Should I change auto slacks to manual?

belfert · August 31, 2011, 03:36:35 PM

Quote from: Lin on August 31, 2011, 03:00:54 PM
I don't think it is necessarily better to do it yourself. If i am having something else done, I will tell them that while their at it, adjust the brakes. However, it is good to know how to do it in case you are wondering if they are in adjustment. Since you have questions about the general safety of your brakes, you should have a professional check it all out. Being able to manually adjust your brakes does not mean you are knowledgeable enough to recognize other issues. This is not an area to be guessing at. I don't see why you are putting this off.

The bus is at the shop getting the brakes checked and fixed at this very moment. I am expecting a call any minute now to come pick it up.

jbnewman · August 31, 2011, 03:39:07 PM

Quote from: belfert on August 31, 2011, 02:38:45 PM
My concern is more about determining if I have bad brake chambers, bad slack adjusters, bad s-cams, or similiar. It would be difficult for me to tell a bad one from a good one. This is why I'm going to go to the Bendix air brake class next year even though I'll probably have to take a week off work to go.

I'm unclear why it is so much better to do this yourself instead of paying a professional? I'm guessing you guys do everything yourselves on your house, car, bus, and everything else you own. You must not go to doctors either because you should be able to do that yourself too.

I'm just here waiting. Hoping these guys beat up on you a bit more and you give up. As much as I'd like a DL3, I'd be happy to take that Dina off your hands. In fact, I won't even charge you for the privilege! Guys: Keep wearing him down. Eventually he'll cave and I'll get a nice bus. With professionally adjusted slack adjusters, no less.

I just had a nice newboiler / domestic hot water unit installed here at our new house in Chicago. It took two professionals two days to complete the job. I guess I could have done it myself and saved a bundle. Of course, they didn't have a learning curve. They show up and do it. Maybe I could have gotten it done with 60 or 80 hours and 20 trips to Home Depot. Not to mention all the frustration. And that's assuming I did it right. And didn't expand the scope of work into a 120 or 160 hour job.

Sometimes there's more value in knowing what I don't know than knowing what I do know. And no matter how little the task, if I'm not comfy in doing the work, there's no shame in "outsourcing."

Just keep on fighting the fight. And when you give up, I'm here for your coach.

-jbn

Fred Mc · August 31, 2011, 06:20:41 PM

Its been a few years since I tool my air brake course but if I recall they taught us that it is the DRIVERS responsibility to check their air brake system EVERY DAY. So that tells me that everyone should know HOW to check it. Not necessarily how to fix it but how to adjust the slack adjusters. But perhaps that isn't universal and only applies to people in B.C.

luvrbus · August 31, 2011, 06:42:35 PM

When Brian gets through with his Bendix Course he will know how to repair everything on the air brakes heck he will even be able to tell you about ABS brakes, that is a good course Brian the manuals are worth the price all bus owners should take it

good luck

bevans6 · August 31, 2011, 06:46:20 PM

No, it applies to every driver of an air brake equipped vehicle that runs commercial. Now I need, and have, a full commercial license to drive my bus, I'm licensed to drive commercial anywhere in North America and I took pretty much the same course and test that you did to get the license. But a lot of people think that paying someone to do a daily inspection once a year is good enough. Buses are different - they get monthly full inspections of the chassis, because it isn't really possible to do a proper daily inspection on a bus without a pit. But the principle is there - you need to understand your equipment and know how to inspect it. Not necessarily fix it, but absolutely inspect it.

I am a big fan of taking the course, and I think that Brian will find that doing the routine work is not at all hard once he gets shown the ropes. Tedious, sometimes sweat-making, but not hard. I didn't know how to do it till I was shown either, it's just part of learning. Nothing wrong with not knowing, before you learn. It ain't rocket science, and it ain't Doctor of Medicine either.

Brian

zubzub · August 31, 2011, 08:34:03 PM

FWIW the reason I would check my slacks if the were autos is that it seems pretty easy to screw them up if you don't know what you are doing. A grease monkey who did not know the specifics of your buses slacks could inspect therm find them of spec, mess with them trying to adjust them, f..them up then say, "hey Budd you need new slacks".
As far as all the other guff from the guys, hey guys go easy on him, he keeps it lively here each fall as the date approaches....don't really understand why Belfert's other rocketeers are never there helping prep the bus though.

Busted Knuckle · August 31, 2011, 11:47:39 PM

Brian,
As a matter of fact I don't go to the Dr.

Unless you count back in April when I was doubled over in pain so bad I couldn't eat, sleep, walk r almost talk for 3 days before my parents insisted I go to the Emergency room or they'd call an ambulance.

4 hrs in the ER and they couldn't find ANYTHING wrong with me sent me home with pain killers and antibiotics an told me if I wasn't any better in 72 hrs to come back.
all said cost me $3000 for a couple bottles of pills I coulda gotten for about $300

BK