Took her for a ride..... Frozen air lines.

[Chaz]

Well, I had gotten a bunch of work done on the inside and decided that I needed a "driving fix" on sunday. (I just love to drive it!!)
  I made it to the highway- 8miles - and the airline froze and was popping off the valve above the motor.
                       Dad to the rescue!!!!                              Dad to the rescue!!!!    
  He went to my shop and got the airline anti-freeze and a wrench and I proceeded to pull the air line off the "regulator/modulator"(?) and fill the line up with anti-freeze. I did it twice and the popping stopped and she aired up. So I did it once more in that line and once in the line after the "regulator"(?) After that, she did just fine. Oh, and while I was messing with that, I put a propane heater in the front passenger side bay, under the air tank, in case that might help.
  Took a nice little ride and really enjoyed it.
  It looks like I may need to find me an airdryer of sorts. The manual says it may have an "optional" vapor dryer, or something like that, but I couldn't find it.
  What's you guys opinion on such an issue?? I have bled the tanks before, but never seem to get much out.
  Tryin not to freeze,
            Chaz
   
   

[tekebird]

you should bleed the tanks daily when used......lines are small and only a bit of moisture is capable of freezing a line.

I would opt for the Alcohol evaperator, zero maint and cheaper than a dryer and easier to plumb in my opionion....

if you get a dryer make sure to get a heated one.

[Chaz]

Alcohol evaperator

That's what it said in the manual!!!!! (but I don't have it!!)  Thanx Teke!! But do you really think they are the "ticket"?? A buddy of mine said " well, they work........ kinda, but not all that great". 
  He is a trucker and said he still had issues with them. That's when he said he was glad to have "fuzies" to heat up the lines. I TRUELY hope I don't have to deal with that!!   
    Are there newer styles or ones that work better than others?

         I hate freezin,
             Chaz

[NJT 5573]

Chaz, If you do the same procedure you just did a couple of times in the fall that will solve the problem. Leave the alcohol in for a couple weeks. Use everything that takes air so the alcohol can work thru all the air service parts. Run the engine with all the drains open for 30+ minutes to dry it out. Put some more alcohol into it and leave it for the winter. When you get about 20 hours of road time on it, go back to draining every day. With my trucks and semi trailers thats enough alcohol to keep them from freezing all winter around Seattle. I'm fond of twist air tank drains on the bottom of the tanks. You can crack them a small amount, drive 1/2 a day and move warm dry air thru the system to keep things real clean a few times a year.

[tekebird]

They still make the evaperators......and they were used forever......thats the route I would go on a bus with no dryer..... we had never had a problem with any of our coaches that were equiped with them.

[Chaz]

Thanx Teke. I just did a quick search and didn't really find anything. Ebay neither.
  I wonder if that could be something I could get used. Until then, I guess I will do it the way NJT says. It's kind of a pain in the butt, but it beats doing it out on the road!!! 
   
      Evaporating away,
           chaz

[Fredward]

At the recommendation of my local bus garage, I removed the drain from the tanks and installed a "T" with a Schrader valve on one side and an air dump valve on the other. You can inject alcohol into the schrader (tire chuck) valve using a portable air tank that you've poured air brake alchohol into and charged up to 100psi. I also have an air chuck on the line from the compressor to the wet tank and I just injected alchohol at that point this fall and didn't have any freezing issues as long as the bus was in unheated storage. I've also heard that alcohol dries out seals, etc. so I'm not sure about using that stuff regularly.

[Busted Knuckle]

Also as noted in another recent post on this topic. It was stated that Luke at US Coach still carries and sells them! FWIW
BK 

[TomC]

I had 4 trucks and all had air dryers.  The maintenance is minimal-had Bendix AD-9 so rebuilding took about an hour to do, every 3 years or so (or every 250,000 miles).  There is more than just freezing control they are good for. ANY moisture is not good for the air system, since anything metal can and will rust, O rings can deteriorate, moisture can mix with engine oil and make a gooey mess that can also muck up the moving parts of the air system.  I highly recommend you install an air dryer.

Here in Los Angeles, all the stock trucks I order come with air dryers.  Some of the first series of trucks didn't have them and customers were complaining about having to drain the tanks every day since L.A. is a humid area.  I installed a new one on my bus, and am not sorry.  Good Luck, TomC

[Chaz]

Fred,
  Thanx!! Now I know what all the male air chucks are for on my tanks!!!!!! I was curious, but never really got around to asking you guys.

  Thanx BK. I still don't know if I want an evaporator or a dryer. You guys have been making good points on both.  (what's a poor boy to do???  )

  Good point Tom. I'm just not sure if I need a dryer or if an evaporator would do. I guess I need to look into this further. And find out what others think too. But my guess is that a heated dryer is best. But also the most expensive.

     Dryin up,
         Chaz

[Busted Knuckle]

I still don't know if I want an evaporator or a dryer. You guys have been making good points on both.  (what's a poor boy to do???  )

  Good point Tom. I'm just not sure if I need a dryer or if an evaporator would do. I guess I need to look into this further. And find out what others think too. But my guess is that a heated dryer is best. But also the most expensive.
Dryin up,
Chaz

I'd call Luke and talk to him he has extensive experience with both!
BK