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Old 04-23-2007, 12:44 PM   #1
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It very well could just be a loose fitting or line or it could be the diaphragm inside the rear chamber. Either way brake parts are surprisingly...well...universal and cheap. I went to Napa to price out a new front chamber for my bus and it was only $50. Obviously rear chambers are going to cost more since there is more to them with the parking brake and all, but it still isn't horrible. Chock the wheels, release the brakes, and see if you can track down exactly where the leak is coming from first. I bet it's just a pinhole leak in an air hose.

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Old 04-23-2007, 07:27 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by the_experience03
...Chock the wheels, release the brakes, and see if you can track down exactly where the leak is coming from first. I bet it's just a pinhole leak in an air hose.
Or a weak or badly installed hose fitting. Take a bottle of Windex with you to spray the hoses & fittings when you get close to where you hear the leak. Start spraying in the area you hear the hiss, the Windex will bubble when it hits the leak. It will also evaporate without residue. Make sure you wear eye protection !
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Old 04-24-2007, 01:32 AM   #3
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No there is nothing you can plug the line with.
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Old 04-24-2007, 05:12 AM   #4
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No there is nothing you can plug the line with.
. . .and as inexpensive and simple to replace as the repair / replacement parts are, it's well worth the peace of mind to just replace the problem component(s). After all, you're trying to stop the behemoth naturally, as opposed to using those break-away objects (you know, Hyundais, etc.) in front of it!
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Old 04-24-2007, 06:45 AM   #5
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i replaced a diaphram inside the front brake chamber on my skoolie once. I was dreading how much $$ it was gonna cost. Turns out it was only like 10 bucks.
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Old 04-24-2007, 08:34 AM   #6
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Unfortunatley the school is sticking to the Sold As Is policy and is not willing to reveal any information.
I can understand selling the bus as-is meaning that you are buying with all problems, but I don't understand them not wanting to disclose any info on repair history. When ever I have talked with the maintanence guys, they have always told me what they know or can remember. This bus needs this or that bus had the tranny replaced 20k miles ago. Unless I was in love with the bus or getting a screaming deal, I might pass. But $1000 is pretty cheap.
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Old 04-24-2007, 08:47 AM   #7
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Be extremely carefull when working with the rear brake chambers, they have a powerful coil spring inside that can/will cause serious bodily injury if you unbolt the bandclamp. Have a knowledgable airbrake technician show you how to properly cage and service the brake chamber so that you don't hurt yourself. With a little information and proper precautions air brakes are relatively easy and safe to work on, the air chambers are serviced as a unit, just remove the leaking unit and replace it with a new one. The brakelines are DOT approved plastic and can be repaired/spliced with approved fittings available at any truckparts supplier,just cut out the offending section and splice in a new piece.
goodluck.
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Old 04-24-2007, 12:52 PM   #8
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[quote="BigTex"}

Is their anything I can use as a temporary plug if it is a leak in the line to just get me home? I'm sure I can find something out their that would cover and hold the hole in the line, just wondering if anyone has ever done that before instead of replacing the line.
Thanks again,[/quote]

Aside from the obvious danger of preventing your rear brakes from working, how are you going to prevent them from NOT working if you block it off? What I mean is that if you disconnect the air lines to the back and block them off somehow the parking brakes are going to be stuck on unless you cage them. If you start driving like that we're talking some serious Darwinism. If you just need to move around the yard caging the brakes is an option, but you might just want to try and fix the problem or see if it's something obvious right away. Caging the brakes is a lot more difficult than just putting a splice in over a leaky line or tightening a loose fitting.
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Old 04-24-2007, 08:07 PM   #9
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Some sellers, including giant First Student, will not release maintenance records for legal liability reasons.
Let's say you study the records and discover that they failed to perform a required task correctly
or on time. If your brother-in-law is a lawyer and doesn't have enough to do....

Chatting up the mechanic may work, though!

Like the man said: Do NOT touch the band that clamps the two halves of a "pot" together. Just replace
the entire two-pot unit. Two bolts, a clevis and two hoses.

And last I heard, it is not legal to splice a hose from the frame to a pot.

When in doubt, replace air brake components with brand new.

You did well learning how to test!

If you can hear the leak, you may be able to feel it with your hand -- just move your bare
hand along the hose.

Best of luck!
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Old 04-25-2007, 10:14 PM   #10
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Sorry you missed out on that one , but yours is out there waiting for you. Keep up the search!
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