What have you done to your 5 ton this week?

[Swamp Donkey]

Ok. Thanks Swamp. I did take the cover off but will do so again with my readers on and look closer for that snap ring. So the whole round black thing drops out and then I should be able to see how it seals when closed? I just picture dirt and rust in there since this truck sat a few years as the unloader valve was really cruddy when I first got the truck.

I'll keep trying to find the other post for the rest of the pictures. I just pulled the cover to take that one. Remove the snap-ring and use the inner circle for pulling with pliers. Work side to side because it's in there good.

 

[tobyS]

I was having about the same problems you describe..low air pressure.

The control valve is easy enough to remove and clean, and use some high tack red grease in areas prone to rust and water or movement. Now I put Marvel Mystery Oil in the line that feeds the unloader valve pressure control to add a bit of lube. I take the line lose at the unloader and use a small squirter to get some into that line too.

I think I reset the pressure up a bit too high, as the pressure relief on the air dryer seems to operate a lot more now (at 125#). I think about 120 would be the proper setting, but haven't adjusted back yet on the unloader control.

 

[gottaluvit]

It's cheaper to buy a new one than replace filter ,,that's my two cents but people only give me a penny for my thoughts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Where is the filter?

 

[gottaluvit]

View attachment 707533

I'll keep trying to find the other post for the rest of the pictures. I just pulled the cover to take that one. Remove the snap-ring and use the inner circle for pulling with pliers. Work side to side because it's in there good.

Will do. Thanks. Had you not mentioned it being in there that snug, I may have still been puzzled, thinking I still missed something. And thanks for the photo.

 

[gottaluvit]

I was having about the same problems you describe..low air pressure.

The control valve is easy enough to remove and clean, and use some high tack red grease in areas prone to rust and water or movement. Now I put Marvel Mystery Oil in the line that feeds the unloader valve pressure control to add a bit of lube. I take the line lose at the unloader and use a small squirter to get some into that line too.

I think I reset the pressure up a bit too high, as the pressure relief on the air dryer seems to operate a lot more now (at 125#). I think about 120 would be the proper setting, but haven't adjusted back yet on the unloader control.

I was considering to do that with the unloader, but with kroil. Mine is actually at 122#. I had a long battle with air issues when I first got this truck. I'm by no means complaining.

 

[gottaluvit]

Where is the filter?

Do you mean the desiccant? Does it filter the air too?

 

[Buffalobwana]

Tarp Repair

Well, I don’t know if this is a common fix or I am a genius for thinking it up, or this lands somewhere in between, but I used a piece of a bed sheet cut into a 1’x2’ and 1x1 square and smaller to patch slightly worn holes in my bed tarp. Where you can just start to see sunlight come through.

First, painted (Behr Premium Exterior Latex) down on the tarp, then laid a square of bedsheet on top of the wet painted area, and rolled paint on it, then made sure it was laid down well, like laying Matt fiberglass, pushed the corners out, and lightly rolled a heavier coat around the perimeter.

Unless it’s a common fix, a and proven one, time will tell how well it holds up. I’m going to go over the edges again with another coat. I believe that’s the obvious weak point.

I’m sure there are better materials, like vinyl and glue or viny repair kits! But, when you have an old tired tarp, I think paint can go a long way in protecting it. I also believe that a new tarp is best painted 100%! All the tarps I have seen fail have been in the areas that were not painted. The black and brown areas never seemed to fray, the green ones did.

Tan tarps never ever seemed to give me any grief, just FYI

Just my opinion.

 

[gottaluvit]

View attachment 707533

I'll keep trying to find the other post for the rest of the pictures. I just pulled the cover to take that one. Remove the snap-ring and use the inner circle for pulling with pliers. Work side to side because it's in there good.

Took the purge valve apart yesterday. It appears as if I have a failing desiccant cartridge; or is this normal?



I cleaned it all up and put a light coat of grease on the o-rings and started the truck before reassembly to let the air clean the hole up in the well for the purge valve. Reassembled it and purge valve worked properly, at least long enough to get the truck unloaded where I wanted it. I will tear into it today and see if more dessicant has gotten into the valve.

 

[Buffalobwana]

The picture says it all. MRAP seats, I welded a frame for them to stand upright, since they are meant to bolt to a wall. Usually a limo picks up the newlyweds.

Not this time.

 

[Floridianson]

The picture says it all. MRAP seats, I welded a frame for them to stand upright, since they are meant to bolt to a wall. Usually a limo picks up the newlyweds.

Not this time.

