Your guys's opinion on do this repair myself or take it in?

[nehuge]

How many hours do you guys think it would take on a 1995 Class A Motorhome on the F53 Ford Chassis with a 460 for the following...

Power steering pump is at its end.

Figure while I'm in there I do:

Water Pump
Alternator
Thermostat
Idler pulleys, tensioner if there is one
Serpentine belt
Radiator hoses and the little ones that go to the cooler, etc.

What's your take on this on how long it would take?

First shop quote was $3,000, and that was with me supplying the water pump, alternator and thermostat! They had 2.5 hours down to replace serpentine belt. what....?

I await my other quotes as well as your input.....

[Matt_Colie]

Good to see you are willing to go after it. I very much doubt that you will regret this experience.

When you get out in the RV world, you may find that more than a few know little or nothing about the unit that they depend on daily.

Matt

[DiskDoctr]

Your video helps a lot! What is the make and model? No front access panel at all?

If you can remove the fan shroud and fan you *might* have enough room.

Of course you will remove the two intake hoses on top of the motor as you pointed out.

Might be helpful to rig up a narrow platform of sorts so you can lay over the motor/dogbox area without laying ON the motor. Same problem plagues us 7.3L guys from the front- why I mentioned the topside creeper- but that won't help you inside = DIY setup

Are you setup to jack up and/or support the front end safely if you remove the front wheels?

It looks like you have fairly easy access, but you'll need room between the motor and the radiator. Shroud definitely removed. Radiator isn't a bad idea for room and protect it from damage. The fins are also VERY sharp!

Lots of reaching and stretching. A creeper, good drain pans, lights and tools.

The belt, water pump, tensioner, water pump are all on the front. Remove the one in the way first, move onto the second. Peel back the layers, so to speak. Replace in reverse order.

Do you have a cordless ratchet? Very helpful in tight spots.

Here's one from Harbor Freight that is pretty good.




Impact wrench? Helpful to remove bolts on pulleys, break bolts loose, etc.

Penetrating fluid, gasket scraper, disposable gloves, face shield (fluids and debris when you are working from below), hand cleaner, shop towels, magnetic tool dishes etc.

I lay shipping blankets over fenders, batteries, engine areas, etc when working over top of them. Helps prevent loss of tools and parts and makes nice place to set tools and parts.

I might do the work myself to save $400. You are looking to save a TON of money. I would definitely do it from what you've shown in your video.

Does your brake booster use Mercon V transmission fluid?

Go for it! :C

[Yankee_Clipper]

While you're in there, take a hard look at the exhaust manifolds and see whether they are beginning to warp. As long as you have that much off the engine, the manifolds would be a quick fix, too.

[mike_brez]

YouTube

[nehuge]

Ya sorry about not leaving my history, I'm 45, I can turn a wrench pretty well, I have all the crows feet, swivels, torque wrenches, blah blah.

Yes Arizona does kill rubber for sure. I found Raybestos brake hoses that I'll do myself and flush.

My RV is at a storage facility on asphalt, and some big DP's on either side of me can shade me.

Here's a Youtube video of my dog house being off, and me walking around pretty much showing what my setup looks like.

https://youtu.be/q0AkgpFpDwM

Sorry it its jumpy, it was right after work and I was tired and running out of light.

I think previous owner did the radiator in 2003, and water pump in 2004. I'm making a huge trip to the northwest and since the Power Steering pump assists the Hydro-Boost brakes, that was the one reason I'd have someone else do it, due to safety. Other than that, I'd go for it. Worst case I disable the vehicle, and I'd have a mobile guy finish the rest of I'd tow it to someone. Either way I may video tape all of it. I'm never afraid of a project but it just seems there's always SOMETHING that comes up during it that stumps you, you know?

[DiskDoctr]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Yes, I think you missed the part about the work being done on a Class A motorhome. Take off the front end? Work over the fender? I don't think so... 😉

Yeah, over the fender likely not possible 😉

Anyone have an idea what he's working on? Post says 95, profile says 93 Coachman, this one: no idea?

[RLS7201]

Forgot to mention. Power steering pumps for 460 F53s are sometimes very hard to find. Most suppliers will want your pump for rebuild, even when they show them in their catalog.

