The White Lion Lives!

 I was walking Yuma around 10:30 this morning and received a phone call from Kay.  She heard a big engine start and went outside to see Jason and a running MH.  The White Lion roars once more.  BUT 😰

There is lots of smoke coming from the breather pipe.  The first thing Jason recommended was to let it run for awhile and see if it is just junk from sitting for months after many attempts at trying to start it.  The other cause would be oil bypassing the rings and this would not be feasible to fix.

Kay is a real sweetheart.  She is planning to be out of town for a week, but when she returns, she will take it on a hilly drive in the area to see if the smoke clears under stress.  Hopefully , it cleans the engine out and anything stuck comes free.

Enjoying the summer!

It is wait time for now, but fortunately, I'm not planning to head out till late October.  Just need to remain patient.

See you later.

Tomorrow is the Day!

Last year driveway boondocking in Vail, Arizona

Received a call from Bill at Empire Power Systems this morning.  He said the two trips out and replacing the IAP (Injection Activation Pressure) Control Valve should do the trick.  This valve is part of the the CAT 3126B HEUI engine system.  I am placing an overview of the HEIU engine system video in case someone with this system is having engine starting problems.  We are looking at approximately $3,000, mostly in travel and repair costs.

Plans are for Jason to make this repair tomorrow, so I'm anxiously waiting.  I am so pleased with the communication I'm receiving from this company and highly recommend them for anyone in the Phoenix area.  

See you later.

White Lion Status - Good News or Bad News?

 

Probably wondering what happened last week.  NOTHING!  Empire Power Systems called prior to last Friday wanting to reschedule to the following Monday, BUT.  Kay was scheduled to be out of town all last week, so the testing was rescheduled for today, Monday the 29th.  

Kay sent a pic of Jason's truck and the White Lion

Jason from Empire Power Systems called this morning to verify I still wanted them to go out and of course I said "with bells on".  It is now afternoon and all is quiet, so I'm still hopeful all is going as planned.  I strongly want my White Lion back on the road, so I'm impatiently waiting.

Got a call from Jason, the Cat mechanic around 3:30.  He checked it out and believes a high pressure fuel control valve needed for starting the engine is bad, thus it does not start.  He is going to pick one up tomorrow and put it in sometime this week.  Estimated cost is $3,000.  Much better than a $15,000 engine replacement estimate I got from Midway Diesel!  I will know the total costs and exact problem, when it is done.  I will keep you updated.

Nick may be going to Ireland this winter with his Irish friend, so may not be coming along this time.  Every year, I think it is my last year, but as Summer turns to Fall, I get that urge to see the deserts and mountains of the southwest one more time.  

Hopefully, the White Lion will be waiting for me.  I appreciate Kay allowing me to store the MH at her place in Apache Junction and recommending the nice people at Empire Power Systems.  Without her and my commenter friends advising me to get a second opinion, the White Lion may have been sold as scrape.

Keep you posted as we proceed through the next phase of the Miss Adventure Travels.

Finally, something is happening!

 

Been warm and quiet here in Bloomington, Illinois this summer.  Dolly and I have been staying in the AC and Nick went with a friend to Homer, Alaska for the summer.  He's working at a hotel there.

The White Lion has been spending the summer in Apache Junction, Arizona at a friend's property while I decided what to do next.  I knew I wouldn't be going out there before October, so wasn't in a hurry to spend a lot of money.

Today, I made a call to my friend Kay and said I was ready to do something.  She recommended Empire Power Systems in Phoenix, so she contacted them and they called me.  They plan to drive to Kay's place and check it out on Friday, August 19th.  I should know if it is worth fixing or if I should cut my losses and sell it as is.

Let you know in a couple of weeks.