StingrayL82
Nampa, Idaho
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Aznbyte wrote:Hey all, I am a newish owner of a 1978 Dodge Midas RV. I recently finished renovation of it (you can check it out in the DIY page.)
I cannot for the life of me find any specs for this thing, and every mechanic I've been too cant either. Anyone have any idea where I can get detailed information on it? Like basic things such as the gas tank size....
Thanks for your assistance and happy to be here!
This is about as close as I can get you to one: help i need a owners manual for a 1978 ford midas mini home
There are pictures of the manual...maybe you can contact the member and see if they'll make copies for you.
You can also go here and ask if there's a copy: Good Old RVs Manuals
Good luck.
Fred
Retired Army Guy
2005 Monaco LaPalma 37PST
Workhorse W24 chassis
8.1L Vortec
Allison 2100 MH
Onyx Color Scheme
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j-d
Sunny Florida USA
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my440 wrote: Oh yes the instrument cluster nightmare, that was last years task. I tracked that one down, regulator attatched to the back of panel lost ground. Oil, temp, fuel gauges quit. Good now tho,thanks, and for the lube tip. Still working on this...
Yeah, that little regulator. I think I replaced it once, not sure it was actually bad. Later, I'd be driving along, look down and the Temp was High. First time freaked me out. Then I noticed I had More Gas, and More Oil Pressure. About then I learned to ignore one if the other two also went UP.
If God's Your Co-Pilot Move Over, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100 218" WB
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my440
Monashees British Columbia
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j-d wrote:my440 wrote: Oh yes the instrument cluster nightmare, that was last years task. I tracked that one down, regulator attatched to the back of panel lost ground. Oil, temp, fuel gauges quit. Good now tho,thanks, and for the lube tip. Still working on this...
Yeah, that little regulator. I think I replaced it once, not sure it was actually bad. Later, I'd be driving along, look down and the Temp was High. First time freaked me out. Then I noticed I had More Gas, and More Oil Pressure. About then I learned to ignore one if the other two also went UP.
I love the old school electronics for that reason!
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Griff in Fairbanks
AK
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RE: Brake pedal failing to return fully.
Generally accepted practice is to completely flush brakes systems, replacing all brake fluid, every 4-6 years. Also, rebuilding or replacing master cylinders every 12-16 years. This is generally regardless of usage, although frequent, continuous usage favors longer intervals. Infrequent use and extended idle periods favors more frequent maintenance.
Springs in drum brakes and the nature of disc brake operation causes back pressure in the master cylinder, which is usually sufficient to cause full pedal return. If yours has a pedal return spring, it's merely there to assist master cylinder piston return. (I've seen loose, broken, or missing return springs in old trucks where the pedal was returning fully without the assist. These were invariably well maintained trucks.)
The seals on master cylinders tend to disintegrate with age, especially in older trucks like our motorhomes. In this case, the only option (short of abandoning the truck) is to rebuild or replace the master cylinder. (Worn or disintegrated master cylinder piston seals will prevent brakes from engaging fully and cause brake fade.)
In some cases, old brake fluid causes a gummy build up right where the piston seals were resting. (Especially common in trucks that have been 'stored' for extended periods.) Part of the gummy build up is from the early stages of piston seal disintegration. The build up can cause the piston to stick or jam, preventing full travel. Pedal return assist springs will not change the situation and could make things worse.
While rebuilding or replacing master cylinders is advisable, it is possible to free a sticky master cylinder piston, provided the seals are still in reasonable condition. At most, this is sufficient for one or two seasons of continued use. I strongly recommend not trying to extend this further.
The same situation may occur with wheel cylinders and calipers. Likewise, if your motorhome has separate brake boosters and associated slave cylinders. In these cases, you'll experience issues with the front or rear brakes, rather than the entire system.
The master cylinder is the key component and a single point of system failure. So, this is the place to start.
Something many people overlook is the brake proportioning valve. (This is where the 'brake failure' switch is usually located.) These also have a piston inside and can wear out. Most are not rebuildable.