Richard

[femailyetti]

I WOULD do it. I already did all of that stuff on my project. BUT I am not afraid of working on things, and have done it on a couple of my cars and trucks in the past. If You have some place to work on it, then take pictures as you take things apart. Be very careful when getting parts, as even the best parts guys sometimes are not familiar with you application. Also the computer is usually wrong when it comes to motor homes. Always take the old part and match it up with the part you are buying.

[Dutch_12078]

DiskDoctr wrote:
Reviewing the list...I'd do it myself in a heartbeat.
...
Miss anything?

Yes, I think you missed the part about the work being done on a Class A motorhome. Take off the front end? Work over the fender? I don't think so... 😉

[DiskDoctr]

Reviewing the list...I'd do it myself in a heartbeat.

If you don't have a garage, get one of those canvas popups (like a cheap ez-up) to setup and cover your work area. Avoid rain and sun.

I don't know about your front end, but many of them come off without too much trouble- or at least remove your radiator.

You'll want to change your transmission fluid and coolant anyways, so no big deal disconnecting the lines.

May as well change and flush your brake lines as well (easy- suck out old from master cylinder reservoir, replace with new, disconnect line at each wheel and let it gravity drain. Keep filling reservoir until it the discarded fluid at the wheels is clear. Do not let the reservoir/mc get too low or empty)

I use a topside creeper that works quite well to suspend OVER the engine area to reach down into it instead of up over the fender. Helps for those tough spots.

But if you can remove the radiator and front grill, you can likely move the AC condensor and transmission cooler to the side without disconnecting and/or work around it...would make it really quick!

Pretty basic stuff. Go OEM on the power steering lines.

Weekend job for avg home DIY mechanic.

Miss anything?

[Matt_Colie]

Nehuge,

You supplied no background, but the way you phrase this leads me to believe that your wrench skill is well above Yellow Canary. It may even be weekend good wrench, but what ever. Think about this, you are literate, you write like you have an IQ over 85, and that may put you ahead of the guy that gets the job when you go to a shop.
AND
You have a very vested interest in getting the whole job done right. So, if something isn't as good as it could be, you can hold up and get it right.

For 3K$us, you can buy the book(s), tools and all the parts, and when you get done, you will know more and have more confidence in the coach. That is worth more than good tires....

Speaking of tires, I'm not going to, but that brings up rubber. Your coach is not all that old (from my POV). But 25 years is plenty for all the rubber parts to age out. Not just the hoses and belt that you have mentioned, but also the fuel lines and flexible brake lines, and the brake fluid should be flushed if you don't know when it was done last. The brake fluid is good to do when you have done the brake lines as it will have to be replaced then.

Remember: The big mistake that most home mechanics make is not taking enough apart to get things as they should be. You are not getting paid or charged by the hour, and you don't (I hope) need it to go to work Monday morning. (Where is my BTDT hat...)

Yes, take lots of pictures. Get a camera that does that well (part of the 3k you are not out of pocket).

Now, you are in Arizona. If that is where the coach has lived, rust will not be a big issue, but if it was on the gulf coast (a week might do) you will have to deal with it. Patience is the biggest advantage here. (Says a guy that has always lived where they use fender solvent to clean the roads.) If things don't loosen, soak them over night and try again. Anything you don't brake, you don't have to replace.

Why did they quote 3K$?? Because the shop manager looked in the flat rate book and added up all the hours for each job. => Individually!!!

So, my vote is go for it if you have the confidence in your own capability.

Matt

[Blutoyz]

That shop definitely doesn't want this job!!!

If you are an old motorhead and not under the gun do it yourself, at least you know it is done right

[Home_Skillet]

The problem with a vehicle that old is, having bolts snap off in the block.
I'm a former Master Ford technician, I wouldn't recommend this job to someone with no experience.

[John_Joey]

I would search for a better quote. Most mechanics don't want to work on a Class A and go high on the price. Look around and you'll find someone that doesn't mind working on them, and will be more reasonable.

Call the local RV parks to see if they can suggest anyone. Big truck repair shops are another good place, as is your local Good Sam's chapter Clicky.

[10forty2]

Do it yourself and save $2,500 in labor costs. Probably take the better part of a day, depending on how many times you stop to drink a beer... LOL! Seriously, though...all those things are basically part swapping and require no special tools or techniques, so it's definitely do-able!