Power steering problem on my "NEW" 345 - Page 2

JBK · 10-20-2006, 10:40 PM

Thanks guys. I will try those things on Sunday. I work tomorrow. No rest for the boss, I guess.

JB

GlenCoombe · 10-21-2006, 06:49 AM

I like Brutus... we often refer to Airstream One as The Bus or when it's acting up we call it The Beast.

A little lubrication is often all a hydrolic ram needs to start a whole new life.

JBK · 10-21-2006, 11:10 AM

O-K, I got up early this morning and fired Brutus up. Jacked up the front and did the left and right thing and pumped the brakes. It's quite a bit better, but still a faint moan. I am confident that it will be fine. Thanks again for all the help.

O-K, another question: While playing with things, I was trying to loosen up the valve on the hose for the heater under the couch. While working it the soldered in nipple came out of the housing of the heater. It really doesn't look like a very good joint to begin with as it appears to simply solder up to a hole in the side of the box without any kind of a flange. If pressurized water from the radiator goes through this, I would think it would be attached better. Am I o-k to simply solder this back on?

JB

C Johnson · 10-21-2006, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBK

While working it the soldered in nipple came out of the housing of the heater. It really doesn't look like a very good joint to begin with as it appears to simply solder up to a hole in the side of the box without any kind of a flange. If pressurized water from the radiator goes through this, I would think it would be attached better. Am I o-k to simply solder this back on?

JB

Do you mean the heater core itself ? If that is the case you'll have a hard time soldering it without melting the rest of the solder on the core.

I'm pretty sure someone else with more knowledge about what you are working on will chime in here. I just have the heater core/ radiator exp.

JBK · 10-21-2006, 12:24 PM

Chris:
It is the square tin box under the couch. The hose connection just seems to be soldered to the box itself, not into a hose connection. Goofy, but I guess I will have to take a better look tomorrow.
The weather here has turned to winter without giving us an autumn. It went from 70's to 20's and 30's literaly overnight. No 50 to 60 days to enjoy the fall. Just damned cold. I can't even wash Brutus. I may take him to a truck wash in town and use the foam brush tomorrow. At least the place is moderately heated and out of the wind.
I'll keep you posted. Pix to follow when it's clean. Hopefully there won't be any snow in the background... Burrrrr.....

JB

swebster · 10-23-2006, 09:54 AM

JB,
That remote heater is fed from the engine heater lines. Many of us have simply removed it and bypassed the hoses up near the engine as it's a weak point in the cooling system.

If you do decided to repair it then make sure oyu run new heater hose to and from the engine. Keep in mind that in many 345's these hoses ran even further aft to the water heater (heating the house water through an internal heat exchange with hot engine coolant while traveling) and will also need to be replaced.

I mention this because replacement of these hoses is very difficult and often "overlooked" as a maintenance item by previous owners.

Personally, mine sprung a leak above the floor on one of our first trips and dumped about a gallon of hot coolant all over the carpet. I remove it and haven't really missed it.

You can get replacement heater boxes from places like JCWhitney (just in case your repair doesn't pan out)