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Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 2:15 am
by tango
Gotta be the first I have ever seen set at an angle Jack. And...are those more magic "paint stir sticks" I see above and to the left by any chance?

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:52 am
by Stealth Camper
Would you happen to be able to mention a name/capacity for those slides? Only name I can find that goes to 500 lb is Hettich. Even 500 seems a little light for what I want to do...

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:44 am
by ol trunt
My slides came from Accuride and are rated at 350# per pair. Accuride makes heavy duty slides up to 1300# per pair. You might look in the online Granger catalog as well. Jack

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 12:48 pm
by Stealth Camper
ol trunt wrote:My slides came from Accuride and are rated at 350# per pair. Accuride makes heavy duty slides up to 1300# per pair. You might look in the online Granger catalog as well. Jack
Thanks! I have used them in kitchen - just didn't even think to look at bigger sizes...

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 5:35 am
by ol trunt
Hello All.
I just completed the installation of a Sterling BB1230 in my little bus. I have just begun trials with it and this is what I've found to date:
1) STUDY the installation manual--lots of tricky concepts there.
2) Keep in mind Ohm's Law. Voltage equals Current times Resistance. When I first started the BB1230 it was playing to a brand new fully charged pair of Trojan deep cycle golf cart batteries. The BB was getting 14.4 volts from the alternator (12v, 110 amp) and outputting 14.6v. As a test I loaded the batteries with an inverter and all the LEDs I could turn on and allowed the batteries to draw down over night to 11.2v. I next shut off the load and fired up the bus engine. Same input voltage but the output voltage was down to 12.3v!???! After much gnashing of teeth I thought to measure the current input. I borrowed a DC clamp meter and discovered the BB was charging the battery at 26.7 amps--just shy of the 30 amp max output of the device. As a double check I disconnected the BB and switched on my house battery charger (a Progressive Dynamics 9245C converter and measured its output at nearly 45 amps--its max amps. I let the PD9245C charge the batteries up to 12v and then switched back to the BB1230 unit. All was well as the voltage output was again at 14.6 which was the charging voltage I had programmed into the unit. I like to look at it this way; if you monkey with any one aspect of Ohm's Law, the other two will change. A run down battery has less internal resistance to current (amps) than a nearly charged one. This explains the seemingly low output of the BB and its subsequent miraculous recovery on my test run.
3) Had I a larger alternator I'd have used the Sterling BB1260 (60 amp) unit to fatten up the charge rate. A 24v unit is also available in both 30 and 60 amps.
4) All the BB models are three stage and programmable to various battery types and requirements.
5) Since I use a standard 12v group 24 battery to start my genny and run the air compressor that powers the pneumatic door and the brakes on the toad, I feel comfortable with hooking it via manual switch to my start batteries/alt. The g24 likes to be drawn down quickly and recharged quickly as does the start battery.

Having had the typical experience with England's Lucas Electric (home before dark and all that) I checked out Sterling for smoke and finding none went with their product. We'll be on the road now for a week or so often dry camping and doing a good bit of driving. I'll have a better feel for the BB when we get back. Jack

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:15 pm
by ol trunt
Hello All.
We're back and other than being a little wet (not in the bus) we had a great time. I'd post pics but the place looks the same as it did the last time I posted pics. The BB1230 works as advertised which makes it easier for us to dry camp than before.

Somewhere along the line the low pressure side of the propane system developed a small leak.----- 6 PM here and I finally made it to the bar. At home. I spent the weekend locating and repairing a very small propane leak. Neither of my propane sniffers thought it bad enough to start squalling--but I could smell it. After pulling out an entire side's worth of upholstering, draining and raising my 60 gallon fresh water tank I finally found the leak. It was in one of the original donors connections in the low pressure side of the propane system. It didn't leak when I installed it so I left it alone. I should have checked more closely. The leak was the result of the worst attempt at a double flare I have ever seen. No wonder it leaked. Jack

Image.

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2018 2:11 pm
by ol trunt
Hello All. We're back from our annual "Lake Mead" trip all safe and sound. Unfortunately the bus didn't fare as well. I pulled off the freeway in Baker, Ca. with the intent of slowing enough to let me fire up my A/C and get back on the fwy--which I did but not before driving through an open manhole at about 40 mph. Long story short, the jolt drove the top of the right front shock threw the right front fender while twisting the front sheet metal at the cowl about 2". I repaired that when I got home only to discover that the hit had damaged the rear wheel bearings , ruptured the seal and flooded the brakes with gear oil.

Well, I allowed myself to think I had put the final fix to my "drive through the open manhole" experience. After repairing the body damage and replacing the right rear wheel bearings and the ruptured inner grease seal and brake shoes I thought I was done. Nope, seems the master leaf in the rear spring got bent so the bus was listing to the right. It took me 16 hours to R&R and rebuild the spring--half of that time was spent trying to figure out how to get the spring out without cutting out the welded in inner fender.

Whoopee! Looks like we will get to go camping for Christmas after all! Sure was easier to do this stuff 50 years ago when I was 25. Jack

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2018 3:04 pm
by Dusty
I feel your pain Jack , but good recovery too :)

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 12:28 pm
by ol trunt
Happy New Year All! Jack

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 1:30 pm
by Stealth Camper
Happy New Years!!!

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:28 pm
by ol trunt
Hello All.
My little bus is somewhat dependent on compressed air. The entry door is pneumatic and the Toad supplemental brake system uses compressed air to apply the brakes. I will install a pressure gauge in the dash when I find just the right one (Probably don’t really need a gauge because the door blows open once the air pressure gets too low) but until then I’ll be watching my new telltale LED on the dash. The 1/8” diam. LED will allow me to tell first, when the pressure switch on the air tank is on and second, when the compressor solenoid is on. Activation of the pressure switch results in the LED showing constant amber light which changes to a slow blink when the compressor solenoid engages.
It was cheap and easy to do. It took 1, 5 pin relay, 1, 2 pin flasher and an 1156 12v lamp for added resistance to slow the flash rate. Jack
Image.

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:26 am
by tango
Should also help with your air operated blender as well.

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2019 12:43 pm
by ol trunt
Hello All. Figured I'd better at least drop a year's end note. I promise to do an update early in the year but for now I'll wish you all a happy holiday season! Jack

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2019 3:17 pm
by Stealth Camper
Happy holidays to you too! And anyone else who is still listening/watching!!

Re: 1935 Chevy school bus

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:14 am
by Mark R. Obtinario
Happy New Year to all of you!

May the new year bring you blessings and good tidings.

Good Luck and Happy Trails to you!