Personally, in the case of brakes, any question of condition invariably means rebuilding or replacing components.
In my next post, I will describe the procedure for flushing brake systems and replacing brake fluid. ('Freeing' a sticky master cylinder is related so I'll mention that process as well.)
1970 Explorer Class A on a 1969 Dodge M300 chassis with 318 cu. in. (split year)
1972 Executive Class A on a Dodge M375 chassis with 413 cu. in.
1973 Explorer Class A on a Dodge RM350 (R4) chassis with 318 engine & tranny from 1970 Explorer Class A
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Griff in Fairbanks
AK
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Procedure for flushing brake systems and replacing brake fluid:
DO NOT USE ANY SOLVENTS TO FLUSH BRAKE SYSTEMS. USE ONLY FRESH BRAKE FLUID FROM PREVIOUSLY UNOPENED CONTAINERS. (If the forum software offered any additional ways to emphasize this, I'd have used them as well.)
There is simply too much risk of all types of solvents contaminating the brake fluid and causing premature seal failure.
Make sure you have ample brake fluid before starting. A quart bottle is minimum and may not be sufficient. Ask if you can return unopened bottles before purchasing. If they say, "no," find a different parts store ... the staff (and management) at this store are uninformed, untrustworthy idiots.
Factory sealed bottles of brake fluid have a long shelf life. Once the metal and plastic seal under the cap is broken, atmospheric humidity begins contaminating the brake fluid. (Even in subzero low humidity conditions.)
There's a decades old ongoing discussion regarding the shelf life of an opened bottle of brake fluid. I dispose of opened bottles rather than risk using contaminated brake fluid.
I usually buy brake fluid only in the smallest available bottles, by the case. Opening many small bottles while flushing brakes adds tedium so I start with a quart bottle. I often have a second quart bottle on standby but only open it if I'm fairly sure I'll use most or all of it. Otherwise, I switch to the smaller bottles when I've used all the first quart.
With one exception, the basic procedure is identical to bleeding brakes.
The exception is, instead of stopping when you have firm pedal 'feel,' you continue until you can plainly see clear, clean brake fluid flowing from each bleed valve.
Tools and fixtures for maintaining system pressure while bleeding brakes are especially helpful when flushing the brake system. However, it can be done with coordinated help of another person. (A third person is helpful, to continuously keep the master cylinder topped off.)
The goal is to use the new fluid to push the old fluid out of the system. Any pauses in the process creates a risk the old fluid mixing with the new fluid. A pause for a quick sip of coffee or soda is okay. Likewise, moving from doing one wheel to the next is okay. Pausing for a cigarette break is too long. (Bathroom breaks are also too long but sometimes absolutely necessary ... my wife helps me with bleeding brakes but I find someone else for flushing brakes.)
A brief break between flushing the front brakes and rear brakes is acceptable. It may be necessary to relieve biological pressure, un-kink leg and back muscles, or grab a quick sandwich. (If your truck has separate brake boosters and slave cylinders, make sure you flush the one for the front brakes before taking this break.)
Obviously, flushing brakes is a lengthy process, especially if you're using the two (or three) person approach. So, schedule ample time for the task.
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my440
Monashees British Columbia
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Griff!! Your a wealth of information. I got to have a look over this all. Thanks kindly. I'm leaning on changing both the master cylinder and booster. Been afew years but just figured I could tweak something to get that dang peddle to go up just a tad to switch off the brake lights.
When the engine is off and the peddle is pushed it returns back enough where the lights go out.
Other than that brakes work perfect. Nice and firm, no spongy peddle, just changed all pads drums calipers.
A work in progress.
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Griff in Fairbanks
AK
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'Freeing' stuck or sticky master cylinder pistons:
Before proceeding, consider you're going to use a lot of time and brake fluid to do this. It may be cheaper and faster to replace the master cylinder.
This is temporary fix ... you'll be rebuilding or replacing it anyhow in the near future. Also, you won't know until after you're done if the seals are still reasonably good.
