What the heck is this thing under the hood?

[bkahler]

I was browsing through the owners manual for my 74 Argosy motorhome and noticed a strange looking device located in the upper half of the engine compartment.

Looking at the pictures you'll see something with two hoses coming out of the bottom of it and what appears to be a squeeze handle (like you would see on a caulk gun or similar) on the left end.



Any suggestions as to what that thing is? I've never see anything like it on any of the Argosy pictures that I've ran across and mine certainly doesn't have it.

Brad

[newsgauger]

Hi Brad,

I don't own a MotorHome, but those look like water hoses...Are they?

If 'yes', then they might go to your water heater - Atwood Type GH6 water heater.

Good Luck,
Chris

[bkahler]

Chris, I really don't have a clue what those hoses do or where they are routed.

The Atwood water heater is located quite a ways from where that device is.

I guess I just can't fathom what feature of a motorhome that it could have been a part of.

Gotta love a mystery!

Brad

[dznf0g]

Is it in a Diesel section of the manual? Isuzu injection pump/fuel fileter air purger pump maybe? (I don't even know if they put them in Argosys????)

[bkahler]

As far as Argosy motorhomes go I don't believe there was a diesel option. My 74 manual only mentions 350 & 454 as choices.

I also have the Chevy manuals for my model year and none of them show anything like it either.

Brad

[Robfike]

Filter assembly perhaps? For the Hydro Boost? Those look like a low/medium pressure type factory hose.
I've never seen anything like that.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Robfike

Filter assembly perhaps? For the Hydro Boost? Those look like a low/medium pressure type factory hose.
I've never seen anything like that.

Would you need a hand pump with a filter assembly?

I agree the hoses look like low or medium pressure style hoses. I'm going to have to go back through the 1974 Chevy parts manuals (with pictures fortunately!) again and see if anything looks close.

Who knows this might just be one of life's little mysteries that never gets resolved

Brad

[dznf0g]

I don't think it's a Chevy part. I've never seen anything like it on the old P-chassis at all, as produced OEM.

[bkahler]

Rich,

That means we've narrowed it down to being something that was likely installed by Airstream. So what gizmo would Airstream add to a motorhome that looks like this? We need to keep in mind 1974 was the first year that Airstream sold the Argosy motorhome.

I just remembered that I have a 1976 Argosy owners manual (thanks Matt!) and interestingly enough this device is not shown in the engine compartment in any of the photos.

So does that mean it was only present in the 74 and maybe 75 models? I guess the other question is did whatever it is make it past the development phase?

Brad

[dznf0g]

Well, I don't know, but I thought AS had bought some rolling chassis and installed (had installed an Isuzu diesel, as an option). I have no clue if that is the case and if Argosy did the same, but It still looks like a low pressure fuel system purge hand pump. That's all I can come up with!

[dznf0g]

I wish I could see it more clearly. Upon further examination, is that a cable housing coming in from the right, running under the aluminum housing, and attached to the lever on the left side. That would indicate some kind of cockpit slide or pull knob?

Wish I could see the upper part. It would really be an elaborate overkill if it were a heater control valve for the rear of the coach?

[dznf0g]

They never used vacuum or hydraulic wiper motors, did they?

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Well, I don't know, but I thought AS had bought some rolling chassis and installed (had installed an Isuzu diesel, as an option). I have no clue if that is the case and if Argosy did the same, but It still looks like a low pressure fuel system purge hand pump. That's all I can come up with!

Rich, you're probably right in that Airstream probably offered the diesel as an option. From what I understand they would do just about anything if the money was right

I'm inclined to agree that the device probably has something to do with a diesel engine. Unfortunately I know nothing about the Isuzu diesels or how they were implemented in the Airstream motorhomes.

Hopefully Fred will chime in with any information he might have on diesels in the Argosy motorhomes.

Thanks!

Brad

[ventport]

Can you tell where the hoses go? Are they water hose, or oil, or fuel, or air? Also where does the cable go. Have someone inside move all the controls one at a time, and see if you can get the cable to move. Try the heater controls first.

[dznf0g]

We're just looking at owner manual page pics....no actual vehicle. What you see above is what we get to guess at.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

I wish I could see it more clearly. Upon further examination, is that a cable housing coming in from the right, running under the aluminum housing, and attached to the lever on the left side. That would indicate some kind of cockpit slide or pull knob?

I just used a magnifying glass and I think you are right, there is a cable heading to the drivers left that appears to connect to the lever.

Wish I could see the upper part. It would really be an elaborate overkill if it were a heater control valve for the rear of the coach?

I have not seen any pictures showing what the heater control valves looked like. I do know it is NOTHING like the heater control valve in my coach.

Originally Posted by dznf0g

They never used vacuum or hydraulic wiper motors, did they?

YES! The manual does list the windshield wipers could be either electric or hydraulic. The manual describes the different switches used for each type. However my coach has the electric type of wipers but the controls as described in the manual don't match mine

The two hoses definitely head down towards the power steering pump area. I think you hit it, the pictures shows the control unit for hydraulic wipers.

I'll look at the Chevy parts manuals tonight for windshield wipers.

Thanks!

Brad

[dznf0g]

Bingo! But when the chassis is shipped there are no wipers. Just a bare frame sled with powertrain, steering column and a wooden box with loose parts as a driver seat. Wipers were added by coach builder. Some GM parts and many not. We never had a hydraulic wiper system for the P-chassis.

[Smartstream]

The fuel priming pump on an Isuzu is a small piston pump on the side of the high pressure injector pump. It is about 1 1/4" in dia. with about a 3" stroke.

I have no clue what that thing is but judging from the pictures the hoses look pretty big for fuel hoses and also if it was some hydraulic wiper control I really don't think it would need hoses and flow that big.

It will be interesting to find out what it is.

Cheers, Dan

[AWCHIEF]

Just guessing, maybe it is some kind of oil pump booster. I had similar looking doohickey on my boat. It had a Kubota (Universal) diesel 4 cyl. You gave it a few squeezes prior to starting the engine. It prelubed the top end of the engine.

[markdoane]

I like the idea in Post #2. Many Boats and Motorized RVs have economizers (heat exchangers) built into the water heaters. They use engine coolant to keep the water heater hot.
Why would they use such a stange looking spool valve? Lots of different manufacturers and lots of plumbing choices.