Suspension Suspicion...

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Doo

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My old bus is taking a while to rise after a 1st start.

I bought a pump kit, but it was just done last 3 years and I've only done around 18k miles in that time.

So before I start stripping stuff, I thought I'd mes around.

I plugged in my airline and fired up the pump by removing the relay and plugging in a jump wire. Then I went to inflate all the airbags and whoosh, she was up in all 4 corners within seconds.

I can leave her at full height and she never drops, even if I leave her for 3wks...

So my question is, why is it taking so long to rise when ordered?
 
Doo said:
My old bus is taking a while to rise after a 1st start.

I bought a pump kit, but it was just done last 3 years and I've only done around 18k miles in that time.

So before I start stripping stuff, I thought I'd mes around.

I plugged in my airline and fired up the pump by removing the relay and plugging in a jump wire. Then I went to inflate all the airbags and whoosh, she was up in all 4 corners within seconds.

I can leave her at full height and she never drops, even if I leave her for 3wks...

So my question is, why is it taking so long to rise when ordered?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have a storage leak. No airy no worky.
 
We have had a couple of folk with leaks on the pipe to the tank, pipe gets melted from exhaust leak and can be hard to find.
 
brianp38dse said:
We have had a couple of folk with leaks on the pipe to the tank, pipe gets melted from exhaust leak and can be hard to find.
Click to expand...

I had that the 1st time around, after I'd rebuilt the pump and valve block, the suspension wouldn't rise so I investigated.

Found the leak at the pipe above the left back box, so I bought new pipe and re-routed it well away from the exhaust. This time it goes over the middle of the chassis.

I've set the pump running with the jumper wire and cant hear any tell tale hissing nor any bubbles from the tank o_O

I'll check some more... But is there any other cause of a slow riser :eek::confused::p
 
Doo said:
I had that the 1st time around, after I'd rebuilt the pump and valve block, the suspension wouldn't rise so I investigated.

Found the leak at the pipe above the left back box, so I bought new pipe and re-routed it well away from the exhaust. This time it goes over the middle of the chassis.

I've set the pump running with the jumper wire and cant hear any tell tale hissing nor any bubbles from the tank o_O

I'll check some more... But is there any other cause of a slow riser :eek::confused::p
Click to expand...

No lack of stored air pressure is the cause of slow inflation of the bags. The fact that filling the tank cause a quick rise should be an obvious indication of that.
 
wammers said:
No lack of stored air pressure is the cause of slow inflation of the bags. The fact that filling the tank cause a quick rise should be an obvious indication of that.
Click to expand...

Indeed, but the reason I asked was why does it fill quicker by simply putting a jump wire on than if I start the engine?

Even if I leave the door open for 10 minutes it takes an age, but by not starting and bypassing the relay it took mere seconds...and the relay is fine!

Maybe I was lucky and it hadn't all leaked out then.

I wonder if there is another leak at the tank :confused:
 
I'd check for a pin hole in the tank, i've seen a few that have rotted through..

Mine had sat for over a year and rose up in seconds :p:D

Hmm :cool::D
 
OK chaps, all pipework checked and fine (teeny weeeeeeny leakage from one of the pipes from the valve block to the front air bag...But so small it's inconsequential.

No leak form the VB to the air storage tank at either connection or the pipe itself.

While I was at it, I checked the desiccated balls in the dryer and they are in beautiful condition also.

I checked for leaks at the pump and while it was extremely hot (I'd been driving for about 35 minutes) it was running fine and no leaks there either.

I checked for kinks in the pipe from the valve block to the air tank, but again, all was well.

I can drive for 15 minutes and the car will take an age to rise. Then I can be five minutes and she'll rise like a dingle on viagra o_O

I am at a loss to explain the loss of air or the sheer age it can take to fill the tank seeing as how there appears to be no visible leaks between the block and the tank. It must be extremely slow :confused: I'll need to run the engine, charge the system and start again from the valve block back.

Is there any chance one (or more) of the valves may be sticking slightly open causing extremely slow tank filling too?
 
Doo said:
OK chaps, all pipework checked and fine (teeny weeeeeeny leakage from one of the pipes from the valve block to the front air bag...But so small it's inconsequential.

No leak form the VB to the air storage tank at either connection or the pipe itself.

While I was at it, I checked the desiccated balls in the dryer and they are in beautiful condition also.

