Yahoo Message Number: 73681 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/73681)
I know you all are waiting with baited breath to read my findings after mud flap removal. Here is the data: 1. when under the coach with the mud flap secured to the tow post, I immediately found a wire bundle on the exhaust muffler, partially burnt but saved in time.
The vision is greatly improved and the light much better to find such little goodies with the mud flap out of the way. Yes, it does not have to be removed, just secured. 2. My mud flap is the same height as the rear tire mud flap, so no debris can pass and if it did it would have almost 10 feet to my tow. I added no water prior to starting the trip. 3. We went from Irvine CA to Las Vegas in the day time and with temps in the 100's. I had to pull the Baker grade which I have done with this coach many times. So what happened already!!
The temperature for the engine was just a couple of degrees cooler but the transmission was about 5 degrees. The other effect was much faster cooler recovery times, and much quicker recovery on down grades and when de-accelerating. Overall I was impressed. I admit I did expect much cooler engine temps. However the transmission temps drop in temperature was unexpected. I have concluded the free flow of air was more important in this area than I expected. I do not have any precise data but I am sure that while at idle my engine and transmission temperatures cooled quicker, but there is no way to really provide facts, just opinion.
The flap I did not weigh but it has to be at least 50 pounds. Now my coach is not trying to level against the flap, and I will remove the hinges when I return home. Interesting note the hinges are stainless steel and must be custom made by CC. The flap can open some going down the highway but the hinge is not a free swing like on some coaches I've seen.
On this trip I have seen another way at this issue of cooling the engine, water injection over the front of the radiator. The, coach was late model CC. Owner indicated it did not work. However keeping the engine at just fewer than 2000 RPMs works every time to stop heat buildup on long grades, which are my findings also. I do not use cruise control on long up grades just for this reason.
Recent posters stated you can use cruise control and still have the Jake work. The gear up is the gear down, and that is very hard to do with the cruise on.
Just my humble opinion
Jim Spivey Allure 2006 470 31432
Yahoo Message Number: 73682 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/73682)
Are we missing something?
Jack 30076 Allure