Norgren Valve - Steering Bay

[truk4u]

When replacing any of the coil/manifold valves in the steering compartment bay, be sure to replace as an assembly. Norgren cautioned me against just changing out the coil and said the coil and valve assembly is a matched set and should be installed as a unit.

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[Jon Wehrenberg]

Good advice. Didn't know that. Question.....why do the parts come separately. Anytime I have ordered and received the valves and the coil they were separate part numbers, separate packages.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

When replacing any of the coil/manifold valves in the steering compartment bay, be sure to replace as an assembly. Norgren cautioned me against just changing out the coil and said the coil and valve assembly is a matched set and should be installed as a unit.

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Thanks Tom for the notice, not shooting the messenger, nor trying to be negative, but! IMHO I doubt the information that they are a matched set. For one thing the price doesn't reflect it and another many have been changed to now at random and continue to work.
Also looking at it technically why would they have to be matched. I think each part of the total assembly is made on a highly controlled production line with all the components being produced being very close to the design specifications of each.

That sounds like something a salesman would say that was under his quota.

JIM

[Will Garner]

Tom,

I heard an air leak while having a tour company perform the annual inspection. Turned out it was one of those little valves. The tour company had one and replaced the leaky one (ice may have been the source of the problem) without changing the coil. I have not had a problem with them since. Just lucky I guess!

[truk4u]

I hear ya boys, but that's what they said. There are 12 Volt, 24 Volt and some are different ampherage. I suppose as long as the coil and valve are matched up with voltage and ampherage, all would be good. The reason I talked to Norgren, I was trying to find a direct source for the coil/valve assembly, but I couldn't find an exact match to what was already in the bus. I even went to the same supplier that provides the parts to Prevost and couldn't wade through all the technical stuff, so it's easier to just get them from Prevost.

Jon - I bought 3 in the last few months, one was bad right out of the box and the coil and valve where in the same plastic bag.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The plot thickens.

I am working with helping a couple of POG members sort out problems that relate to the solenoid array. I have changed all of mine out and helped change others out and never considered there would be different voltages. I am either very lucky, or the guy at Prevost taking my order had my back. I would have guessed them all to be 24 volts.

If anyone has a new coil the question I would like answered for general knowledge is if the coil is clearly marked with the voltage? I assume it is. Can anyone confirm this, because if it is not before recommending owners switch around coils to isolate problems a step has to be added to the process and that is to check voltage with a meter.

Nothing is ever easy is it?

[phorner]

Hey, if it was easy, anybody could do it.

Would it make sense to simply measure the voltage to each valve in the stack and make a permanent record of it? At least you would know which locations required specific voltages. Amperage I can see as perhaps needing to be different, but voltage?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Paul,

In the interest of enabling owners who may not have the tools to test voltage or the knowledge of how to do so I was looking for the easiest way to identify if all voltages are the same or if that is something that has to be checked solely with a meter.

While sticking a meter on the electrical connections sounds easy, even that has its drawbacks. I can say without looking that #3 is what should see current with the key ON (edited) and the leveling system switches in the driving or road position. Because I have been involved with issues relating to the solenoid valves recently, I can say today that #1 and #2 relate to the front for example, but to get power to either one the owner needs to put the leveling system switches in the correct position, and some systems require a momentary contact switch to be pressed before power goes to the solenoids, so the owner needs long arms or a helper, plus three hands to hold the meter probes to the electrical contacts and to push the button. Next week I'll have forgotten which solenoids control which, meaning anyone facing issues will have to learn which is which so voltages can be checked and verified before beginning the project.

I'm heading out to the garage to check my shop manual and parts book, but I'll stick my neck out now and say they are all 24 volt with the caveat that is for the five solenoid valve buses. I'll report back.

[HarborBus]

Jon, check this out under "removing valve" http://www.prevoman.com/Pages/Manifold/Manifoldpg2.html.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Look at that. Mike did all the work. That's what we are talking about.

Of General Interest........I did some checking in the parts book and my records for the parts.

First, All coils listed in my parts manual which cover my '96 chassis are 24 volts. The coils are labeled (opposite side from electrical connections) and list 24VDC, .25 amps, 6 watts. On the 5 valve manifold they are all alike. No variations in voltage or amperage.

I could not find the Norgren numbers for the valves or coils, but the 5 valve manifold assembly Norgren number is D0043EP5U3. In the Prevost parts catalog for my serial number T5811, and going beyond the coaches with independent suspension (T5873) Prevost lists the manifold assembly as 641205. They also list the coil as 641107 and the valve which they call the plunger as 641353. There are no notations to keep the coil and plunger together as sets, and in fact my last purchase was 5 plungers only.

I cannot say all of the above is correct because Prevost updates their parts and different vintage coaches may have different part numbers. These are a good place to start if ordering parts or spares. Always check to see if the numbers are the current ones or have been superceded, and make certain the parts being supplied are for a motorhome conversion.