Found air leak front MC9, 2 questions

[Seann]

What is that beside the air bag? Air was leaking from the bottom of it, there's a pull ring, is it a drain? I turned it back and forth and the leak stopped. Also, the leveling valve at the front, does it do side to side, or front to back? I removed the link from the rod, to try some adjustment. Our bus sits about 2" lower on the passenger side at the front, can adjusting this valve level it out...
Thanks,
Seann
(followed the suggestion from a member to chase down rotted out bulkhead fittings at the back, found 2, made some new lines and now both sides at the back come up even, good advice)

[Seann]

other photo

[Seann]

Pouring over our manuals, looks like the leak was from the "air suspension filter", can anyone confirm?

[dtcerrato]

The device with the ring is a pull drain for an air tank. When debris gets in the exhaust seat they leak. Turning the ring rotates the seat and will sometimes stop the leak. If your bus has the tripod suspension design, ie: one leveler on the front & two levelers on the back then the back levels side to side or "lean" & the front just positions the height of the front and does nothing to correct lean. Hth

[Seann]

Ok, thanks...we do have the tripod setup, wondering what else could be causing the pass side frt to sit low...(seized shock from sitting with no air for 2 years, or plugged in line filter?
Thanks,
Seann

[belfert]

Air drains are pretty inexpensive at NAPA, Fleetpride, or a heavy truck dealer if they have the standard 1/8" NPT thread.  I need to replace some of the air drains on my new to me 1999 bus because they won't open.  I have no idea if an MC-9 uses a standard air drain.

[lovetofix]

You are right, that is an air filter, if you take out the four bolts you can change the filter, it looks like a ball of string.

Are the drive wheels sitting on uneven ground? The drive axle airbags are responsible for all left to right leveling and that should be checked/adjusted with the bus on flat concrete or pavement by measuring between the rubber bumper on the frame and the "stop leg" that sticks up off the drive axle housing.

The front ride height is checked the same way after you have adjusted both sides on the rear.
Many older coaches have lost their round rubber bumpers, I can measure mine for you if that is the case on yours and you can add that thickness to the measurement from the manual.

[lovetofix]

Be very careful working in and around the suspension components. You must block up the body of the bus at the vertical square frame members (about 7" from the ground when aired up) at both front and rear before working on anything under the bus. If you happen to lose air to the suspension and any part of your body is in between moving parts the bus will then own that part of you in an instant.

I like to block up the body with the suspension  all aired up then jack up one side of the rear axle just enough to get the wheels off. Once the wheels are off I block under the axle where the lower torque rod is attached remove the jack and repeat for the other side. This results in the bus body being 3/4" or so off the blocks you put in under the body so you can adjust the ride height safely without a pit to work in. Also a great time to check the brake adjustment and all the air lines, grease the drive line, tag axle etc.