Motorhome Age/Years - 1985 345 Chevy

[Toddnazus]

Hey Folks,

Just a curious question on the age of your Airstream Motorhomes...

Based upon what I can tell on our Bus:

1) The Coach is a 1985 Airstream Coach
2) The Chassis is a Chevy 1984
3) From what the Mechanics are telling me, the 545 Chevy is a 1979 (?!?!?)
(note: this has impacted the overheating issue from my previous posts)

Just wanted to check in with Friends in the Forum, Have others experienced this diversity in ages of the various components as I have indicated above ? Is this uncommon ?

Thanks !

Todd

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Toddnazus

Hey Folks,

Just a curious question on the age of your Airstream Motorhomes...

Based upon what I can tell on our Bus:

1) The Coach is a 1985 Airstream Coach
2) The Chassis is a Chevy 1984
3) From what the Mechanics are telling me, the 545 Chevy is a 1979 (?!?!?)
(note: this has impacted the overheating issue from my previous posts)

Just wanted to check in with Friends in the Forum, Have others experienced this diversity in ages of the various components as I have indicated above ? Is this uncommon ?

Thanks !

Todd

Todd, I assume you mean '454' and not '545'.

If the engine is original to the coach there is no way it would be a 79 engine.

If it truly is a 79 engine then someone has pulled the original and replaced it. Swapping engines is not an easy task so if it was done then there must have been a good reason for doing so.

Brad

[Isuzusweet]

Brad's right, if the motor serial number dictates it as a 79 then it was swapped out at some time. I think the life expectancy of the 454 is only 60,000 miles in these beasts.

Brad would probably have better knowledge on different types of 454's, especially head configurations (peanut heads, 4 bolt mains etc) but the earlier the 454 usually means a stouter stronger engine.

Cheers
Tony

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Brad would probably have better knowledge on different types of 454's, especially head configurations (peanut heads, 4 bolt mains etc) but the earlier the 454 usually means a stouter stronger engine.

I really don't know all that much about Chevy engines but ask me about Triumph TR4, TR6 or Spitfire motors and I can probably answer most of the questions

[windfallsp]

Isuzu,

We had over 100K miles on our '85 Classic when we sold it, and the original 454 was running very well at that time. These engines will go a lot more than 60K miles if they're well taken care of.

[OttawaValleyGuy]

I would say a 1995 AURSTREAM would have been built on A 1994 chassis
I had a 1987 which was built on a 86 chassis
I do not agree that the 454 was a sort life engine
I have owned FOUR of them, never had to rebuild or exchange any. Two of them had over 110,000 miles when I sold them
I think someone that told you the engine is a 1979 must be confused

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by windfallsp

Isuzu,

We had over 100K miles on our '85 Classic when we sold it, and the original 454 was running very well at that time. These engines will go a lot more than 60K miles if they're well taken care of.

You'll have to forgive Tony, he's a diesel guy and thinks all gas engines die at 60k miles

[WayneG]

On chassis vs Airstream years: My 84 270 has a 83 chassis VIN.
I had a hell of a time registering it in NY because the PO used the chassis VIN instead of the Airstream VIN when it was titled in VT.
I never checked the engine year, but before it was in my hands it was replaced in 1990 with a Goodwrench replacement? .

[Boom Sounds]

Run the VIN number of your coach through a decoder. This is free
http://www.vindecoder.net/
You can either work out, pay for or ask a GM dealer for a more complete decode.

Run your VIN through Comp Nine
http://www.compnine.com/vid.php . to get the RPO codes. They are useful. Cross reference this information with the date of your coach chassis and the chevvy service , unit repair and wiring manuals I posted links to on post 94 of the sticky.

Have a good look at your engine. If you scrape away the grime, you should be able to find the casting number and date code. Again, this is very useful, because it will help confirm type, date, which components hang off the motor (and a cross check with your VIN to see if it is all stock). You can find more on the casting numbers here:
http://www.mortec.com/location.htm
http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/re...sting-numbers/

If you do this, you should be able to conclusively answer your question.

Let us know your findings!

all the best
Nick

[Boom Sounds]

Originally Posted by windfallsp

Isuzu,

We had over 100K miles on our '85 Classic when we sold it, and the original 454 was running very well at that time. These engines will go a lot more than 60K miles if they're well taken care of.

Agree, I think you can expect a minimum of 100k and you would need to be unlucky to lose something major if it has been well maintained. RangerBob, who used to be on this forum, got about 200k from his petrol 250.

[Ted Aloupis]

Planning a road trip from Boston to Florida. My concern is finding the right highway service centers that would be easy to gas up at. Do all the large service stations like Pilot / Flying J centers etc have regular gas pumps in the same areas where the Tractor trailers fuel up at. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[mayco]

Originally Posted by windfallsp

Isuzu,

We had over 100K miles on our '85 Classic when we sold it, and the original 454 was running very well at that time. These engines will go a lot more than 60K miles if they're well taken care of.

I know that Ive been surprised by the number of threads here on the forums started by folks who are replacing their 454 with only 50-70k miles. I'm sure many people get a great deal more miles out of that motor, likely through better maintenance, less down time in between use, and how it's treated in general. But it seems that many need rebuilt/replaced within that mileage range. Who knows how those motors had been maintained through the years.

[Boom Sounds]

Originally Posted by mayco

I know that Ive been surprised by the number of threads here on the forums started by folks who are replacing their 454 with only 50-70k miles. I'm sure many people get a great deal more miles out of that motor, likely through better maintenance, less down time in between use, and how it's treated in general. But it seems that many need rebuilt/replaced within that mileage range. Who knows how those motors had been maintained through the years.

True, I'm probably just hoping mine will keep going given that I have just past the 100k mark.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by windfallsp

Isuzu,

We had over 100K miles on our '85 Classic when we sold it, and the original 454 was running very well at that time. These engines will go a lot more than 60K miles if they're well taken care of.

Sorry, my bad; I meant to type 600,000 miles.

Yes, there would be people that get more miles out of their 454 if they travelled on fairly flat secondary road terrain and maintain their power train, but others in hilly fast moving terrain may get less.

All I know is that, as Brad said, I'm a turbo diesel man driving an excavator engined beast of a coach that couldn't make rolling coal if it tried.

Cheers
Tony

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by bkahler

I really don't know all that much about Chevy engines but ask me about Triumph TR4, TR6 or Spitfire motors and I can probably answer most of the questions

Okay Brad; if we took four Triumph Spitfire engines and welded them together, just like the Triump 3500 V8's, would that V16 be a viable engine replacement choice for the 454?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Cheers
Tony

[xrvr]

Only if shoehorned into gt6+ body.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

Okay Brad; if we took four Triumph Spitfire engines and welded them together, just like the Triump 3500 V8's, would that V16 be a viable engine replacement choice for the 454?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Cheers
Tony

Depends on the cam that's installed......

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Only if shoehorned into gt6+ body.

Even with rack & pinion steering I think the GT6+ would need a pretty big power steering pump to deal with the additional weight!

[windfallsp]

Tony,

Our 454 pulled our 345 + Subaru toad over the Rockies and back, and through the Blue Ridge and Smokies. However, we had installed a Banks Power Pack and transmission cooler and, eventually, a new radiator core, among other improvements. We were also very careful to change the engine oil every 3K miles.

[Chrisay59]

We have a 1979 240 Excella MH, it has a 454 V8 Big Block, with 126,000 miles on the clock, and it's all original!