FLU419 SEE HMMH HME Owners group

[Migginsbros]

Did you ever figure out why the RPM switch wasn't working? I am having the same problem. Does the tools switch need to be engaged for the hi/low switch to work? Also, what is the part number of the Cole Hersee tool switch (broke mine trying to clean terminals). Thanks

It is not neccesary to pull the tool switch for the rpm or hi/low funktion on the backhoe fan desk. The tool switch give pressure to the tool hoses and parallel rise rpm.
Perhaps...... the hi/low and rpm switch on the fan desk is only in funktion with PTO (for the backhoe) engaged. We will check out next time.

 

[peakbagger]

The tool switch engages the air cylinder on the throttle. The electrical diagnosis section has some pretty good troubleshooting. One of the tech bulletins that I stored in the manuals sections covers these switches and the issue that they are prone to getting wet.

 

[BigBison]

This also presented the opportunity to figure out the 4WD air leak. Took all of 30 seconds to find the problem, and it will take a couple of minutes to fix. Wish all FLU ailments were that simple.

Do tell?

 

[BigBison]

I've ordered a pair of these units:

https://www.webasto.com/us/markets-...s/heating-systems/products/thermo-pro-50-eco/

One for the Dodge, one for the SEE. I'll get two more, for the dually and the HMMH, later. Yeah, the HMMH has a Russian unit on it, which I'll sell used as I'm no longer getting dealer support for it, plus those Webastos have altitude compensation up to 11,000ft, with decent parts availability & cost, plus a reputation for reliability.

http://dcpoweronboard.com/12-to-24v-step-up-converters/

I'll need the 7A step-up converter to run the Thermo Pro 50 on the Dodge, while Newmar custom-makes me a 25A step-up converter w/ built-in charger for LiFePO4 batteries, so I can trickle-charge my FLUs from my Dodges off the same circuit, if the need arises. My goal is running the same hydronic units on all four of my diesels. They don't draw much power, so there isn't much downside to stepping up the voltage.

The SEE's running outside, once it's warmed up a bit I'll be lowering the backhoe so I can sort out the hydraulics -- why is one reservoir for the "front" and another for the "rear" when they're cross-connected and run through the same cooler? I'd like the hydronic heater to also pre-heat the hydraulic fluid, motor off, I'm just trying to figure out how best to accomplish this...

At significant subzero temps, the SEE loader goes really, really slow for the first 1/2-hour or so of snow removal, gets all grumpy about lifting the filled bucket *through* the snow, so I have to back up a touch first until it's come up to temp (takes longer idling), so I'd love to pre-heat the hydraulic fluid before startup -- preferably using the hydronic unit, not some other arrangement. Putting in a thermostat (my SEE's was indeed removed) will also help.

I also could've gone with 12V hydronic units, and stepped the voltage down on the FLUs with a 5% efficiency gain, electronically, vs. stepping up the voltage. But the best hydronic units I could find for my application(s), aside from the ones I've purchased, happened to also be 24V so I'll be stepping up the voltage on the Dodges -- plus, makes more sense to use a Dodge to service a Unimog, than the other way around, if you follow?

 

[73m819]

Can anybody tell me WHERE I can get a oil pressure sender and a turn signal switch, either good used OR new, I am at the point where I need a known good end of the circut, then wire back from there.

 

[BigBison]

Until the temps are single-digits or below, both my FLUs (sometimes after some hand-pumping the fuel system) and both my Dodges start up on the first crank (when they don't have other issues). It's all those other times when it's colder, that the cranking goes slowly for some minutes, that make me cringe at what I'm doing to my motors. Especially if it comes down to spraying ether! Even with block heaters, there's no guarantee they get parked for the night anywhere near an electrical outlet, so I'm totally sold on hydronic heat and wonder why I didn't do this to my Dodge 15 years ago.

Here at the trailer I rent, I can't plug the Dodge in overnight because that circuit will keep tripping, as I'm running a pair of space heaters inside to keep the pipes from freezing. If they're all drawing at the same time, it's just no match for a 15A breaker! Luckily, it's so quiet here at night, the sound of the breaker tripping is enough to wake me up, even though I sleep through coal trains passing nearby.

For where I live, and more particularly, where my trucks sometimes spend the night... well... hydronics is just a no-brainer, even if the payoff's years out. Because there will be a payoff in maintenance savings, vs. brutally cold-starting at 40 below using ether, because the trucks gotta go get something done.

