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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
one more thought on running hot my southwind has a air dam under the radiator area to force more air up does your rig have one
No air dam on this one.I did have an idea about cutting out the entire center of the access door in the front and replacing with some sort of stainless grill.That would let in a huge amount of air,just dont know how a lot of rain would effect all the stuff behind the door.
They just finished a new road that connects Mansfield hwy with Dick Price rd. But it runs west of the track.
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txrparrothead
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11/29/11 07:58pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Fish,Ive been running the Saturday brackets at Kennedale since about 1999.Also Motorplex,North Star,and Crandall We have 3 Malibu wagons Brown one and a Blue one Not very fast 7:70,s 7:80,s and the new one is Silver.It should go 6:60,s or so when we get it sorted out.
My youngest son won Kennedale Track championship in the Brown car in 2009.
You say we are losing Kennedale? Please explain
Oh look....I hi-jacked my own thread!
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txrparrothead
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11/27/11 05:22pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Dave, its a T.B.I. The water pump was replaced. Not because there was any indication it was bad,but because everyone here warned me I better replace it along with all the belts and hoses while the rad was out.I did a lot of research and got a high flow MH type.Be damned if I can remember where I got it right now. SO I think after Xmas I will change the fan clutch.Im going to return the one I bought and get the AC/Delco unit......Part number anybody?...also plugs.plug wires,and possibly the aforementioned trans cooler.
You know this could all be an exercise in futility.A friend of mine came by the other day when I was working on the M.H. He has a class A about 24-26 ft I guess..TBI 454 He said. "Oh yeah mine hits about 235-240 climbing hills" My MH doesnt "smell" hot It doesnt boil over.after I change the fan clutch I think I'll just disconnect the audible alarm and drive it!
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txrparrothead
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11/27/11 01:06pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: front air bags not holding their ride height
They will lose pressure over time especially if you have a cold day blow thru. (just like a tire)I always raise my front end up with a floor jack before I air them up, it helps.
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txrparrothead
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11/20/11 08:43pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: New to forum
This is the best site on the net.I went out and bought an old MH just so I can hang out here.....Welcome.
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txrparrothead
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11/20/11 08:37pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
S/COMP...After you installed the trans cooler,did you leave the lines on the radiator so the fluid go,s thru both? Or just the external cooler? I like the idea of keeping the hot trans fluid out of the radiator.I think I would need a pretty large external cooler to make sure I dont cook the trans.We just finished another wagon and mounted a trans cooler with fan towards the back of the car ala dragster style.The fans a little loud but seems to do the job. I checked the plug wires for leaks with the engine running in the dark,but they could be breaking down under load so i'm going to buy another set.Also which spark plug should I use?
And it is amazing how many similiarities a MH and a race car share!
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txrparrothead
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11/20/11 09:56am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Old Class A suitable to tow car on open trailer?
I tow a 18ft open car hauler with a Malibu wagon and some tools pretty close to 5K pounds I guess.I towed this with a 77 Dodge El Dorado class C 26ft with a 440 Could barely tell it was back there.
Now with my 31ft class A 454 I get worried I wont make it up some hills! But I dont tow very far
So I would keep the MH length around 26ft or go with a DP
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txrparrothead
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11/17/11 01:23pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Sorry to be away so long and thanks for the advice.first weekend of Oct I took the MH to a 4 day race about 40 miles from home.It was still in the upper 90,s outside when I left.first part of the trip level hwy about 60mph temp stayed around 200 or so.Then sure enough I hit a long slight uphill grade had to keep my foot down to maintain speed.I get to about 230 or so and here go,s the audible alarm in my ear and the engine begins to miss and just felt sort of flat.It cooled down slightly on level grades but will not return to 200 unless I pull over and let it idle 15 mins or so.First night I was there a little cold front blew thru and cooled off about 20 deg outside.so on the way home cooler outside and no hills it did fine.I did not have time to change the fan clutch and thats the only cooling system component that hasnt been rebuilt or replaced.So I guess I'll have to wait until next summer to see if that will be the fix.
P.S. The MH surely enjoyed the cool dry air that was behind the cold front,and so did the race cars. Over a tenth and a half second faster than the day before!!...WOO HOO!!
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txrparrothead
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11/06/11 07:26pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Generator help, please. Leaving in the morning
I have no idea what a "vent-a-hood" is.
Sorry it might be a redneck thing.
