The Odd OX - Page 5

lornaschinske · 12-25-2010, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyluke4

... my philosophy is there is no such thing as bad weather just bad cloths...

Too much clothes is needed and you have to wear shoes! While the older I get, the more clothes I usually wear (I do wear more clothes than I did as a teen) it's just not something I enjoy. Warmer weather means less layers of clothing that I have to wear.

cold, snow and ice (unless it is in a glass of tea) is evil! Run away! Flee, flee!

busdriver_phil · 01-07-2011, 09:01 PM

Catching up on the posts here after a 5-month hiatus. Sorry I didn't see your post earlier about the electrical issues, but I hope I can be of some help.

Did you get the bus started? The solenoid in the switch panel should be just for the body accessories. It's normal for it to click when the key is turned to start. The starter solenoid on that bus should be underneath the engine, next to the starter itself, near the right tire. If you want to try jumping it, once you're absolutely positive the bus is in neutral, brakes set, and it won't move, you can go under and jump the big wires on the solenoid. If it starts, there's a problem with the wiring, if not, then it's either not enough power or there's something wrong with the starter.

The sleeping child alarm shouldn't have anything to do with the starter. The white box in the switch panel is the main unit. If you trace the wires coming out of that, you'll find one with a plastic fuse holder, remove the fuse and the system will be disabled. If you want to completely remove it, you can trace all the wires to where they were spliced in. Just be careful not to leave any cut wires that may be hot. The rear button just taps into the emergency door buzzer make it pulsate, which the front module detects through a wire tapped into the buzzer (they did it this way so they wouldn't have to run an extra wire the full length of the bus).

Cutting the wire at the emergency window won't set off the buzzer, but should be done with caution. The buzzer uses ground-size switches, meaning the buzzer gets power whenever the key is on, and then is grounded by the wire at any of the exit switches. If the buzzer is still hooked up, that wire you cut will be "live" with the key on. If the cut end touches metal, it will ground the buzzer briefly. That type of short could spark, and although unlikely, could cause a fire. At the very least, when cutting wires, wrap the ends with electrical tape. Better, since I assume you don't need an emergency exit buzzer, pull the fuse from the buzzer (open an exit, while the buzzer is going off, locate the box that's actually buzzing, trace the wire to the fuse block).

With the stop sign, the metal tube going to the back of the diaphragm is an air line. There should be an air solenoid (electric air valve) in the switch panel that supplies air to that line when the flashing lights are turned on. As long as you don't have power going to that solenoid, you won't have to worry about air leaks. You could disconnect the "out" line from the solenoid, but the "in" line will always have air pressure unless you trace it all the way back to the tank and plug it. Or, you could use the air supply for something else, like an air horn. It would be easy to mount it to the line that went to the stop sign, and then just wire the solenoid to a momentary switch.

crazyluke4 · 01-18-2011, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busdriver_phil

Did you get the bus started?

No i have not started it mainly cause now batteries are completely dead and i can't get a good charge on them and don't got the funds to replace them. unemployed once again

and i did realize after making those posts about the solenoids in the dash that they had nothing to do with it not starting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by busdriver_phil

If you trace the wires coming out of that, you'll find one with a plastic fuse holder, remove the fuse and the system will be disabled. If you want to completely remove it, you can trace all the wires to where they were spliced in.

Thanks for that info on the sleeping child fuse i think i will do that. I regret now not dismantling the flashing lights and eliminating all of the wiring that is not needed if it is not a normal school bus. but wiring is not my thing and i was hesitant to mess with any of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by busdriver_phil

With the stop sign, the metal tube going to the back of the diaphragm is an air line. There should be an air solenoid (electric air valve) in the switch panel that supplies air to that line when the flashing lights are turned on. As long as you don't have power going to that solenoid, you won't have to worry about air leaks. You could disconnect the "out" line from the solenoid, but the "in" line will always have air pressure unless you trace it all the way back to the tank and plug it. Or, you could use the air supply for something else, like an air horn. It would be easy to mount it to the line that went to the stop sign, and then just wire the solenoid to a momentary switch.

again thanks for this info. what you are saying is don't run the flashing lights and that is not going to send air through that line? i did kind of want to put an air horn on it

i am going to have to look closer in behind that switch panel to understand what you mean by how that air line is run and with the solenoid and stuff. i might have a few questions once i check it out

somewhereinusa · 01-20-2011, 11:17 AM

I doubt if the airline going to the sign is big enough to run an air horn, they take quite a bit of volume. Semi's with "train" horns usually have 3/8 or 1/2 inch supply. My single horn that no one can hear more than 10 feet away has 1/4.

CAMO-MONSTER · 02-02-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by somewhereinusa

I doubt if the airline going to the sign is big enough to run an air horn, they take quite a bit of volume. Semi's with "train" horns usually have 3/8 or 1/2 inch supply. My single horn that no one can hear more than 10 feet away has 1/4.

i have two off a semi with all the air line from the valve to the horns that they had on the semi and they had 1/4 from the valve to the horns and you can go right ahead and stand 10' in frunt of my 71 chevy, you better be ready to plug your ears!

crazyluke4 · 09-05-2011, 04:39 AM

WOW been a while! Have not done anything new to the bus this year not since the stove intall for last winter. Just thought i would give a shout we are still alive. Most recently the bus has survived an earthquake, few aftershocks, and a hurricane. Bring it on! peace

MikeyBskunk · 09-14-2011, 01:01 AM

hey luke! im just wondering did u use the durock board and the metal sheeting for your wood stove wall ??? i have the durock just thinking now if i should go get sheeting also? thanks

Mike

crazyluke4 · 09-14-2011, 06:38 AM

Yeah I did use both look back a page or two in my post there are pictures of it. It has worked great I did two layers of metal so it has that air space between and the wall never gets hot. Can't remember who's idea it was first but was one of these forums. My ceiling gets pretty hot. I put some metal up right above the stove pipe and that helped a little. I don't have the head room to put any more up but the areas around the stove still get hot.

MikeyBskunk · 09-14-2011, 03:52 PM

ok thanks for the tip!

Mike

crazyluke4 · 10-16-2011, 08:34 AM

Hey crew need some help. My wood stove pipe goes out of the bus through a piece of sheet metal welded in place of a window. My problem is that it has just a little space around the pipe and some times water leaks in. When I first built it last year I used somebodies idea to glue that rope you put in the wood stove door around where the pipe exits. It worked for a bit but glue did not hold long. Any suggestions? I would have posted pics not how using my phone the attachment thing would not work

Tango · 10-16-2011, 09:24 AM

Hey Guys --- For the record...I just removed the little wood burner from my '46. The vent pipe was a really heavy duty chunk of what looked like 6" schedule 40 pipe that had been welded directly to the outer roof skin. No leaks possible that way. I can't imagine any kind of sealer lasting very long given the heat & vibration associated with it. Also, it had a steel plate inside attached just below the inner skin with spacers providing about an inch of airspace between them but I noticed while removing it that the old insulation in the overhead had significant heat damage around the pipe anyway. Those wood burners obviously crank out a lot of heat...you would be well advised to address it thoroughly in any design.

lornaschinske · 10-16-2011, 11:03 AM

They make a sealant for stove pipes (don't remember the name) and it will hold up to the movement and seal against water leakage. We used to heat one of our homes with wood heat and we used it on our chimney pipe stack, plus David has used it on other chimneys. Try an ACE or TruValue. You may have to go to a "fireplace" store. I think we bought ours stuff at Reeves in Highlands. It was an ACE store. They carried lots of woodstove stuff.

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