Who put a fixed fan on yours? Can you switch it back? On ours the fan clutch hardly ever engages, just on hot days after climbing a hill. I bet your plug wires and ignition module like having that air flow around the engine though, they'll probably last forever.
1976 Eleganza II
- Thread starter tmsnyder
- Start date
Hard to say who's responsible since it came from an insurance auction in Phoenix, was last known to reside in Florida for last two owners, but had historic Alaska plates on it. She's a mystery wrapped in a riddle, and had had 3 carburetors! My guess is it had a ton of nice upgrades 20 years ago, and has been downhill ever since with very poor maintenance and "remodels". Good bones though. I kinda can't wait to get rid of that fan and get a normal engine cover situation again.
I'll be curious to see where you land with your exhaust decisions. It'd be nice to not have a drone.
I'm curious to see what a straight pipe will do, b/c right now with the el-cheapo single muffler it's got a nice bark with what? 20 to 30 feet of straight pipe on it? I don't think that muffler is doing a darn thing except droning at about 2400-2600.
I'll probably hear it from people that it's going to be too loud, but what about the Harley crowd running straight pipes all over the place? Those things are intentionally loud, extremely loud. Apparently loud doesn't matter anymore. When they start pulling those jackalopes over and ticketing them I'll start worrying that my GMC is too loud.
Loud mufflers...straight pipes were what we as teenagers and young adults used to show virility. But then I grew up!! Loud pipes make everyone 1/4mile radius listen to that. About 8--10yrs ago we were in Rocky Mountain National Park. Stopped to enjoy the scenery and serenity. About 5 minutes into our stop, a couple of Harley's entered the park. We heard them coming for the next 5 minutes, and another 5 after they passed us. "Loud pipes save lives" they say. What BS!! Been driving a motorcycle for over 50 yrs and have yet to be in a situation where loud pipes on my bike would have deterred a car from hitting me. My bike is quiet. Accept for a low rumble, so is my motorhome. JMHO Rant off.
I totally agree, I hate loud pipes. Right now, with a muffler that I believe is doing nothing, it's got a nice bark when climbing hills. It's not that loud. It's not even 1/10th as loud as a HD with straight pipes.
I'm just curious to see what happens with no muffler, I'm thinking the 55-60 mph drone will go away and it won't even be that much louder. I could be wrong.
If it's too loud then I'll do something else, probably install two mufflers to pipe before the Y as the stock arrangement had.
I just can't take the drone, it actually goes from being unable to hear the person in the passenger seat at 60mph, to quiet and pleasant to speak at 70mph. It's a very tight range of drone, must be resonance.
I'm just curious to see what happens with no muffler, I'm thinking the 55-60 mph drone will go away and it won't even be that much louder. I could be wrong.
If it's too loud then I'll do something else, probably install two mufflers to pipe before the Y as the stock arrangement had.
I just can't take the drone, it actually goes from being unable to hear the person in the passenger seat at 60mph, to quiet and pleasant to speak at 70mph. It's a very tight range of drone, must be resonance.
Just took it out to fill up the gas tanks and backed in the driveway to dump the black tank, someone followed me in and offered to buy it LOL Nice guy. I told him I'd listen to any offer but wasn't inclined to sell at the moment. But I'd also help him look for one, so...... who knows, I might be looking for another one either for him or me.
Over heating in traffic, the fan clutch is shot. Fan spins freely. I loosened the 4 bolts to the fan, then removed all nuts to the pulley except left one loose, removed all the fan bolts, then the last pulley nut. Left the fan in the hole. Didn't disturb the belts or the venturi shroud. Did all work from the top. 
Don't forget this bushing like me and have to take off all 4 nuts again like me! 
Don't drop your wrench down in the venturi shroud where you can't reach it like me! See the wrench?
Made in USA. Lifetime guarantee from AutoZone . Part 22045
Don't forget this bushing like me and have to take off all 4 nuts again like me! Don't drop your wrench down in the venturi shroud where you can't reach it like me! See the wrench?
Made in USA. Lifetime guarantee from AutoZone . Part 22045
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I had a brand new one fail by locking up on a previous RV. Sounded like an airplane taking off under the floor. Changed it on a rainy day in a field at a bluegrass festival, from inside the coach
Just pulled in the driveway from a trip from Buffalo NY to Bradenton FL and back. New fuel fill-ups posted here:
https://www.fuelly.com/car/gmc/tze/1976/tmsnyder/963498
Almost 4000 miles tracked, averaging 8.63 mpg. Correcting for the odometer reading 2% less mileage than traveled, it's 8.80 mpg.
https://www.fuelly.com/car/gmc/tze/1976/tmsnyder/963498
Almost 4000 miles tracked, averaging 8.63 mpg. Correcting for the odometer reading 2% less mileage than traveled, it's 8.80 mpg.
