What's the shiniest part of your bus today?

[brokedown]

I was thinking, let's put a little fun into repairing and upgrading our buses. As great as our buses are they're still automotive machinery and sometimes they need dirty bits replaced with shiny bits! My bus has needed several shiny parts lately so I figured I'm perfectly positioned to start this one.

My bus has dual engine-driven AC, and in Washington I was stuck with both compressors bad. After finding a parts house that had them, I paid a bundle for overnight shipping and presto, shiny bits!


After replacing those compressors and buying some fancy gauges, I discovered my high side pressures were way too high.. And narrowed it down to inadequate cooling of the condensers.. So next up, shiny new condenser fans!


And then yesterday my voltage gauge was reading low and slowly going lower.. Pro tip: if you have a medium duty chassis bus, don't bother going to autozone or napa, call an alternator rebuilder! So as of right now, the shiniest piece of my bus is my alternator.


So what's yours? Doesn't have to be a repair, if you just installed a sweet new gadget, let's hear about it!

[M1031A1]

Mine will be the rear diff. going from a 5.29 to a 4.10 and cruising at a comfortable 65 mph! Other parts will follow very quickly.....

M

[brokedown]

That sounds like an awesome upgrade! I'm convinced if my gearing were any lower my AT542 would melt, though. Anyway you see a lot more of the world at 58mph right?

[M1031A1]

Got tired of seeing the world @ 52 mph... Too many safety hazards at that speed.......

M

[milkmania]

Im sad to say.... There doesn't appear to be anything shiny on my bus

Cept this

[cadillackid]

the upgraded new Display tablets... one on the right is brand new.. one on the left is similar to the one I had been using but is upgraded CPU / RAM.

as far as gears.. I need shorter gears!! (has a skoolie ever said that before?)..



-Christopher

[cadillackid]

Lovin those condensor fans!!!!!! #NoMoreBlownCompressors!!
-Christopher

[brokedown]

Are those both Windows tablets? I can't bring myself to buy a Windows tablet.. My brain aches just putting the wor "windows" next to the word "tablet". Ouch!

But I still haven't ordered an adapter, and I occasionally see windows tablets for values approaching free.

[cadillackid]

yeah they are windoZZZEE tablets... unfortunately the software requires windows.. and WINE engine was wayyy too slow .. so i had to run W native..

im one of those guys that will run any and every OS to get the job done... I have Linux machines, OSX machines, Win machines, Qnx machine (for hacking Uconnect chrysler stuff), DOS machine.( some of our voicemail systems are DOS!!).. some of those "machines" I mention are VM guests on a Linux KVM Host..

im definitely not loyal or disloyal to any tool that will get me what i want..

at some point ill probably get back at building my own stuff.. but for now these work perfect.. as does the Shiny Cat-5E cable carrying the J1939 from the ECM to the TCM!!! yeah!!
-Christopher

[brokedown]

Ahh quickly getting off topic but I really liked QNX for a few years when they were expanding their compatibility and producing something you could confuse with a usable desktop environment... Neutrino with the Photon gui as I recall... Their self-hosted development environment was awesome, too! I spent a few months contributing to their ports repositories and my brother ran it as his desktop for 2 years on a Pentium Pro 200.

I try not to be too soured about WIndows but the laptop I bought to do Windows testing with is just so absolutely frustrating to use. Granted I didn't buy a particularly high end model but its a good amount of computing power and all it does it run updates for 3 hours every time I turn it on!

But those screens sure look nice on your dashboard...

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I have Linux machines, OSX machines, Win machines, Qnx machine (for hacking Uconnect chrysler stuff), DOS machine.( some of our voicemail systems are DOS!!).. some of those "machines" I mention are VM guests on a Linux KVM Host..

What? No love for CP/M ? I used to be a Kaypro dealer.

If I run AI on a VM, is it real?

[brokedown]

Originally Posted by Rusty

If I run AI on a VM, is it real?

That's like a blonde who dyes her hair brown.. Artificial intelligence!

<ducks>

[cadillackid]

Ha! Qnx had a huge boon in front of them that they ruined by not keeping up in the connected car world.. though they are better than the CE products..

Those screens.. - to ditch windows wouldn't be too hard.. the left one is just J1708 data from the ECM, and the right one should be OBD2 compliant data. Get the PIDs for that and theoretically you can android and torquePro, the left build that ELM325 circuit and use a PI with QT for an easy GUI .

The left I took the easy way and the right being I wanted to be able to tune my trans on the fly. As I drive I learn more about the best shift patterns and can adjust at a rest stop quickly and go. Once I'm 100% dialed in that right tab may become a 7 inch built in screen on the switch panel .. I may want that dash space for A/C vents. Wouldn't be one of my busses if I didn't build custom dash air. The left tab will likely stay right where it is
Christopher

[2kool4skool]

New rad. before it was covered up by the old CAC!

[brokedown]

I'm really happy to see the success of accessible platforms like Pi, Arduino, and STM32 boards. Embedded things are becoming less and less black magic, and that gap between software and the real world is becoming easier and easier to cross.

[brokedown]

Originally Posted by 2kool4skool

New rad. before it was covered up by the old CAC!

Damn the fins are all straight and not a bug in sight!

[cadillackid]

I DIG that shiny radiator!!!!!!!!!
-Christopher

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I'm really happy to see the success of accessible platforms like Pi, Arduino, and STM32 boards. Embedded things are becoming less and less black magic, and that gap between software and the real world is becoming easier and easier to cross.

I built my home minisplit-Hack HVAC controllers out of chips by zbasic.net. these neat little chips have all kinds of nifty features..

the ELM325 test circuit I built I ran to one of these and a serial LCD as a total-hack test.

-Christopher

[brokedown]

Christopher we should start a new thread for electronics projects but I'm not sure where it'd go on here. Actually I've got an idea I've been kicking around but haven't typed it out yet..

[cadillackid]

with more and more busses coming to skoolies being electronic it might be a cool thread to start!!
-Christopher