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03-11-2008, 09:06

Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it was so hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do you hear air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a faulty brake actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.

Just a few things to look at....

Kevin McKeown

Yorba Linda, CA

1986 38' PT (For Sale)

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03-11-2008, 09:35

Is there an easy way to test the air compressor on my coach? The coach
just doesn't air up like it should - seems to take forever, even at a
high idle it does not build and maintain air pressure very well. Once
on the road, actually driving, everything is fine. Pressure builds
rapidly and stays. But moving through parking lots at low speed gets
interesting as air pressure drops dramatically with each press of the
brakes and does not build back up for a considerable length of time.

I know something has gone wrong because I didn't have this problem
when I bought the coach. While I still have a couple of tiny air
leaks, they are very minor. I aired the coach up with my shop air
compressor and listened for leaks, I've found two small leaks in the
engine compartment that I'm working on but there's no way they are
venting enough air to cause this. The coach does air down fairly
rapidly after stopping, though. Suspension stays aired up but the
step, for instance, will give up and come out within 5 to 10 minutes
of turning the engine off (even if not used).

I have an appointment to have it looked at by a local shop on Friday
but was hoping to get a head start, maybe save myself some labor
charges.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

03-11-2008, 10:18

Most likely it is a bad regulator, but could be a leak in the brake
system which you can't detect unless you are applying the brakes.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Is there an easy way to test the air compressor on my coach? The coach
> just doesn't air up like it should - seems to take forever, even at a
> high idle it does not build and maintain air pressure very well. Once
> on the road, actually driving, everything is fine. Pressure builds
> rapidly and stays. But moving through parking lots at low speed gets
> interesting as air pressure drops dramatically with each press of the
> brakes and does not build back up for a considerable length of time.
>
> I know something has gone wrong because I didn't have this problem
> when I bought the coach. While I still have a couple of tiny air
> leaks, they are very minor. I aired the coach up with my shop air
> compressor and listened for leaks, I've found two small leaks in the
> engine compartment that I'm working on but there's no way they are
> venting enough air to cause this. The coach does air down fairly
> rapidly after stopping, though. Suspension stays aired up but the
> step, for instance, will give up and come out within 5 to 10 minutes
> of turning the engine off (even if not used).
>
> I have an appointment to have it looked at by a local shop on Friday
> but was hoping to get a head start, maybe save myself some labor
> charges.
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
>

03-11-2008, 14:46

Thanks Ron & Kevin for your advice. I'm not sure how to check the
governor/regulator (assume you're both talking about the same thing?).
Kevin, where was yours originally located at, and how did you test it?

I don't hear air escaping when the brakes are applied.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 6:06 PM, wrote:
>
> Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar
> problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible
> location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it was so
> hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do you hear
> air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a faulty brake
> actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.
>
> Just a few things to look at....
>
> Kevin McKeown
> Yorba Linda, CA
> 1986 38' PT (For Sale)
>

03-11-2008, 15:02

My assumption is that there are three separate (at least) air storage systems on
my Bird. One for brakes, one for suspension, and one for auxiliary, with the
latter including the step. That one is the fastest leaker on mine. The
assumption is based on: The front/rear gauge, which is the brakes, stays up. The
air bags stay inflated. The low air indicator comes on in just a few minutes
without air, and the step comes out.

It is possible, of course, that there are only two, and the bags are actually on
the same system but stay up due to check valves; that does not change the fact
that the aux system loses air fairly rapidly. I know I get some loss around the
air dump valves. There are lots of other places, such as air waste dump valves,
bulk oil fill, step cover, freshwater purge, air-extended driving lights, and
probably more I can't think of.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 3/11/2008 at 6:46 PM Ryan Wright wrote:

>Thanks Ron & Kevin for your advice. I'm not sure how to check the
>governor/regulator (assume you're both talking about the same thing?).
>Kevin, where was yours originally located at, and how did you test it?
>
>I don't hear air escaping when the brakes are applied.
>
>-Ryan
>'86 PT-40 8V92
>
>On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 6:06 PM, wrote:
>>
>> Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar
>> problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible
>> location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it was so
>> hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do you
>hear
>> air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a faulty brake
>> actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.
>>
>> Just a few things to look at....
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT (For Sale)

03-11-2008, 15:59

Ryan,

I could never get to my governor...I finally took it to a local shop, and they couldn't get to it either. They just cut the lines, and re-installed a new governor in the engine compartment bulkhead curb side, just on the other side of the battery charger compartment. The issue I was having was that my BB would only air up to 30-50 lbs of pressure, not even enough to release the brakes. I would hear air escaping from underneath the bus, but couldn't tell exactly where from. After trying to air it up a bunch of times, I guess something would unstick, and it would be OK again. The mechanic told me the governor was on the inside of a frame rail, in front of the transmission, and he couldn't get to it (??)...I knew I couldn't !

Since replacing the governor (about $35 bucks), it hasn't happened since (it did cost me several [5 or 6]hundred dollars to have a mechanic replumb the darn thing).

Best of luck...

