Members of GMC motorhome community can make this their place to view an online version of Eastern States’ current newsletter. Note, however, that information posted here will be delayed. Members have immediate access to the newsletter via the Members Only area as well as traditional delivery methods.
President’s Paragraphs
February 15, 2012
With the Wagon Master vacancy we have taken on some responsibilities in organizing the rally. We have priced out many different options but, of course, we hope you can stay for the entire rally. We only have two rallies a year to spend with our GMC Eastern States extended family so we hope you can come and enjoy the events and activities for this five-day event.
We want to thank Jim and Marlys Garman who have volunteered to be our Rally Hosts. They live near Bowling Green are being a valuable asset. Being a Rally Host is challenging. They could use your help. Please contact them at garmanmarlys@aol.com if you’re willing to be of assistance.
We will be having a membership meeting in which we’ll be electing a VP/Wagon Master. We truly need someone in the membership to step forward to assume this position and take the lead in planning our Fall Rally. Serving the Club in one elected position is fun and rewarding but having the responsibility of two positions is definitely more than enough.
At the Spring Rally Byron Songer will be sharing the results of the Survey on Rallies. So far only 20% of the membership has responded. If you haven’t yet responded, please take an opportunity to visit the survey page at our website
If you signed up for the GMCES Google Group you received an email soliciting the membership for a couple of additional appointed positions. One position focuses on the membership and another one deals with promoting our GMCs in the club and the communities we visit. We personally think these positions would be rewarding. If you haven’t already responded, please consider giving us a call to volunteer. We need your help with the Spring Rally, inviting non-members to our rally and promoting it in Bowling Green!
We want to thank everyone that has renewed their 2012 dues. We are also looking forward to welcoming some new members in the coming months. We know that during this time of economical strain everyone is making difficult financial decisions so we don’t take your support for granted. We are blessed to have so many great members and we look forward to the coming year.
We are planning to attend the GMCMI Convention in Shawnee, OK, and hope to see many of you there. They have a great schedule planned. Two activities begun with Easterm States are back by popular demand: Martha’s Pancake Breakfast and the Chili Cook-off. If you are planning on attending the Convention, please consider volunteering to help with the breakfast or signing up for the Chili Cook-off. GMCES had so many great chili entries at DuQuoin and, if you remember, our members won both prize categories. Joe and Mary Mondello won Best Table Presentation and Dan and Teri Gregg won Best Chili. (We miss Joe and have very fond memories of him that day. He had so much fun, as did everyone else that participated.) Enter the cook-off and start working on that recipe, we are.
Another tradition involving GMCES at the GMCMI conventions is the promotional graphics and T-shirts based on the theme graphic. Our own editor, Byron Songer, is the designer of these illustrations and Kim Weeks, the Convention Manager for GMCMI, reports that more shirts are being sold each convention. Come and get a Great Motorhome Pow Wow shirt and wear it with pride. We haven’t seen the full-sized design for Amana yet but hear it is very creative.
If you have any questions or recommendations regarding GMC Eastern States, please feel free to contact us.
Kris and Larry Whisler, Co-presidents of Eastern States
Lifter Problems
“Doc” Frohmader, editor of WebRodder
For some time now, engine builders and cam makers have been stymied by failures. Seemingly without reason, flat-tappet cams that used to live now do not. They bear all the signs of metallurgy or lubrication problems when taken apart but both the parts suppliers and the builders will swear there should be nothing wrong – and yet there is. The problems come from three, primary directions.
First is ZDDP. This is a compound added to oils that helps protect parts from excessive wear. It is a sacrificial material that bonds to the metal of the cam and lifters and is soft enough so it wears, rather than the cast iron. It has been used for years in engine oils and additives successfully. However, it has two problems. One is that it is sticky and adds to parasitic power loss increasing fuel consumption. The other is that ZDDP contaminates and reduces the function of your catalytic converter. Federal law required reformulation and reduction of ZDDP to prevent this.
While there are oils and additives that can be used to deal with this, the OEMs have switched to roller lifters. The roller tips of these lifters do not slide and scuff like flat tappets do so they have less parasitic drag and less scuffing to overcome. For older flat tappet engines, you need to use either engine oils with the higher ZDDP levels or use additives to replace the missing ZDDP. Keep in mind, however, that while additional ZDDP helps and can prolong your engine life, it is not a cure- all or magic pill. For my engines I use the enhanced ZDDP oils and additives because they use flat tappet cams and I know this will extend cam and lifter life. When I build a new engine, I seriously consider using a roller cam to avoid the problem all together.