A vent-a-hood is right above the range in the kitchen.It has a exhaust fan the pulls smoke and heat from the range and vents thru the roof.It also has a light.Mine has a row of switches built in that start/stop the gen,water pump,water heater,etc also has a row of l.e.d.s that indicate holding tank levels.
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txrparrothead
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09/25/11 10:08am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Generator help, please. Leaving in the morning
O.K now y'all have me confused.I have 3 places to start my gen.The switch panel on the vent-a-hood.a rocker switch on the dash..and a rocker switch outside on the gen itself.Your saying the rocker switch on the dash provides a boost from the chassis battery?
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txrparrothead
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09/25/11 08:23am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Ok what was the problem inquiring minds want to know lol......
Well....Its ongoing. I had the factory muffler and cat converter removed.It hit the ground in a cloud of rust! Went back with a almost straight thru low restriction muffler.You can look thru the inlet and see about half of the outlet.The cat converter was replaced by a piece of pipe (for now) It has a better sound.The trip home from the muffler shop is about 5 miles of flat terain not going over 50 MPH..so no real test here.But it DID run cooler And I think a slight increase in power. My new fan clutch and a 160 thermostat was ordered and will go in this week. Then I will hit the freeway again and report back.
Just a note on cat converters.I once had a 77 Gran Prix with a big ol 400.I had to replace the converter with a straight pipe and it took about a week for that engine to fully recover but it was almost completly blocked.not so on the mo-ho here but Im sure the 454 will like its new muffler.
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txrparrothead
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09/05/11 09:11pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
I use to have a 1995 Dolphin 35 with tag axle. Chevy P30 Chassis and a 454 engine.
I had one case of it getting hot. Put a new fan on and never had any more problems. When that fan kicked in you would think there was a freight train coming thru the dog house.
Temp would get about a needle width below the red mark, the fan would kick in and temp would drop very fast.
Also it would keep up with most diesel MHs on a long pull hill.
I never had any complaints about not having enough power with it.
And I don’t even like GM products.
Did you replace the whole fan? or just the fan clutch?
By 1995 didnt they have multiport F.I.
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txrparrothead
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09/01/11 04:26pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
a 91 454 had TBI....it was only rated at 190hp
if memory serves correct....a 92 was same engine/same HP rating.....
are you sure your not asking too much of the 190hp engine?
the early TBI 454s were severely choked down. I learned the hard way buying a new 91 crew dually that would not pull a 26' trailer on the hiway @ 55 that my 78 454 carbed 454 never knew was behind it.
The 91 (not sure on the 92 though) was what GM called the Mark V engine. it did use different head gaskets than the original Mark IV 454 engines. Be sure you have correct head gaskets. Even the MkV head gasket has the holes not sized as the blocks
Well if its only supposed to have 190HP then I take back everything bad I said.I guess it runs great for 190HP.I mean it IS 31ft long.With A huge flat windshield to punch thru the air. I remember the early 90,s SS 454 trucks were painfully slow.Their owners got busted by 318 Dakotas.What makes them so weak? Compression,Exhaust,Too lean?
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txrparrothead
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09/01/11 02:47pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
G.B.M = Georgie Boy Mfg or Motorhome...Gale?
I bought it from a dealer a little over a year ago.My wife took the test ride with a salesman driving and loved it.The interior and exterior was by far the nicest one we found for our price range (10-12K)I bought all new tires for it on the way home.Then discovered the w/wipers didnt work and it kinda got worse from there.They fixed a couple of things and I have tackled the rest.I have heard you guys say many times get ready to spend 3-4K on a used unit.Well I'm there.I also did not trust the dash gauge so I installed a mechanical temp gauge.Its connected to the pass side head sensor.the drivers side head sensor is connected to the dash gauge and alarm.The thermostat sensor is connected to the ECM. I guess I had it 6 mos before I ever really took it out on the hwy.
I DID shoot the hoses with a IR gun.The results are in a previous post Bottom hose was 165 and top hose was 180 or there abouts
This morning the old GBM earned a Texas insp sticker complete with emissions test.I felt like it was in the hospital or something caused the kid doing the insp walked over and said "good news it passed" Then it was off to the muffler shop. Had the Cat Conv cut out and new low restriction muffler installed. And by Georgie I think it ran a little cooler on the way home with maybe a slight increase in power.But the real test will be on the hwy.I also plan to replace the fan clutch and install a 165 thermostat Also want to check the timing.