The objective is to use fresh brake fluid to dissolve the old gummy build up.
If the master cylinder piston is totally stuck (won't move at all), you may have a different problem, making all subsequent efforts futile. Likewise, you may wind up investing too much effort or not be able to dissolve the gummy buildup.
Step one is to remove all old brake fluid from the master cylinder and replace it with fresh fluid. It doesn't really matter how you do this. However, you want to make sure fresh fluid gets down where the piston is.
If you're the patient type, who allows things time to work, leave it overnight. (If the piston can move, even slightly, you can help the process by working the piston back and forth a few times every 4-6 hours.
You can try to hurry things up by immediately beginning to work the piston back and forth. But be careful. Being impatient always carries a risk of causing damage rather than fixing things.
If at some point you don't seem to be making an progress, you may need to dump the fluid you've been using and replace with fresh fluid.
Eventually -- hopefully -- you'll get the piston to move freely for the full length of it's travel.
Now, you get to find out if the seals are still any good. More than likely, you've destroyed the seals and need to rebuild the master cylinder.
The above is the exact process I've used to restore very old, very rare master cylinders. In one case, we had to machine new seals, using liquid nitrogen to freeze suitable rubber before and during machining.
I also know, from firsthand experience, that new and remanufactured master cylinders are available for extremely unique applications and vehicles dating back to the 1930's. (While I don't have firsthand knowledge, I believe this applies to vehicles from the 1920's and earlier.)
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Griff in Fairbanks
AK
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my440 wrote:Griff!! Your a wealth of information. I got to have a look over this all. Thanks kindly. I'm leaning on changing both the master cylinder and booster. Been afew years but just figured I could tweak something to get that dang peddle to go up just a tad to switch off the brake lights.
When the engine is off and the peddle is pushed it returns back enough where the lights go out.
Other than that brakes work perfect. Nice and firm, no spongy peddle, just changed all pads drums calipers.
A work in progress.
Are you talking the brake lights in the rear or the brake light in the dash?
If you're talking the brake light in dash, it's the 'brake failure' switch located on the proportioning valve. It senses the lose of pressure in the front or rear brake systems via a piston 'balanced' between the front and rear systems.
Sometimes this piston gets 'off-center,' yielding false readings. Alternatively, the switch is a normally closed switch, held open by a bump in the piston. If the switch is broken or somehow stuck in the closed position, you'll also experience 'false positives.'
This is the same type of switch, and same function, as the neutral start switch on your automatic transmission. The same with the switches on car and truck doors for interior lights,
(Modern vehicles use magnetic reed or proximity switches to sense 'door ajar.')
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StingrayL82
Nampa, Idaho
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One exception to the NO SOLVENT rule, IMO, is if you’re replacing everything but the hard lines, which I am. I’m going to spray the snot out of the steel lines, once everything is off, with BrakeKleen. My entire system, except the steel lines, is being replaced (calipers, cylinders, master, rubber hoses), so I’m not worried about anything being contaminated, given BrakeKleen evaporates.
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StingrayL82
Nampa, Idaho
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Griff in Fairbanks wrote:Are you talking the brake lights in the rear or the brake light in the dash?
If you're talking the brake light in dash, it's the 'brake failure' switch located on the proportioning valve. It senses the lose of pressure in the front or rear brake systems via a piston 'balanced' between the front and rear systems.
Sometimes this piston gets 'off-center,' yielding false readings. Alternatively, the switch is a normally closed switch, held open by a bump in the piston. If the switch is broken or somehow stuck in the closed position, you'll also experience 'false positives.'
This is the same type of switch, and same function, as the neutral start switch on your automatic transmission. The same with the switches on car and truck doors for interior lights,
(Modern vehicles use magnetic reed or proximity switches to sense 'door ajar.')
I’m betting rear brake lights. I didn’t realize the MB300 didn’t have a return spring, until I saw the rear brake lights on. The brake switch doesn’t require hardly any pressure to activate.
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