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Old 02-02-2021, 10:46 PM   #1
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Engine: 5.9L 24V-L6 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 26 foot
Air Compressor replacement BB FE 5.9L Cummins

So my air compressor leaks oil at the flange-to-front-engine-cover gasket, and it's getting a lot worse. Also, its unloader-valve output hose is oily - very oily, and there is a little puff of "smokish" looking stuff that comes out - but it dissipates immediately. Note this is an engine-coolant cooled compressor head. I have oil residue coming out of my air-tank pressure release valve (the one you open after driving, when you are parked, to drain water). There are 3 of these valves (behind a little access door under the driver's side window and the exterior electrical box access door) and one shows wet oil: the wet tank. The other two (for front and rear tanks) have dirt accumulated, so maybe there is the slightest bit of oil there also. Would hate to think I'm pumping coolant in my airbrakes system also.



I wanted to hit the desert and change it there where it is warmer and DRIER. But I drove it 3 hours last month, and oil is dripping too fast and wet all over the motor bottom and lower front corner. I already tried tightening the flange-bolts, but that didn't help, and it's still getting worse. I'm afraid if I try to make it 2000 or 3000 miles before replacing it, the gasket will blow out completely. At the very least, I don't want to spend 2 days cleaning the oil off the underside of my bus by hand with a bottle of Simple Green and a rag. Already did that once. Located this leak, an oil pan gasket leak (tightened the bolts for now, and will replace at the next oil change - this is the one bonus of a flat-nose FE - nothing at all below the pan), a leak from the oil-return hose from the turbo (cleaned and not bad, but the hose is on its way out - but on the waiting list) and a rear-main gasket (waiting for the MT643 swap ).


On the back of the air compressor is the power steering pump. Another member said his pump leaked its fluid into the compressor, which dumped it in the motor. This is the hardest, biggest PITA replacement job that I can see on this motor, so the p.s.pump will get replaced this go-around also. The one on there now has obvious small leaks at the hose connections, but also oily dirt all over its body - coming from where? Maybe a seal in it; the diesel filter is just above, and it leaked, so maybe the oily dirt is from that. All its hoses look old, they will get replaced, too.


I already replaced most coolant hoses with a new water pump, but the coolant hoses to the compressor are old, so they get replaced also. And any other rubber under there - it's all very hard to get to.



So I'm gonna document the air-compressor/power-steering-pump replacement here for someone else who may find it useful. I'm alone, so no video. Pictures to come.


Here's what I've got so far:


Holden / Cummins air compressor
model: QE296EB
part #: 3558206X


TRD Power Steering pump
PS221616R10301
(-or-)
PS221616R18331
The first part # I gleened off another thread here. I had to clean my part# tag off with a small rag fastened to the end of a long stick, and then play puzzle with my phone trying to feed it down below and between the fuel lines and wire bundles that are just above - without dropping it - and get it just right to take a pic of the tag to read it, and after a half-dozen tries, I got one blurry but almost readable pic. That is the second part number, but the 2 different digits are the ones I had trouble reading. So I bet the first one is correct.


Looked up the compressor on Giggles, Binger, & Ducky, and found Haldex and Bendix rebuilds available. Fleetpride near me can get me a Bendix rebuild for about $450. Others online quote as low as $290 with free shipping, but I gotta pay for the core-return-shipping.


First question: anyone have any yeas or nays on Haldex or Bendix rebuilds?


I haven't looked into the p.s.pump yet.


Thanks to others here who have helped with other air-brake issues, who have told all of us certain things we need to know.


So now I think I should replace the decadent filter at this time. I also want to add in that aux. air tank for an air-line attachment to fill tires and run air-tools. I thank thee for noting I need DOT approved fittings and lines and tanks; I found a place nearby here last summer for fittings when I was rebuilding the A/C lines, and most of what they had was air-brake stuff, if I remember.


Second question: good place or bad place to tap into, to add the aux. tank?


Third question: what kind of "check valve" should I put on the aux. tank line, if any? If it is empty, it needs to fill, so if it leaks, can it be then automatically isolated from the rest? It doesn't itself need to be guaranteed pressure if the others leak. Seems illogical to have a valve like that (other than a hand-operated cut-off valve), but I am thinking I saw something about that.



Forth question: any other general advice?

