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The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335037]

Fri, 13 July 2018 09:46

GatsbysCruise

Messages: 261
Registered: January 2017
Location: Waukegan, Illinois

Karma: 3

Senior Member

I am turning a new page it seems.
My GMC motorhome, Gatsbys' CRUISER, is waking up from a long long slumber.

The power loss problem in the engine is all but gone and has been traced to the fuel system back before the solenoid valves.
I am as far as I can go myself and the plan is to take her to Cinnabar Eng in Mich. They will charge $1400 to do the job and Gatsby should be all good again.
The windshield has developed a crack but both windshield halves have the graying of the edges so I knew replacement was going to be coming anyway.

And along with all this exciting news, one big thing, I ACTUALLY HAVE A PARKING BRAKE NOW ! ! ! ! !
This is big for Gatsby. The wakening up process is taking some time, as I expected but I am hoping to see some of these rallys
and bring my "girls", my two Greyhounds with me. I am sure they will be a show stopper.

Part of the waking up process is going to be tires. My Michelins are 10 years old and are getting the side wall spider cracks.
Shame for tires with just over 3000 miles on them. It all ties in with the power loss problem, out of my hands.

I think I talked with someone some years back when I had false hopes of a cure for my engine. Turned out to be a false alarm, the cure was not yet in hand.... ( snap fingers ).
I was looking at tires and someone mentioned about a more aggressive tire, one that could get out of grassy, maybe wet grassy areas when other RV's would be stuck...and yet handled highway well.
Does this ring the bell for anyone?

I'd be interested in the name and brand of those tires if you are the person that had the info.
Otherwise, if you have any suggestion of a tire for Gatsby, I'll take what I can get. I can always fall back on the MICHELINS.

If everything keeps going the way it is, I may have to think of a new coat of paint for Gats, Got to get dressed up to meet new friends.
LOL
Thanks all....

slc
Gatsbys' CRUISER

GatsbysCruise. \ 74GMC260 Former Glacier Model style. \ Waukegan, Illinois \ Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning \ MY GREYHOUND IS FASTER THAN YOUR HONOR ROLL STUDENT \ WindowsXP-Win7-Win8.1-UBUNTU STUDIO - UBUNTU VOYAGER - Berzin Auto Center

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Re: The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335105 is a reply to message #335037]

Sat, 14 July 2018 08:58

JohnL455

Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL

Karma: 12

Senior Member

Be sure to have them add the e pump on the aux dash fuel switch. They do a too notch job using a fused ign switched hot to the new relay and you will notice instant recovery if you have VL when you flip the switch ftom Main to Aux.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

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Re: The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335121 is a reply to message #335105]

Sat, 14 July 2018 12:02

GatsbysCruise

Messages: 261
Registered: January 2017
Location: Waukegan, Illinois

Karma: 3

Senior Member

JohnL455 wrote on Sat, 14 July 2018 08:58

Be sure to have them add the e pump on the aux dash fuel switch. They do a too notch job using a fused ign switched hot to the new relay and you will notice instant recovery if you have VL when you flip the switch ftom Main to Aux.

Hi John L455

Part of the process of elimination was to add an electric fuel pump on the Reserve switch. In fact, the electric fuel pump is the only reason I can drive her at all. It appears that when the mechanical fuel pump is sucking fuel from the tanks, there is enough vacuum to suck in air, which fouls the mech fuel pump with air, and allows the carb float tank to go dry, which kills the engine. The Mechanical fuel pump alone, WILL NOT prime or fill the float bowl. That is what happens now. When the tanks were originally dropped, the problem that immediately came up was just a power loss problem. Over time, something has gotton worse back there.
With the electrical fuel pump, I am able to drive Gatsby again, but is not the cure, just a quick fix. Dropping the tanks and replacing the hoses will find the reason all this trouble has grounded Gatsby for so long.
I am thrilled to be driving Gats again, and will be very glad when this problem has been taken care of.

Thanks for the thought. If I didnt' have an Epump, I would have had one installed. I actually recommend all GMC's have one, they can help with several problems.

slc
Gatsbys' CRUISER

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Re: The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335127 is a reply to message #335037]

Sat, 14 July 2018 14:33

jhbridges

Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga

Karma: -74

Senior Member

Tires? I don't see an agressive tread being a lot of help, the problem is lack of weight on the drive wheels, which lack increases when you accelerate. As to brand - and they all sell agressive treads if you're set on it - they're gonna be tossed with tread still on them anyway, not worth paying any premium beyond name brand. I bought Cooper (HT-3s) because I know trhe dealer and he sells at WalMart prices and knows what he's doing. If you've any sort of rapport with someone with a tire shop go talk to them.

==johnny

Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

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Re: The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335130 is a reply to message #335037]

Sat, 14 July 2018 15:22

TR 1

Messages: 348
Registered: August 2015
Location: DFW

Karma: -7

Senior Member

GatsbysCruise wrote on Fri, 13 July 2018 09:46

Part of the waking up process is going to be tires. My Michelins are 10 years old and are getting the side wall spider cracks.
Shame for tires with just over 3000 miles on them. It all ties in with the power loss problem, out of my hands.
.
Does this ring the bell for anyone?