I'm leaking a bit of oil. Every fillup I'm going through a quart of oil It's all over the bottom of the coach, and it's coated the rear window. Bad.
There seems to be oil coming from all over. There seem to be a few likely areas of concern.
One spot seems to be the distributor. I marked the position of it and pulled it and the o-ring looks like this:
Kind of flat! And hard, it broke being removed.
AutoZone has the o-ring for a couple bucks, but not in stock. I measured the hole in the manifold:
and it measured 1.500". Look at all that oil!
The shaft measured 1.290 :
I have a cheap nitrile o-ring set from Hazard Fraught https://www.harborfreight.com/382-piece-o-ring-assortment-67554.html
and there's a 1.500 OD 1.250 ID o-ring, 1/8" thick. That must be it. In place it measured just over 1.500:
I cleaned up the area around the distributor with towels and then brake cleaner and reinstalled the distributor. We'll see, time will tell if this leak spot has been eliminated.....
I do have UV dye in the motor oil and a UV flashlight to look for leaks.
I've also sprayed down the engine with Simple Green and pressure washed it with hot water.
Next up: The oil filter housing gasket!
There seems to be oil coming from all over. There seem to be a few likely areas of concern.
One spot seems to be the distributor. I marked the position of it and pulled it and the o-ring looks like this:
Kind of flat! And hard, it broke being removed.
AutoZone has the o-ring for a couple bucks, but not in stock. I measured the hole in the manifold:
and it measured 1.500". Look at all that oil!
The shaft measured 1.290 :
I have a cheap nitrile o-ring set from Hazard Fraught https://www.harborfreight.com/382-piece-o-ring-assortment-67554.html
and there's a 1.500 OD 1.250 ID o-ring, 1/8" thick. That must be it. In place it measured just over 1.500:
I cleaned up the area around the distributor with towels and then brake cleaner and reinstalled the distributor. We'll see, time will tell if this leak spot has been eliminated.....
I do have UV dye in the motor oil and a UV flashlight to look for leaks.
I've also sprayed down the engine with Simple Green and pressure washed it with hot water.
Next up: The oil filter housing gasket!
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Todd,
I would not bet on the Oring.....
There is an oil spray way down at the gear, but there is only crankcase pressure for a driver.
The lube oil filter mount, cooler adapter and hoses are all a really good bet. if you remove the right wheel well liner it will be easy to see.
Have you ever replaced the Oring between the cooler adapter and the filter mount?
Matt
I would not bet on the Oring.....
There is an oil spray way down at the gear, but there is only crankcase pressure for a driver.
The lube oil filter mount, cooler adapter and hoses are all a really good bet. if you remove the right wheel well liner it will be easy to see.
Have you ever replaced the Oring between the cooler adapter and the filter mount?
Matt
No that's next! I'm getting a lot of oil leaking from where the oil filter housing bolts to the block. I'll take that whole thing apart when it comes off. After finding a broken push rod in the valley I don't trust anything the 'builder' did on this engine.
Time will tell on the distributor o-ring though. If it stays dry, it was the o-ring.
Wrenching on the oil filter housing this morning. I was seeing oil come out of where the housing is bolted to the block, and also dripping down the filter itself.
First obvious problem; the extension was not torqued properly. While disassembling, the whole adapter moves with very little force. So that big flat round gasket in between the adapter and the base was not tight. Getting it apart, the gasket is somewhat hardened and it has a gouge in one spot where it was pinched between the two pieces in a spot where it should not have been. Placement of the gasket may have been incorrect, and it was definitely not torqued right. Also it looks like the surface on the base where the gasket seals is rough, as though sand blasted. With no sign of any gasket sealer, I could see where oil would weep past this surface. It's getting full oil pressure on it so that's a possibility.
Second possible problem, the thin paper gasket to the block is very thin and hard. I'll check the base for flatness b/c if it's off even a little it will leak.
I'll grab some pictures
First obvious problem; the extension was not torqued properly. While disassembling, the whole adapter moves with very little force. So that big flat round gasket in between the adapter and the base was not tight. Getting it apart, the gasket is somewhat hardened and it has a gouge in one spot where it was pinched between the two pieces in a spot where it should not have been. Placement of the gasket may have been incorrect, and it was definitely not torqued right. Also it looks like the surface on the base where the gasket seals is rough, as though sand blasted. With no sign of any gasket sealer, I could see where oil would weep past this surface. It's getting full oil pressure on it so that's a possibility.
