M.A.N SL200 MK1 BLOWN AIR BAG

[DanMK1]

Hi

I have a M.A.N SL200 ex National bus lines, # 141 bus runs fantastic and is currently under restoration and being kitted out for a motorhome,

Question is the other day I started her up and let it idle and warm up for about 15 minutes and all of a sudden a big bang sound came and I noticed it blew out the rear right air bag, with this the bus becomes unserviceable and now it wont allow it to move with the air bag out, I have called around to who I can find online and nobody seems to know where to get a replacement air bag!

And also before I proceed any further should I go about getting the frame inspection before doing any further work in case I am pouring money into nothing? with a frame inspection do I have to remove any panels? and in which direction would I go to find someone suitable to do the inspection? as the previous owner removed the rear doors and left nothing in its place I have noticed a crack at the top of the door frame from what I hear is quite common in this model, I am waiting on an engineer welding friend to repair the crack, as I only have room to keep the bus in my driveway I had some local louts smash out the back window grrrrrrrrrrr so locating a back window would be nice also otherwise it will just have to be sealed with plate,

Sorry for the questions I have tried to battle through without annoying the forum however I am at my wits end with the air bag and a few other minor things,

Thanks in advance for any advise of help you can offer

Daniel

[mrobsessed]

Multispares will be able to help you with an airbag. They are located in all of the capital cities.

If you are really keen on looking out the back, have an appropriate thickness piece of perspex cut to size.

[DanMK1]

Thanks for that I have located Multispares and will contact them tomorrow to see if they can help,

As for the back window yes I could use perspex but I will have to check to see if its approved by Vic roads first I guess so many rules when it comes to playing with the bus big learning curve,

Still need to find info on the frame inspection process seems to be the major hurdle to cross is to get that passed.

Cheers

Dan

[DanMK1]

wow just got the quote for one air bag $320 that seems a bit steep............ for a piece of rubber!

[boronia]

If you making a motorhome, a lot of the regs that apply to a bus will not apply to you, as it is no longer a public passenger vehicle.

[boronia]

wow just got the quote for one air bag $320 that seems a bit steep............ for a piece of rubber!

It is more than a "piece of rubber". But here's another place to try.

http://www.airbagsaustralia.com.au/

You will probably find more by googling, if you want to shop around.

[DanMK1]

Hi

Yes I did try airbag aust today as well they couldn't supply one, I also tried bus spares in Laverton they quoted $384 and 2 week wait from Germany I will keep trying and yes true it is more than a piece of rubber as the bus refuse to move without it,

I will keep checking im sure something will come up..

Thanks

[Carpenter]

Try Here:
http://www.airbagman.com.au/

[Bedford-29]

The bus is ex National bus now a part of Ventura. If you need information where to obtain a SL200 airbag ask the company where it came from as their head mechanic may be able help you or the company might have one in there parts store room. Give Ventura a ring and ask them it won`t hurt to try them.

[DanMK1]

Airbagman was unable to help out,

Great idea on Ventura I will give them a call hopefully they wont mind,

The bag they run is phoenix 1 D 23 B which seems hard to find now, I am sure I could find one from China as they seem to have copied all models of air bags though I am not sure of the quality but the cost savings are huge for the price of one bag I could replace all 6,

I will see what Ventura has to say

Thanks for your assistance much appreciated

Dan

[DanMK1]

Posting a link to my Bus's Facebook page so people can see her, its a massive task will be updating pictures in another week hopefully with the front and back painted if the weather improves,

http://www.facebook.com/MANSL200MK1

No matter what happens she will be finished and left to rot like the other half attempted conversions out there it wont happen overnight but it will happen!

Still having trouble sourcing airbag, Ventura unable to help though I think I got the wrong person on the phone will try them again this week, another option is to order the closest match and then modify to suit that's last resort though we will see....

Wife is in the middle of preparing the dash for some black pearl laminate we bought back on a trip from Turkey, just to spice up the cockpit a bit...

All good fun

Dan

[purpledecker]

Be afraid, very afraid. Parts are expensive if you are comparing them to cars. Wait till you have to replace a brake booster.... The reality is, when you buy an older bus, you need to be really really aware of what you are buying and how well it has been maintained. I guarantee you that if you bought the bus cheap, you will be up for many more dollars in repairs. those models were a bit of anomalie. The Adelaide models are a much better unit for non-fleet people as they have lots of easy to get bolt on parts. And I really hope you didn't buy one with a RENK gearbox.......

[DanMK1]

Correct I am on a steep learning curve here, fortunately I didn't pay a cent for the bus I swapped it for an old boat I had sitting around, it breaks my heart to see it go to a wrecking yard so I will finish it no matter what however long it takes, My father was a Met mechanic for many years in Nicholson street Fitzroy and I always remember him coming home every night stinking of diesel and muttering on about trying to fix this or that on these Mk1's but he always dreamed of saving one and doing some traveling in it, I am here to continue his dream as he never got to do it,

Thanks for the heads up and yes she does have the renk 3 speed at the moment its running fine and fingers crossed it continues to only time will tell,

I just wish the old man was able to help me now as the previous owner really messed her up inside going crazy with an angle grinder and its been a big task just to restore the damage he caused before I can get onto the mechanical s and electrics,

Dan

[DanMK1]

Its has been awhile since I was here last as my company keeps sending me to Thailand for work so any progress on the bus has been near to nothing,

I was planning to do the motorhome thing however it turned out we were going to have to sell the bus as our landlord was upset with the bus being here in the driveway, so instead of selling I decided to move into the home next door that has a massive garage and rear street access and parking perfect to hide the bus and continue the project,

When I got the bus it was a mess and now it has been cleaned out and we have made plans to go the mobile cafe route instead pictures of the bus can be viewed here http://facebook.com/MANSL200MK1 and if interested you can follow the project on its FB page just send a friend request if you have an account,

I have bypassed the blown airbag for now to keep the bus running until I find a suitable replacement I found a great place with good prices for parts being these guys here at www.mrmotorparts.com

I need to update the photos and will do this on Friday...

Thanks for you email enquirys and how things are going with the bus and within the next few weeks after moving into the new property I will get cracking again on the bus, hopefully no more overseas trips to hold things up are planned for the near future..

Cheers

Dan