GRUMMAN FLXIBLE CORP.: Safety Recalls in 1979

THE ALTERNATING CURRENT POWER WIRE, WHICH SUPPLIES POWER TO THE CONDENSER FAN MOTORS, MAY HAVE BEEN GROUNDED BY CHAFING OF THE INSULATION AGAINST THE CABLE CLAMP AND CLAMP CONTACT OF THE TRANSMISSION OIL FILTER FLEXLINE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE CONDENSER FAN MOTOR WIRE TO OVERHEAT.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 206, "DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENSION COMPONENTS". THE EXTENSION SPRING THAT ATTACHES THE SPRING BRACKET TO THE VALVE ARM AT THE FRONT DOOR ENTRANCE ENGINE ASSEMBLY MAY NOT MAINTAIN THE DOOR IN AN OPEN POSITION WHEN THE EMERGENCY "T" HANDLE IS PULLED. THIS ALLOWS THE EXTENSION SPRING TO RETRACT AND THE DOOR TO CLOSE WHEN THE "T" HANDLE IS RELEASED.

THE NYLON HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE QUICK RELEASE VALVE AND THE ANCHOR COUPLING AT THE REAR OF THE FRONT AXLE WAS FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVELY LONG. WHEN THE BUS EXECUTES EXTREME RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS, THE CURBSIDE NYLON BRAKE HOSE INTERFERES WITH THE TIRE. THIS INTERMITTENT INTERFERENCE WILL CAUSE THE NYLON HOSE TO CHAFE AND ULTIMATELY FAIL.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DO NOT CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS". THE REQUIRED BRAKE RELEASE TIME OF 0.55 SECONDS MAY NOT BE ATTAINABLE DUE TO DISCONNECTION OF THE ROCKWELL SKID CONTROL VALVE WHICH HAD PERFORMED THE RELAY VALVE AND QUICK RELEASE FUNCTIONS.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT". THE STEPWELL LIGHTS LOCATED AT THE CURBSIDE FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR AND THE REAR EXIT DOOR MAY GENERATE EXCESSIVE HEAT. THIS HEAT MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PROTRUDING SHIELD LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER ENTRANCE AND EXIT AREA.

IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE UNDERFLOOR WIRE CONDUIT ATTACHING HANGER ASSEMBLY MAY FATIGUE AND BREAK UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING ROAD CONDITIONS. BREAKING OF THIS ASSEMBLY ALLOWS THE WIRING CONDUIT TO MOVE FREELY AT THE UNSUPPORTED END. THIS MOVEMENT COULD CAUSE CHAFING OF THE MAIN POWER CABLES, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT. THE WIRE CONDUIT MAY ALSO IMPACT ON THE REAR SUSPENSION "U" BOLT ATTACHMENT.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES DID NOT HAVE THE BARRIER SAFETY GLAZING MARKED AS SUCH IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS".

FOREIGN MATERIAL MAY COLLECT UNDER THE BALANCE BEAM OF THE TREADLE VALVE. IF DEBRIS IS ALLOWED TO COLLECT AND REMAIN UNDER THE BALANCE BEAM, COMPLETE ACTUATION OF THE TREADLE VALVE MAY BE IMPAIRED. THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE.

PARKING BRAKES ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NOT RELEASE OR RELEASE COMPLETELY. THIS COULD LEAD TO ABNORMAL HEATING OF THE ROCKWELL PARKING BRAKE DRUM DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. THIS MAY CAUSE BURNING OR THERMAL CRACKING OF THE DRUM SURFACE. THE WEAKENED DRUM THEN BECOMES SUBJECT TO FAILURE UNDER THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES OF THE PROPSHAFT ROTATION WHICH PULL THE DRUM OUTWARDS WHEN IT IS ROTATING RAPIDLY AROUND THE PROPSHAFT CENTER.

THE CABLE ACTUATING EMERGENCEY DOOR RELEASE MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY DUE TO A STAKED KEY IN THE COLLAR OF THE EMERGENCY RELEASE CABLE. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE THE RELEASE CABLE TO BIND IF THE "T" HANDLE IS ROTATED AS IT IS BEING PULLED.

A HARDENED WASHER REQUIRED IN MOUNTING THE UPPER RADIUS ROD BRACKET TO THE TOP OF THE FRONT AXLE WAS OMITTED DURING ASSEMBLY. THE OMISSION OF THE HARDENED WASHER COULD CAUSE A GAP UP TO .063" BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE MOUNTING FLANGE AND THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY. THIS GAP WILL PREVENT THE SPECIFIED CLAMPING FORCES FROM BEING APPLIED TO THE UPPER RADIUS ROD BRACKET. THE INABILITY TO CORRECTLY CLAMP THE UPPER RADIUS ROD BRACKET TO THE AXLE COULD CAUSE ABNORMAL STRESS LOADS TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRACKET DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. CONTINUED OPERATION UNDER THESE CONDITIONS COULD RESULT IN VERTICAL BRACKET FRACTURE. IF COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE BRACKET OCCURRED, THE FRONT AXLE COULD SHIFT, CAUSING BINDING AND RUBBING OF THE STEERING SHAFT AND, EVENTUALLY, LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.