MC5a radiator removal

rgrauto · April 15, 2009, 07:49:25 PM

Hello Lin, If you are looking at the scoop on the left rad. side I think it pulls air up through the voltage regulator to keep it cool. Lin look and make sure that is correct. HTH, Glen

Airbag · April 15, 2009, 08:21:44 PM

Quote from: Lin on April 15, 2009, 07:36:26 PM
Actually, I have decided to go the other way. I do not think I will ever need them, and with so many other things to do, I would never get around to allocating the time or money to fix them. So, since I removed the left radiator, it seemed like the perfect time to remove the shutters. I am far less concerned with keeping the engine warm than I am with keeping it cool in our desert. This brings me to another question-- there is an opening of about 8"x4" to the engine compartment below with a scoop that points directly into the shutters. As there any reason not to seal this off too?

Lin
The MC-5 is a grand bus and has proven itself with years and years of service. That said you really need to look at the pages of this forum on the radiator shutters and I believe you will rethink your decision to remove them even in the desert which is where I am located by the way. Your engine needs to get to operating temp ASAP in order to reduce stress on it's parts and produce the advertised power. Even in the desert we get cold days and rainy days that will require these shutters. Again read the posts on this subject they make sense. Some tell tales of breaking crankshafts while demanding power from a engine that is not at operating temp. Look at the quality of these shutters and the engineering that went into them, they are important.

If you decide you don't want to keep them I would love to purchase your system.

Lin · April 15, 2009, 11:09:09 PM

Glen,

Yes, the opening is the one behind the voltage regulator compartment. Mine no longer is in there. It seems that it draws air from the engine compartment and may modulate the temps of the sheet metal voltage regulator case. My thought was that it is drawing heated air from the engine compartment, but it is probably not that significant.

Airbag,

I generally like to hold onto parts that I might want to rethink. The shutters seem to be okay except for rattling a bit. The actuator on the left set, which are the only ones I have really examined since that is the side I am working on, has a lot of rust. I would suspect that it would need replacement. My guess is the shutterstat would also have to be changed. Have you priced those parts yet. I do not believe that the shutters on this bus have worked for eons. I have not yet noticed a problem in getting up to operating temperature, but I have not traveled in the frozen north. At this time, I have no plans to do so. As we are going into summer now, heat is more on my mind.

Fredward · April 16, 2009, 07:10:50 PM

Lin,
It ended up being $1,200.00 to fix and it would have been $1,400.00 to recore. But at the time they estimated it, i figured maybe it would go faster and be less than $1,200.00. Even so, they took both tanks off, cleaned them up, checked and rodded the core, put it all back together, resoldered every joint, bead blasted the side straps and repainted the whole dam thing. Putting only 8 - 10,000miles a year on it I think I'm fine.

Regarding the shutters, I'm no expert, but using these things the way we use them I really don't think you need them. Shutters are nice when the engine struggles to get above 160. Living in Minnesota, I rarely leave it idling and once its working, the temp stays 180 or above. In commercial bus service, the bus could have sat for 8 hours running in the winter trying to maintain temp. We just don't use these things that way. Turn on the Webasto and shut off the Detroit.
Fred

Lin · April 16, 2009, 10:06:12 PM

Fred,

I took my radiator to the only shop in town. He does radiators and mufflers. He said he could fix all the leaks very reasonably. He said he could not rod it or take it apart since they are not bolt on tanks and he does not want to mess with it. Since I did not have a heat problem, just a leak problem, this will be fine.

I have sort of rethought the shutter issue. I took one set off and, in spite of the rusty actuator, the shutters popped closed when I put some air to it. It looks like everything is still there, so I will put the shutter back and leave them for the future. I figure that even if they are not working, the bus is about the best place to store them. Mostly, I thought the shutters looked darned cool popping open and closed. They rattle a bit since the guide holes on the top of each louver are loose. I wondered whether there are supposed to be little bushings in them. Anyway, the radiator should be back in by Monday, and it's on to the next adventure.

Airbag · April 16, 2009, 10:35:48 PM

Quote from: Lin on April 16, 2009, 10:06:12 PM
Fred,

I took my radiator to the only shop in town. He does radiators and mufflers. He said he could fix all the leaks very reasonably. He said he could not rod it or take it apart since they are not bolt on tanks and he does not want to mess with it. Since I did not have a heat problem, just a leak problem, this will be fine.

I have sort of rethought the shutter issue. I took one set off and, in spite of the rusty actuator, the shutters popped closed when I put some air to it. It looks like everything is still there, so I will put the shutter back and leave them for the future. I figure that even if they are not working, the bus is about the best place to store them. Mostly, I thought the shutters looked darned cool popping open and closed. They rattle a bit since the guide holes on the top of each louver are loose. I wondered whether there are supposed to be little bushings in them. Anyway, the radiator should be back in by Monday, and it's on to the next adventure.

There is a procedure in the book on reseating the shutterstat valve by cutting the seat complete with dimensions. Yours may not need it. I have not even tried yet to get mine working but it is high on the list, AC system, Rear window latch and then shutters. I can see the bushings have all but disappeared on my shutters. where in the desert are you? Near Tucson?

Lin · April 16, 2009, 11:23:10 PM

We live in Joshua Tree, CA., right near the National Park. We are about 40 minutes up the hill from Palm Springs. Are you near Tucson?

Ed Hackenbruch · April 17, 2009, 05:38:48 AM

PO removed the shutters when he put in tranny coolers a couple of inches in front of the radiators. We leave when we see frost or hopefully even before that, so real cold weather is not an issue for us.....by the time we fire up and pull forward and get the jeep hooked up, the bus is already up to temp.

Airbag · April 17, 2009, 07:01:01 AM

Quote from: Lin on April 16, 2009, 11:23:10 PM
We live in Joshua Tree, CA., right near the National Park. We are about 40 minutes up the hill from Palm Springs. Are you near Tucson?

We are in Marana just north of Tucson. I know where Joshua Tree is. Just west of Twenty Nine Palms. I used fly to the Bay Area to see my Dad and that was my favorite fuel stop. You get some weather there, I was over that area one day dodging rain showers at 10,000 ft and thought I'd land there to wait it out but when I radioed Twenty Nine Palms and asked what the winds were he told me 90 gusting to 110. I said I will see you next time thru. It was meanest blackest looking storm I have ever seen over the Marine base.

I like that high desert, it's different from our desert. I am waiting for some pictures of baggage doors that are for sale in the LA area, if it works out where I pick them up I'll buy lunch.

Lin · April 17, 2009, 09:06:09 AM

Ed,
Do you have transmission coolers on both sides? How do they affect things in summer?

Airbag,
Let me know if you are passing nearby. There is room for your bus here if you need to stop.

Ed Hackenbruch · April 17, 2009, 09:17:36 PM

Yup, coolers on both sides. I thought that the heat from them would affect the cooling of the radiators but it seems to have minimal effect. I think that because i have 2 coolers the heat from the tranny is spread out more. The tranny runs really cool, in fact the gauge for it hardly ever moves. I thought it might be broken at first but then we went up to Vegas from Laughlin when it was 105 degrees out and the tranny temp guage finally moved. The engine temp guage usually runs right at 180 degrees or a little less until we hit a hill and then it will go up some from there. I keep a close eye on temp and rpms and shift accordingly.