I checked for leaks at the pump and while it was extremely hot (I'd been driving for about 35 minutes) it was running fine and no leaks there either.

I checked for kinks in the pipe from the valve block to the air tank, but again, all was well.

I can drive for 15 minutes and the car will take an age to rise. Then I can be five minutes and she'll rise like a dingle on viagra o_O

I am at a loss to explain the loss of air or the sheer age it can take to fill the tank seeing as how there appears to be no visible leaks between the block and the tank. It must be extremely slow :confused: I'll need to run the engine, charge the system and start again from the valve block back.

Is there any chance one (or more) of the valves may be sticking slightly open causing extremely slow tank filling too?
Click to expand...
No leak however small you think it may be is inconsequential on the EAS.
If the pump was very hot after a 35 minute drive, it is feeding a leak that you have yet to find, or just possibly the pump is so worn it cannot make enough pressure.
 
Don't rule a leak as inconsequential, ANY leak will have a consequence with such a low output compressor.
Whilst the compressor might be able to make good pressure, it is possible the volume of air it can move is only marginally greater than the leak which means that it could run almost constantly. From my experience, this will kill the compressor in a couple of days at best.
On mine, the orings under the compressor valves were knackered so output was low even though the piston ring was fine.
 
When I said inconsequential, I meant it's from the block to an airbag not the pump as such. So it isn't the tank or the pipework from/to the tank. It's so small, the car will sit on high for well over 2 weeks (at least that's the longest I've left her recently without moving).

I can find no pinholes at the tank either so I can only assume the pump itself is unhappy and unable to deliver sufficient volume to the air tank to store.

I have a spare pump that rattles so will strip it and find the cause and maybe see if it's worth rebuilding. It was the original pump but it was making an awful racket so I got another one, serviced it & installed it about 18 months ago (ish). It is the one getting hot.

Would I be correct in assuming the rattle could be from the crankshaft of the pump and is there a grub screw involved? Memory seems to recall such a screw somewhere...
 
Doo said:
When I said inconsequential, I meant it's from the block to an airbag not the pump as such. So it isn't the tank or the pipework from/to the tank. It's so small, the car will sit on high for well over 2 weeks (at least that's the longest I've left her recently without moving).

I can find no pinholes at the tank either so I can only assume the pump itself is unhappy and unable to deliver sufficient volume to the air tank to store.

I have a spare pump that rattles so will strip it and find the cause and maybe see if it's worth rebuilding. It was the original pump but it was making an awful racket so I got another one, serviced it & installed it about 18 months ago (ish). It is the one getting hot.

Would I be correct in assuming the rattle could be from the crankshaft of the pump and is there a grub screw involved? Memory seems to recall such a screw somewhere...
Click to expand...

There's a grubscrew that holds the piston on the crank accessed under another screw on the side at the back.
 
wammers said:
It is 1/8" and you MUST ensure it is engaged on the flat on the shaft.
Click to expand...
Agree with wammers have seen where people have refitted pulleys etc wrong and tried to tighten grub screws onto the wrong part of shaft, nowt but problems caused
 
;):D;)
Doo said:
When I said inconsequential, I meant it's from the block to an airbag not the pump as such. So it isn't the tank or the pipework from/to the tank. It's so small, the car will sit on high for well over 2 weeks (at least that's the longest I've left her recently without moving).

I can find no pinholes at the tank either so I can only assume the pump itself is unhappy and unable to deliver sufficient volume to the air tank to store.

I have a spare pump that rattles so will strip it and find the cause and maybe see if it's worth rebuilding. It was the original pump but it was making an awful racket so I got another one, serviced it & installed it about 18 months ago (ish). It is the one getting hot.

Would I be correct in assuming the rattle could be from the crankshaft of the pump and is there a grub screw involved? Memory seems to recall such a screw somewhere...
Click to expand...
I'm glad your desiccated balls are in beautiful condition .;):D
 
OK, still curious...

Needed to inflate my bike tyres (my old mountain bike been in the garage unused since the week before my accident so flat tyres). I plugged into my line, turned the valve and a healthy hiss. I inflated the tyres so plenty air on tap.

I plugged in my jump wire and let the motor run a few minutes to recharge the tank of what I'd used (very little, tyres went up in a second).

Started the car to reverse back into my spot and still took an age to rise, as if there was no air in the tank, except there was, plenty!! o_O

Driving me nuts :confused:
 
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