Author Topic: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....  (Read 4009 times)

Mike Shumack

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Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« on: March 11, 2019, 12:06:43 AM »
I'm doing some chassis clean up - which consists of tidying up all the loose wiring in the front right (behind right headlight area) and decided it would be a good idea to rotate the HWH Pump 90 degrees. The way it was installed, the motor and solenoid packs were facing the generator and there was no way to get to a solenoid in the event one had to manually release pressure to push a room in.

So I rotated the Pump and that gave me a good look at the solenoids. I still need to add a bracket and a 45 degree -4 JIC swivel fitting to finish up the job.

Now that I can see everything, I noticed the weather seal around the solenoid wires was gone. Does this look like something I should replace (while I have the convenience of time and location) or is this not a concern? Maybe just add a drop of RTV to terminals and forget it.
What do you think?


Dwight Lakusta

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2019, 01:34:31 AM »
Looks to me that the wires got so hot it melted the insulators off....I would High temp RTV silicone them, and not look it again until that motor gives you issues!

Mike Shumack

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2019, 11:22:23 AM »
I've been looking closely at that terminal with a magnifying glass, and I think the wire boots just disintegrated (maybe from age and oil residue). At first it looked like corrosion.

But, that solenoid was messed with before for some reason (looks like pliers were used on it), and the "double nuts" don't add confidence. I think I will order a replacement and keep it in my spare parts bin. The replacements have the cam release (like the solenoid next to it) which I think is a better design - if you ever need to release one.

Carl Boger

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 01:38:51 AM »
I would spray it down with electrical contact cleaner and the RTV it up.  Maybe flexall since it sticks to everything. Then the spare is a good idea.  I wouldn't open the can of worms until it started giving me problems.
Carl

98 Beaver Patriot Savannah
330 hp Cat 3126

Mike Shumack

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 02:25:33 PM »
That's good advice Carl.

However, after learning that the solenoid cost $186+ I think I will just wait for it to fail then deal with it.

I am big into preventive maintenance (if you can call it that. DW says I just like to spend money on the coach). So I spend a bunch of time crawling all around the coach looking for potential problems. And I usually find something  ::)

I figure if I can take care of a potential problem while the coach is parked at home it will be more convenient and comfortable to fix, and I won't have to worry about it when I'm out of state at a campground or on the road without parts or proper tools. Of course this probably means that sometimes I'm fixing stuff that doesn't need to be fixed.

Lee Welbanks

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2019, 02:45:53 PM »
Mike, I don't don't know what the number is but one of Murphy's Laws somewhere states: If you carry a spare the original will never ever fail. So with that said I carry a spare.
Probably the only problem with that solenoid would be if water got into the windings and corroded them. As others have stated slap some RTV on it.

Mike Shumack

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2019, 03:13:23 PM »
That makes sense.
It's that double nut on top that bothers me. The original nut either broke off or someone over tightened it. Make me wonder if anything internal was messed up. But the slide is working. I do have a slide that creeps (don't recall now if it is that slide).

This would be a good time to identify which room each solenoid bank controls and mark them.

I did find this HWH sheet indicating how they are mounted (and which solenoid bank is for Extension and which is for Retraction) so if I ever need to release a room (for manual retraction), I won't need to be laying in the mud on my back at the campground figuring it out then.

Doug Allman

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Re: Moving HWH Pump and noticed this ....
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2019, 12:41:32 PM »
Some subscribe to preventative maintenance, others say let it break and then fix. IMHO my shop is the place to do maintenance and that is enjoyable to know when I leave it is ready for the road.
I learned that when I had a JOB and that required I got back home to be back to the JOB on time. Even today with no JOB I still do not enjoy sitting along the highway or in campground waiting until part arrives. Working on coach along a highway with the drivers of today is no treat. If it is gonna fail it will be in some remote place on usually Sunday afternoon with no potential for quick economical fix.
If it is suspect part, install new one and keep used part as spare. Doesnt cost any less but somehow your mind doesnt look at it as if you spent money foolishly. What you never will know is if it prevented a break down - but that aint all bad.
If you travel the highways which we just did from southwest Arizona thru New mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to Alabama, then on into Florida, even a new rig gets stressed heavily so preventative maintenance is a must to keep you rolling. I have no idea where the southern states are spending their federal dollars on the Interstate highways as they all are in very poor shape.