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Old 02-02-2021, 10:54 PM   #2
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I can't help with the first questions, but for the Pressure Protection Valve I like anythingtruck.com...but there are lots of similar sources.

https://www.anythingtruck.com/catego...reprotect.html
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Old 02-02-2021, 11:03 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor View Post
I can't help with the first questions, but for the Pressure Protection Valve I like anythingtruck.com...but there are lots of similar sources.

https://www.anythingtruck.com/catego...reprotect.html
Ok thanks!


now it makes sense to me; they operate on pressure difference.
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Old 02-02-2021, 11:10 PM   #4
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And you can get them with different pressure settings. I use them when I add a tool/tire pressure tank so that a loss of pressure in that section won't impact the brakes and air starter and seats and airbags and all the other things. Actually, everything but the brake primary/secondary systems should already have a pressure protection valve so (after checking) you may be able to tap into those other auxiliary systems safely without another valve.
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Old 02-02-2021, 11:17 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor View Post
And you can get them with different pressure settings. I use them when I add a tool/tire pressure tank so that a loss of pressure in that section won't impact the brakes and air starter and seats and airbags and all the other things. Actually, everything but the brake primary/secondary systems should already have a pressure protection valve so (after checking) you may be able to tap into those other auxiliary systems safely without another valve.
If the primary/secondary is front/rear, then I think that is the complete system. No air-throdle or existing aux. systems. I see spots for their drain valves on the panel with the other drain valves behind that little door.


Wait...I do have an air-seat. don't yet know how that is plumbed.
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Old 02-02-2021, 11:29 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome View Post
Wait...I do have an air-seat. don't yet know how that is plumbed.
Do you have air suspension? Otherwise called air springs or air bags?

It's worth checking how the air seat is plumbed. The line on those is so small that even if it broke free of the tank, your air compressor would probably keep up with is. But, done properly, it should be on an aux tank. You may have one.
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Old 02-02-2021, 11:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor View Post
Do you have air suspension? Otherwise called air springs or air bags?

It's worth checking how the air seat is plumbed. The line on those is so small that even if it broke free of the tank, your air compressor would probably keep up with is. But, done properly, it should be on an aux tank. You may have one.
no air suspension.


agreed on the air seat.
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Old 02-03-2021, 09:20 AM   #8
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*EDIT I see I was late to the party, should probably read the replies before I reply myself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome View Post
First question: anyone have any yeas or nays on Haldex or Bendix rebuilds?
Yea to both. Both brands are well known and respected. We typically use haldex because it's cheaper and has more availability then bendix, but I have zero doubts on either. I prefer local purchasing because then I have a physical person to talk to if warranty stuff is needed.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome View Post
Second question: good place or bad place to tap into, to add the aux. tank?
If you're wanting to increase the air capacity of the entire system, Add it to a fitting on the wet tank, then it can supply both primary and secondary systems on the bus, yet those systems will still be protected from emergency leaks by the check valves. There should be a few different ports on the wet tank, you might find a plug in one of them to remove and use. But any one of them can have a tee fitting attached to and be utilized that way.

If you need more volume for an air ride system or another important system, then add the line and additional tank to the secondary tank.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome View Post
Third question: what kind of "check valve" should I put on the aux. tank line, if any? If it is empty, it needs to fill, so if it leaks, can it be then automatically isolated from the rest? It doesn't itself need to be guaranteed pressure if the others leak. Seems illogical to have a valve like that (other than a hand-operated cut-off valve), but I am thinking I saw something about that.
No check valve is needed. If you're worried about leak isolation you can put a ball valve on the bus tank before the line to your auxiliary tank. If you want to automate the protection, you can put a pressure protection valve on the wet tank before your line to feed your auxiliary tank. That way your auxiliary tank will not receive air pressure unless the wet tank pressure is above a certain psi. Those valves can be had with a fixed pressure anywhere from 50-100 psi, and some are even adjustable too.

Here is an example of one https://www.anythingtruck.com/product/070-90555398.html


Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome View Post
Forth question: any other general advice?
Take your time doing this. It can be a pain wiggling a compressor out from underneath, especially if the frame rail interferes. Be safe too, a compressor is not exactly a light object either.

If you're getting oil in the tanks, you need to replace the desiccant cartridge in the dryer. The dryer will no longer capture water if the desiccant is covered in oil. Also, the desiccant is a filter too and should be replaced on a maintenance interval like all other oil/fluids in the bus.
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Old 02-04-2021, 03:18 PM   #9
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Correction:
it a

TRW Power Steering pump
PS221616R10301
OEM# 1874285



It's hard to find. One place (bigrigworld) had it online as "special order", and I ordered it, and they emailed back to say it's on backorder with no available delivery time. Waiting to see if they say they can ship it in less than a month. And pricey at near $500. Another "local" shop said in a week or two, but well over $600. But they are new pumps.



