[Archived]

Over the years I have found it is a good idea to pull the belts and spin the idler pulleys and check for play in the drive that Tom pictured above. The few minutes it takes to do this is a small investment in time and may allow you to identify a failing bearing or play that can ruin a vacation trip. I have found and replaced bearings on idler pulleys that might have been OK, but they made bad sounds when I spun them and the small cost of a replacement bearing was going to be far less than a field repair.

[Archived]

I too had a leaking accessory drive seal and replaced just the seal. Figured I would do this first and if the leak continued then I would go with the rebuilt unit. About $40 and several months later everything is nice and dry.

[Elliott]

I sure would have done the same as you Denny if I could have found a 400 seal, that’s the way to go.

[Ed]

That’s interesting Tom because I went to W W Wiliams also but here in Hubbard. At first the parts man wanted to sell me the $400 new unit telling me that they no longer replace just the seal since they have had too many returns. Then he changed his mind and said for the difference in miles that I would put on versus a truck try the seal. If it doesn’t work then I would have to replace the unit. So far so good!

[Karl]

I think if is interesting the parts guy sold Denny a seal because he doesn’t put as many miles on his bus as a trucker might. If that is actually true then perhaps he could explain why Denny’s failed in its infancy. It suggests truckers should plan on replacing a $400 drive every year or so guessing Denny’s mileage is still in 5 figures or low six figures.

Do we all get treated like village idiots because we have expensive coaches and therefore lack common sense or do parts guys and technicians have opinions unsupported by facts?

[Archived]

YES!

[Bob]

I don’t feel that I was treated as the “village idiot”. I feel that Brian, the parts man had my best interest not W W Williams. Our buses cannot be compared to an over the road truck or bus. This has been discussed many times in the past on the other site. Please tell me why I was treated unfairly or taked advantage by Brian suggesting a $40 part versus a nearly $500 complete assembly.

[Archived]

Denny,

First, I was not suggesting in this instance you were treated as the village idiot, but generalizing about how we who own coaches are treated as uninformed people who know little or nothing about our coaches or mechanical things. I have been talked down to by mechanics (and given poor advice) because we are not considered as even capable of changing our own oil by some.

I do take exception to the man whose remarks you discussed. Your engine clearly has low miles. Yet your engine is the same as that which may be found on a commercial truck or bus. Yet your seal failed at very low miles. Why would you expect to get longer life from a rebuilt unit costing $400 and shorter life from the same seal that could be found on that rebuilt $400 unit, using your experience with that seal as a benchmark?

I think to suggest that if a new seal at $40 doesn’t work but a $400 unit with the same seal will is to a person less astute mechanically than you is just not right. How many people would be intimidated into spending the $400?

[AL]

Reminds me of the time the Turbo on my Excursion was sticking and the Service rep told me it was because I pulled the car behind my motorhome and the dirt kicked up by the bus was junking up the Turbo. My thoughts were what about the air filter? This was the first time I realized these guys are really just service WRITERS.