Mountain Driving with 1995 42', 42,000 lb. Blue Bird

[Pete Masterson]

The "jake brake" on the '95 with the Series 60 engine is a true
"exhaust" brake and it generates no excess heat energy that must be
handled. It is not a magnetic brake like those used on earlier 'birds.

The brake system is integrated with the automatic transmission. You
flip the "enable" switch on and set the "intensity" switch to low,
medium, or high. When you take your foot of the accelerator pedal,
the jake kicks in. The transmission will shift down (if within a safe
RPM range) to the next lower gear to strengthen the braking effect,
depending on the position of the low/med/high switch. If you then
press on the accelerator pedal, the jake shuts off and (after a brief
delay) the transmission will up-shift to ensure that the RPM will be
in the safe range.

I note that on my coach, someone has wired-out the medium setting so
that I have the choice of either high or low, but I'm usually able to
find a balance on most grades that's satisfactory.

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
El Sobrante, CA




On Jun 25, 2007, at 3:43 PM, brad barton wrote:
> <snip> If you have a magnetic retarder, be aware that it will build
> up considerable heat if used for several minutes..so downshift to
> help it out. I don't think your Jake brake or Pac brake is limited
> that way but a diesel mechanic can be more specific. <snip>
>