Ordered the air compressor online also, a Bendix rebuild. It ended up being the cheapest. I like dealing with local shops, also, for warranty, plus no return shipping cost on the core. But the additional cost was much more, and I don't plan on staying here long after I replace the air compressor. I'm staying here TO replace it; otherwise I would leave.


I'm thinking I might look into getting a rebuild kit for the compressor, and put it in storage, for the future if I keep this vehicle. If it is cheap enough. Finding parts for an older vehicle can be hard.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Booyah45828 View Post
Take your time doing this. It can be a pain wiggling a compressor out from underneath, especially if the frame rail interferes. Be safe too, a compressor is not exactly a light object either.

Yea, I'm not at all looking forward to this. I'm gonna use nylon cord to hang it from above. Tying the cord around (in two places, front and back of the compressor/p.s.pump assembly) or otherwise attaching it will be the trick. Then I'm thinking a round bar above the motor to run the cord over, and back down underneath, and if I can route it right, I should be able to pull from underneath to lift while guiding the unit by hand. Maybe put a cam-lock on the end of the cord so it can't back-up and drop the compressor on my head, with some kind of foot-lever that will pull the on cord.


In Hawai'i there was always someone with a cardboard sign looking for work at the Wally-World driveway. One guy I paid $20 to spend 5 minutes operating a tranny-jack handle while standing next to the vehicle, as I was underneath guiding the tranny in. He was happy.
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Old 02-12-2021, 09:06 PM   #10
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Got my rebuilt compressor today. Looks good. One question I was unsure about was whether it would come with a new unloader valve. Yep. Although I have to install the gaskets and o-ring for it, according to instructions. They say I should replace the line from the unloader to the wet tank, also, due to oil that can convert to carbon over time and act like "clogged arteries".


BigRigWorld said they didn't know how long it would take for the p.s.pump, maybe more than a month. The BlueBird dealer said they could have it the next morning for cheaper! Wow! I drove 2 hours out there, and they didn't have it. I knew I should have called to verify first. Then they called the next day to say it would be a few days, and they would call when it comes in. Supposed to be an OEM pump, though.


I would be willing to start on removal, except for now it started raining, and they say it will be raining for the foreseeable future. And getting colder again.



One time years ago I went to replace the lower-front frame crossmember in my truck (smacked a rock real good and hard while extreme 4×4ing). The frame sprung apart and I couldn't get the replacement part in, so I towed it to the frame shop. They "guaranteed me" correct wheel alignment, but then said they could not attempt it since the torsion bars were not installed. I tried to get them to install them (ahhh....1 bolt each...2 bars...10 minutes...) and they "could not". So I went there on Saturday afternoon when they were closed, and in the hard rain, with a stream of water flowing under the truck in the parking lot, I put on my wet-caving gear, pretended I was caving and that it was all fun, and installed the torsion bars myself. Sears still couldn't get my alignment correct. My bro did it with string held taught between two chairs and set parallel to the truck, measured from center points on the frame. That worked.


Anywhooos, looks like I might have to go "caving" under my bus this coming week. But rain eats tools for lunch. And caves are 55°F, not 40°F. That makes a big difference when you're gripping metal tools. Typically, I revolt from working below 50°F. I know you guys in Minnesota are ready to smack me right now...
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Old 02-12-2021, 09:31 PM   #11
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Thanks for sharing your "adventures"...it's both entertaining and informative, and I cringe for you at all the right moments. Be well!
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Old 02-12-2021, 11:46 PM   #12
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How hard could be in the bus?good luck
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Old 02-13-2021, 12:18 PM   #13
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you just had to go there didnt you rivetboy?
a nice warm shop and all that?
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Old 02-13-2021, 04:15 PM   #14
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Well, I try to be entertaining, as well as informative. This forum is a true wealth of info (not from me), but if it is all dry reading, phew! I was just diggin' the Rodney D. video on another thread a minute ago. Wonderful!


Rivetboy PMed me and suggested I pull the motor for this job. Can't do that where I'm at - a hill directly in front of the bus. I've been a mobile mechanic since 1996. It's always a question of "do I take more stuff apart and make it easy at every step, or get out the sneaky tools and struggle in tight spots but do it quicker." I've therefore got a lot of sneaky tools, especially without the support of a shop with a roof and lift.



The top bolt on the compressor flange will be the hard one. I'm hoping I can get to it without having to pull the radiator to get to it from the front.


