Ok what we found when we fitted the new bags. On one of the front bags (drivers side) we found air leaking from the air supply tube immediately above the bag. Please see pics for more info.
This area is, along with a few other areas of these coaches, “guaranteed to rust” The potential for mud, dust,dirt, whatever you want to call it to collect above the front suspension and promote rust could not have been done better if you had started out to do so. And of course, once this muck is up there, it is always wet, and loves to corrode anything it is touching. Thus, packed around the air supply pipe, it rusted it through.
And, of course it is completely impossible to get at to effect any repairs as it is between steel, steel, steel. So we are thinking the best thing to do is clean the area thoroughly, then slip a new piece of the next sized pipe over the old and silver solder or braise the 2 pipes together,
If anyone has removed the upper bollard and knows how it is retained please let us know so I can put that info here, as we have been trying to work it out for the last week and have given up.
That is the plan at the moment, with so much happening with farm and subdivision, it might be a few days before we get back to it.
Well, Peter came and helped me (actually other way around) and I’m bloody glad he did. This is a job that you really do not want to be doing, especially learning to do beside the highway with 100 KPH speed limited B Doubles wizzing past at 130 K’s. Thanks for your help Peter, it was most appreciated. If it was me buying them again I think I might ask if they came pre-folded. When Peter bought his that is how they came, ours didn’t. It is not a major issue, if you folded them all the day before or similar it would be helpful though. There is also a bit on Peter’s site about air bags at http://www.mammothmotorhome.com/history_months_61-63.htm scroll down to find the info
You need to loosen from the top ring first, using screwdrivers or tyre levers, being careful not to mark the sealing ring the bag slides over.
Need lots of rubber grease around the openings, on the retaining rings they have to slip over and inside the bag itself to facilitate the sliding up and down when folding. The bell sits on a post, one of ours would not come off, even with a bigger hammer, so had to get the oxy out to warm it. Damaged it while hitting it so then had to panelbeat it !
Bells are also called pistons, I believe Bus and Coach Parts has them in both plastic and aluminium. Ours are the original steel, bit of rust here and there but not enough to warrant replacement