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txrparrothead
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09/01/11 11:08am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
If the timing was out bad enough to cause heating and power lose it would be very hard to start and would show poor power from off idle right through
om a TBI or MPI system
The takeoff from standing start is pretty good
Its trying to get up the slightest grade is the killer
Then it gets hot..and...loses even more power
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txrparrothead
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08/31/11 01:16pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
One thing has come to my mind and that is the gauge. Are you basing your temps from the gauge on the dashboard? Thosse are not known for their accuracy. They will tell you when temps are climnbing or dropping but to actually tell the temp from them is questionable.
Didnt take long for me to realize those gauges pretty much suck.
I installed a stand alone mechanical temp gauge it will read a steady 225-230 or so.the factory dash gauge will move into the red and back the audible alarm will go back and forth from a strong beeping to a weak and broken whining sound. pretty funny really.
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txrparrothead
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08/31/11 01:10pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Didn't have time to get much done today.Except shoot the hoses with an IR gun.Mechanical temp gauge at 195. Top hose was 180 bottom hose was 165.The dist advance appears to be electronic. there are 2 plugs at the bottom of the dist but no vacume hose.Will just have to get a timing light on it to see if advance is working.At any rate I think the plan is to have good straight thru muffler installed and eliminate the cat converter for test purposes.I promise I will buy a new one for it.(in about a year)
Will also replace the fan clutch.Please tell me the radiator does not have to come out to change the fan clutch.
As for the electric fan on the front...I think all that bastard does is block air.
OK
But I think U need to pay attention to what some of us are telling you here?You said you have a 454TBI? correct?Then there is no advance system PERIOD.Its all controlled by the ECM.To check the timing there is a single wire that has to be disconnected to check base timing.Usually at the fire wall by the heater.The fan clutch can be replaced without removing rad.
Well I have to admit I sort of leaped frogged from 60,s 70,s mechanical/vacum advance to full blown OBD2 multi port F.I. So your saying there IS NO centrifugal or vacum advance in this dist? Or nothing to stick? If I put a timing light on it will I see advance from idle to about 3K RPM?
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txrparrothead
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08/31/11 11:25am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Something else none of us have thought of yet, Do you have any exhaust leaks, especially manifold leaks?? A leak will confuse the o2 sensor and could mess up the mixture.
There is a small exhaust manifold leak....but I thought they all had this...LOLOL
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txrparrothead
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08/31/11 11:06am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
Didn't have time to get much done today.Except shoot the hoses with an IR gun.Mechanical temp gauge at 195. Top hose was 180 bottom hose was 165.The dist advance appears to be electronic. there are 2 plugs at the bottom of the dist but no vacume hose.Will just have to get a timing light on it to see if advance is working.At any rate I think the plan is to have good straight thru muffler installed and eliminate the cat converter for test purposes.I promise I will buy a new one for it.(in about a year)
Will also replace the fan clutch.Please tell me the radiator does not have to come out to change the fan clutch.
As for the electric fan on the front...I think all that bastard does is block air.
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txrparrothead
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08/30/11 07:01pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: 454 still getting hot now what?
I would change or eliminate the CAT converter-It lowered my temp and raised the power a bunch-I went with a Magnaflow muffler and Straight pipe to make sure the cat conv was the problem then buy a cheap flow thru cat conv-I'll bet things will get better and it won't cost a ton--worth a try-RICH
Rich, Do you have a 454?
Also just found out it has to have the sniffer (emissions test) just doesnt go on the dyno.
If u have a emissions inspection requirement then U best install a new converter.Did the power lose and the overheating happen at about the same time?Also I will assume you replaced the RAD and stat because it was overheating but the same overheat situation remains the same as before the rad job?
I doubt that 225 degree water temp will have any bearing on your lose of power.The timing to be out would have to have been set improperly as it will not change over time on a ECM/FI 454
I am thinking fan clutch on the high temp situation and bad converter on the Power lose
It has had these problems since I bought it.I just didnt really realize it till I had it awhile.If I ever buy another one..I think I will insist on taking it on a camping trip 100 miles away before I buy it!
I had to locate a marker light lens yesterday.Today I will try to fix the w/wipers and get a new insp sticker.Then its off to the muffler shop to have the cat converter cut out and adjust the timing.
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txrparrothead
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08/30/11 11:11am |
Class A Motorhomes
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