FLU419 SEE HMMH HME Owners group

[Another Ahab]

We may be giving the rats a bad rap in this thread because their droppings are so visible -- possibly just nesting in our FLUs, while the real wiring damage was done by:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasberry_crazy_ant

 

[patrol578]

Mine sat out in a stretch of 25 below the first winter. I figure it pretty well killed all the critters. Looking at my wiring its was definitely gnawed.

With wind chill it is supposed to get to -13 tonight. Maybe I should roll the windows down, just to make sure the critters meet their maker. Cheaper and healthier than using chemicals, that's for sure.

 

[BigBison]

Unless you're talking about the rats... my best solution there, is my malamute! She's psyched for "marmot season" coming up. Marmots (aka whistle pigs) are cute and all, but it takes them less than five minutes to burrow under the trailer and tear out all the insulation. They sure love insulation batts!

 

[patrol578]

Thanks for taking a stab peakbagger!

Nevertheless its a high priority that you work you way through the air system cleaning out all the check valves and regulators as well as dumping the crap out of the tanks.

Yeah, I've watched vtwin4christ's regulator clean-out video a couple of times. I expect to find some pretty ugly rust in there, and a rotted-out cross line. The electricals were going to be my first priority, with the air system next, but since the wiring appears to be in better shape than I anticipated, pneumatics move into the lead.

the way the high speed throttle switch on the backhoe controls will not work unless the air system is at full pressure

There's a German saying for "why make it simple if you can make it complicated" which I think applies in this case. Why specify a simple switch for your design if you can have an electro-pneumatic-mechanical one which does the same thing! For now, I can use the manual throttle instead of the switch, no? Since I will be on a bit of a learning curve with the hoe, I was planning on using a lower throttle setting -- like the FLU Farmer does -- when the PTO/rear hydraulics are engaged.

Another tidbit to check is the wiring to the two fans on the rear hydraulic cooler, the grommet is on top of the fan on many and the sunlight damaged the grommets letting water into the motors shorting out the motor.

Yes, in reading this thread end-to-end to understand what I'm getting into, I've covered the cooling fan posts a few times. I guess I will need to watch the temps, not knowing if the fans are disabled at this point.

The fittings are mix of straight british metric pipe thread and tapered thread metric compression fittings.

Oh boy, I can't wait. Sorry if my natural sarcasm is coming out a bit.

With respect to the head lights the actually high ones also have crappy sealing and they could be shorted out. There is switch under the hood on the right side wheel well that switches between these auxiliary lights and the original headlights. You can try flipping the switch to see if the circuit is good (that is assuming who have figured out the black out switch operation).

The high ones, aka the work lights, actually work. The true "headlights" lower down do not. I've found the switch, and all it does is turn off the work lights without the headlights coming on. I'm pretty familiar with the NATO light switch and blackout lighting. Enough so that I think I may remove that switch at some point.

 

[The FLU farm]

I've covered the cooling fan posts a few times. I guess I will need to watch the temps, not knowing if the fans are disabled at this point.

The line going into the cooler is surprisingly cool to the touch when the fans are on, but get in the habit of feeling it every now and then if you don't trust the fans or their temp sensor.
At some point I'll install an override switch on that forward little box where the sensor lives.
For now, why don't you pull the cover on the fan's terminal block and give each fan some juice (12 volt should make it move) with a separate battery? Or jumpers from the SEE's battery box.

 

[patrol578]

Yeah, it's a light yellow, right? A few on my Formerly (well, since it refuses to keep running, it's back to "parts SEE", formerly known as Formerly) are that color.
Can't remember what I used, but WD-40 should work. After all, it has to be good for something, other than bug splatter removal.
If you're still under snow and ice conditions, consider putting some sort of oil or light grease (I've even used Vaseline) on the exposed parts of the rods. It seems to help when de-icing the rods before using the backhoe.
The same applies to the loader's cylinders, of course.
When you get bored, or have insomnia, read through this entire thread. There's lots of good info to be had from peakbagger and others who have resurrected, properly maintained, and improved their SEEs. I'm about due for reading it for the third time.

Yup, that cylinder is light yellow to orange. I'm wondering if they just got it locally from a heavy equipment place.

This thread is fantastic, without a doubt. The information found here just isn't published anywhere else. Between reading the entire thread, the entire Operator's Manual (i.e. "dash ten" in Army-speak), and select parts of the -20 manual I've got a pretty good feel for how the SEEs are put together. Hopefully I will be able to make some useful contributions of my own. There are some other good resources on the net, but this place is tops for FLUs.

