had the same idea but I was going to suggest some of that 2 part epoxy that you get in the Plumbing Section of Home Depot. It comes in a stick and you cut off a piece and work it together with your fingers. The biggest problem would be getting the piston clean clean enough to stick.
I kind of like the wooden plug idea better with some liquid 5 minute epoxy as a sealer.
What would happen if you left the valves operating normally and just removed the spark plug to relieve most of the pressures in the cylinder? You could also fashion a Blocking Plate for the exhaust manifold port on that cylinder like Dick Paterson's blocking plates for the intake crossover port. The plate could be made out of something softer like copper or aluminum since it only needs to last 200 miles. (They make exhaust manifold gaskets out of copper and they last for thousands of miles.)
I'm mostly worried about the integrity of that bad piston. Is it just a hole or is it cracked also?
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167270 is a reply to message #167264] |
Mon, 23 April 2012 11:29 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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| emerystora wrote on Mon, 23 April 2012 07:59 |
...
Also, what about the missing valve?
It must have gone down through the hole in the piston. Is it just laying in the pan or rattling around damaging other parts?
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As this is NOT a front wheel drive (no transmission in the way)
shouldn't he be able to pull the oil pan and look?
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: [GMCnet] Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167289 is a reply to message #167264] |
Mon, 23 April 2012 14:08 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
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| emerystora wrote on Mon, 23 April 2012 09:59 |
On Apr 22, 2012, at 11:14 PM, Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> I had the same idea but I was going to suggest some of that 2 part epoxy that you get in the Plumbing Section of Home Depot. It comes in a stick and you cut off a piece and work it together with your fingers. The biggest problem would be getting the piston clean clean enough to stick.
>
> I kind of like the wooden plug idea better with some liquid 5 minute epoxy as a sealer.
>
> What would happen if you left the valves operating normally and just removed the spark plug to relieve most of the pressures in the cylinder? You could also fashion a Blocking Plate for the exhaust manifold port on that cylinder like Dick Paterson's blocking plates for the intake crossover port. The plate could be made out of something softer like copper or aluminum since it only needs to last 200 miles. (They make exhaust manifold gaskets out of copper and they last for thousands of miles.)
>
> I'm mostly worried about the integrity of that bad piston. Is it just a hole or is it cracked?
Also, what about the missing valve?
It must have gone down through the hole in the piston. Is it just laying in the pan or rattling around damaging other parts?
Emery Stora
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He has driven it that way so I assume he found the parts in the intake or the exhaust manifolds. If it is big parts still left in the engine they will end up on the bottom of the pan or in the oil pump intake screen. Small shavings will end up in the oil filter.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167359 is a reply to message #167223] |
Mon, 23 April 2012 22:04 |
armandminnie
Messages: 864
Registered: May 2009
Location: Marana, AZ
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Update: I found the guy a tow truck (we lived in this area for 16 years) willing to get him home for $1K but I don't know if he did it or not. We had to leave to get to the GMCWS rally this morning and he and his family were still in bed. I am hoping I'll hear from him some day.
I did not get a chance to discuss the alternative plan of patching the piston but I doubt that he would have tried it. Thanks for the suggestions though.
Armand Minnie
Marana, AZ
'76 Eleganza II TZE166V103202
visit my gmc blog
click here to visit gmcws.org
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| Re: Can we help a Travco owner? [message #167381 is a reply to message #167359] |
Tue, 24 April 2012 05:47 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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| armandminnie wrote on Mon, 23 April 2012 22:04 |
Update: I found the guy a tow truck (we lived in this area for 16 years) willing to get him home for $1K but I don't know if he did it or not. We had to leave to get to the GMCWS rally this morning and he and his family were still in bed. I am hoping I'll hear from him some day.
I did not get a chance to discuss the alternative plan of patching the piston but I doubt that he would have tried it. Thanks for the suggestions though.
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I have towed several GMCs short distances (20 miles or so). At 1,000 for 200 miles ($5.00 per mile), I would be tempted to tow it home myself with my Blazer or my pickup. It would probably take me 10 hours running the back roads but for $1000 it would be worth it.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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