Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » conflicting info on mechanics
| conflicting info on mechanics [message #304728] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 07:18  |
kstockwell
Messages: 367
Registered: May 2016
Location: Putney VT
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Greetings,
I'm about 2 hours from the nearest Blacklist mechanic. I don't have an arsenal of tools (yet) so my plan is to have most work done by professionals.
Now on one hand people proudly say one of the benefits is the GMC can be worked on anywhere/by any competent mechanic and on the other hand people say bring them to someone who knows all about them.
So, which is it?
Or more importantly- what sort of repairs, checks can a competent mechanic do and what sort of thing should I travel 4 hours round trip for?
I assume anything that can be done in my yard could be done at a local shop.
Being sure to jack up in the middle of the front is something that's not intuitive but I have passed that word on.
Thursday I go for new brake pads, an oil change/fluids check (the wear indicator note is a C# in case anyone wants to know- works well if you're listening to old time fiddle in A).
And I also want them to check the front end for looseness. Are there things they should do when they've got the wheels off? Grease fittings, yank on stuff?
suggestions/comments welcome!
thank you
kelly
1978 Kingsley
Putney VT
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| Re: conflicting info on mechanics [message #304730 is a reply to message #304728] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 07:57  |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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Kelly,
any competent mechanic can work on the GMC. They are very very easy to work on. With that said the "Competent" description can mean many things to many people. There are lots of good mechanics out there that do not understand the basics of older vehicles.(vehicles without diagnostics built in).
I would say the trick is to find someone who "Wants" to work on your GMC. And if they are not really familiar with the GMC, that they are willing to make a phone call, or get on the NET to ask some questions before they spend all your money on the wrong things. You will have to have some work done by whoever you choose, to judge if you will bring your coach back to them later.
Now from what I have learned in 5 years, the steering and drive-ability, is intertwined throughout the whole coach, and a ton of money can be spent on the wrong parts and labor without much inprovement. So bringing it to someone that has experience and success in getting these to drive well, would be worth a further drive. But if you have a local mechanic that can listen, and understand things, I am sure they can fix the drive-ability just fine. These coaches can drive really nice, if the right stuff is looked at and addressed.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: conflicting info on mechanics [message #304736 is a reply to message #304728] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 08:38 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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Kelly,
Get out the books and find that there are only three suggested jack points. Show your mechanic the picture.
The middle of the front and the two bogie castings in the rear. We frequently see frame damage to coaches that were jacked wrong. There have been worse than just that, too. (I have a story, but not right now.)
If you don't have a pretty full shop at your disposal, the next best thing you can do is to cultivate a relationship with a responsible mechanic. One of the first things you might do is to tell him that you are not interested in short cuts and you know that preventative maintenance can be cheap in the long run. He will see things while he is working and if he brings it to your attention, it could spare you having a problem in East Berkshire. (Don't Ask)
I have been working on cars and other mechanical things for many years and I am struggling to thing of something on the GMC that requires specific experience. The only thing that comes to mind is the front wheel bearings. Those require a strange approach and some special tools. If yours are not fit to be lubricated without complete disassembly, that might be on that list. The bearing tool can be borrowed for the cost of shipping (~20$us). And any wench worth his pay will be able to do the job, but it is not fun.
In my life, I was always told that "Watermen and their boats, they take care of each other." Every mile in Chaumière makes that point more clear as applying here as well.
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: [GMCnet] conflicting info on mechanics [message #304737 is a reply to message #304730] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 08:34 |
Keith V
Messages: 2337
Registered: March 2008
Location: Mounds View,MN
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Most things on a GMC are pretty easy and very common.
But there are a few things that require special knowledge including but not limited to;
Front wheel bearings
Bogie pins
steering box alignment
Brakes should be a no brainier
>
> Kelly,
>
>
> any competent mechanic can work on the GMC. They are very very easy to work on. With that said the "Competent" description can mean many things to
> many people. There are lots of good mechanics out there that do not understand the basics of older vehicles.(vehicles without diagnostics built in).
