Help with new engine decision

I have a roll of 6" Eternabond ready to go once I get it back to running status - it's now at a shop 13 miles from my house (the one that quoted $4200+ labor to R&R without ever first removing the oil pan, just draining the oil to diagnose the engine). Hope to get it towed home once a local Chevy dealership gives me their final labor price. Then the fun begins.

Can't quite describe the smell - it attaches to clothing and anything left in the RV for a while. Always washes out. Had a $100 leak test by useless Camping World in Houghton Lake a few years ago and they gave it A-OK. They said the coach had no window drainage system on the passenger side, an omission from the fractory, no less. Paid them hundreds to fix the problem with no result afterwards. That was my first lesson in RV's and the wonderful world of Camping World/Marcus Lemonis Industries!!!! But, it is now a 21 year old coach, so maybe in its history it had a leak or two. I have personally removed the carpet, sans the doghouse/driver/passenger area and the back bedroom. I replaced with Allure vinyl flooring after a couple of Kilz 2 coats to the underlayment. Helped a lot. But still there is a musty vibe still in play. Tried Febreze, odor bombs, etc... still no progress. Walls and roof seem solid, no dips or bends (except back bedroom corner, but I did have a small leak during Tropical Storm Debbie last year in Florida. But that was ALOT!!!! of rain!

Quite honestly, it smells like a mildew of some sort. You never notice it when in the RV, except when you exit and smell the remnants much later on your clothes. The coach is supposed to have an aluminum wall structure, as well as the roof. Maybe there are bits of plywood holding their secrets. But, this is getting off-topic of the original post. Thanks for all the great replies so far!! Jamie

If it is old dirty camper smell, it probably is mildew. If it is dead animal smell, then it is propane. On my coach, anytime there is a dramatic temperature change, I get propane smell. It is caused by the valves seeping during thermal expansion. Since it only happens in the winter, I don't worry too much about it. The other thing I do is since I have a MaxxAir vent cover on my bathroom, I leave it open all winter long. That prevents any propane smell from building up. It does make the bathroom dusty, but the cover does not leak.

I agree with glamis - 90% of any smell (assuming that you don't have water leaks) comes from the carpet, 10% from the furnishings.

Assuming you do the repower then I would also redo the roof seams with 4" Eternabond ($100) and pull the interior and replace with some sort of wooden/vinyl floor - I have done the vinyl twice (Allure) and my next one will be using glue down engineered wood (probably bamboo).

If you are handy and willing to learn, none of this is super expensive and use eBay and Craigslist to find the bargains.

I had the 20 year old stench in my coach when I got it, from years of spilling stuff on the carpet and not being cleaned properly. It just had that smell that nothing would take out, except tearing ALL the carpet out and starting all over. So that's what I did, took out the couch and dinette, removed the toilet(had carpet in the bathrooom), all the carpet up around the driver's and passenger's area, and bedroom. Then, we put in new carpet in the front area and bedroom, and vinyl flooring in the rest. Now it smells like new carpet in there! Fresh & clean. Not a quick easy job, but made the coach 100 times nicer inside.

GM specifies which water pump to use on the 502. That is the one to use. Bite the bullet, and buy that from GM Performance. Then you will know it won't be a problem. I think they my list 2 different pumps, as the serpentine pump spins the opposite direction from the conventional pump.

I like HR Imperials, good looking old coach's. A couple things that haven't been mentioned, cooling system and fuel supply. The fact you lost a rod bearing means the radiator heat exchanger is probably fouled with debris. A repower means new not reman water pump, make sure it's correct for the motorhome application, hoses, clamps and thermostat, need replacement and cost money. A pusher electric fuel pump is always a good thing, with the pusher mounted back by the fuel tank. However as your coach has throttle body fuel injections it might have a pump in the tank. What ever now would be the time to change that pump, requires dropping the fuel tank. The transmission you have is a first design 4L80, I prefer those units over the later ones however it probably needs to be refreshed as it getting old, rubber seals and all get weary with time. I've been through this repower drill many times over the years, only because it's my business, and I have the facility and equipment to make it happen. I'd take a hard look under the coach, if it's rusty under there I'd probably forget a repower. You need to an disinterested experienced third party to look the situation over before you start taking things apart.

I agree. Pay to have a pressure test done and see of there is a leak somewhere. If you go through the trouble of getting the driveline fixed but then find major structural damage and possibly mildew and or dry rot then all you have done is prepared a nice new big block for a Chevy muscle car. Not fun.

Thanks

jdmcleod wrote:

Any suggestions on fixes for the mild, lingering scent imparted to clothing and belongings from this coach?

This question needs to be answered before anything else is done. You need to ensure that you do not have a leak issue that is/has caused structural problems that are hidden in the walls. Neither Dave nor I can have that problem as our coaches don't have any wood in the structure of the coach. I don't know it that is true of your coach or not.

You do need to find the source or cause of this before continuing.

Daveinet wrote:
There is really very little about RVing that makes financial sense. Most of the time, you do things because you want to, not because it is financially prudent. RVing is fun. You do things to the RV that make it more fun. About the only real logical question one needs to ask, is if they mind being married to it till death do you part. If it is the RV you want to be driving for the next 10+ years, then you go for it. If not, then bail before spend one more dime.

I like this post. It is not all about the money and what something is worth in dollars. It is about spending money in a manner that fits your situation and desires. It is also a case of take one path or the other, but don't expect to be able to switch from one to the other after you have passed the fork in the road.

I came to a fork in the road in my case as well. I needed to either keep running my coach with its original 440 or switch it to diesel now. I took the fork of switching my coach to diesel. Once I took that branch, there is no turning back and, like Dave has said, I am effectively married to my coach for the duration. But, I had figured out that I WAS married to it anyway so it was just a question of what it was worth to ME to make the changes.

I thought about that question for a long time and decided that it was worth it to ME. Yes, I am putting about $15,000 into a 1976 model year coach and it will not change the finacial value near that much. As they say, the only way I can get that value out of it is to drive it out of it. I will be going from about 225 hp and 350 ft lbs of torque to 350 hp and 650 ft lbs of torque with a 14,500 lb coach. I am replacing the perfectly good running 440 with a 2006 Duramax TD coupled to an Allison 1000 with double overdrive (6 speeds total)tramsmission.

Given that I am going from gas to diesel, my situation is a LOT more complicated than the OP's situation and choices. I and a friend are doing the work in my case and the OP will be doing his own work. I have learned a lot and am going to have the satisfaction of having done it.

And, yes, Dave is right in that when it is done, there will be the vainity issue I will have to control when going up a hill and passing other coaches while towing!

I and Dave and some others are a small minority when it comes to the decsion as to whether to fix and contunue driving what we have vs dumping and switching. As has been said, the most important decision right now is "Do I want to drive THIS coach for the next 6-10 years?" If it is not a strong YES, then lick your wounds and start looking for your next coach. If it is a strong YES, then dig in and start learning and having fun rebuilding your coach.