The GMC motorhome's a gas-burner, so it'll have a different hydronic heater (with zones) running off propane, which will also be the domestic hot water system. Baby steps! The Dodge comes first for me installing these things myself. Looks like, if I pull the front driver-side fender, it can just go on the frame rail and tee off the fuel line nearby, as opposed to mounting it back by the fuel tank and extending the coolant hoses under/through the cab.

The HMMH's hydronic unit is installed in the toolbox. The SEE's will likely wind up behind the passenger seat, to recover some of the waste heat into the cab. As I've done more snow removal, and imagining a snowblower or blade instead of just a bucket, I don't see the need to retrofit an HMMH suspension lockout to the SEE. Driving a marshmallow through snow, particularly with the front bucket over-full, requires springs on a sprung truck IMO. Whereas I really want the lockout for transporting heavy pallets on the forklift (YMMV, right FLU Farm?), and of course it's necessary for leveling the crane, it would just get in the way of the SEE doing its thing.

It hasn't snowed here for several days, so everyone's about caught up on moving snow piles around. My neighbor with a backhoe had me come over to help out with the SEE, we can now both say the SEE's the superior snow-removal equipment. If you just need to push a pile back a ways, well, you'd need a bulldozer to *push* it. For lifting the front of the pile up and dumping it over the back of the pile?

The SEE reigns supreme! Although even up to temp, I wish that front loader worked faster, 1-under low-range is just too slow unless you're retired and have all day before the next blizzard! What you do, is barrel into the snowbank with the bucket tilted back a bit so it "floats" as the SEE (with diff-locks engaged) drives right up the pile, so you can dump over the top... try that in a regular backhoe/loader with itty-bitty front wheels and no suspension!

Careful, though. You can slide sideways off the pile, after lifting the bucket up in the air to dump it, and collide with a shed (not saying I did this or even came close enough to worry, just learnin'). But there's the thing, you're bouncing all around in a marshmallow, but it stays pretty much stable even with crappy tires and no chains. Bring it on, Next Winter!!! Once you get used to how the SEE wants to work, it's highly productive. The neighbor's backhoe's loader? Scoop up from the bottom of the pile, back up, turn, and put it someplace else. You're just not getting that load up & over to dump it, when the snow's this deep (even though it isn't, for here, this season).

Unless you have an articulated loader, which is better at both methods.

Oh, the other cool thing on the Webastos, is if you can plug your truck in, they also have an electric heating element. Which may need to be turned on 20-30 minutes earlier than burning off some diesel fuel on a cold morning? A nice option to have!

 

[BigBison]

Can anybody tell me WHERE I can get a oil pressure sender and a turn signal switch, either good used OR new, I am at the point where I need a known good end of the circut, then wire back from there.

I assume the sender's a standard Mercedes part available through any dealership, sorry I don't have the part #, probably a standard Bosch part you could also source from NAPA? But you don't need a known-good turn-signal switch, you can just cross the wires...

 

[BigBison]

OK, I'm out of daylight, I'll need to go back out tomorrow with my heat gun to melt some snow off the SEE. Both hydraulic circuits run through the oil cooler. Both fans come on at the same time. But I think the heat exchanger has two separate sets of pipe running through it. If the reservoirs *were* cross-connected at the cooler, then the one on the uphill side wouldn't be more full than the one on the downhill side! Although it's odd that there's a T running to the hose reel from the "rear" reservoir's hose... I thought the hose reel ran off the front hydraulics? All I've done this afternoon, is get more confused on this issue, going outside to look at the SEE and coming back in to RTFM -- it'd be nice if there was some laminated wall-chart of the hydraulic system, like there is for the electrical!

 

[73m819]

I assume the sender's a standard Mercedes part available through any dealership, sorry I don't have the part #, probably a standard Bosch part you could also source from NAPA? But you don't need a known-good turn-signal switch, you can just cross the wires...

The turn signal has FOUR circuits running though it, one for each of the front turn signals, one for the right rear and one for the left rear, the issue is that times I have all four turn signals, at other times one or both rears are out, the wiring to the rear lights are good, so it is something up front having to do with a RAT dinning out, with another turn signal switch, I can wire from it to where it goes (new wires, old wires dumped). I have tested everything in the turn signal circuits a dozen times, starting at the three lever, since SOMETIMES I get rear power from one or both of the rear outputs, I finally said F it, start with a known good switch and rewire till I have 100% rear turn signal/brake lights, I can rewire a lot faster then keep testing.

Have I mentioned just how much I love this POS and it's wiring.