>
>
> I would say the trick is to find someone who "Wants" to work on your GMC. And if they are not really familiar with the GMC, that they are willing to
> make a phone call, or get on the NET to ask some questions before they spend all your money on the wrong things. You will have to have some work
> done by whoever you choose, to judge if you will bring your coach back to them later.
>
> Now from what I have learned in 5 years, the steering and drive-ability, is intertwined throughout the whole coach, and a ton of money can be spent
> on the wrong parts and labor without much inprovement. So bringing it to someone that has experience and success in getting these to drive well,
> would be worth a further drive. But if you have a local mechanic that can listen, and understand things, I am sure they can fix the drive-ability
> just fine. These coaches can drive really nice, if the right stuff is looked at and addressed.
>
>
> --
> Jon Roche
> 75 palm beach
> St. Cloud, MN
> http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View. MN
75 ex Royale GMC
ask me about MicroLevel
Cell, 763-732-3419
My427v8@hotmail.com
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| Re: [GMCnet] conflicting info on mechanics [message #304739 is a reply to message #304737] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 08:54 |
kstockwell
Messages: 367
Registered: May 2016
Location: Putney VT
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Thanks all! I feel better already. This fall I think I'll head over to the GMC guy and have him go over it completely, do all preventative stuff he thinks should happen (bearings etc).
The mechanics I use works on all kinds of vehicles; old, new, big, small. They have an old kit car that the owner comes in and watches over their shoulder while they work on it. I won't be that annoying. One of them thinks the GMC is the coolest thing he's seen, the other is wary- so together they're perfect.
I agree, brakes should be fine- I could do them if I had confidence and a paved drive way.
I will print out the jack up points for them. Seems there should be plaques around the underneath of the coach pointing out the jack points.
I assume you never put them on a lift?
-kelly
1978 Kingsley
Putney VT
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| Re: [GMCnet] conflicting info on mechanics [message #304741 is a reply to message #304740] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 09:13 |
Kimberlea Weeks
Messages: 675
Registered: July 2010
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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A great resource for technical and support information is gmcmi.com.
There you can sign up for a "free" searchable parts interchange. By
becoming a member for $30 a year, you can receive the printed version of
the "priceless" parts interchange, the four color "GMC Vintage RVing"
magazine plus many more benefits. As a new member you can purchase the 8g
GMCMI Flashdrive for only $10 (instead of $20) that consists of a
collection of GMC documentation and tools of over 1,200 items. Simply go
to: http://www.gmcmi.com/join-renew-2/
*Thank you for being a member and supporting the GMC Motorhome lifestyle.*
*Kimberlea Weeks*
VP Administration and Convention Manager
612.501.4600 | f.866.519.0047 | www.gmcmi.com
*GMC Motorhomes International*
1402 So. Cage Blvd | Unit 273 | Pharr | TX 78577-6288
*We invite you to join us at all of our events!*
*GMCMI 2016 Fall Convention*Friday, September 30 to Thursday, October 6
Richland County Fairgrounds | Mansfield, Ohio
*"A Celebration of Vintage Pre-1980 Motorhomes"*
Friday, March 24 to Thursday, March 30, 2017
Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, Shawnee, Oklahoma
On Tue, Aug 2, 2016 at 8:56 AM, kelly stockwell wrote:
> they did ask about parts, I printed Bill's list of parts off his site,
> gives a handful of brake pads you can use and lots of other NAPA parts
>
> -kelly
> --
> 1978 Kingsley
> Putney VT
>
> _______________________________________________
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| Re: [GMCnet] conflicting info on mechanics [message #304745 is a reply to message #304739] |
Tue, 02 August 2016 09:51 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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just remember the body can twist, the frame can bend, and it the coach is heavy. there are some jacking that can be done to do certain work at points other then the 3 places mentioned in the above to do certain work. When I pull off one wheel, I just jack up the one side, but I do not jack it up more then needed to remove the wheel.
http://appliedgmc.com/images/bottlejackadaptor.pdf
people put them on lifts all the time, you just have to have the right lift:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PUFmiQhNNig/Vb9uysKv0NI/AAAAAAAATs8/BrTl_QD_a2Y/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG
or:
http://i1.wp.com/www.gmccoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/7.27.16-morning-8-2.jpg?w=1500
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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