Second is higher rate valve springs. As high performance has gone skyrocketing, so have spring rates. So much so that in many cases, you have to use lower-rate “break-in springs” and then switch back to the full rate springs for racing. This will not be a concern GMC owners should have for their motorhomes.
Third, and most important, is the result of imported lifters that are defective. As we all know, much of US manufacturing has been forced overseas by excessive regulation, elevated union wages, taxation at home, and the consumer seeking lower prices. These days a lot of the lifters made come from India and China. Their quality control has often been poor and, in some cases, up to 80% failure rates. Only Johnson Lifter and Delphi make quality lifters in the US and they are the only lifters I will use – no exceptions. Beware as there are a lot of knock-offs including at least one Chinese company that has lifters that copied the look of Johnson’s. The high failures are something you have to disassemble to inspect.
One major reason for these failures is defective alloys. Components of the alloy, such as molybdenum and chromium, were routinely deleted or shorted to continue production at lowered costs. The alloys are critical because they must be compatible with the cams and contain the proper ingredients to allow durability. A lifter that is too hard or too soft will cause excessive wear between the cam and lifter and destroy both.
The other reason has been improper casting technique. When this alloy is cast, certain components precipitate to the bottom. This forms a harder surface at the lowest point. If you crack a lifter you will see a different color and surface in that hardened area compared to the rest of the lifter. That means cast lifters must be poured in the orientation they will be used – foot down – resulting in a consistent and predictable hardened foot that matches the cam. Unfortunately, lifters were cast in long bars on their sides, resulting in the hardened area being on one lifter side. This not only left most of the foot soft, but with a stripe of hardened material. The result is a lot of defective lifters and wiped cams.
These lifters (I am told millions were made) were eventually dumped on the markets and, to this day, are sold by otherwise reputable engine parts suppliers. Yes, that means you could be purchasing a set of lifters from a reliable company and they may or may not know they are selling you something that will destroy your engine. I have found a couple who know this and only offer to replace the defective lifters – no other compensation. In one case, a set of lifters was sold as Johnson’s and 13 of 16 failed before the engine was broken in. They leaked and would not hold valves open. I’ve been through the Johnson factory and can tell you that with over 20 tests including a final leak-down test, you will never see 13 of 16 failed lifters form them. One is a rarity and they have an outrageously low failure rate.
To protect yourself, insist that when you purchase that you get Johnson lifters or Delphi lifters in factory boxes. Some suppliers do buy Johnson lifters in bulk so, in that case, you need to get it in writing that you are buying the genuine thing. It’s sad to have to distrust suppliers but the cost is too high not to verify and make your supplier aware that you know what you are doing and will back up a loss with a lawsuit if you are deceived. You can contact Johnson and Delphi to find out if your supplier actually sells their products as well, but that’s a larger effort.
In the same light, I have discovered that some suppliers have tried to consolidate lifters in stock by substituting. That means using one lifter for several different applications. I’ve seen flat faced lifters replaced with taper faced and the resulting inevitable failure. I’ve seen oil bypass bands in the wrong place and resultant bearing failures when the lifter leaked or directed too much oil to the wrong places. I’ve seen lifters both too small and too large to fit the lifter bores and lifter heights changed so you could not adjust them properly without noise. And internal lifter calibration off to the point where the valve springs would prevent them from holding valves open or caused draining oil overnight. The bottom line is that different lifters were made for different engines for a reason and if you don’t get the right one you could be in for serious trouble.
Finally, there’s the matter of cost. No one wants to throw money away. We all look for the best deal possible. However, this quotation applies in spades: “There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man’s lawful prey.” (John Ruskin [1819-1900] British Author, Artist, Essayist and Critic)
What I mean to impart is that you will spend a little more for quality parts. In the case of these lifters you could double your cost. However, if even one lifter is defective, it will cost far more just to find out what happened and a lot more to do the repairs with good parts. In engine building, there is no justification for using a single part that you lack confidence in because, in every case, any type of failure will far overcome any possible savings as to make it foolish behavior.
