Drinking the Koolaide... 😊

[pvfjr]

Non-Facebook link please

The video was actually hosted on FB, in addition to being linked there. But with the raw link to the particular reel, perhaps you can view it without an account?

2.7M views · 56K reactions | It’s really that simple! #MrSubaru1387 #subaru #autorepair #sambar #vacuumlines #diy | MrSubaru1387

It’s really that simple! #MrSubaru1387 #subaru #autorepair #sambar #vacuumlines #diy

www.facebook.com

Edit: I did try it in an Incognito window (sans cookies) and it appears to work. It'll prompt you for a login with the video playing in the background, but just close out that prompt and it'll let you watch.

 

[Richard RV]

The video was actually hosted on FB, in addition to being linked there. But with the raw link to the particular reel, perhaps you can view it without an account?

2.7M views · 56K reactions | It’s really that simple! #MrSubaru1387 #subaru #autorepair #sambar #vacuumlines #diy | MrSubaru1387

It’s really that simple! #MrSubaru1387 #subaru #autorepair #sambar #vacuumlines #diy

www.facebook.com

Edit: I did try it in an Incognito window (sans cookies) and it appears to work. It'll prompt you for a login with the video playing in the background, but just close out that prompt and it'll let you watch.

Cool! That worked and it's a neat trick. Thanks.

 

[Tybalt39]

Don't worry about delayed relays or manual cutoff switches.

I'm looking at the 1975 diagram, so take the details with a grain of salt...
The factory wiring had the air compressor running off a #12 brown accessory wire. The accessory circuit does not have power while the engine is cranking. If your compressor actually stays running simultaneously with the engine cranking, someone has messed with the wiring. This is an easy fix though, just return it to the factory configuration.

There are only a few circuits that are supposed to stay on while the starter is cranking. Check out the ignition switch portion of the wiring diagram for more details.

So, I checked and of course you are correct; the compressor is not running while in the "start" position. I have a habit of letting the surge tank build pressure before starting (it just takes a couple of seconds). If instead I just immediately turn to "start" the engine cranks a bit longer while the pump gets up to pressure (first thing in the morning), but it starts strongly. Kelvin says that's a good thing as it lets the oil pump come up to pressure before firing the engine.

Time-delayed relay mod on "hold" indefinitely....

 

[Tybalt39]

Time to address the air suspension leaks....

Ordered the Microlevel system from Keith V. (thank you for the price drop and accessories recommendations).

Ordered the following from Amazon to complete the system:

4-Way Valve Block


Check Valve

Air Line


Has anyone with the older coaches (Power Level) moved the compressor from the front to the rear (like Electro Level)? If so, what compressor did you choose to minimize noise under operation? Now that there is no pneumatic connection between the air system and the control panel, I'm thinking of shortening the air lines, potentially bypassing the air tank.

 

[Richard RV]

Time to address the air suspension leaks....

Ordered the Microlevel system from Keith V. (thank you for the price drop and accessories recommendations).

Ordered the following from Amazon to complete the system:

4-Way Valve Block
View attachment 18129

Bought the same one on Keith's recommendation.

Check Valve
View attachment 18130

Bought the same one on your recommendation!

Has anyone with the older coaches (Power Level) moved the compressor from the front to the rear (like Electro Level)? If so, what compressor did you choose to minimize noise under operation? Now that there is no pneumatic connection between the air system and the control panel, I'm thinking of shortening the air lines, potentially bypassing the air tank.

Coachmen put the compressors further back in the interior. My rear bath Birchaven has it under the range. The noise isn't a problem, it's actually a feature - hearing it running when it normally isn't lets you know there's an air leak.

The Birchaven has a small, 1 or 1.5 liter air tank, and that works fine.

 

[Tybalt39]

MicroLevel installed and working great! I need to get a higher-output compressor to make the adjustments faster, but the 30 year old Firestone still works (slowly). "Travel" puts the rear of the coach within 1/8" of verified ride-height (reliably/repeatably). I haven't yet tried "camping" on uneven ground, but it levels the coach on level pavement just fine.

The chosen location for the valve-body (to the right of the electric wiper mounting plate, on the molded "firewall") puts a bit of noise into the cabin under operation, but some isolation mounts may help with that.

Eliminating four original air lines seems to have remedied my slow air leaks; I didn't have to install the new air lines. While a new air tank would be nice, the original is still holding pressure, so....

