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Topic: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates  (Read 814 times) previous topic - next topic

1994 U300 maintenance and updates

I have been updating and working on maintenance of my coach. First I pulled the radiator to inspect it due to age. I saw an episode on YouTube grease monkey on a country coach about our year with a 8v92. It had issues with the radiator. He had an episode on how to rod out the radiator. After I saw how bad my was, I cleaned and rod it out. Wow it had a lot of deposits. Luckily no corrosion. After I was finished I did pressure check it. I also added some air tabs and duct that I made with a 3D printer. Tabs are a vortex generator (check semi air tab) and the duct redirects it into the intake. With the volume of air that these engine's use, I hope it's going to help the performance and economy. It's an experiment. Don't think it will hurt anything as the air filter has a drain check rubber.

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #1 –
More photos

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #2 –
Caution on that air scoop on the engine air intake.  Water sheeting down the side of the coach can easily overwhelm that little duckbill drain.

And why air tabs in front of the intake?
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #3 –
Creates turbulence and breaks up the air. Google airtabs on trucks and rv's. They are using them on the back of the cabs and trailers. Right now it's just stuck on with double sided foam tape. Might cut some holes to bleed off excess water and air. Good idea.

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #4 –
Nice job and good photos to go with it. Only the last couple of years of U300/U280 have the air intake in that location, otherwise, it's behind the rear tires where everything gets sucked into the air cleaner.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #5 –
There are 6 rows of 60 four foot tubes. It took a lot of work to clean each. Two days worth. I used two, two foot 1/2" all thread to lower the radiator. Not fun to handle with the fans attached because it was back heavy. After I got it on the ground, I took off the fans. End caps took a total of 80 bolts. I really didn't want to drop it!!!!!

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #6 –
Nice job.
The Vgs will work best when placed in an area of pressure.    I'm not sure how your bus wind tunnel tufts . But easy to tell with some yarn and  I phone in a  passing car.
 For anti water intrusion, a water escape slot at the rear of the scoop  will work as water is heavier  and will leave  through the slot rather than make the turn into the filter . 
 Or back the scoop up about 2 in behind the door , add some slots and the ledge will sort the water/air out.

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #7 –
I wonder how making a closed re-circulation of vinegar through the radiator would work in removing the deposits? Our tankless water heater gets huge deposits of calcium in the tubes so I connect a sump pump to the heater with the drain going back into the 4 gallon Home Depot orange bucket. After about 20 minutes, the vinegar has dissolved the calcium. Several YouTube videos on cleaning heaters like this.

Yours was a well planned operation. The fan and motors are probably half the weight. The Fiberglas bodywork with the grill can be removed with a screw gun in about 10 minutes so there is easy access to the radiator but it's really heavy and the fan motor assembly makes it heavy on one side. The PO on ours had backed the coach into something on the corner and had done a really poor job of glass repair so I've had the bodywork off several times trying to get it exactly right.

Don't see any rot on your fins! ^.^d

Pierce


Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #8 –
I updated the side scoop, it's now up to revision B. It now has a good dad area and drainage for the rain.

Re: 1994 U300 maintenance and updates

Reply #9 –
I just finished a 750 mile round trip yesterday and it was running great. 65 to 70 with a Ford sport trac in tow. Outside temperature was running between 85 to 97 with winds 20 to 37 knots. Quartering headwind. Major improvement on the cooling. Engine was running great as well. Very happy with the results so far.