1935 Chevy school bus

[GreyEagle]

[quote="roach711" but with great respect.[/quote]


"RESPECT" key word there......

I know want you mean.....

[skoolz out]

Having followed this thread form the beginning and seen your work, I have no doubt that genny with the relocated controls will start and run fine on the first try. If you told me the next phase was to install a flux capacitor and turn the bus into a time machine, I'd believe you and simply wait patiently for the photos.

On another topic I'd like some clarification on that enclosure exhaust tied into that heater. Is it tied into a double wall duct around the heater's flue or are you somehow trying to capture "free" heat off the generator by ducting it to the heater?

Christopher

[Tango]

I think I just saw a "gently used flux capacitor" over on the DeLorean forum.

[ol trunt]

Thanks for the kind words Skoolz Out--Would that I could, there is so much I missed on this go around.

You are right in that the heater has a double flue, The inside one (exhaust flue) is about 2 1/2" in diam and the outer one is 6" in diam. and serves as a heat shield for the heater exhaust. Since none of the space between the inner and outer pipes leads back into the cabin (or heater for that matter) it looked like a natural place to dispose of the hot air from the genny. I plan to wrap both the tube-axiel portion of the genny vent and the original heater outer flue with heat wrap so that it does not become an unwanted source of cabin heat--although in cold climes the whole thing might provide some second hand heat for the bus.

Yup, the genny started right up and the 125 volt part works fine. The 12 volt part shows 12-14 volts (I'm OK with that) unless I wriggle the test leads when I then get a 24 volt reading on my digital volt meter. I'll try an analog volt meter tomorrow as I have learned that the digital meter might not like playing with the genny computer. I know, way too much info Bla, Bla, Bla etc.

Tango, When I finally found the De Lorean forum the FC had been sold so keep looking. Jack

[ol trunt]

Hello All, Much to my relief, there turned out to be nothing wrong with the 12 volt system other than I needed to make my measurements with an analog meter not a digital one--so I learned something new. With that done I decided that I'd work on a way to get rid of the cable pull choke set up which was going to be hard to deal with because of the slide out genny drawer. I used a door lock actuator from a '87 Suburban with a return spring and wired it to a button on the control panel (where the choke pull used to be). Now when you crank the starter a relay engages the choke if you push the choke button. It turned out to be a simple fix (KISS) for a change. I took pics but you will have to study them to see the actuator, cable and relay. Jack

[b][b/]

[b][b/]

[Tango]

Frankenweinie!!!...but as long as it works...

[ol trunt]

One of those days I guess.. I wanted to test my heater out while using the in line fan I built just to be sure the added air flow did'nt do something dumb like blow out the pilot light. The good news is that the combined systems work just fine. The bad/not so bad news is that the pipe I used to fuel the heater had a crack in it. Yup, you guessed. As soon as the pilot light stayed lit I turned the heater on and KWHOSH! the leak lit off!
I won't have to shave my right arm for a while and the shirt will have to be trashed, but a little burn ointnent and a stiff upper lip should make it OK. I sure am glad I had this experience before I installed the thing in the bus! I'll check EVERY thing with soap bubbles from now on!!!! Jack

[eyedeal.ink]

woah! stay safe Jack! Soap bubbles for sure, thanks for the tip.

[Tango]

Ouch!!! --- But like you said, better to find it now than later. On the other hand... "hair removal" spas are a hot trend these days. Not only could you get a few helpers, but have'em pay you for the results.

BTW...what kind of pipe are you using?

[ol trunt]

Tango, Funny you should ask--I've never been able to get any two people to agree on what pipe to use in a motor home. If any two do agree it will be for completely different reasons

I expect that I'll follow the lead of the manufacturer of the 5th wheel trailer I took the gas appliances out of. They used black pipe on the frame and soft copper on the inside. What do you think?

BTW, the leaky pipe I used was aluminum, a leftover from a house I demoed a few years ago. Jack

[Tango]

The black & copper combo is what you'll find on most of the high-dollar rigs and works great. That said, I've been eyeing some marine grade flexible tubing. A bit pricey but hey...it's a short bus, I don't need much. Here is one brand...

http://www.tridentmarine.com/stage/lpg_hose_fitting.htm

USCG approved for harsh, salty, high vibration environment. Won't rust and is not subject to stress fracturing. Also very easy to install.

[ol trunt]

Tango, Purdy stuff but it looks like it is for the newer type fittings. I plan to go with the old school fittings since it is still OK to refill the old tanks as long as they are mounted permanently on the MH. Jack

[Tango]

Understood --- go with what works for ya'.

