Trip to Crawfords/Jake installation

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

Heading to Keith Crawfords today so he can install my Jakes that I had refurbished.

So far I have spent $650 for used Jakes, $520 to have them reman, $240 for a fast idle buffer switch.

The used Jakes came with the Hi/Low switch, so that is covered..

I'll keep you informed on the progress.

Nick-

[Brian Diehl]

Sounds great Nick!  Let us know how they work.  Have a good time.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Brian,

I'm here at Keith's in Mifflin P.A. and I should be able to really test the Jakes when they are installed because

the mountains around here are steeeep.....  I guess thats why they have a good rep for jake installs!

Thank god for OTR air. Drove all day facing west and it was 93 deg and very humid. I really felt the heat while climbing a couple steep hills and I

turned off the air to help keep the 8-92 cool. On the way down I just flip the switch and cool within 2 mins.. Gotta love that!

Nick-

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Another hot day today...

Keith installed all the seloniods, drones, fuel pipes, buffer switch, and I did the dash wireing, hi/low switch, and made up a wire harness for the rear hook up.

Tomorrow, Keith will set the clearences, and test... I have to run to DD dealer for a exhaust pipe to the turbo.

Hopeing to get out of here tomorrow.... my guy's back at my shop are swamped.

Nick-

[Brian Diehl]

Sounds like a good day Nick.  Hopefully you will be out of the shop quickly tomorrow and enjoy additional braking capacity!

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

The Jakes are done.

Things were going really slow for a while. I had to drive over the mountain to the DD dealer. [Hour and a half each way] to pick up

the new exhaust tube that runs from the manifold to the turbo. About 5:00 pm we fired the engine up and Keith did some adjustments

on the buffer switch to optimize it. The jakes were kicking in just fine. The hi/low switch is working good too.

Went out for a test ride and to my supprise, I felt the drag down when I released the peddle. Really cool.. But, keith didn't like the sound of

something.. He went to the bedroom to listen more out the windows. Back at the shop, keith decided to pull the valve covers and test the

selonoids. Sure enough, one selonoid on the drivers side was not engaugeing. So, I'm missing some stopping power and that means the Amish

guy's that reconditioned the jakes, missed something very important!  Bummer! I gotta get back to my busisness... It's real busy and my guy's are maxed!

So, I'm leaving for home tonight. Keith will have to send me the new selonoid and I'll have it installed back home.

Jakes are an amazing invention! I like them and I getting real comfterable with them allready.

I'll let you know how the ride home goes.

Nick-

[Brian Diehl]

Awesome Nick!  Bummer about the solenoid, but that is the price we pay with buying used instead of new.  Glad to hear you are back on the road and able to get back to your business.  Get those guys caught up!

[FloridaCliff]

Nick,

Glad to hear your on the road and that your almost done!

Minor set back though with the one solenoid.

Hey, Any Jakes is better than none at all, just ask me!

The Jakes are on my potential project list for next year.

Cliff

[Dreamscape]

Nick, When it's finished and you are happy with the result, all else will fade away. Nice to hear about your progress. I need to do the same for our Eagle, hopefully before I retire in 5 years!

Paul

[edroelle]

Nick,

We worked on a jake that was not working, at a rally last weekend.  It appears that there is an electrical connection to the transmission to detect transmission lock-up.  I had not heard of that before and did not have that my 8V71.

Does you jake require a lock-up in the transmission?

Ed Roelle
Flint, MI

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

I'm back at my shop. The Jakes worked good.  What I found was that if I were decending down a grade, at 60mph,

the jakes held me at 60 all the way down. Same thing at 70, Same thing at 50, which is good even missing the 1 selonoid.  I'm Happy!

Hi Ed,
No, I have no connection between the jakes and the trans. Shuold I ?

Nick-

[edroelle]

Nick,

I am also wondering why they made that electrical connection to the transmission.  As I understand it,  the jake will only work in lock-up.

At this point, I do not know of a benefit and do not think it necessary.

There would be a value if the jake could force and hold the transmission in lock-up and  force a lower gear/higher RPM.

Ed

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Ed,

Maybe someone knows the bennifit/logic of the lock up?? And does it give better stopping power?

Thanks
Nick-

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

When a tranny is in lockup is the only reasonable time to use a Jake, otherwise it just stalls out the torque converter without slowing the coach. The only time this is usually a problem is on very steep, very slow descents, since most of the time a tranny is in lockup above 25mph or so. By waiting until lockup in 2nd, I can pull my selector into 1st and enable 1st lockup and Jakes (when needed) to practically hold the coach on any grade at super-slow speeds (like windy canyons, driveway approaches, etc.) without using service brakes. Takes a bit of practice and observation... but worth it. TomC taught me how to do this in his posts here on MAK.

HTH,
Brian B.

[Jerry32]

I agree on the OTR A/C too I left on tues and went to Lewiston ID with very hot teps and facing into the sun and found that mine was working fine. . I had the drivers on too and thought my leg would get frostbite haha. . wish I had those jake barakes as the grades were also steep and long on the way to the snake river Jerry