I'd be interested in the name and brand of those tires if you are the person that had the info.
Otherwise, if you have any suggestion of a tire for Gatsby, I'll take what I can get. I can always fall back on the MICHELINS.

slc
Gatsbys' CRUISER

I like the Michelin XPS Traction:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=XPS+Traction

Mark S. '73 Painted Desert, Manny 1 Ton Front End, Howell Injection, Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes, Fort Worth, TX

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Re: [GMCnet] The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335137 is a reply to message #335127]

Sat, 14 July 2018 16:55

USAussie

Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia

Karma: 6

Senior Member

Johnny,

Sorry but I'm going to disagree with you regarding HT vs AT treads, I've run both and the AT's are better when the surface is not
asphalt or concrete.

I've run Kumho on Double Trouble and Nexen on The Blue Streak. Double trouble came with a set of HT tires and they weren't worth a
damn on wet grass, the Kumho's and Nexen's are fine as long as you don't apply too much power.

The Kingsley has AT tires as well but I can't remember the brand at the moment.

Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
USA '77 Kingsley - TZE 267V100808

-----Original Message-----
From: Gmclist [mailto:gmclist-bounces@list.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Johnny Bridges via Gmclist
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2018 2:34 PM
To: gmclist@list.gmcnet.org
Cc: Johnny Bridges
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up

Tires? I don't see an agressive tread being a lot of help, the problem is lack of weight on the drive wheels, which lack increases
when you accelerate. As to brand - and they all sell agressive treads if you're set on it - they're gonna be tossed with tread
still on them anyway, not worth paying any premium beyond name brand. I bought Cooper (HT-3s) because I know trhe dealer and he
sells at WalMart prices and knows what he's doing.
If you've any sort of rapport with someone with a tire shop go talk to them.

==johnny

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426

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Re: The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335162 is a reply to message #335037]

Sun, 15 July 2018 09:48

jhbridges

Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga

Karma: -74

Senior Member

We tried everything on the Starships, and nothing would pull off wet grass in Orlando. Might's well to have a quiet comfy ride is my thought. Realize, I don't go off pavement as a rule.

==johnny

Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

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Re: [GMCnet] The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335173 is a reply to message #335162]

Sun, 15 July 2018 10:51

James Hupy

Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010

Karma: -62

Senior Member

Several years ago, at a GMCWS rally in Auburn, California, we parked about
75 coaches on the grass in a space about big enough for 30. The space
sloped ever so slightly away from the pavement and curb. When it came time
to leave, mayhem prevailed. Tires spinning on wet grass was the order of
the day. Groundskeepers were running and waving their hands in the air, and
vocalizing in their native tongues, which was not English. One of the
GMCers had a Suzuki Samurai and it saved the day. Must have pulled a couple
of dozen coaches off that wet grass. I was lucky. I was parked facing the
street near a concrete sidewalk. My low torque 403 managed to ease off the
grass without wheelspin. Not a great day for front wheel drive motorhomes.
Jim Hupy

On Sun, Jul 15, 2018, 8:01 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:

> We tried everything on the Starships, and nothing would pull off wet grass
> in Orlando. Might's well to have a quiet comfy ride is my thought.
> Realize, I don't go off pavement as a rule.
>
> ==johnny
> --
> 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
> "I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
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Re: [GMCnet] The sun shines a little brighter, the GMC is waking up [message #335227 is a reply to message #335173]

Mon, 16 July 2018 03:33

GatsbysCruise

Messages: 261
Registered: January 2017
Location: Waukegan, Illinois

Karma: 3

Senior Member

James Hupy wrote on Sun, 15 July 2018 10:51

Several years ago, at a GMCWS rally in Auburn, California, we parked about
75 coaches on the grass in a space about big enough for 30. The space
sloped ever so slightly away from the pavement and curb. When it came time
to leave, mayhem prevailed. Tires spinning on wet grass was the order of
the day. Groundskeepers were running and waving their hands in the air, and
vocalizing in their native tongues, which was not English. One of the
GMCers had a Suzuki Samurai and it saved the day. Must have pulled a couple
of dozen coaches off that wet grass. I was lucky. I was parked facing the
street near a concrete sidewalk. My low torque 403 managed to ease off the
grass without wheelspin. Not a great day for front wheel drive motorhomes.
Jim Hupy

On Sun, Jul 15, 2018, 8:01 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:

> We tried everything on the Starships, and nothing would pull off wet grass
> in Orlando. Might's well to have a quiet comfy ride is my thought.
> Realize, I don't go off pavement as a rule.
>
> ==johnny
> --
> 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
> "I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
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Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Thanks guys.
I only mentioned aggressive because someone had mentioned it here before. your story about stuck on wet grass concerns me, but as I have been looking over the very large list of available tires, they don't seem to be built for a vehicle that weighs in at 10 to 12 thousand lbs.
BUt the one fellow is right. We just don't keep them long enough to worry about it and unless I start traveling every day, not likely, I'm not going to be able to wear them out.

So I'll be more concerned about tire dealerships and which tires will be warranteed without any hassel. As far as I know, tire failures see pretty rare but I think I need to stay with a known brand that can be warrenteed if needed.
I've written down the brands suggested and will check them out.

I know tires have been beaten to death and the first thing we tend to do is jump on this thing, but I guarantee I have been looking at a bunch of tires, comparing, eeeeegaadss.. I'm starting to see tire tread in my sleep. but I appreciate your comments very much.

Thanks for the info.

slc
Gatsbys' CRUISER

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