 

[Tybalt39]

Just ordered another 280AH house battery, for a total of 10KW/H of capacity. Hopefully, this will allow the roof AC to run for three days (with supplement from the solar panels) without completely depleting the battery bank each day. With the limited square footage available for solar panels on the roof of a GMC, I will never be able to completely charge my battery bank in one day, but I hope to be able to stretch my usable hours of cooling to cover my weekend camping needs in the warm months.

 

[Tybalt39]

Anyone have the part number for a full-length speedo-cable replacement? The original cruise-control transducer is gone and won't be replaced. When I add cruise later, it will use a VSS at the transmission. So, I'm looking for a replacement cable that covers the full-length necessary to reach from the transmission to the speedometer without having to work (super-carefully route) to make it reach.

My current cable is binding. Perhaps I could lubricate it, but if I have to pull it anyway, why not replace it?

I wasn't going to replace it as I'm eventually moving to an electronic/analog cluster, but that may be a ways off and that "ticking" noise is getting annoying and makes the vehicle sound junky to passengers.

 

[pvfjr]

I would recommend mocking up your routing with a rope and taking a measurement. Rock auto gives lengths. I think anything GM from the mid/late 70s will have the same ends. Here are P30 listings showing 100" and 120" options. You can find in-between lengths on other models. A K20 "except cruise control" listing may be a bit shorter, and a C20 would be shorter still (4WD speedo output is on the transfer case further back, so those are longer). Cars will vary. If I had to guess, I think 100" would be adequate, but I'd want to mock it up and measure first to be sure. Maybe someone else has already done that.

 

[Bhart]

I measured 100 inches for the speedo cable.

 

[pvfjr]

I measured 100 inches for the speedo cable.

I'm feeling OK about my guesswork then.

 

[Richard RV]

and that "ticking" noise is getting annoying and makes the vehicle sound junky to passengers.

Imaginary Service Bulletin:
Replace passengers with older people that have poor hearing.

 

[Bhart]

What ticking, I don't hear any ticking!!!!

 

[Tybalt39]

I thought I had asked this before, but perhaps I just searched...

How are the seat-belts at the davos installed; through the floor or in the wall struts? I have talked to a couple of owners, one indicating floor and another indicating struts. I have bolts running horizontally (about a foot above the floor) between adjacent pairs of aluminum ribs in the sidewall, with the seat-belt loosely riding the length of that bolt. I'm uncertain if that is original or something done by a PO. I want to add belts to both sofas (at least two sets per sofa).

 

[pvfjr]

I thought I had asked this before, but perhaps I just searched...

How are the seat-belts at the davos installed; through the floor or in the wall struts? I have talked to a couple of owners, one indicating floor and another indicating struts. I have bolts running horizontally (about a foot above the floor) between adjacent pairs of framing members in the sidewall, with the seat-belt loosely riding the length of that bolt. I'm uncertain if that is original or something done by a PO. I want to add belts to both sofas (at least two sets per sofa).

Check your Facebook messenger history with me. That might be the conversation you're thinking of. I think I remember taking snippets from the assembly manual for this. It's been a while though.

 

[Tybalt39]

Check your Facebook messenger history with me. That might be the conversation you're thinking of. I think I remember taking snippets from the assembly manual for this. It's been a while though.

I did find those images. It looks like a simple short bolt to just one rib in the wall. Can anyone confirm this mounting? I looked through the parts book; no listings that I could find.

 

[pvfjr]

I did find those images. It looks like a simple short bolt to just one rib in the wall. Can anyone confirm this mounting? I looked through the parts book; no listings that I could find.

That's how all three of my coaches with bunks were set up. The tricky part is working out how to bolt behind the wall panel and keep the cutout tidy.

 

[Tybalt39]

That's how all three of my coaches with bunks were set up. The tricky part is working out how to bolt behind the wall panel and keep the cutout tidy.

I would make the lower panel shorter and just notch out for the belts. Or perhaps make three panels; one low for the belts, one mid to below the window for the AC outlet, and the normal panel to the groove at the top of the window.

At first I didn't think a simple bolt through one aluminum rib would be much security, but then I remembered how the top bunk is secured; effectively two halves of a seat-belt suspended from short bolts into one (the same) ceiling rib. Granted, the load on the bed is static and not the result of a sudden crash....

 

[pvfjr]

Volvo might not have done it that way, but GM did. I don't know what alloy the aluminum is, and whether it's more prone to tearing vs deformation. It's also quite difficult to get the whole motorhome to reach those peak acceleration values that would truly stress a seat belt. Between the mass of it, and it's ability to crumple, maybe the connection points are just fine as-is.