Second possible problem, the thin paper gasket to the block is very thin and hard. I'll check the base for flatness b/c if it's off even a little it will leak.
I'll grab some pictures
Does anyone on here use Loctite 574 on the gaskets (or flange seals with no gaskets) or other applications on our rigs? It's an anaerobic sealer, I've used it on transmissions, engine cases, etc., it's pretty good. I'd probably try it on that filter adapter with a new gasket.
Or, is there another favourite goo to use on a 455?
Or, is there another favourite goo to use on a 455?
Burl,
I have had less than great success with anaerobic sealers in hot pressure applications. If there is any gap to fill, it just doesn't have the cured strength needed for the long term. If you can get or make a gasket, put the sealant on the easy to clean side. Bolt the adapter up just snug and wait a day if possible. Then come back and take the fasteners to full tension. Now you have a gasket that will accommodate the imperfect surfaces.
Matt
I have had less than great success with anaerobic sealers in hot pressure applications. If there is any gap to fill, it just doesn't have the cured strength needed for the long term. If you can get or make a gasket, put the sealant on the easy to clean side. Bolt the adapter up just snug and wait a day if possible. Then come back and take the fasteners to full tension. Now you have a gasket that will accommodate the imperfect surfaces.
Matt
I wouldn't have a problem using that Loctite product after reading the description, seems like it's perfect for this application.
I didn't have that on hand and I didn't want to wait for the gasket so I cut one out of a roll of gasket material. And I like to use this gasket sealer, it's the old school one that's like tar.
I also discovered that on a flat surface with a piece of sandpaper, the bolting flange was not flat. It took a few minutes of sanding to get the surface pretty flat. There is still a spot at the bottom part of the flange in the picture that was just starting to be touched by the sandpaper. I use the brown stuff on the part and on the block to seal the homemade paper gasket.
Even at the AutoZone hub they don't carry the paper gasket or the rubber ring gasket, so I pulled the one from the filter and put it in the adapter.
It's all back together now, just need a new oil filter. Are you all using a #25?
I can't run it now anyway b/c the exhaust system needed work. I found that although I love the sound of the exhaust, the 24 hour drive time to Florida on our recent trip was enough to get me thinking about adding mufflers in the stock locations. They are not very expensive. I got a pair of nice Walker SoundFX turbo mufflers. I'm leaving the shorty 3" chamber muffler in place just after the Y where the 3" pipe runs towards the frame.
I'm glad I did b/c there was a spot where the 3" pipe was rubbing on the frame. I had a slip joint placed where it passed through the first frame crossmember and the gap wasn't enough. So I'm changing that into a welded butt joint and hoping that the extra 1/16" or so will make the difference.
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I've been wanting a pair of dash fans for the front. A little bit of moving air goes a long way.
There were some fans on Amazon for $25, I ended up spending about $100 each on fans from Grainger with the thought that usually they carry pretty good stuff and I didn't want to re-do the project ever.
Also have a boat style compass for the dash that I picked up on Goodwill Online auction.
In order to provide a place to mount them, and also to cover up a bit of the dash which is curling up and had a bunch of holes in it already, I made a quick and dirty plywood panel and mounted it to the dash with 1/4 inch hanger screws and acorn nuts.
I wired the light in the compass to the grey wire that used to illuminate the oem radio, and the fans I soldered into the cig lighter wires.
They seem to move a good amount of air, hopefully they help out on those hot days in the fishbowl.
![20210430_174227[1].webp](https://www.gmcmotorhome.org/data/attachments/4/4022-398f85bd57d6bba6e25b3423291a6562.jpg?hash=3Y_t9626Mm "20210430_174227[1].webp")
There were some fans on Amazon for $25, I ended up spending about $100 each on fans from Grainger with the thought that usually they carry pretty good stuff and I didn't want to re-do the project ever.
Also have a boat style compass for the dash that I picked up on Goodwill Online auction.
In order to provide a place to mount them, and also to cover up a bit of the dash which is curling up and had a bunch of holes in it already, I made a quick and dirty plywood panel and mounted it to the dash with 1/4 inch hanger screws and acorn nuts.
I wired the light in the compass to the grey wire that used to illuminate the oem radio, and the fans I soldered into the cig lighter wires.
They seem to move a good amount of air, hopefully they help out on those hot days in the fishbowl.
I'm playing around with the idea of installing a timing tab at the bottom of the engine so I can find TDC on an alternate cylinder, this bolts to the front engine mount where the venturi support attaches.
![20210430_203358[1].webp](https://www.gmcmotorhome.org/data/attachments/4/4023-21be399e0d15dc336b0c6f0cd39300e9.jpg?hash=dB3mtj_fKV "20210430_203358[1].webp")