As a side note, I am starting to rig it for the SEE auger, going to mod the install instructions, instead of loose bucket control lines, I an going to install two lever control deverter vales, this way dirt stays out of the system and does away the chance of loose lines (even if connected like the instructions show)getting caught on something

 

[BigBison]

The turn signal has FOUR circuits running though it, one for each of the front turn signals, one for the right rear and one for the left rear, the issue is that times I have all four turn signals, at other times one or both rears are out...

I'm flying blind here, as I've not delved into my FLUs flashers -- enough stuff doesn't work on my FLUs to keep me from being too interested in figuring out the stuff that does!

http://diy-tubes.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=416

But it sounds like a standard DPTT switch to me; if you don't want to cross wires, then hook 'em up to a $0.70 switch for diagnostic purposes? Regardless of how, precisely, the FLU's wired up, I'll bet dollars to donuts our turn-signal switches are just fancy-lookin' DPTTs, based on your description...

As a side note, I am starting to rig it for the SEE auger, going to mod the install instructions, instead of loose bucket control lines, I an going to install two lever control deverter vales, this way dirt stays out of the system and does away the chance of loose lines (even if connected like the instructions show)getting caught on something

I can't wait to see how that goes!

 

[The FLU farm]

One of the tech bulletins that I stored in the manuals sections covers these switches and the issue that they are prone to getting wet.

Wet? Not if equipped with a functional and stylish moisture repelling shield. It's affordable, too.

 

[The FLU farm]

Do tell?

Alright, not sure what you'd like me to tell, but in my case the air leak was at a hose by the right front wheel. Your results may vary.
The great thing with compressed air leaks is that they're so easy to find. Whether I find a suitable replacement hose or simply plug the hose that's there remains to be seen.
I'm very grateful that the leak wasn't by the near-impossible-to-get-to switch.

 

[Another Ahab]

Have I mentioned just how much I love this POS and it's wiring.

 

[Another Ahab]

I'm very grateful that the leak wasn't by the near-impossible-to-get-to switch.

Is that how it's labeled in the schematics?

 

[The FLU farm]

Have I mentioned just how much I love this POS and it's wiring.

Not to defend the FLU wiring system, but I think my outlook on whatever repairs, modifications, maintenance etc. I'm doing on a FLU would be different if I didn't do it for fun.
If someone paid me to perform those tasks I probably wouldn't mind the complexity and lack of access nearly as much.

 

[The FLU farm]

Is that how it's labeled in the schematics?

I believe it is, Ahab. These past two weeks I've been studying the air schematics quite a bit. There's a lot of interesting stuff to learn.
Too bad I'm forgetting it nearly as fast as I'm soaking it in. And that may include the proper name of the 4WD switch.

 

[Another Ahab]

I'm very grateful that the leak wasn't by the near-impossible-to-get-to switch.

Is that how it's labeled in the schematics?

I believe it is, Ahab. These past two weeks I've been studying the air schematics quite a bit. There's a lot of interesting stuff to learn.

I'm guessing it's labeled "NITGTS" for short-hand, right?

 

[88FLU419]

The turn signal has FOUR circuits running though it, one for each of the front turn signals, one for the right rear and one for the left rear, the issue is that times I have all four turn signals, at other times one or both rears are out, the wiring to the rear lights are good, so it is something up front having to do with a RAT dinning out, with another turn signal switch, I can wire from it to where it goes (new wires, old wires dumped). I have tested everything in the turn signal circuits a dozen times, starting at the three lever, since SOMETIMES I get rear power from one or both of the rear outputs, I finally said F it, start with a known good switch and rewire till I have 100% rear turn signal/brake lights, I can rewire a lot faster then keep testing.

Have I mentioned just how much I love this POS and it's wiring.

As a side note, I am starting to rig it for the SEE auger, going to mod the install instructions, instead of loose bucket control lines, I an going to install two lever control deverter vales, this way dirt stays out of the system and does away the chance of loose lines (even if connected like the instructions show)getting caught on something

my rear turn signals had problems. Turned the switch back and forth fast for a minute and it must have cleaned the contacts. Now it works perfectly.

 

[BigBison]

To answer my own question -- the hose reel does indeed run off the front hydraulics. The hose that tees off the rear hydraulics and goes under the hose reel, goes to the levers for raising/lowering/locking the rear implement.

 

[The FLU farm]

I'm guessing it's labeled "NITGTS" for short-hand, right?

Yeah, that's it. I couldn't remember after getting it mixed up with my own acronym; NITWIT.