MCI8 Door Lock Installation

[buswarrior]

The door air lock is air powered, those are airlines, so yes, you need air pressure for that bit.

Since your front end has been bastardized, forget the door button from outside. If you open that up with a new hole, how are you going to keep the hurricane from blowing through on the highway?

Focus on getting the door linkage adjusted so that the mechanical lock will not go over-centre without a really strong push on the door handle on the dashboard.

Door machinery is in the MCI parts manual.

Suck it up, no more research, dive in, take the cover off the door arm and put your big adjustable wrench onto that knuckle, and make 1/8 turn adjustments.
The knuckle will lengthen or shorten the door arm. The mechanical door lock is just an over-centre affair, so the longer the arm, the harder to go over-centre, shorter... easier, or maybe the other way around? Does it freakin' matter, just wind the knuckle, it is experiential, not cerebral?

Make sure someone is inside the coach when you test whether slamming it from outside will lock it...

You are adjusting a hair trigger, too much, the door won't be lockable from the driver's seat, too little, and the door will lock when you push it closed, or the wind blows it closed, from outside.

I found the camper door lock stuff, Fast Fred wrote it up.  http://www.coachconversioncentral.com/FAST%20FRED.htm

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[lostagain]

When you close the door with the handle on top of the dash, it also opens an electric solenoid air valve that draws the claw to pull the door tight. This is as long as the red handle under the dash is pulled up. Pushing the red handle down dumps the air out of the claw cylinder for emergency exit. The whole thing only works with air pressure in the accessory tank (60, 70 psi). With the top handle removed, like in my conversion, I installed the electrical switch that controls the claw, in the electrical panel outside below the driver, so I can turn it off if I am locked out. It happens typically if you start the bus with the switch and the red lever up, go out to do something, then come back a few minutes later after the air pressure has past 70 psi. You are then locked out. So having the electrical switch somewhere accessible is better. You need to look at the manual to see where everything is located.

JC 

[Jim Eh.]

The door on my 12 only seems to "clamp" when I release the parking brake. When I release the parking brake I hear a definite "thump" coming from the claw. It could also have a switch on the door control mechanism, haven't gotten that far forward on the build yet.
I don't think I have ever tried opening the door with the brakes released.

[PNWorBUST72]

I still need to check the "clamp" part...

I adjusted the outer turnbuckle(looks like a  tie rod end to me) and got the door to not lock, closed.  I can shut it as hard as I like and it wont "lock" unless I push pretty hard on the silver door handle, so I can push it open.

Now would the inner adjustment help with the door locking open?  Otherwise I have to push it closed partially from the handle and then grab the door to close it.

[buswarrior]

Now would the inner adjustment help with the door locking open?  Otherwise I have to push it closed partially from the handle and then grab the door to close it.

What does this last paragraph mean?

What inner adjustment? Locking open?

Does the door now operate faithfully from the driver's seat, using the door handle on the dash? Open,close, mechanically locked, and air lock claw grabbing the door tightly?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[windtrader]

sorry to butt in but...

My MC8 door is adjusted so that the door will close to a point fairly easily then some effort is needed to get the handle pulled toward the driver and the door handle will "lock" and the door is securely closed. The claw on mine seems disabled so I guess it could jar loose if the bus got hit or tipped over.

The other thing is that push button on the outside, front and center, does open the door when fully pushed in.

[PNWorBUST72]

What does this last paragraph mean?

What inner adjustment? Locking open?

Does the door now operate faithfully from the driver's seat, using the door handle on the dash? Open,close, mechanically locked, and air lock claw grabbing the door tightly?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Locking open as in when the door is all the way open, its locked in that position.  You need to manually start to close the door via the door lever to allow the door to close.  You cannot simply pull the door closed, you need to get the lever to disengage that first inch and then you can close the door manually.

I got the impression there were multiple points to adjust the arm, maybe i was wrong.  Is it possible to have the door "float" in both open and closed position so the lever doesnt automatically "lock" the door in either position?

[windtrader]

Locking open as in when the door is all the way open, its locked in that position.  You need to manually start to close the door via the door lever to allow the door to close.  You cannot simply pull the door closed, you need to get the lever to disengage that first inch and then you can close the door manually.

I got the impression there were multiple points to adjust the arm, maybe i was wrong.  Is it possible to have the door "float" in both open and closed position so the lever doesnt automatically "lock" the door in either position?

My door works the same way as described in the first paragraph. There is one adjustment on the bar that connects the door lever to the door. I'm sure it is a safety feature so the door can't slam shut on someone when open.

It is often annoying since you can not just close the door from the outside; you need to step inside and pull the lever to unlock the door. I plan to add a removable stop to the backside of the lever so it will stop short of that locking position. That way, the door can be closed without having to step and jog the lever.