[ol trunt]

Hello All, During the week I have been working on the mechanism that will secuerly hold the pop up in place and form a water proof seal against the bus roof. Low tec though it is, I'll use three 1/2" bolts welded to the pop up which will upon closing enter the inside of the bus and be fastened with large wing nuts. This made sense until I realized that the closing pop up didn't feed the bolts through the holes in the roof in a straight line but rather in an arc (because the roof is rounded rather than flat). This was made worse by the fact that the bolts had to extend through the inner roof as well. The solution turned out to be oval holes rather than round ones and MANY trial fits.

During the trials I suddenly I began having trouble with the syncronization of the two linear actuators which lift and lower the top. Both actuators must do the same thing at the same time or the pop up doesn't work. The long and the short of it is that I had continued to use the "mock up" wiring I had used just to see if things would work at all (wires twisted together by hand and held in place with masking tape etc.) and eventually these lame connections resulted in intermitant high resistance shorts. Sometimes an actuater would work just fine and then suddenly not go up--or down. These events required the re-syncronization of the pair of actuators only to have the problem shift to the other actuator over and over again while I cursed the damn Chinese for their sh---- products. Once I finally figured out that it was my own s---- workmanship that was causing the problem and made proper electrical connections, everything seems to be working fine.

On the topic of electrical connections, if you use crimp connectors as I often do be sure that when you do the crimp to position the point of the crimping tool on the opposite side of the split in the connector. This will provide the best crimp and will keep the split from opening (and releasing the wire) as you crush the crimp.

I had a couple of other random thoughts but after 10 hours on the pistol range with 38 newbie shooters --no deaths or injuries other than the normal slide lock bites --I think I'll call it a day. Jack

[Tango]

Hey Jack --- I'm guessing that by now you too may have noticed that somehow it is the "little stuff" that eats up the most time. I'm headed over to my shop here in a bit to take on a couple of "little" projects myself. Don't figure on hearing from again me until after 2am.

[ol trunt]

Hello All. I'll warn you ahead of time that this will be a pretty mundane report being made even more mundane by virtue of its author having caught a cold (I'm sure I got it from my favorite clerk at Mc Donalds who makes me a SPECIAL cup of coffee each morning and who was sneezing all over me the other day. All is forgiven though because when she was asked by another server why I got the special service she said, and I quote,"Because he's sexy". Made my day!) Oh well, that's the best I can do to spice things up--being sick and all

Now that the pop up seems to be working properly it is time to work on the inner roof panels to the left and right of the pop up. The right side (passenger) will support cupboards and the range hood along with lighting. The left side (drivers) will only have to support itself and the insulation and a light or two. Fortunately, the right side panels while rusty seem to be plenty stout and other than rust treatment and paint should not need further work. Not so for the drivers side.It is badly rusted through from leaks in the center of the roof and will have to have sections replaced.

Originally the L & R panels were one continuous sheet down each side. They sort of half unbolted and half fell off when I removed them and it was soon clear that the only way I could put them back in (by myself) was to cut them into 3 sections each. Once they are carpeted the seams won't show and should I need to get into the insulated area, the panels will make that job easier.

I also completed cutting down the range hood and shaping it to the contours of the inner roof. Happily I won't have to have the vent showing as the hood will vent through the "eyebrows" that are part of the side windows. I still have to build the connection from hood to eyebrow but at least I won't have to have a nasty looking vent sticking out of the roof of the bus or have cooking fumes blown back in my face as so many sticks and stapels do!

[b]Inner roof panels, see the rust through on the left?[b/]

[b]Once the panels were removed the rust was even more apparent.[b/]

[b]Inside pic of the rusr that needed to be cut out and replaced[b/]

[b]This pic shows the repaired "rain gutter" built into the roof--75 years of rain proved to be too much for it. It is the white below the stainless trim with the bolts.[b/]

[b]These are the patch panels which will be welded into the inner roof panels[b[b]The eyebrow just to the left of the blue "T" shirt is where the range hood will vent, Eh?[b/]

[bansil]

. Yes
Will there be enuf room for the material to squeeze into w/o having anything protrude down from ceiling?

[ol trunt]

Hey Bansil, the range hood will extend out over the stove like normal. There just will be no vents showing on the outside. Did I answer your question? Jack

[bansil]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Hey Bansil, the range hood will extend out over the stove like normal. There just will be no vents showing on the outside. Did I answer your question? Jack

Nope
ment the top "tent" material

[ol trunt]

Hey Bansil--got you. The answer is yes and no. The material will fold to the inside when the pop up is closed and it will have to be held out of the way mechanically. As to walking clearance with the top closed it should be the same as if I had'nt done the pop up--about 5' 7" which is fine for wifey but NSG for 6' me.