Air Brakes 91'Bird

[oldbaja]

I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle
pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix
this myself ?

[G Boyd]

Well I don't know can you? LOL. It depends on what the problem is I suppose. It may be leaking brake chamber. If you replace the brake chamber replace the hoses at the same time and do both Chambers at once given their age. Never.... ever.... try to take a brake chamber apart on your own. There is a spring pressure in your parking brake chambers that is enormous and very dangerous. Also block the bus frame up so it does not come down on you. Maybe a repair shop is in order?

On 5 May 2011 12:10, oldbaja <"bjsc4363@hotmail.com"> wrote:

 

I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix this myself ?

[Ernie Ekberg]

I'd second the repair shop- or someone with a pit. A few coach owners are no longer with us because of the way gravity works. Ernie Ekberg 817-475-3991 www.ernieekbergflooring.net --- On Thu, 5/5/11, G Boyd wrote: From: G Boyd Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Air Brakes 91'Bird To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011, 3:11 PM Well I don't know can you? LOL. It depends on what the problem is I suppose. It may be leaking brake chamber. If you replace the brake chamber replace the hoses at the same time and do both Chambers at once given their age. Never.... ever.... try to take a brake chamber apart on your own. There is a spring pressure in your parking brake chambers that is enormous and very dangerous. Also block the bus frame up so it does not come down on you. Maybe a repair shop is in order? On 5 May 2011 12:10, oldbaja <bjsc4363@...> wrote: I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix this myself ?

[Wallace Craig]

Wallace & Faye Craig

95 WLWB 42

Azle, Texas

---

From: Ernie Ekberg
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, May 5, 2011 4:19:17 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Air Brakes 91'Bird

I'd second the repair shop- or someone with a pit. A few coach owners are no longer with us because of the way gravity works. Ernie Ekberg 817-475-3991 www.ernieekbergflooring.net --- On Thu, 5/5/11, G Boyd wrote: From: G Boyd Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Air Brakes 91'Bird To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011, 3:11 PM Well I don't know can you? LOL. It depends on what the problem is I suppose. It may be leaking brake chamber. If you replace the brake chamber replace the hoses at the same time and do both Chambers at once given their age. Never.... ever.... try to take a brake chamber apart on your own. There is a spring pressure in your parking brake chambers that is enormous and very dangerous. Also block the bus frame up so it does not come down on you. Maybe a repair shop is in order? On 5 May 2011 12:10, oldbaja <bjsc4363@...> wrote: I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix this myself ? Be sure that you have a current will if you are going to get under coach; please consider some mental health orginization as benificiary. Wallace Craig

B

[Steve Quandt]

I also second the repair shop. Safer and
they will get it done in half the time.

Steve Quandt

1993 PT 40

Iron Mountain, MI

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of G Boyd

Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 3:12
PM

To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum]
Air Brakes 91'Bird

Well I
don't know can you? LOL. It depends on what the problem is I suppose. It may be
leaking brake chamber. If you replace the brake chamber replace the hoses at
the same time and do both Chambers at once given their age. Never.... ever....
try to take a brake chamber apart on your own. There is a spring pressure in
your parking brake chambers that is enormous and very dangerous. Also block the
bus frame up so it does not come down on you. Maybe a repair shop is in order?

On 5 May 2011 12:10, oldbaja <"bjsc4363@hotmail.com">
wrote:

I have a constant leak
out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle pass side whenever the
parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix this myself ?

[oldbaja]

Thanks for the input guys. It is leaking from the chamber. Can't drive it cause
the leak won't let the parking brake off. Gonna find an assembly and try to
change it here.

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "oldbaja" <bjsc4363@...> wrote:
>
> I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive axle
pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I fix
this myself ?
>

[mbulriss]

Dear ???, (please sign your posts)

I note that you have never indicated your mechanical prowess or if you have ever
changed one of those out before, but you got some good advice to let someone
else do it. Call a mobile diesel truck service.

Several items to consider. If you have a chamber spring 'tool', you can release
the spring pressure on that chamber and you can move the bus around (slowly
please) if you need to re-position it. The 91 used a MGM 3036 chamber. If you
do a search on the forum you will find several posts on this chamber (as well as
installation hints). I had one of mine go in 2007 and it was impossible to find
locally in San Antonio, TX. Even the manufacturer had none in stock at that
time. The MGM 3036 ran about $300 at that time. A potential replacement is a
Bendix 3030 which is readily available at any truck shop in the US. They make
about 4 million per year and are rated up to 80,000 lbs as I recall. They were
under $100 each. Downside, you need to replace both sides.

If you decide to crawl under there, make darn sure you brace the frame up and
not just rely on the jacks. (I really hate making "In Memoriam" front pages for
Bird of the Week! Check Bird of the Week archive for one that did not brace the
frame on a big rig.)

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "oldbaja" <bjsc4363@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the input guys. It is leaking from the chamber. Can't drive it
cause the leak won't let the parking brake off. Gonna find an assembly and try
to change it here.
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "oldbaja" <bjsc4363@> wrote:
> >
> > I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive
axle pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I
fix this myself ?
> >
>

[G]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "oldbaja" <bjsc4363@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the input guys. It is leaking from the chamber. Can't drive it
cause the leak won't let the parking brake off. Gonna find an assembly and try
to change it here.
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "oldbaja" <bjsc4363@> wrote:
> >
> > I have a constant leak out the exhaust port of the air brake on my drive
axle pass side whenever the parking brake is off and I'm ready to drive. Can I
fix this myself ?
> >
>

I would not go under your bus for anything. Call a mobile diesel mechanic and
have it replaced for safety sake. Also you must know if your current brake
chambers are long stroke or not. 97 is around the time the switch started to
happen on some busses. Don't mix short stroke and long stroke as this can create
timing problem with brake applications potentially causing dangerous conditions
on the road. Have it done by a professional.