Air Bags - MCI-DL3-45 Chapter 2

[chessie4905]

Great to hear!

[plyonsMC9]

Bah, another incorrect set of airbags received.  Single post vs. double.  No single piece airbag available.  Anything that supersedes our airbags is single post.  We need double post.  Murphy grease solution may be next.  Will update soon.  I hope!

Meanwhile, our MC9 is running great up in Utah.

Kind regards, Phil

[RichardEntrekin]

So...... you know what you need in terms of dimensions and stud location.

If you will take the time to study the Firestone catalog, you will see that the gazillions of air bags out there are a combo of one bellows, one top plate, and one bottom plate. Take a few minutes to identify what you have, then peruse the catalog till you identify those three components. Then you can see what is available. 

On my ride, the bags for the tag were supposedly obsolete. They were. But Firestone made the SAME bag with the bottom studs at a different orientation to the top studs. Simple to loosen the bottom plate and rotate it. I had bags in hand in a week by not depending upon parts guys to send me the right thing.

You may not be a Firestone fan, but once you have the Firestone number you can cross ref to Goodyear or some other. AS Cliff said, Goodyear is now Stemco.

https://www.firestoneip.com/content/dam/fsip/pdfs/airide/airide-aftermarket/commercial-air-spring-catalog-us.pdf
https://www.doverbrakeinc.com/downloads/catelogs/STEMCO%20AIR%20SPRING%20CATALOG.pdf

[chessie4905]

here are pictures of topand bottom of 4905 bags that replaced the three piece pita.Notice the Goodyear tag.

[plyonsMC9]

Thanks Gentlemen for the responses.  Much appreciated.  Running out of time & need to be on the road this Saturday, so have ordered and will give the Murphy grease a shot tomorrow / Friday.  It's supposed to arrive at the local O'Reilly store tomorrow a.m.  If that doesn't work - it will be studying the catalog - it does look exhaustive so I'm confident there should be something there for our bus.

With best regards, Phil

[chessie4905]

got a local bus company that uses air bag suspension?  Maybe they have an old head that has assembled them in past and will do them for you.

[RichardEntrekin]

When you are messing with them, get all the critical info. Plate diameter, bolt size and spacing, and the number off the rubber air bag. I can help you decode the air bag catalog if you have that info.

Chessie, can you post the Goodyear number. I cannot read it clearly when I enlarge your photo.

[chessie4905]

Will do, as soon as I get home.

[chessie4905]

IR 10-030

Gm 667513A

566     202      030      0000

[luvrbus]

Have you spoke with Sam Caylor if not call him he a sharp guy on MCI's

[RichardEntrekin]

all right, I am officially confused. Is is Chessie or Plyons that needs help locating an alternate bag?

Or is Chessie trying to say that the air bag he pictured and provided the Goodyear number for, will fit Plyons bus?

Sorry for being so dense.

[luvrbus]

Phil needs the bag if he calls Sam he can tell him what replaces the bags or may even have the newer bags .working with a air suspension on a bus is not a rocket science with a torch,welding machine and drill you can adapt other air springs on a DL3   

[chessie4905]

I don't need a bag. From  Plyons description of a bag he needed, I took a picture of one of my 4905 replacement model. Maybe it is the same or similar. Many coach parts are the same between brands, especially the older models.

[RichardEntrekin]

Thank you both for the clarification.

We will wait to hear from Phil.

Cliff, I hear you. Someone had used a gas saw to punch alternate mounting holes for one of my bags, not realizing the mounting bolts could be rotated on the bottom of the bag. Only issue with what they did, was it put the nuts in a hard to access place. They worked themselves pretty hard to make the job harder than it needed to be.

[plyonsMC9]

Slow process - especially w/ work during the day.  Spoke w/the guys at C&J Bus Repair in MN - as recommended by Luke.  They do a lot of MCI coach service and sell parts as well. They felt strongly that someone had switched out the standard bags with the two piece units.  And they provided model #s for the single piece bags.  I ordered one as a spare and just to check it out.  Their prices are much more reasonable than what I paid for the 2 piece setup.  It will be interesting to see whether this bag fits.     There may be quite a collection here soon.  As C&J also handle Van Hools, they did say based on the pictures I provided, that this looks like a Van Hool setup. 

Anyways - as things happen I'll post it here.  Hopefully will help someone in the future.

Re: Sam Caylor - thank you Cliff, no I have not yet talked w/ Sam.  I appreciate the referral.

Best Regards, Phil