 

[peakbagger]

That reminds me that Mercedes shipped some mogs with the wrong lighting relays. It one of the service bulletins that I compiled from someone else research that I posted in the miscellaneous technical bulletins forum. The electrical diagnostics section of the manual is pretty good so it shouldn't be bad to trace the headlight issue down.

 

[BigBison]

My next project after the service body wraps up, while the motorhome work continues, is sorting out the lighting systems on my FLUs. The upper headlights work on my HMMH, not the lower; vice-versa on the SEE (yeah, I do wish it was the other way around). Various brake lights / turn signals aren't working. I'll be removing the NATO switches, as I have no conceivable use for the blackout lighting except as a source for some spare lightbulbs, so I don't need anywhere near that complicated a switch.

I haven't done more than moved the SEE for weeks, everywhere in CO but here got snow last month, but the ground's still frozen solid, so really no call for the SEE of late. The HMMH, otoh, comes out of hibernation Wednesday morning (with a pair of temporary RV batteries). We have several Quonset hut arches assembled on the ground, which need to be hoisted up into position. Favorable weather forecasts mean it's time to get that project back on track after a 10-week suspension due to what's turning out to be a short winter. If I remember my camera, I'll even take some pics!

As far as erecting Quonset arches goes, the HMMH is the difference between a six-man crew and a three-man crew. It's a good ways away from paying for itself, but halving the labor cost to put up a building takes some of the sting out, ya know?

 

[BigBison]

My SEE headlights always want to be hi-beam unless I physically push the stalk forwards for lo-beam. Like a spring's missing or something, so I'll probably remove & refurbish the hi/lo switch while I'm at it. Plus, with those batteries on order, now's a good time to re-do the battery primary wiring, which means pulling up that panel between the seats and fixing the master-cutoff switches on both FLUs, as neither one works properly.

 

[Another Ahab]

N-Terpinal makes a solution that removes powder coating, and if it's anything like its rust removers etc. you can almost drink it.
Never tried the powder coat version, but the rust removers work great.

Amazing stuff. I had no idea. Thanks, Flu Farm!
Lordy, I need to get out more. :

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/131-0612-n-terpinal-cleaner/
​

Who knew?

But that link that I posted up in post #2202 was an article written (under another name) by none other than our own The Flu Farm.

Brother, take a bow!

 

[The FLU farm]

This thread is fantastic, without a doubt. There are some other good resources on the net, but this place is tops for FLUs.

Agree 100%. There's very good Unimog info to be found elsewhere, but I don't think that this place can be beat when in comes to FLU knowledge.

 

[The FLU farm]

... which means pulling up that panel between the seats and fixing the master-cutoff switches on both FLUs, as neither one works properly.

Please let me know how you went about getting that panel out when you're done.
While I have the cab tilt brackets (bought primarily so that they would never be needed) I'm not about to lift the cab to get to that switch. Especially not when it's so easy to wire in a parallel one.

 

[The FLU farm]

I was thinking about making a quick attach setup for the backhoe, making it possible to use the pallet forks on it, but here's a commercially available adapter that would allow putting the backhoe's bucket on the loader (if you have the quick attach).
That's not what it's meant for, but it would be a wonderfully backwards thing to do.

Click here: Universal Skid Steer to Backhoe Bucket Breaker Adapter Mount Plate Attachment

 

[BigBison]

Wait, what? Tilt the cab? TM 5-2420-224-20-2 pg 4-171 says different. Granted, I haven't tried it yet and I'm always the first one to gripe about how looking something up isn't the same thing as experience, but what I really meant was pulling up the *inner* center panel, without even pulling the rubber booties to remove various levers, let alone a cab tilt? The only reason I haven't done that yet, is I've been scouring the Internet looking for that switch, or a reasonable replacement for them.

Why I ask questions, instead of claiming to know, about things like non-radial tire chains on radials (on anything bigger than a car), or putting calcium chloride inside of tractor wheels (the folks who fill 'em up with water hereabouts also add antifreeze, but I'm referring to the old-timers who prefer a little salt), or AGM vs. Li batteries (more in my comfort zone) and so on and so forth. I'm not disputing the cab may need to be tilted to remove the center panel, just pointing out the service manual says "Condition Description: Batteries Disconnected" not cab tilted or anything, for replacing that master cutoff switch.

So I've been assuming it's no big whoop.

