Crown Radiator Shutters

[Jerry W Campbell]

Hi friends, I posted this on the Crown Coach Facebook page. I thought I'd try here too.
I have a '75 671N two axel Crown. I need some info. My shutters on the radiator are froze up and I cannot move them. The air works but won't move them. Their mostly closed which means I can only go down hill with out getting hot. They seem to be enclosed in a housing and I can't get to the moving parts. So if any one knows how to free them up please let me know. I am in Needles, CA on my way from southern AZ back to Oregon. I only have one night in this RV park and need to move tomorrow.
Thanks
Jerry

[buswarrior]

I would rule out the air piston, confirm it can smoothly extend and retract.

Are the springs broken?

They should spring open, in the absence of air?

All those moving joints at each vane, clean and dry?

Do you know where to isolate the air pressure to the shutterstat system? Isolate, get them open and leave them shut down until you get home to troubleshoot?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Jerry W Campbell]

Thanks Buswarrior,
I disconnected the air cylinder from the shutters and the cylinder goes in and out like it's supposed to. I spent an hour trying to move the shutters back and forth and managed to free them up enough where I can move them by hand. I think I will leave it like it is until I get home. I will be the thermostat and adjust it if needed to maintain the proper temp. I only have a couple of days slot to get thru the 6 mountain passes I need to cross to get home before the snow starts again. What a winter it's been up there.
Thanks again,
Jerry

[dtcerrato]

We run a 671N and have since removed a wore out shutter system. For cold weather we install a vinyl winter front over the radiator that has an adjustable opening. HTH

[luvrbus]

Shutters have a slide bar top and bottom they are almost imposable to lube and they wear a grove in the frame and stick open or closed,you can take screw driver and lift a blade and most of the time they free up. On a MCI you need to remove the complete shutter assembly to lube the slide bars and arms , it wasn't very good engineering on MCI's part. Glad you got it going I was going grab Van and drive to Needles and see if we could help you lol if you were in a park on River Road I would have had a hard time finding you anyways.

[Jerry W Campbell]

Shutters have a slide bar top and bottom they are almost imposable to lube and they wear a grove in the frame and stick open or closed,you can take screw driver and lift a blade and most of the time they free up. On a MCI you need to remove the complete shutter assembly to lube the slide bars and arms , it wasn't very good engineering on MCI's part. Glad you got it going I was going grab Van and drive to Needles and see if we could help you lol if you were in a park on River Road I would have had a hard time finding you anyways.

Thank You my friend, I would have liked to meet you.
It would have been (will be) a real drag to take this thing apart after 10 winters on the beach in Mexico and the Oregon rain. It's got more than a little rust.
Jerry