blower gear box oil

[revbusnut]

I have a MC 8 1975 the radiator blower gear box was low on oil.  What oil does it take?  Gear oil or tranny fluid or ?? Thanks.  Revbusnut

[jjrbus]

 The service book for a 79 5C calls for SAE 30 motor oil. Clarke did an informative post on this and it seems they reccomended 30 wt becuse it is eaisely available! So I use SAE 40, becuse I carry it with me!!!!
                                                                                                        Work?/Play safely Jim

[Brian Diehl]

I run straight 40w in my 96A3.

[plyonsMC9]

Hi there Revbusnut,

How did you realize the  radiator blower gear box was low on oil?  I'm just showing my ignorance here.  It sounds like something I should be checking.

Best Regards, Phil

[gumpy]

Phil,

There's supposed to be a level check sight glass window on the box, next to the belt pulley. Here's a couple photos. The sight glass is the tube on the left in the first photo.

[plyonsMC9]

Craig - I learn so much from your posts! 

Thank you for the great explanation and pictures.  That is my mission tonight - checking that out, learning something new.  It may save me some $$$ too.

Then - back to my new "under the counter tree limb lights"   

Best Regards, Phil

[steamguy56]

Craig I too would like to thank you for your most informative site. More than a few times I have used it for reference. On my shop table(after much cleaning) are the blowers. Hope they turn out as good as the ones above
                                   Danny

[NewbeeMC9]

Spiffy Radiater compartment there gumpy!


oops, there goes the Bus envy

[Ncbob]

FWIW.......

My MC5A has a Spicer crash box and the book sez use 40# oil...the same as the engine.  I don't have any idea how long it's been sinece it was changed but when I recently pulled the engine I asked my mechanic to drain the Tranny and replace the oil with 50#
Racing oil.   I'm a happy camper.  I feel I'm taking advantage of the better lubricity of the weight and the composition of the oil and I'm not "Crashing" the gears as I once was.

Now, to the blower drive. I know mine needs resealing but I'm up to my ears in alligators right now so it's going to have to wait until this winter when I get to FL.  I'm going to try the same reasoning and drain and refill it with the 50# Racing oil.  What have I got to lose?

I will report back if it lessens the leaking but after resealing it I will still use the 50# oil.

Bob

[NJT5047]

Gump, very nice looking blowers!  Are those the "large capacity" blowers?  I've never seen blowers that go thru the blower box floor?   Remotely remember reading something about them. 
Are the blowers OEM in your coach or did you retrofit them?  I'll have to go back to your website...I remember you describing the rebuilding of the units.   
I run 40 weight in my gearbox...same as the engine.   I've got a RH seal seeping.  Only added oil once in 5 years. 
BTW Gump, you better check your water level...you got some hoses that fell off!   
JR

[gumpy]

Yeah, those are the original blowers. I think the smaller ones were mostly on the older MC8s. Not sure if they were on any early 9s.

I put a smaller diameter pulley on and new cones. The housings on the blowers are new, also, as my old ones were pretty corroded.

The compartment looked nice when the photos were taken. It's not so nice now, after several thousand miles with lots of rain, dust, snow and salt. I should have sprayed the pipes after I shined them up. They've all turned green now. I'm planning to replace all the rubber hoses soon, and may go through the shine process again, and this time will clearcoat them.

craig

[plyonsMC9]

Hmm.  Craig must be mistaken - I'm looking at my blowers - no site guage. 

Oh well.

.... 

[plyonsMC9]

What is that greasy blob?  Let's clean it up...  Hey - a site guage.. And it's empty..      

Craig was right - again.   

[plyonsMC9]

Using straight 40# oil.    Filling it up.  Looks a bit dirty - guess I have to drain & re-fill?

Another problem averted thanks to fellow busnuts on the MAK board.  Awesome.

Thank you Craig, Brian, Jim and other contributers to this thread.

Kind Regards, Phil

[NJT5047]

Hi Phil,
Craig's always right!
Regarding your blower gearbox, you may want to remove the belt and check the "feel" of the gears and bearings in your gear box.  To easily remove the belt, air up the bus and turn the knob next to the belt tensioning cylinder and the cylinder will retract....allowing the belt to almost fall off.  Then you can feel what you have.  You don't want to have the box fail out in Lower BF...that would be a show-stopper for sure.   If it still feels smooth, probably OK.  Where did the oil go?  You probably have a side shaft seal leaking.  Check for play in the blower and pully shaft too.  May find why it's leaking...?  
If it's actually dry...it may overfilled and you cannot see the oil level line.....you may have damage inside the gearbox.  
Nope....just saw the clean pix...it's very low!
JR