Seems I remember being able to see it from underneath, but not get a wrench on it. Maybe a heavy-duty 1/2" drive air-ratchet with an extension bar and a wiggly socket can get it from above. I'm hoping...


Or, maybe from the front without removing the radiator. I was able to remove and re-install the front drive-belt (water pump, alternator) from under the dog-house. And I've got some really funky sneaky hand-ratchets. We'll see.


Anyway, I blew up today (and the last 3) listening to the politics on the radio. Glad that is over. Now, back to the regularly scheduled build and rebuild.....
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Old 02-15-2021, 05:07 PM   #15
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I got some preliminary work done yesterday. Pulled the wiring for the air-intake heater that was above the compressor. That gave me easy access to the steel coolant lines that connect there, as well as the rubber one below the steel ones. That rubber one connects to a housing that looks like it has a thermostat. It did not come with the rebuilt compressor, but the gasket for it did.


Pulled the a/c compressor and its bracket off the motor; it was directly below the air-compressor. That opens it all up nicely. It looks like it will drop right out of the tight space it is in without too much problems, and the new one may even line back up and bolt right in without too much hassle.


I cleaned the intake heater wiring terminals, and there is a fuse-box for them mounted to the side of the motor behind the p.s.pump. Once I get the compressor and p.s.pump out I'm gonna clean those fuses also (or at least check them).


If you look closely at the pics, you can see the oil buildup where the air compressor flange mounts to the engine timing chain housing. The front engine cover is right there also. I wiped it clean, and could see fresh oil come out of the gap at the flange, none at the cover. This is the second or third time I have tried to verify the exact source of this leak, and seen it right there. Anyway the compressor is pumping oil, so it does need replacing.

I also noticed that the a/c is leaking at the high-pressure line Schrader valve. Thought that was engine oil at first from the leak I'm trying to fix. Somewhere on utube I saw a guy demo a tool for replacing the valve without having to drain and refill the system.....gotta find that.


The p.s.pump came in today. I forget about ordering a new filter for that, so I ordered that also. I gotta get the old one out and take the high-pressure hose to have a new one made.


Next is draining the coolant and p.s. fluid (uuuugh!) then I'm ready to drop the old stuff out. Today is raining, not draining fluids in the rain. Tomorrow is weather in the 30°F-40°F range, maybe I'll drain stuff, maybe I'll drill holes in wood and metal for other projects. They say maybe 50°F-65°F later this week. But the weather report seems to change every 12-24 hours this past week or two. I feel like it is the 1970s again.
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Old 02-16-2021, 07:38 AM   #16
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This is the tool we have at the shop for in service ac valve core replacement.

Mastercool 58490

Other companies make something similar as well. I don't know if this is a part of the autozone tool rental program or not, but it might be worth checking out.
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Old 02-16-2021, 11:55 AM   #17
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I really admire your perseverance especially in crappy weather. That's a big, involved, job
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Old 02-16-2021, 06:13 PM   #18
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Quote:
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I really admire your perseverance especially in crappy weather. That's a big, involved, job
Thanks! It is looking smaller and smaller to me, now that I spent an hour pulling wires and the a/c compressor out of the way. So far the hardest part was pulling the old, hard rubber boot back off the wire terminals for the intake heater. I used hose pliers. The rest was hand wrenches, and a 1/2"-drive flex-head long-handle ratchet for the a/c bracket. It would have been a bit "harder" without that specific ratchet.


The compressor has 2 bolts at the mounting flange, and a bracket in the rear that has 2 bolts into the motor block. Should be easy access, with a hand wrench.


As for crappy weather, I chickened out today for draining fluids, as the high was 32°F. It was still flurries at noon. I drilled holes in the wood trim for my interior motorhome walls with a drill press inside the house.


As for perseverance, I just really want to get out of this hellhole here. Rain for months held me up for 9 months just to paint the roof, with the roof hatch deleted. Same for the windows on one side. Never got to the other windows. More rain held me up more, on the interior build and the rest of the paint. Then the humidity ruined the woodwork and turned it moldy (since it was raining too much to paint/stain/seal it) and I had to tear it out and start again. Then more mold, and I had to tear it out and bleach it (I used better quality, higher $$$ materials the second time) and reinstall it. Ready to leave, and old skin issues fire up and keep me tied to the shower (none in my bus) twice a day. I tried bathing in apple cider vinegar, and that was like holding a lit cigarette to my skin - over 1/4 to 1/3 of my body. Had to stand in "horse" stance and meditate to stand that for 15 minutes (helped my posture, though!). Did that for 4 months. Finally get that under control, and the pandemic hits, and I get locked in with my mom - bad juju there going back 40+ years. To say she is insane is a nice way to put it. It was tolerable when we had opposite schedules, and I only really saw her for a bit on weekends. Being here has stressed me out to the point that I don't even know myself anymore. Now the skin issue is back and keeping me from sleeping again. I'm bathing in iodine these days. It actually feels good and helps for a few hours.
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Old 02-22-2021, 01:55 PM   #19
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Sorry for whining in the last post. Gotta whine some more...
And for the life of me, I can't figure out how to put the pictures in line with the text, only at the end:
from this page:
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/faq.p...b3_attachments

