The Ferrigno Family's 1976 Palm Beach

[pvfjr]

I've made some decent progress as far as weeknights go. I've confirmed that the rear bumper isn't in the way when removing exhaust, but my Glenbrook sure is!


After backing it up a ways, the whole thing came out. I sprayed a little silicone lube on the rubber donuts, and they didn't fight me too much. I didn't even bother to unbolt the brackets or anything. Man is that thing long.


One thing I did fight was an exhaust clamp I hadn't noticed. It was tucked into that rear triangle between the crossmember and the angled gusset/crossmember thing. I yanked on that and spun it this way and that to no avail, and for longer than I'd care to admit (you know, so I wouldn't have to crawl under there again).


With the exhaust out, you can see how all the crossmember holes line up below the bumper and just barely inside the bottom lip of the frame rail as it turns upwards.


With the exhaust out of the way, it is MUCH easier to access the bogie bracket's bolts.


Double success!


I'll do a mild amount of cleanup, then start stripping down the donor bogies and install them, hopefully this weekend.

 

[Keith V]

Clamps like that are why I like having a flame wrench!

 

[pvfjr]

Clamps like that are why I like having a flame wrench!

Just realizing it was there, and hanging things up, was my biggest obstacle. I hadn't noticed it. I didn't even bother trying to put a socket on it. One look at it and I grabbed the cutoff wheel.

 

[Matt Colie]

Paul,
If you put it back together with strap clamps, you don't have to fight so hard to get the system tight and you can take it apart again if needed. (Hopefully never.)
Matt_C

 

[pvfjr]

I stripped down the driver side bogies. Stuck drums with stuck adjusters made it fun. Wheel bearing grease looked fresh and red, and the parts coach was last tagged in 1995!


I took an arm off to check things out; it's a messy job. Lots of cleanup to do.


Pins look great to me; the grease was good too. I'm pretty pleased. The pin seal was an o-ring already, suggesting they've been replaced before. I ordered some x-rings to replace it, #218.


I can't complain about the bushings either.


The thrust washers look good. Bushing seals might be original; they're showing their age just a little. Probably would've been better if I hadn't messed with them. I'm going to try some #227 x-rings here.


I decided to install the passenger side as-is. I expected a big struggle putting it back by myself, but it wasn't too bad.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I've made some decent progress as far as weeknights go. I've confirmed that the rear bumper isn't in the way when removing exhaust, but my Glenbrook sure is!
View attachment 8612

After backing it up a ways, the whole thing came out. I sprayed a little silicone lube on the rubber donuts, and they didn't fight me too much. I didn't even bother to unbolt the brackets or anything. Man is that thing long.
View attachment 8613

One thing I did fight was an exhaust clamp I hadn't noticed. It was tucked into that rear triangle between the crossmember and the angled gusset/crossmember thing. I yanked on that and spun it this way and that to no avail, and for longer than I'd care to admit (you know, so I wouldn't have to crawl under there again).
View attachment 8614

With the exhaust out, you can see how all the crossmember holes line up below the bumper and just barely inside the bottom lip of the frame rail as it turns upwards.
View attachment 8616

With the exhaust out of the way, it is MUCH easier to access the bogie bracket's bolts.
View attachment 8617

Double success!
View attachment 8615

I'll do a mild amount of cleanup, then start stripping down the donor bogies and install them, hopefully this weekend.

Dont forget to tap the Spindle spacers back before installing the control arm. See page 4-27 of the maintenance manual.

 

[pvfjr]

Dont forget to tap the Spindle spacers back before installing the control arm. See page 4-27 of the maintenance manual.

I'm going to need to take it to the press. I've whacked them already to no avail, and don't want to beat them up. It's going to take some cleaning/polishing to get them so they'll actually move with the specified pin-nut torque.

 

[pvfjr]

My x-rings came in. Even came with an unexpected treat!



They fit great, and I think they'll do a much better job than o-rings. I didn't get a picture of the one on the pin, but it fits well too.


Got a bigger hammer and a 1-3/8" socket and pounded out the top hat bushing. I cleaned off the rust and it fit much better. This made reassembly a snap.


I took the Alcoas off of the Glenbrook. I'll be curious to see how it drives with a stock tire size. It looks really different without the All-Terrains!

 

[pvfjr]

Things are coming together on the passenger side. A parking brake cable redesign is in the works. I salvaged the super old Bilsteins off the parts coach. They're in great shape somehow, so we'll see how they do.


Bearing work in progress.


Started stripping down the front of the motor too. I'm searching for some engine noise. I was convinced I was hearing a loose timing chain. I felt play in the water pump shaft too.

 

[pvfjr]

Well what do you know, maybe I don't have a worn out timing chain. I didn't expect that!

So I'm used to chains with tensioners. How much slop should one of these have? It's clearly not dangerously loose, but if it shows any wear, I do have a new single row set sitting here...

Things we're a bit sludgy. The front main seal all but fell apart when I started messing with it. So even if the timing said didn't need replaced, the water pump was trash, and I had plenty of leaks to take care of anyway. Time well spent.


I've got my lightly customized off-the-shelf parking brake cable situated on the passenger side now.


Strangely, I seem to have a one-piece drag link. I don't think I've seen this on my other coaches. In addition, it looks like it got a little tweaked in the accident.

 

[pvfjr]

Both driver's side spindles warranted some polishing. Wish I hadn't done this to the old bogies before realizing I needed to replace them. Oh well, at least I have the process down to a T now.


