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Old 05-20-2015, 03:43 PM   #1
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Engine Noise

My new shuttle bus is a 7.3 turbo diesel and obviously I don't expect it to be quiet ride like a Mercedes but it's a lot louder than I thought. What have you guys done to reduce the noise? Hard to even hold a conversation inside the bus

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Old 05-20-2015, 04:29 PM   #2
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I have 2 gallons in my Excursion right now.

Super Tech TC-W3 Outboard 2-Cycle Oil, 1 Gallon - Walmart.com
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Old 05-20-2015, 05:07 PM   #3
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I meant more along the lines of sound deadening material or insulation to reduce noise inside.
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Old 05-20-2015, 06:03 PM   #4
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I looked for any holes in the firewall and plugged them. I also looked for anything that could possibly rattle, scratch, shake etc. under the hood. I eliminated alot of the causes of the noises I had. I also used pieces of leftover generic dynamat on the inside around any tubes etc. that go thru the firewall. Keeping metal from rattling and from transferring the sounds to the inside really helps.
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Old 05-20-2015, 06:19 PM   #5
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you run 2-cycle oil in the fuel? that's new to me but some lube sure might help.
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Old 05-20-2015, 06:53 PM   #6
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I bought a rear engined bus
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Old 05-20-2015, 07:01 PM   #7
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Crazy cal- you are recommending outboard oil to quiet a diesel??? Can you explain that?

Supra- you say it's a shuttle- does it have upolstered or hard seats? Sound will 'reflect' off all the hard surfaces. Curtains, upholstery, and carpet will all help deaden the sound. Fwiw, I wouldn't recommend a permanent carpet because of moisture on a steel floor, but until you convert and add something to your echo chamber, a runner or two might help.
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Old 05-20-2015, 08:05 PM   #8
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I make no recommendations. You must do research.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=2+cycle+oil+diesel
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Old 05-20-2015, 09:46 PM   #9
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I was actually suprised how quiet my 7.3 shuttle bus was. I came off 20 years driving a Chevy 350 powered cube van. The engine is only inches away from your foot-theres only so much you can do. I have HD indoor outdoor carpet everywhere-floors ceiling walls. And cushy captians chairs up front. I also installed a front partial carpet (stock replacement-goes to just behind the seats).
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Old 05-20-2015, 10:11 PM   #10
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The oil will quite things down but it is a diesel. There is only so much you can do.
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Old 05-20-2015, 11:12 PM   #11
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I've also been adding outboard oil to the fuel tank. It seems to make the engine less "rattley" and adds some lubrication back to the low sulfur diesel fuel. I got a small bump in fuel mileage to boot.

Carpet on floor and walls does help quite a bit but I agree there's only so much you can do to quiet the noisy engine.
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:05 AM   #12
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Crazy cal- you are recommending outboard oil to quiet a diesel??? Can you explain that?

I don't want my answer to sound short. I'm not going to tell you to put something in your engine that's not a normal additive for a diesel engine. I use it and have for a long time. Most diesel engines on this site were built before sulfur was removed from diesel. It was used as a lubricant.
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Old 05-21-2015, 04:54 AM   #13
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There's some interesting info here on 2 cycle oil in a diesel. Particularly extreme cold starts ( <-30 F) with just a 128:1 ratio
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Old 05-21-2015, 08:41 AM   #14
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Good writeup.
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Old 05-21-2015, 09:35 AM   #15
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Good writeup.
LOL, I just watched your youtube link.
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Old 05-21-2015, 10:26 AM   #16
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Crazycal- i understand not recommending anything here. Sulphur, high temp lubricant, old buses... gotcha!
I agree with you crazycal re scooternj's link - excellent write-up x2
Thanks all for the links!

For anyone that assumes 2 stroke oil is useful for all diesel engines and injection pumps, scooternj's link list a few that you should NEVER consider doing this with and why.
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Old 05-21-2015, 11:03 AM   #17
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Exhaust leaks will add to the engine noise as well. With the 7.3l (assuming it's a powerstroke with a turbo) check around the up-pipes and turbo for black soot. Soot means there's a leak. Leaks mean noise.
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:34 PM   #18
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I just replace all 8 of my fuel injectors and it made a noticeable difference in lowering the noise, also I sprayed rocker guard on the inside of the fire wall, and put carpet on it, also covering the stair case well cuts down big time on road noise.
Wife and I can hold a conversation with a normal voice (pros and cons to that), my brother inlaw is a trucker and the insulate the inside of the hoods, but i think that would create a over heat problem with the 7.3s
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:53 PM   #19
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Exhaust leaks will add to the engine noise as well. With the 7.3l (assuming it's a powerstroke with a turbo) check around the up-pipes and turbo for black soot. Soot means there's a leak. Leaks mean noise.

On the list for the Excursion.
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Old 05-31-2015, 05:23 PM   #20
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thanks for the tip!


i added a gallon of wally 2-stroke to the last tank and it quieted down nicely.

the cab noise was lowered enough to to hold a conversation without yelling.

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