Quote:
If you have uploaded an image as an attachment, you can click the arrow next to the 'Attachment Icon' and select it from the list. This will be inserted into your post and can be located where you want it displayed.
There is no "arrow". I can drag the icon or the link-text, but that only inserts the icon or the link-text.


That would surely make my posts more informative.

OH, SOB, now all my attachments were lost, because I tried to drag one...

Went out Wednesday last week and drained 5 gallons of the coolant, with the heater circuit closed. Started removing the hard-tube coolant lines from the motor-head to the compressor head. Got the first one loosened, and struggled to get it off. Removed an extra fitting at the compressor, trying to figure it out without forcing and breaking something.


Then I couldn't get the wrench on the compression nuts for the second coolant tube. The bus body was in the way. Pulled out the set of crow's foot wrenches, and didn't have the necessary 15/16-inch (since I rarely use any of these, I only had a cheapo creapo set). I have some nice crow's foot flair-nut wrenches, but the nut is too close to the unloader valve, and those wouldn't fit. I quit right there because I bit a hard piece of "fresh-baked" (a.k.a. likely 2-day old) baguette that almost broke a tooth (thanks Jeff Bezos!) and the pain was throbbing. I even misplaced a nut (from the oil dipstick tube bracket that I had to remove) and still haven't found it, because I couldn't concentrate.


I'll note right here that I mentioned in an earlier post that there was a "thermostat housing" looking thing below the hard coolant lines. This is, I now guess, the unloader valve and has nothing to do with coolant (I was really confused as to why there were 3 coolant lines ....). The instructions that come with the new compressor had me confused, and I thought the unloader was inside the main unit. The tube off of it feeds back to the motor head / intake manifold, and that is the only place for "air input". But then why the unloader valve there, or why is it such a big box?



Back to the job...

Got my first "Icon" tool set from Harbor Freight. A nice complete set of crow's foot wrenches, whereas many other sets I saw (online) didn't even have the 15/16-inch. Thursday it rained, and I saw the dentist (no help) and just felt like poo-poo. Friday I went back to work on that second coolant tube's nuts using the crow's foot.



I had to drive it with a funky-dandy ratchet that no one else will likely have (see pics). The nut wasn't too tight, and then spun easy (but tighter than fingers could work). Then I realized I could use a stubby ratchet. The other end of this second tube required a stubby with the same crow's foot. Mine is a low-torque with no teeth (it will ratchet at 0.05° swing, if that's all the room I got!), so I'm glad I broke it loose with the other ratchet, but a regular stubby would be fine.


After I got those coolant tubes off, I realized they have unique rubber seals. Gotta find those, if I can.


Saturday I spent a few hours out there disconnecting the rest of the stuff, and draining the power-steering fluid. I let it drip overnight. By that time, my skin condition became much much worse, and the tooth was still aching from time to time, so I again I couldn't concentrate, and was going slow.



Sunday I tied up the unit so it would "hang" once it was dismounted. I didn't realize that a wiring harness ran between the compressor and the motor, and that got tied up too.....


My real concern with removal was dumping p.s.fluid, coolant, and diesel oil on my face, as I lowered the unit. Sure enough, even though the output fitting is at the low spot, as soon as the back-end of the unit lowered, much more p.s.fluid came out. And more coolant. I was NOT under the unit, fortunately. I did that once as a kid when I bench-pressed a tranny out from under a car....a whole quart of 90-weight oil on my face, in my hair. Fortunately I had safety glasses on at the time.

The top compressor mounting flange nut was easy enough to get to, but it required a ratcheting wrench (18mm) to remove. Maybe a stubby wrench would be fine, but slower. Don't think a socket would fit there.

