What Is This Thing

[tdelorme]

Now all you old timers will know immediately what this thing is, so give the newer owners a chance to win. We all have one of these somewhere on our bus. Tell us what it is and what it's for and you will be declared the winner. How about a half dozen microfiber polishing towels as a prize and I will mail them to you free of charge.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i174/tdelorme1/v1.jpg

[Loc]

The supplemental air supply hookup to air up the suspension used for towing the bus located inside the side engine door on an 8v92 equipped coach. Of course that can't be correct because I don't know anything about my bus.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Ted quit trying to change the subject. What have you found on that high/low warning light.

[tdelorme]

Loc, wrong answer. Close, but no cigar.

Joe, see the other thread in awhile and I'll post an update.

[dalej]

Ted, thats to add air to the air shocks to jack up the back to have a muscle bus look.:)

You can tell I'm getting ready for another rally, I'm feeling a bit giddy!

[tdelorme]

Close, Dale. Actually it's for a Hip-Hop Bus.
Loc was so close I think I'll declare him the winner if no one comes up with the right answer by noon tomorrow. He already sent me a PM saying to send the microfiber towels to Birdland Coach in Houston.
Funny thing is, we should all know where this is on our bus and when to use it. Hopefully, no one will ever need it, but it's there if the need arrises.
I promise you A-1 knows what it is and I bet you do as well Dale.

[dalej]

I do, but I won't need it since I have a Aux air compressor that feeds my wet tank which feeds my brake tanks and my aux tank.

[truk4u]

Good one Dale and right on the money. Hey Mel, open the bleed valve and see if air comes out! If not, where's the check valve?

[tdelorme]

I have not a clue where the check valve is or if there is one. But I'm thinking this bleed valve has never been opened and if I tried to open it the stem will break off and I'm back on the phone to Prevost Parts and stuck in the bus barn for a week.
Here is a link to the tech manual that shows the mystery valve and gives a good explantion of it's use. Basicly the same as the valve in the steer bay except for one BIG difference.
http://technicalpublications.prevostparts.com/pdf/pa1082-12.pdf

[Ray Davis]

So, I thought Loc had it, although instead of for towing, I've seen the Mira Loma guys attach an airhose to this port to add air to the air bags, without running the engine when servicing.

But, that matches both Dales and Loc's answers. No?

Ray

[Joe Cannarozzi]

O/K I'll bite. There are 2 of those on our bus one at the engine one at the steering bay. It is to both put air in and let air out and if it is in the steering bay that would be happening to the aux. air.

Ted do you really have 4 Vannar battery equalizers? Good gollly, what for? We have one.:eek:

[truk4u]

Take it all apart and you can clean it out Ted. The wet tank drain gets all plugged up over the years because it's rarely used. Mine had old pieces of teflon tape and gunk clogging it up.

[tdelorme]

Yea, Joe there are four of them. The two shown in the picture and two above the air filter.
OK, since no one is going to read the information in the link, the answer is this.
The valve at the rear of the bus is the only one that will allow you to add air to the brake system. Both valves will add air to the air bags, but only the rear valve can be used to release your brakes if the engine won't start and you have lost air pressure. Several different locations but all are somewhere in the battery bay.
So there. Hope you never need it, but now you know.

[Loc]

I have had the unfortunate experience of having to use the valve to air up the suspension and release the brakes when we blew the engine in the XL back in 2003. After we had been towed off of I-40 at 2 am we sat in a parking lot until the next morning. The suspension had relaxed (nice way of saying lost air) and the tow bar was almost on the ground (the front of the bus was still hooked up to the wrecker). While the engine didn't have to be running to air up (which in my case would have been impossible) the ignition key did have to be on.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

That's interesting I mean the key having to be on to air it up back there.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The key does NOT have to be on unless you want air to go to the air bags and then the level low switches need to be set, such as to ride height.

It will fill the entire systems but will not set the suspension as required without action on your part.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

O/K so when you are having a Prevo towed the ignition has to be turned on when airing up so you can put it in level-low and manually air up the rear end as high as you can get it or at least high enough to provide enough ground clearence to avoid dragging?

[Loc]

So this morning a FedEx package arrives at my desk. The brilliant folks at FedEx have plastered routing stickers all over the package so that the sender name cannot be determined. Inside the package are six microfiber towels. My first thought is that some smart*#@ is having fun sending me some towels to cry into given the current state of my government employment (with the 79.9% stock position that the government has of AIG). I figure that the Taco Twins are having a little fun at my expense. Then the light bulb goes off. There was a prize for the Mel Torme's "what is this" thread. Thanks Ted. The towels will go nicely with the trash can.

[Jerry Winchester]

Man that was harsh blaming us like that without any justification.

But seeing as how you ripped the lid off of that government employee thing, if we bring our busses over to the AIG Center, can we get a hand wash and some latte?

[Jerry Winchester]

We have one of these on the way over to Loc's office at AIG.....

3489

And if that doesn't work we go to plan B

3490

[Loc]

JDUB,

I am from the government and I'm here to help.

Loc

[truk4u]

Geez Loc Nest, your big horn Texas sheep herding buddy is pretty hard on you, but my understanding is that Government Pensions are pretty sweet!:D

[Loc]

Unfortunately Tommy that is the reason for the 79.9%. At level there is no no government pension for Loc. Oh well, I get to keep my job for a little while which certainly beats the alternative in this market.

[rfoster]

Is that like working for the Post Office, more time off, shorter days, more pay, more vacation, more leave? Can you fill up the bus at the motor pool?
If I go broke will yall help me?

[Loc]

AIG = All Is Gone; previously = Ain't It Great or All Is Greeberg