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

[one_dusty_hoot]

Welcome Greorge, I like your style of writings,
Have you every been referred to as Washington George?
Hope you and the bride have miles of smiles with
the new to you bird.

Couple things you haven't mentioned, maybe just
left them out intentionally but in case you didn't
Tires, Air Bags, if you go them,1980's was the first year.
Belts, hoses, clamps, did he change the PS hi press. hose?
Did he change the filter in the Allison?, Change the rear end lube.
Air Compressor filter, Air Dryer, AD-2?
Racor fuel filter, final filter, Air, all filters including the
power steering filter down inside the cannister.
Front Wheel Bearings/repack
Brake Linings, check for water in the wet and dry tanks
Heck, just make you a list like nothings been done and go from
there, start recording when you did it and you know it's done.

I can't help you on the bearing, it's an idler too??
$1500 would go a long way puting an electric fan on
the radiator, no ideas for you here, I have always
been under the impression that a good machine shop
could build about anything. How about picking the
bone of a 3208 at a junk yard, one that's spilled its
innards, get on he net with 3208 rebuilders, etc.

I have missed some things I know, one important thing
when you get your bride and your lady on the road is to
have a good time, good times come without troubles.
I have never had a good time with trouble on the road.
Bob Janes, '87FC35. Greenville, SC







--- 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
>