The high-pressure air output line required a 7/8-inch crow's foot wrench on a long extension bar, to reach up into the space from below the compressor to near its top. Could use a crow's foot flair-nut wrench also. But I think only a crow's foot would be possible up in there. (sorry no pics of that)



As I started to pull the compressor flange off the mounting studs, I realized that the fuse-holder thing for the power cables that feed the motor's air-intake heater was in the way. Had to remove that also. Tried to undo the cables, but the nuts bound, and the studs in the fuse-box broke free and started spinning. Cheap plastic crap. I heard recently that Daimler bought Cummings, when I don't know, but this plastic and the quality of the wiring insulation sure remind me of the total sh*t that Mercedes was putting out in that era. I was working at a European shop in 2004, and we had a car come in that was a 2000 model. The wiring harness had lost insulation already, and was shorting itself out, killing the computer with it. BMW plastic stuff (important stuff like cooling system parts!) is all brittle, and so much more so with time. We were told then it was European laws about requiring plastics that self-degrade, and don't last 1000 years, to help with trash. Creates trash, instead.



Anyways...
I had the unit tied up with slip-knots, that didn't want to undo. As the back (p.s. end) came down, the front (compressor end) stayed up, and was more complicated by the fact the wiring harness, that was lassoed by mistake also, was holding it up. In the end it fell out of the harness loop (since the wiring harness was preventing the cord from wrapping snugly around the compressor body) and more-or-less gently hit the flat cardboard on the ground.


So got it out without mucking myself up! Yea! But by then the skin condition thing was beginning to itch like mad again, and I was loosing my ability to concentrate (the itch level was progressing slowly all day, and keeping me going very slow). I was cleaning up the worksite, distracted, just wanting to go shower again, and in the end I picked up the compressor/p.s.pump assembly to move it in the garage, without thinking of the diesel oil in it. Half way there I remembered, and realized I had the open-end facing down. So I covered my pants and a shoe in 1/4 quart of used black diesel motor oil.


This skin thing is getting worse again this week. Some kinda fungal infection like ringworm or athlete's foot. Been plaguing me for 15 years, after moving to Hawai'i. They hall it "haole rot" there (haole is the local work for someone from mainland USA, among others - from the words "ha" - the breath of life itself, and "ole" - without; this is how the first Hawai'ians saw outsiders: evil, self-minded people with no soul; and for good reason. Of course now, they deny that root meaning, bcause, you know, no Hawai'ians' feet would - could - ever smell.). The CDC announced several years ago about a new strain of candida that resists all known medications and grows on cool dry skin (not hot and sweaty like other fungal infections), that came from Japan. My wife is from Japan, and this started the year I met her, and has been growing and spreading. Meds can help keep it under control, but then I get a rash on the rest of my body from the toxic soup of the fungus dying. (I personally think the infection is in my lymph system, and the meds can cause the lymph nodes nearby to swell and become internally itchy, yet painful to the touch) Doesn't matter which meds, from apple cider vinegar to tea-tree oil, to over-the-counter and prescription farmies. Right now the infection is under control (I beat the hell out of it with new pharmies these last two months) but the rash has totally covered my torso, sides, belly, back shoulders, and arms. It itches madly. Scratch it, and it feels like scratching skin that has been scrubbed with coarse steel wool. The iodine solution helps, but I wonder if it is the glycerin and sodium hydroxide in it that does more. I come out of the shower feeling like I've been freshly scrubbed raw with said steel wood, but after 10-15 minutes I get a few hours of relief before the maddening itching returns, and it's shower time again. This is why I think it is in my lymph system. The fungal infections are in random spots on my legs. The rash is in symmetrical patches on both sides of my body that match the high-sweat spots of the lymph system. The lymph is supposed to remove toxins that the kidney and liver cannot handle.
Today I have the cold-sweats. It's 70°-73°F in here, and my back is sweaty, but I have goose-bumps and am close to shivering. Sometimes it feels like terrible sunburn. Sometimes it feels like poison-ivy. Sometimes the sensation is like extremly dry, cracked skin and when I move it feels like "tears" the cracks apart, and burns/itches at the same time. Yet the skin is actually soft (but bumpy from the rash) and almost moist. This toxic soup is wrecking havoc on my nerves in my skin. And the nerves in my brain are about over it also. Don't think I'm working too much outside today.
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Old 02-22-2021, 02:05 PM   #20
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,222
Year: 1999
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC1000 HandyBus
Engine: 5.9L 24V-L6 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 26 foot
here's the pics. I gotta contact the admin for help!


And it sure would be nice if I could select more than one pic at a time for upload, or if my browser would remember what folder I selected from the last time.
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