Kevin McKeown

Yorba Linda, CA

1986 38' PT

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03-11-2008, 16:49

I haven't had to test mine, so not sure of the procedure. Others may
have a technique.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Thanks Ron & Kevin for your advice. I'm not sure how to check the
> governor/regulator (assume you're both talking about the same thing?).
> Kevin, where was yours originally located at, and how did you test it?
>
> I don't hear air escaping when the brakes are applied.
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
>
> On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 6:06 PM, wrote:
> >
> > Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar
> > problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible
> > location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it
was so
> > hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do
you hear
> > air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a
faulty brake
> > actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.
> >
> > Just a few things to look at....
> >
> > Kevin McKeown
> > Yorba Linda, CA
> > 1986 38' PT (For Sale)
> >
>

03-11-2008, 16:51

Chock the tire after the tanks are full. Then check the park brake
diaphram by releasing the parkbrake with the engine off. If you hear
air passing at the rear axle, the brakes are leaking while in
transit.
there is a blurb that explains typical airbrake components that may
be helpful to read before you speak with the tech

http://www.flxibleowners.org/flxbk/abrks2.htm

GregoryO'Connor
94ptRomolandCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ryan Wright"
wrote:
>
> Is there an easy way to test the air compressor on my coach? The
coach
> just doesn't air up like it should - seems to take forever, even
at a
> high idle it does not build and maintain air pressure very well.
Once
> on the road, actually driving, everything is fine. Pressure builds
> rapidly and stays. But moving through parking lots at low speed
gets
> interesting as air pressure drops dramatically with each press of
the
> brakes and does not build back up for a considerable length of
time.
>
> I know something has gone wrong because I didn't have this problem
> when I bought the coach. While I still have a couple of tiny air
> leaks, they are very minor. I aired the coach up with my shop air
> compressor and listened for leaks, I've found two small leaks in
the
> engine compartment that I'm working on but there's no way they are
> venting enough air to cause this. The coach does air down fairly
> rapidly after stopping, though. Suspension stays aired up but the
> step, for instance, will give up and come out within 5 to 10
minutes
> of turning the engine off (even if not used).
>
> I have an appointment to have it looked at by a local shop on
Friday
> but was hoping to get a head start, maybe save myself some labor
> charges.
>
> -Ryan
> '86 PT-40 8V92
>

03-12-2008, 01:23

Don, there are 4 tanks. Lanyards make for easy draining.
Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40 Smoke N Mirrors
Dahlonega, GA
Royale Conversion

Don Bradner wrote:

My assumption is that there are three separate (at least) air storage systems on my Bird. One for brakes, one for suspension, and one for auxiliary, with the latter including the step. That one is the fastest leaker on mine. The assumption is based on: The front/rear gauge, which is the brakes, stays up. The air bags stay inflated. The low air indicator comes on in just a few
minutes without air, and the step comes out.

It is possible, of course, that there are only two, and the bags are actually on the same system but stay up due to check valves; that does not change the fact that the aux system loses air fairly rapidly. I know I get some loss around the air dump valves. There are lots of other places, such as air waste dump valves, bulk oil fill, step cover, freshwater purge, air-extended driving lights, and probably more I can't think of.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 3/11/2008 at 6:46 PM Ryan Wright wrote:

>Thanks Ron & Kevin for your advice. I'm not sure how to check the
>governor/regulator (assume you're both talking about the same thing?).
>Kevin, where was yours originally located at, and how did you test it?
>
>I don't hear air escaping when the brakes are applied.
>
>-Ryan
>'86 PT-40 8V92
>
>On Tue, Mar
11, 2008 at 6:06 PM, <"krminyl%40aol.com"> wrote:
>>
>> Check your governor...Mine went bad a few years ago, and I had similar
>> problems. Hopefully your governor has been relocated to an accessible
>> location....I replumbed mine, and bypassed the original because it was so
>> hard to get to (up in a frame rail, behind the transmission). do you
>hear
>> air escaping when you apply the brakes? I did, and I had a faulty brake
>> actuator "can". A leaking air bag could also be causing the air loss.
>>
>> Just a few things to look at....
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT (For Sale)

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

03-12-2008, 04:19

Thanks Don. Really appreciate this information, I did not know this;
it's good to know my air system is holding air acceptably. The
suspension does stay up, as does the air on the front/rear gauge. It's
just the aux air systems that bleed down fairly rapidly. I'm quite
pleased to hear this is normal.

So the problem, then, is just the front/rear (brake) tanks depleting
so quickly and taking so long to fill back up. Smile

I'll bet the
mechanics find it pretty quick Friday. I brought the coach to them
once before and they did a great job.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92

On 3/11/08, Don Bradner wrote:
>
> My assumption is that there are three separate (at least) air storage systems
on my Bird.
> One for brakes, one for suspension, and one for auxiliary, with the latter
including the
> step. That one is the fastest leaker on mine. The assumption is based on: The
front/rear
> gauge, which is the brakes, stays up. The air bags stay inflated. The low air
indicator
> comes on in just a few minutes without air, and the step comes out.