Normally, I would have taken the top route through Okeechobee, FL 72 to FL 70 to FL710 (Beeline Hwy) and then I-95 from WPB). Due to my desire to not use the brakes, I figured if we got an early start and took I-75, it would be easy and we would avoid rush hour in Ft. Lauderdale.
We did pretty well and got out of the campground around 10:00. The drive to I-75 was fairly uneventful, although I did have to make a semi-hard stop as the light changed as we were coming up on it and no way it would have still been yellow. It was a good test of what brakes I did have, and she stopped fairly well (I figure I had 5 out of 6 working now).
I pulled off before getting on the highway and checked the fluid level after the hard stop and as a precaution put in about 1/4 of an oz as I now had plenty to spare. We got on the road and traffic was light heading south. I figured we should make in about 4.5 hours with a gas/bathroom stop (vs. 3.5-4 going the other way).
Things went smoothly and while I had enough gas to make it across Alligator Alley, I figured I'd stop, top it off, check the brakes (although I hadn't used them once) and stretch for a couple min as we had been driving for 2 hours.
The brakes were still full and she took about half a tank of gas. After about 10 min, I got back in to fire it up. If you may recall, the engine in the coach was rebuilt a few years ago and probably has about 9K miles on it now. It is not a stock engine and has some upgrades to it.
This makes it a little hard to turn over when she is hot. I get in position and hit the starter. It groans and turns over slow. Usually, I let off it and wait 10 seconds and hit it again and it fires right up.
Well my impatience costs me here as I don't let go and decide I will force it through. It turns over more slowly then just as it is about to stop I hear a crack like sound and then some very nasty grinding noises.
This scares me and I look at the girls and wait 30 seconds or so thinking WTH was that? I try it again and I can hear the starter motor spinning but it doesn't sound just right as there is a little grindy sound but its really faint. It's lunch time so I send the girls over to Taco Bell while I sit and think about it (and let the engine cool down). I try it once more while they are gone and talk to a guy at the next pump who hears it also.
We decide that it is probably either the starter solenoid not engaging or the bendix unit not pushing out the pinion gear to engage the flywheel.
A short instructional video of how an automotive starter functions.
My lunch comes back and I eat it even though I have no appetite at the moment. I start googling auto parts stores nearby looking for a new starter. No one has one for a 45 year old vehicle, but AutoZone has one at their store/distro center in Ft. Myers about 40 miles away.
I call up Mark as he mentioned to let me know if I ran into any trouble on the way home and low and behold, the starter is just minutes from his home. He is SUPER cool about picking it up and bringing it to us.
This was my view for the better part of Friday afternoon at the corner of SR 84 and Collier Blvd.
While I am waiting for Mark to arrive, I pull out the old starter. Right when I get it out another man asks if I need a jump. I say I could use your cables for a minute please and he hands them over. The starter is still wired up put uses the engine block as the ground. I attach one side to the starter housing and the other to the block where the starter mounts. I lay there on the ground and have lucy hit the starter. It works perfectly!
I thank the nice man for aiding in my troubleshooting and then stick my fingers in the starter hole and feel that the starter broke off 3 teeth on the flywheel. It is rounded out exactly the size of the pinion gear.
I quick call Mark back and tell him I also need a 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" (knew it was one or the other per a phone call to Jim from The Co-op) socket and it is not the starter. I start to tell him not to pick up the starter and then figure, better safe than sorry and to grab it, I can return later. Timing is everything as I called just as he is walking into the store to grab it.
Not knowing what will happen and the time (now 2PM) I also call Sirum GMC in Okeechobee to alert them I may be coming in on a tow truck. I'm surprised to find out that from where I am in east Naples, it is just about the same distance from my house to their shop. As always he's super nice and offers up a local tow company to him that could get it done.
Mark arrives and I waste no time. I grab the 1 1/8" first and it is the right one. I use a stubby extension that he also picked up and use the breaker bar (30 inch) that I carry for the lugnuts. I am surprised how easy it is to turn the engine by hand. The big nut is on the pulley and connected to the crankshaft, so by turning it I am turning the crankshaft and the flywheel on the back of the engine.
I do a few for good measure and then finger probe and shine my flashlight in the starter hole. All good teeth! The starter was easy to take out by myself, but it weighs a good 30 lbs or at least feels that heavy so Mark puts the bolts in while I hold it up in place.
I decide to go use the bathroom as once I start it, I'm not turning it off until I'm in my driveway. It fires up on the first try like butter. I high-five Mark, and off we go! It is now about 4:00 PM and we had been at the gas station for 4 hours.
We get right on the Alley and start heading east at about 60-65 mph. People are going around me, but I'm also pacing some trailers in front so I have to keep letting up a bit as I don't want to be too close to them with my extended braking distance. I call Jeff at Sirum back and let him know we are underway and didn't need a tow truck and not wonder what happened to us. He thanks me for the courtesy call.
About half an hour later, the phone rings (I had made several calls) and it is my yellow GMC twinsie Mike. I let him know we are good and motoring happily. As I'm talking with him, I see smoke ahead. At first I think brush fire (it is the Everglades and rainy season which means lightning strikes). Two miles later here come the brake lights
Smoke is now way too dark to be a brush fire. As we slow you can see the Fire Truck on the other side of the road. So yep, they shut the road down while working the fire. I put the motorhome in park and let it idle as I was worried about turning it off, especially in the middle of the road.
It took them about an hour to finish up and traffic start to flow again. Amazingly, the fuel gauge made no noticeable move in that time, but I'm sure we spent a few gallons but I wasn't worried as the range on the coach is over 250 and we only had about 140 to go.
As we rolled by, Lucy took this shot. Just to the right was two ladies, one holding a small child. I was happy they got out without anyone being hurt.
So based on our late departure and now stoppage on the highway, we were hitting Broward County at the peak of Rush Hour. One benefit of Covid is the reduction in traffic. I still opted to use the Sawgrass Expressway to avoid downtown Ft. Laud and having to use the brakes.
It was smooth sailing and we arrived home around 6PM. I left the coach running and played musical cars and then backed it up onto the lawn and shut it off. An hour or so later we were done unloading. It fired right up and I put it away. I had used about 1/3 of the reservoir of brake fluid.
EPILOGUE:
Approximately 1100 miles in 10 days, avg MPG was about 9.6 (did get 10 on one leg), 4 parks, 2 states, a couple hundred miles of new highways traveled, 1 car delivery, 3 nights of comet viewing, 3 major vehicle issues, 1 new Tiki bar visited, and priceless memories with family and friends.
Needed Repairs:
Fix the leaky brake lines
Fix the leaky brake lines
Reattach the sunvisor
The flywheel will wait as there are over 100 teeth on it, so I have a 99% chance of it starting. I will carry the socket and breaker bar JIC and not try to start it hot for now.
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