Spring Is Coming, Time for a Checkup
Matt Colie, Technical VP
With spring comes the time to get our motorhomes ready for the camping season. Many of us lay the coach up for the winter and now it is time to get it out. While you are doing this, it is also a great time to think about the things that most people don’t service regularly. These things include hoses, belts, coolant and brake fluid. Back when few people kept a car more than three years, most of these things were not much of an issue. A GM Truck and Bus engineer once told me that a truck built in this period had a design life of only five years. That means that many of the things that are issues now were not even maintenance considerations then. I will not try to post a complete list, but if there is anything that moves, it should be lubricated. By the same token, if isn’t supposed to move at all, it probably should not. And then, to add to the mix, if it flexes it probably has a limited life in terms of years, regardless of use.
Call for Presentations
We are looking for some people that are willing to talk about what they have done (or maybe plan to do) with their GMC motorhomes. This can be a modification to the stock coach, a revised or updated maintenance procedure, a diagnostic help, or anything else that would be of interest to other coach owners. If you think of a particular area of concern that has not been addressed recently, suggestions will be entertained and maybe we can find someone who can address the topic.
We will not be very far from the Camping World headquarters which are in Bowling Green. We are hoping they can provide us with someone to present information on recent product developments that would be of interest to our membership.
Check out what's new in the technical area of our web site.
Tire Safety - http://www.gmceast.com/technical/Songer_Tire-Safety.pdf
2012 FMCA Event in Indianapolis
The FMCA Convention, now called “family reunions”, will be held at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds this summer. The dates will be Monday, August 27 through Thursday, August 30, 2012. The registration deadline is August 17th. Early bird discounts will be available prior to July 9, 2012. The registration form can be found at http://www.fmca.com/ or in the FMCA magazine.
I will be attending as the GMC Eastern States representative. There may be a GMC presence at the Convention with the GMC Great Lakers Club giving emphasis to the event with their members. GMC Eastern States members interested in attending the family reunion should contact Larry Whisler, who is in contact with the Great Lakers to coordinate efforts. If there is significant interest it will be possible to make special arrangements to meet our needs as GMC owners including a special parking area. That means we'll get to park next to each other instead of among the 40-foot rigs. For instance, there's a group of Roadtrek owners that park together. Roadtreks are converted vans and classified as Class B motorhomes. If we have as many as a dozen GMCers we can get a separate area for our group.
If you've never been to an FMCA rally you need to consider going. The activities and seminars aren't just for owners of diesel pushers or late-model motorhomes. The Family Reunions are for any motorhome owner and any motorhome owner can learn something of have some fun if you have the right attitude. There have always been a handful of GMCs at the FMCA events but it would be great if there were 18 or so at Indianapolis. So, think about it and contact Larry Whisler for information on how to register as a GMCer.
Joan Dotson‚ FMCA National Director
Are you willing to serve?
Vice President-Wagonmaster Roles and Responsibilities
As mentioned in the President’s Paragraphs, GMCES is currently looking for a person(s) to fill the role of Vice President-Wagonmaster. The Vice President- Wagonmaster is responsible for the following duties.
- Locating and recommending a rally location at an RV park that has meeting facilities and closely located activities for rally participates.
- Providing an overall rally plan to the Officers for consideration (location, dates, activities, facilities, potential hosts, etc.).
- Soliciting and managing 2-3 rally hosts who are responsible for the detailed rally planning and execution.
- Partnering with the Technical VP to ensure the availability of multiple technical sessions and presenters.
- Directing various activities and providing oversight to ensure the success of the rally.
- Coordinating with the Newsletter Editor to publish rally details and summaries.
- Ensuring rally supplies are safeguarded.
We have started some preliminary work for the Spring, 2012 rally and some members have stepped forward to help, but this effort needs a leader. Please consider supporting the Club in this capacity.
Treasurer's Report for Calendar Year 2011Opening Balance on Jan 1, 2011 Checking & Savings Accounts $ 6,317.86 Income Membership dues 2011 $ 1,580.00 Membership dues for 2012 926.00 From Raffle by Applied GMC 500.00 Interest Income 0.45 Total Income $ 3,006.45 Expenses Spring Rally $ 342.82 Fall Rally 559.91 Newsletter Expense 671.06 Membership Badges 507.15 Membership Renewal 63.69 Corporate Filing Fee (2010 and 2011) 122.50 Webhosting 120.00 PayPal Fees 20.10 Total Expenses $ 2,407.23 Ending Balance on Dec 31, 2011 Checking & Savings Accounts $ 6,917.08