 

[The FLU farm]

Wait, what? Tilt the cab? TM 5-2420-224-20-2 pg 4-171 says different. Granted, I haven't tried it yet and I'm always the first one to gripe about how looking something up isn't the same thing as experience, but what I really meant was pulling up the *inner* center panel, without even pulling the rubber booties to remove various levers, let alone a cab tilt? The only reason I haven't done that yet, is I've been scouring the Internet looking for that switch, or a reasonable replacement for them.

I'm not disputing the cab may need to be tilted to remove the center panel, just pointing out the service manual says "Condition Description: Batteries Disconnected" not cab tilted or anything, for replacing that master cutoff switch.

Finding a replacement switch was easy. Where I failed was in figuring out how to get that panel out, or out of the way, to get to the cable connections. Especially with that useless, large bundle of wires for the diagnostic plug in place.
The plate is clearly set up to remain in place when the cab is lifted, which makes sense. At least that's how it seemed on the dark and stormy night I attempted its removal.

 

[BigBison]

I'm not trying to sell anyone on LFP batteries, just explaining why I'm splurging on 'em at this point in my life. Thinking back to the turn of the century, I'm pretty sure FLU Farm caught loads of grief for radical expenditures on AGM batteries & desulphating chargers and such. I can only aspire to be as successful 20 years down the road with my battery strategy, but that's what I'm after. It's just not possible to have decades of experience on something without having actually done that something for decades, so yeah, I could crash & burn. At least my batteries can never burn my vehicles down to the chassis & rims if I make a mistake with my wiring!

So I just won't know until I've tried it, as far as the master cutoff switch is concerned. Because not all FLUs are the same, etc... I just know I need to find out here right quick because it doesn't sit well with me having faulty battery-cutoff switches. I don't have cab-tilt brackets, so I'll probably pull the cab off if it comes to that, to have confidence in those switches. Top priority on my FLU wiring, whatever it takes, but still at least a coupla weeks out.

 

[BigBison]

Finding a replacement switch was easy.

Sure, if your criteria is "any ol' switch." I've been searching for either the part # for the stock switch, or a replacement switch that fails "safe." The switch on my HMMH does nothing. Maybe it was wired around, but that would surprise me, seeing as there's no evidence (unlike my SEE) the wiring isn't original to my HMMH. What I think, is it's a "normally closed" switch failing to open when the key is turned. What I'd replace it with, is a "normally open" switch, which fails to close when it's broken. It's likely I won't have my answer on just what the OEM switch is until I've pulled it out and taken a sawzall to it, just out of curiosity -- the new switch will need to be replaced if it fails, before the FLU can be started... otherwise what's the point of a cutoff switch?

Just sayin' it worries me that my HMMH switch does nothing, i.e. "that isn't how I'd do it."

 

[The FLU farm]

...I'm pretty sure FLU Farm caught loads of grief for radical expenditures on AGM batteries & desulphating chargers and such.
Because not all FLUs are the same, etc...

Thankfully, in those days they were given to me for testing purposes. But based on my findings I have bought several Optimas and desulphating gizmos since.

No, all FLUs are definitely not the same. That's why I can't get to the fuel lines on top of the tank, or get the tank out for that matter, on the parts SEE. Meanwhile there's plenty of room (up to 2.75 inches more) on the ones I don't need to access the fuel lines on.

 

[The FLU farm]

Sure, if your criteria is "any ol' switch." I've been searching for either the part # for the stock switch, or a replacement switch that fails "safe."

Once I found the part number (sorry, don't remember where) it was merely a matter of finding the least expensive source. It was a Porsche parts outlet on eBay, as I recall.
Or, you could order one from Expedition Imports.

 

[BigBison]

What I mean by searching out a part #, is where does EI or Porsche source theirs from? In many cases, a mechanical switch like that is used in other industries, costing half as much as it would if sourced as an auto part, even on fleabay. Especially if the Germans have rebranded it! Searching for that sort of part, is usually what leads me to an alternative part that's actually an improvement, and that's what I'm after. The crane on my service body has a pedestal-mounted power switch, whereas other crane mfrs use relays. I can get those for the FLUs, they're just not sized & shaped right for mounting in the OEM location, so my search goes on. Not all switches are designed the same, so while any ol' switch will do, I'd rather do it right instead of swapping the wires around, or ever worrying about it again in my lifetime.

My best reason for finding a better switch? The 100% failure rate I've encountered on the OEM switch!