Slide controls - Montana Owners Club

gungho · 11-13-2005, 06:49 AM

Has anyone made a easier way to turn the control knobs for the the slides? They are akward and hard to turn. I thought about fixing an adaptor for my cordless dril but any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Charlie · 11-13-2005, 07:12 AM

If you are talking about the valves on the hydraulic pump I would not attach any thing to a drill that would open or close the valves as I think that the drill would apply to much torque to the valves and possibly cause damage to the valves.
A good one to answer this question is the Lippert Rep. that posts on this site from time to time under the USER ID of MIMF. His name is Dale Brubaker. You could look him up in the members profile and send him an e-mail and ask this question.

sreigle · 11-13-2005, 10:12 AM

Sometimes I use gloves. If I still can't get it started then I put a rag over the knob and use pliers to get it started. I am very open to a good solution. I haven't looked to see if those knobs could be removed and replaced with maybe a tee handle.

Trailer Trash 2 · 11-13-2005, 01:47 PM

I would keep a drill moter away from that manafold you could have an accident, and brake the valve or the manafold.
I made a sleave that goes over the knob of the valve, it has a knob that is almost 2 inches in diamitor, it has a hole and with a roll pin that has a referance point on the valve knob this locks the two together alowing it to turn the valve knob with no effort, and no torn up fingers from the knerl that is on the knob. If you are interested I will take some pictures and give you some measurements. then you can turn it down on a lathe. or have a friend do it for you.

TT2

Montana Sky · 11-13-2005, 02:01 PM

I sure hope they come out with a better solution for those valves. Maybe a turn valve with a handle on it. They use these alot in plumbing and sprinkler systems. This would take up more room, but sure would be easier on the hands/fingers.

William H. Collier · 11-13-2005, 02:18 PM

I have found that if you tap the switch just enough to start the drive motor it will relieve the pressure and the valves turn very easy.
Bill

Mac · 11-13-2005, 02:37 PM

Can someone explain this thread to me, I'm having a difficult time figuring out what you're talking about and why I would need to get at these valves.

Thanks,

mac

Parrothead · 11-13-2005, 03:10 PM

Mac
If you have a new Montana, you already have the values. If you have an older model, I don't think you can add them. They allow you to shut off a slide so that it doesn't come out when the rest do. We have four slides on our unit so this is big help if we just want the living room slide out as in sequence it is normally the last to come out.
Happy trails..................

Mac · 11-13-2005, 03:39 PM

Parrothead,

I have a 2006 2955 and of course only two slides. So I guess I'm good!

Thanks!

mac

Fordzilla · 11-14-2005, 12:34 AM

I'm not sure When they started with the valves myself. I have never seen them on my '04 3685 either. I know the top two slides up over the king pin are electric motors. But if there was a valve for the other two slides to control I would like to find it.

pud2 · 11-14-2005, 10:58 AM

i have closed mine before and had know problems. They were easy to open and close.

Emmel · 11-14-2005, 12:08 PM

I keep a pair of vicegrips on the shelf the valve is on. It takes just a little pressure to get the valve started and then rotates easily. As far as being standard equipment on the Monty, I had to order the valve as an option on both our 2001 and 2004 ahen we ordered the coach. Some units may not have this valve.

MIMF2 · 11-14-2005, 12:41 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bill Collier has it figured out! Simply "tap" the wall switch to the out position just enough to "startle" the pump. That relieves the pressure so the thumb knobs can be turned to the closed position for the room(s) you don't want to move out. When you want to bring the room(s) back in open all of the valves first, and that will bring all of them in hard enough to seal just like normal. No need to worry about sequence because the room(s) that are out are the only one(s) coming in. It doesn't matter.

Don't use anything other than your fingers to turn them. That IRC block is covered under the 5 year warranty. If the knob is twisted off by using pliers or vise-grips on them, it may cost somewhere around three hundred buck to replace it. Especially if it is a triple or quad block!

Didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but, use caution.

Montana Sky · 11-14-2005, 02:35 PM

Thanks for the heads up and the trick to "easily" turning the valves. Will sure try that next spring.

Trailer Trash 2 · 11-18-2005, 06:55 AM

OK Here is what I made for my slide controls I hope they work on this post. TT2

http://tinypic.com/fuxc9k.jpg
side view
http://tinypic.com/fuxct1.jpg
looking down
http://tinypic.com/fuxekk.jpg
down again
http://tinypic.com/fuxezr.jpg
same-o same-o
http://tinypic.com/fuxfcx.jpg
top view
http://tinypic.com/fuxfnb.jpg
you call it
http://tinypic.com/fuxhcp.jpg
my simple drawing
Don

OK it worked this will save your fingers and hands from those little guys on the slid control manafold.

MIMF2 · 11-18-2005, 11:49 AM

Trailer Trash 2,

In a former life, I work in several plastics injection molding shops. In some of my responsibilties, I was classified as a Process Engineer. That ment at times, I had to reveiw tooling construction prints and recommend changes to the draftsmen.

Were you one of those draftsmen? Looking at that handle you made and your drawing was a "blast from the past".

Nice job!

Trailer Trash 2 · 11-18-2005, 01:40 PM

I will add two more pictures tomorrow showing the Manafold knobs with the holes in them for the roll pin, and with the new knob on them also. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of that, we save the best for last.HA HA

OK here they are the first is without the knob and showing the holes in the manafold's knobs, the second picture is with the manufactured knob attached to the knob ready to turn.
I hope that this will help all those fingers from getting ripped apart from that kneraled knob, if you look at some of the other pictures showing the inside of the knob extention you will see how it is getting the impression of the kneral imbeded in from that little guy,

TT2

http://tinypic.com/fvxleg.jpg

http://tinypic.com/fvxo4n.jpg

Parrothead · 11-19-2005, 06:19 AM

Don
You may have to go into business on this one! Great fix.
Happy trails....................

Montana_883 · 11-19-2005, 07:43 AM

I have had no problem operating the hydrolic isolation valves. If your talking about the manual lead screw for use if your without power I did make a scocket that fit my cordless drill and did a test to see if it worked. It took two fully charged batteries to get all the slides in by this method..but the manual crank does work too.

Trailer Trash 2 · 11-19-2005, 10:40 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by lazeejl

I have had no problem operating the hydrolic isolation valves. If your talking about the manual lead screw for use if your without power I did make a scocket that fit my cordless drill and did a test to see if it worked. It took two fully charged batteries to get all the slides in by this method..but the manual crank does work too.

No......

We're are talking about turning the knobs on the manafold control. posted 11/18/05 @ 1:55. PM.

not the manual turning process to crank in the slides, If I'm not mistaken your operation you seem to be refering to is, the allen wrench on the drill moter to the back of the pump moter. if your knobs are easy to turn in you are one of the more fourtionit and be happy.

TT-2

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