Summer Project - cooling system rebuild

Tikvah · April 24, 2014, 02:09:25 PM

We will be parked for the summer in St. Ignace, MI and working at the Castle Rock campground. While I was driving north I was dreaming of doing a rebuild of my cooling system. I don't know that anything is wrong, but i think of this more like preventative maintenance.

Im thinking of pulling the blowers out, and pulling the radiators. There's a radiator shop in Petoskey, I think they can flush, rod, or repair any weak spots. Maybe they'll find my radiators are perfect, but I want to know.

When I first bought the bus I overheated and shut down because the bracket that is lifted by the air cylinder to tighten the belt broke right at the cylinder attachment. I want to replace that bracket with a new one ( right now it is welded)

While everything is out I want to clean up and repair all the metal, give it some fresh paint, and put everything together properly.

I probably will even replace the antifreeze. I'll also replace the belt.
Need advice about maybe installing an additional digital gauge. Louvers? Water mist system?

Any other related things within this project that I should consider? Anyone else do this? Pictures? Ideas?

Dave

P.S. My gauge is the original MCI gauge. It shows, 100 - 180 - 240
During the drive, the needle always sits right on the 180. On the hot day (about 80 outside) driving up hill, the gauge moved up to the high side of 180 (how much movement is that? I have no idea).
That is why I want to be sure everything is working right.

Jim Eh. · April 24, 2014, 02:40:04 PM

For your mister system pump you could use the windshield washer pump off a wrecked truck. I would assume they would have slightly more capacity than a Honda Civic.

lostagain · April 24, 2014, 05:20:28 PM

Your system as you describe is functioning properly. Don't try to fix what ain't broke. If I were you, I would just sit on the bench and have a beer instead.

JC

Seangie · April 25, 2014, 09:32:55 PM

Dave - thats a lot of money to spend on something that is working. Plus Im sure youll find something else broke that costs 3 times more than the radiator to fix like a craked frame or something. Im with JC - go for the beer

I would replace the gauge though. I have something similar that shows 180 and 210 with nothing in between...no marks or anything.

-Sean

sledhead · April 26, 2014, 07:51:30 AM

I have thought about the same think but as my system is working as it should .What I did was free up and lube all the movement points at the air piston and I now carry a new spare belt for the blower ( it was hard to get 3 week wait ) . Glad I was not on the road waiting for a belt .

dave

Lin · April 26, 2014, 08:25:45 AM

My idea of preventive maintenance is doing things like cleaning, lubing, adjusting, changing fluids, etc. It really doesn't sound like you need to rebuild the system. There are strips available for testing the coolant. Do you have a mechanical gauge on the engine to compare your dash gauge to? Do you know what your gauge was reading when you shut down for heat? If it is accurate and you know what high heat looks like on it, it is fine to keep using it. If something is wrong with it or you would like one calibrated differently, then switch it out.

I must admit though that I can be accused of being lazy.

treeplanter · April 26, 2014, 10:25:34 AM

There is nothing wrong with rebuilding systems that have been in place for many miles and show no sign of failure, as Tikvah states preventative work is worthwhile and will pay off down the road. Don't forget to put in an high efficiency fan blade.

luvrbus · April 26, 2014, 10:34:09 AM

When he gets through pulling all the stuff on a MCI and renting a piece of equipment to handle the upper part he may wish he left it alone not a job for the faint of heart

Tikvah · April 29, 2014, 06:39:20 AM

I don't understand, especially from those of you who seem to love to tinker.
Luvrbus, what equipment would need to be rented? Why would my heart faint? This looks rather easy, even for me.

Treeplanter, what is a high efficiency fan blade?

One of my biggest worries is that welded bracket on the lift that tightens the belt. If that breaks again.....

You all seem to know of some hidden danger or grand project, and I'm looking at a few days of amateur tinkering. What am I missing?

luvrbus · April 29, 2014, 06:50:13 AM

That sucker is heavy and hard to remove and a fork lift makes it easier go for it is all I can say

Tikvah · April 29, 2014, 08:21:59 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on April 29, 2014, 06:50:13 AM
That sucker is heavy and hard to remove and a fork lift makes it easier go for it is all I can say

You mean the gearbox between the blowers is that heavy?

Is that the only caution?

luvrbus · April 29, 2014, 08:30:43 AM

The complete blower assembly come out as 1 piece

treeplanter · April 30, 2014, 07:36:35 AM

A fan blade that will draw in more air than the stock factory blade, they have more blades, advanced design equals better cooling.http://www.hortonww.com/en-us/products.aspx.

Tikvah · April 30, 2014, 12:51:21 PM

That makes sense....my MCI has squirl cage fans, not blade fans. I doubt there is any Pratical upgrade. I can imagine changing pulley sizes, but that shouldn't be necessary.

Any thoughts on dash-mounted digital temperature gauge?

Lin · April 30, 2014, 04:11:03 PM

I like analogue gauges or an analogue wristwatch. That's probably partly because of habit, but also because I am generally not looking for true precision. On the other hand, I prefer a digital multimeter because I do want to be more precise. Using that logic, a digital temperature gauge would be a good thing. I do not think I will be changing mine soon, but if I was looking for a new temp gauge, I would definitely lean toward favoring accuracy over habit and aesthetics.