View attachment 707825

So instead of tin cans did you tow four cars behind you?

 

[tobyS]

So instead of tin cans did you tow four cars behind you?

In parallel or series?

 

[Swamp Donkey]

So instead of tin cans did you tow four cars behind you?

I was thinking ammo cans...cars would work though, lol.

 

[Buffalobwana]

Ha! No joke.

I actually thought about getting some 55 gallon drums to drag but, I’d hate to hurt someone as a worst case scenario and I can do without a lawsuit if one of them came loose and dented someone’s precious car.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Took the purge valve apart yesterday. It appears as if I have a failing desiccant cartridge; or is this normal?

View attachment 707823

I cleaned it all up and put a light coat of grease on the o-rings and started the truck before reassembly to let the air clean the hole up in the well for the purge valve. Reassembled it and purge valve worked properly, at least long enough to get the truck unloaded where I wanted it. I will tear into it today and see if more dessicant has gotten into the valve.

Definately not normal. How old is that PURest dryer, and do you use any air line antifreeze or other additives in your air system? Looks like the desiccant has broken down.

 

[gottaluvit]

Definately not normal. How old is that PURest dryer, and do you use any air line antifreeze or other additives in your air system? Looks like the desiccant has broken down.

Well, back when I first got this truck I did run some air system antifreeze/cleaner through it, but none since. The dryer is only two years old. I will put a new cartridge in it today then. I have a few lying around since I had several I was selling. Hopefully the cartridge currently in it has absorbed the remainder of that alcohol. Gotta make a run to Lockbourne pulling an M1082 trailer Friday, so I definitely have to have good air/brakes. Thank you to all who helped me on this.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Most air system manufacturers say you should service the drier every year.

 

[gottaluvit]

Most air system manufacturers say you should service the drier every year.

I considered that, being the desiccant cartridges I have were in MRAP annual maintenance kits. I guess I just assumed all the more I drive it, I could squeeze a good bit more time out of it than that. But we all know what happens when we ASSUME! Thanks, Chris.

 

[simp5782]

Had one of my Front XZL's go out on me. I had some sidewall damage from going up thru OH about 2 months ago. nice sidewall cuts. Then yesterday on the east side of Nashville she decided to blow out. Nice little hole at 65mph when she went down. Runflat did it's job I was able to keep driving to the next exit with no issue. Got her changed and off I went. Runflats do work though. The tire stayed together pretty well.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Well, back when I first got this truck I did run some air system antifreeze/cleaner through it, but none since. The dryer is only two years old. I will put a new cartridge in it today then. I have a few lying around since I had several I was selling. Hopefully the cartridge currently in it has absorbed the remainder of that alcohol. Gotta make a run to Lockbourne pulling an M1082 trailer Friday, so I definitely have to have good air/brakes. Thank you to all who helped me on this.

Where did you add the antifreeze to the system? Before or after the dryer? Dessicant and antifreeze don't get along at all. Anything added to the system should be done after the dryer.

I've had my PURest dryer on the truck for 3 years now and just swapped it for another one 2 weeks ago. The purge valve was still closing but wasn't quite sealing completely. I left it on there as long as I did to get a gauge of how long it takes before they start giving problems. The main thin I want to see though is the trash that it has caught from the compressor. The dryer doesn't only remove water. It also catches carbon and other trash from the compressor. I'll probably tear into it this week and see what it looks like inside, then throw a rebuild kit in it. I don't expect to find much in there as the dryer portion was still working perfectly. I've never had moisture at the drain valves with that dryer on there. It got a real workout at the rally when we swapped Coffey's tires around and still didn't let any moisture pass.

Don't let my 3 year service period become proof of anything though. It's more of a sampling period. I want to see what my compressor has been putting out for the last 3 years.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

Fri. was my first 'real' test for my mods, batts having sat for a couple months without charge, using my batt disconnect switch to remove ANY draw from ANY system..... and testing the O-rings I changed out on my fuel pump in terms of there not being any leaks causing a loss of prime.....

I think I got 3 or 4 'whirrrs' before it caught and fired right up..... in 40* weather.... I was surprised...

I had my finger on the ether button ready to give it a push, but it wasn't needed!

Huge HUGE (bigly huge) TY (again) to Wes for pointing me in the right direction and giving me the courage to break into my fuel pump and fix the stuff that needed fixing.... He musta spent an hour on the phone with me telling me everything and what to look out for, can't thank him enough..

I now have a truck that doesn't need 3 mins of cranking to get it to start if I sit it for more than a day...lol..