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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | After considering options on the well worn 454 (GM) engine in our coach, we decided to replace with something that 1) has slightly more power, 2) has fuel injection, 3) takes advantage of modern technology 4) is more efficient and 5) is significantly lighter. Diesel conversions are too much work and too expensive, so we chose the LY6 6.0 liter GM truck engine with variable valve timing. It has a cast iron block and aluminum heads. It weighs a couple hundred pounds less than a typical iron big block.
We are mating it to the current 4L80e A/T (2.48, 1.48, 1.00, 0.75) and the stock differential. our goals are to decrease the rear weight (improve straight line handling/steering), increase power, improve fuel economy, lower noise and if possible, decrease the engine bay temperatures. Because weight is a primary concern, we would like to re-mount the spare tire. Removing the ~130 Lb spare tire/holder/rack from the extreme rear of the coach to the extreme front of the coach should have a significant effect on weight distribution and thereby handling. Has anyone ever mounted their spare in the front (sort of a VW van style)? Any pics? How did you secure it? |
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Expert
 
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | Jerry, the spare for #87 is front mounted. I will take pictures of the mount this weekend and post them. I will be in Tulare at the World Ag Expo this coming week. |
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Regular
Location: Santa Cruz, Calif. | Another option is to just drop the spare. We subscribe to roadside service and it is available most anywhere. Besides, 17in split rims are not going to find replacements anywhere, maybe a tube patch kit, but that's it. We just finished our conversion to 19.5s (that is a reality series in its self) and they are available everywhere. My Aero Cruiser uses 16s and they are also available anywhere. Rather than carry 10 ton jacks, over sized wrenches, torque breaker bars, etc. I just call road service. They're probably faster than me with all that parafinalia anyway. |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | BigRabbitMan - 2010-02-04 7:30 AM
Jerry, the spare for #87 is front mounted. I will take pictures of the mount this weekend and post them. I will be in Tulare at the World Ag Expo this coming week.
Will be there Tuesday.
Cell number: (559) 270-1734
Would be great to see the pics of the front mount. Was that a purchased kit?
Can you post pics on here?
No spare would not be a good option for us as a lot of our use in the desert or other not-so-popular places.
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Veteran
Location: Canton, (Sixes) GA | I have 22.5 steel wheels on 0890 and do not carry a spare. It is possible to install a receiver hitch on front..A couple of other options - if you no longer use the original air conditoners you may be able to remove all related stuff under the front of the coach and mount a spare there. Some mount it on top of the coach, tucked away as best they can.. As for the desert and remote locations with no spare - If the bad tire is on the rear, you can limp quite a few miles at 25mph.. if a front tire failure, you can move one of the rears forward and limp also...Denny |
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Expert
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | I have posted pictures of an assembly for front mounting the spare in the Album section. I believe this is what you are looking to do. |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | The pictures Stephen posted are of the same tire carrier used on the back of #902. It can be mounted on the front or rear. I have the stainless front bumper in very good shape and have not wanted to put the spare carrier on it. I guess if it stayed there it would not matter if it marred the finish. My carrier suffered a brocken return spring. Jim Black at RVS shipped me another spring. He has some of these carriers for sale. |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Any links to pictures? |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Saw the posting of the pics... Thanks! |
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Contributor
Location: Carthage Missouri | I do not carry a spare. The spare tire carrier that came with the FMC that I bought from MCR did fit well. They replaced with another one that wasn't much better so I just ran with out a spare now for over 90,000 miles. I had one flat during this time but was only 120 miles from home. There were seven friends with me plus fishing gear etc. The flat that was on the rear was removed and we drove home at 50 mph on the interstate without a problem. Jim 617 |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | We started the tear down, getting the back as bare as possible...
 (8 Fully exposed and ready to begin disconnecting the engine.JPG)
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 8 Fully exposed and ready to begin disconnecting the engine.JPG (150KB - 47 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | We are retaining the stock muffler location, but heavily insulated the muffler and all exhaust tubing
 (7 Radiator removed..JPG)
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7 Radiator removed..JPG (152KB - 30 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | This is the new engine we are installing: The GM LY6
 (0 L92_MAF_Jacobsen_engine (1).JPG)
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0 L92_MAF_Jacobsen_engine (1).JPG (84KB - 32 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | We are now planning on a dual alternator set up (one for the chassis elec. system, one for the coach batteries up front) and eliminating the battery isolator.
LY6 engine is supposed to have about 360 HP and 350 Ft. Lbs of torque at 4400 RPM.
I doubt we will ever see 4000. |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | If you have removed an engine from an FMC without a forklift, how did you do it?
Our cherry picker (obvious solution) is too tall and won't fit under the engine bay "ceiling".
Ideas? |
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| jerry..you will need to jack the MH up about 20-24 inches to get a couple of jacks
under the engine and the trany, they will then slide out the back. I used a tractor
splitter jack combo on 536 and it worked fine..wayne |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | I almost cut about 5" off of the uprights on my cherry picker (still may). I found that I could extend the boom and get it inside the engine bay. I was working with the original 440. I did have to remove the carb. The GM engine may be too heavy to remove this way. I like the idea of the shortened picker. Bill |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Put a new arm hanging down from the cherry picker.
This should do the trick. Still need to brace it and clean it up, but here is the basic idea:
 (9 Modified Cherry Picker.JPG)
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9 Modified Cherry Picker.JPG (151KB - 26 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Position of the arm is just about right in relation to the engine. With the carb. removed, it should be nearly at the level of the intake manifold:
 (10a New Cherry picker arm position on engine.JPG)
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10a New Cherry picker arm position on engine.JPG (157KB - 26 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Also of note here is the engine is mounted solid with no rubber isolation between the engine and the frame. We will replace this with standard motor mounts for the LY6 engine (2009 Silverado pick up engine mounts) to dampen the engine vibration and noise from the frame.
 (12 old engine mounting (solid, no rubber isolation).JPG)
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12 old engine mounting (solid, no rubber isolation).JPG (153KB - 29 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | More Progress:
Engine and cross member ready to come out. Everything is unbolted and loose
Edited by Jerry 2010-02-27 11:31 PM
 (15 Engine and cross member ready to come out.JPG)
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15 Engine and cross member ready to come out.JPG (138KB - 26 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Hoisting out the engine/transmission assembly
 (16 Engine and transmission lifted.JPG)
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16 Engine and transmission lifted.JPG (147KB - 29 downloads)
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Engine and transmission out... Time for a break.
 (20 Removal completed.JPG)
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20 Removal completed.JPG (152KB - 26 downloads)
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Expert
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | Congratulations to Jerry and Grandson (son of Tim). They are quite a team and I was fortunate enough to have met all of them while at the World Ag Expo the second week of Feburary. Watching the install of the new engine will be interesting. Then we can start to see them at future rallies. They would have been at the Felton rally with the old engine, but mechanical issues made them turn back.
Keep up the good work guys! Another coach is being set up for another 100,000 miles. |
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Regular
Location: Clovis, Ca | Engine is supposed to arrive today. Pics coming.... |
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Engine Conversion, spare tire conversion
