1980 FC with Cat 3802 - fan bearing replacement - any history of problems?

[Gardner Yeaw]

Gaorge,
As far as the fan, I have no idea. As far as getting on the road,
you are off to a tremendous start. Just knowing someone you trust to
check out the hydraulic things is a major plus. With the trans and
power stearing fixed up, and the radiator ready for another 200k
miles or more you are in the 'Cat bird seat'. I agree with getting
the engine checked out and serviced unless you have documents to
show it was done before. Beyond that, tire condition(age), required
systems (water/toilet/generator/refrigerator/stove/lighting), and a
destination, you are more than ready to begin enjoying your coach.
Take a short trip, and then longer ones until you gain confidence in
your self and the coach (the coach will be the easy part). Don't
think of vintage bird as old and in need of more maintenance. They
are built better than most and once you clean up things that were
not maintained, they are more dependable than most. I have a '78 and
it is pretty solid as far as getting there and back.

Gerdner
78FC33

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Lewandowski98040"
wrote:
>
> Hi -
>
> I'm a newbie.
>
> My wife and I just purchased a 1980 FC 31 from a nice guy (Don D.)
in
> Oregon. For me, it was love at first sight, but realistically, I
> know that this is going to be a high maintenance affair with an
older
> lady. Her speedo reads 90,000 miles but Don said that her true age
> could be 190K, since he was not her first lover. I promised him
that I
> would be kind, and try to keep her proud heritage mostly intact for
> the next owner.
>
> Before venturing too far from home, I introduced the Bird to my
> nephew, Rob, who owns a busy transmission rebuild shop in
Issaquah.
> He put her into one of his service bays for two weeks. He
serviced
> the Allison and the differential, rebuilt the power steering pump,
> sent the radiator out to a rebuilder, replaced some leaky hydraulic
> hoses, etc. Even though Rob normally runs with a fast, young,
racing
> crowd that's swigs synthetic lube and snorts nito injection, he
seems
> to have bonded with my old Bird as he gently poked and prodded for
> tell-tale signs of fatigue and imminent failure.
>
> Among other things, he found that the radiator fan bearing is "a
> little loose". He tried to replace the bearing but this bearing
is no
> longer available from local suppliers. It has a shaft that's
> integrated into the sealed bearing assembly. The Cat. replacement
> part is a whole new assembly. with a different mounting bracket and
> normal bearing with separate, removable shaft. It would cost me
> about $1,500 for these expensive parts and the shop time to
install them.
>
> I am wondering if any veteran Birders have found a source for the
> (presumably less expensive) original bearing, with its embedded
shaft,
> and what is the service/failure rate of that original style
bearing?
> I don't want a seized bearing to send the spinning fan flying
through
> my new radiator.
>
> Rob, also recommends that I take my bus to the local Blue Bird
dealer
> (Bryant Motors) for an engine checkup. He suggested that I want
might
> to have her valves adjusted and her head bolts tightened. What
else
> is prudent, in the way of preventive maintenance? What should I
> include, in my instructions to the technical wizards at Bryant? If
> possible, I want to sacrifice a little cash now for peace of mind
down
> the road, to avoid having to surrender a sick Bird to the tender
> mercies of part-time grease monkeys at Gus's Garage & Liquor Stop
in
> Widespot Wisconsin next summer.
>
> Meanwhile, my bride of 38 years wants to know why we're still tied
to
> the dock, instead of sailing off into the sunset, on that golden
> voyage that I promised her when I brought this old Bird home to
live
> with us. Just like on my wedding night, I'm stalling and hiding
my
> inexperience with grand promises of how wonderful everything will
be,
> when I finally get out of neutral. Any helpful marital advice from
> experienced Bird fanciers would be much appreciated. I've already
> used up the old trick of vague promises about new carpets and
curtains.
>
> George Lewandowski,
> Mercer Island, WA
>