With a spindles all prepared, I could finally remount the packing plates on the driver's side. Unfortunately now I have to wait for some more parking brake cables to show up in the mail. I like what I came up with on the passenger side, so I had to order more parts to duplicate it on the driver side.

 

[pvfjr]

I threw some electrical duct seal putty on the push rod.


The putty is a bit sticky, so I oiled the master so it'd stay stuck on the booster side.


I mocked up the master into place to make an impression on the putty.


Cutting a cross section of the putty revealed around ten thousandths, so I'm happy with the clearance. I also gave the booster some rust treatment, followed by some waterproof grease. The master mounted up fine; the mounting ears weren't excessively thick on this casting.


I also spent just a few minutes putting a quick gloss on one of the Alcoas. Mother's polish and a 6" terry bonnet on the buffer for 5 minutes did a lot. Most of them are beat up and should be sanded first, but that can wait. This helps appearances for now.

 

[pvfjr]

I've been doing an awful lot of bending and flaring too. I still need to run new lines from the MC to the combination valve.


All new Timken bearings are installed on the passenger side, along with the freshly turned drums. I'm waiting for a couple more bearings to show up for the other side.


The Onan wiring needs some freshening up. Spade connectors on the control board are all loose. Cloth tape labels are disintegrated--those were a bad idea. I'm going to have to trace and label each and every wire.


Found a busted terminal here. I wonder how much of a headache that will cause...

 

[RF_Burns]

I've been doing an awful lot of bending and flaring too. I still need to run new lines from the MC to the combination valve.
View attachment 8860

All new Timken bearings are installed on the passenger side, along with the freshly turned drums. I'm waiting for a couple more bearings to show up for the other side.
View attachment 8861

The Onan wiring needs some freshening up. Spade connectors on the control board are all loose. Cloth tape labels are disintegrated--those were a bad idea. I'm going to have to trace and label each and every wire.
View attachment 8862

Found a busted terminal here. I wonder how much of a headache that will cause...
View attachment 8863

Couple of things.
-Be sure to leave the hub seal slightly proud of the hub so the seal does not touch the inner bearing. I posted a diagram over in the Resources section on this.

-Regarding the broken wire terminal. That module is a voltage regulator that is not used in our application unless you have a separate starting battery for the generator. There are two wires that are connected together through a piggy-back connector and those need to be connected. You can insulate the wire with the broken connector and tie it off.

Yes, I wish Onan would have used colour coded wiring. i guess they got a great deal on wire from the White Wire Company.

 

[pvfjr]

Be sure to leave the hub seal slightly proud

I've been targeting about .030-.035". Cutting scraps of MIG wire to lay around the seal as my pressing plate comes down to the hub does the trick.

There are two wires that are connected together through a piggy-back connector

Do the just need to stay connected to reach other, or do they need to stay connected to the VR? They look ok for now. I was glad to discover this device was the 12v VR after seeing it cost $275 at Applied.

 

[RF_Burns]

I've been targeting about .030-.035". Cutting scraps of MIG wire to lay around the seal as my pressing plate comes down to the hub does the trick.

Do the just need to stay connected to reach other, or do they need to stay connected to the VR? They look ok for now. I was glad to discover this device was the 12v VR after seeing it cost $275 at Applied.

I believe they just need to stay connected together, because I've read in the past you can remove the regulator.

 

[pvfjr]

Brakes and bearings are all done! Bleeding was a real cinch. I had to make a new adapter for my pressure bleeder, I've never used it with a cast reservoir before. Every single hard line has been replaced now. I had to reset the combination valve too. It was tripped to the rear, due to the failed hard line.



Customized some parking brake cables before buttoning up the drums.


The original tow ball was the wrong size. Needles to say, it was quite stuck. The new looks much better too.


For some reason, all the hatch latches were 180 degrees out. I had to drill out all the rivets and reinstall. How could someone put up with this? It's been that way for ages, and they were impossible to use!


She looks good with shiny wheels on one side!

 

[pvfjr]

Here's a pic of the shuttle valve for the brake warning switch in the combination valve. A mirror pic was the best I could do. There should be a depression for the switch plunger, but alas, it has been slid off to the side. The right sized pick was able to reposition it. The brakes bleed beautifully with a power bleeder.

 

[Blur911]

Here's a pic of the shuttle valve for the brake warning switch in the combination valve. A mirror pic was the best I could do. There should be a depression for the switch plunger, but alas, it has been slid off to the side. The right sized pick was able to reposition it. The brakes bleed beautifully with a power bleeder.

View attachment 8884

That's where I'm at now. It's tripped, but it's the new brass PVMH type. Haven't tried to reset it yet. I've vacuum bled, but that's never as good.
What did you use for a cap to pressurize the MC to pressure bleed it? It's so much easier with a reservoir with a spin-on cap.

 

[pvfjr]

That's where I'm at now. It's tripped, but it's the new brass PVMH type. Haven't tried to reset it yet. I've vacuum bled, but that's never as good.
What did you use for a cap to pressurize the MC to pressure bleed it? It's so much easier with a reservoir with a spin-on cap.

I had a piece of 3/8" steel plate, probably 4" square laying on my press. Drilled an 11/32 hole, tapped it out to 1/8" npt, threaded in a quick-connect elbow, added 1/4" nylon tubing, and c-clamped it with two 6" clamps. I had to do one half at a time due to the limited size. Oh, and I had some rubber sheet gasket material from Ace that comes in a pack with cork and paper as well. I think originally it was about a 6" square?