1984 International Air Force Bus

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Diesel engines should be inline 6, not V8.

Nat

Glad we got the experience and background behind that. No seriously, tell me why you think the 6.9 is a bad engine. How about the E9 mack? Is that a terrible engine too?

There's absolutely no information out there stating that diesel engines should be inline 6. NONE! If it was so much better, ford would have done it with their clean sheet design in 2011, General motors would have done it with their clean sheet design in 2000. Hell, even Cummins introduced a 5.0L v8 just recently. But those must all be junk engines.

Gimme a break nat, the kid started a conversion project thread, asked questions in it that pertained to HIS conversion, and then you ream the kid for it?. Is your goal not to have threads here? I'm all for keeping the tech sections clutter free and telling people to search before they post in them. But this is a conversion thread, if you have questions about your particular conversion, you should be able to ask them in your thread and not get bullied for doing it. You posted one thing in this thread that could be deemed helpful/non-flammable. The rest was just banter about needing pics, or the op being clueless.

Famousinternetjesus, sorry for derailing your thread, but this crap has gone on far too long.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

Yeah I've looked into lower stall torque converters and it is something I am considering. right now i only plan on using overdrive at highway speeds, which I think should put me right around 1800-2000 rpms at 60-70 mph maybe I'm wrong (it's happened before) but I think that's right in the range that te stock converter is happy

I'm thinking you're being generous. I looked it up one time, and I'm thinking the lowest converter available was like 1800 rpm. You're likely where I'm at which is way higher.

A quick way to check is to do a transmission stall test(google it) and that will give you a definitve answer to what you have. You'll need a tachometer though and I'm not sure if you have one(mine doesn't). If you do, that's what I would do, and then go from there.

[Famousinternetjesus]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

A quick way to check is to do a transmission stall test(google it) and that will give you a definitve answer to what you have. You'll need a tachometer though and I'm not sure if you have one(mine doesn't). If you do, that's what I would do, and then go from there.

Thanks, I will do that, I do have a tach thankfully, at idle I'm at about 500rpm the get up is fairly instant when I put my foot on the pedal. I could swear I'm fully engaged by the time I'm at 1100-1500 rpm but right now if I tried to cruise 65-70 I would be at almost 2800 rpm aren't I correct that you get t

[Famousinternetjesus]

Torque converter stall/excessive heat/slipping at too high an rpm as well as too low?

[Booyah45828]

There will always be torque converter slip, unless you have a lockup converter. Once about stall speed however, the slip should be below 10% and stay right about there or it might gradually get less(has to do with torque falling off at higher rpm). Do the test and tell us what you get. One thing you have to keep in mind, is that the at545 has a full load governed speed of 2400 rpm. So you don't necessarily want to apply full power if the trans is below that. Just keep it in mind.

[Famousinternetjesus]

Thanks booyah I absolutely will do that test as soon as I have the driveline fully reconnected. Which is too bad because it would be much easier to remove the torque converter now rather than after... I really appreciate your positive, well constructed, mechanical/technical input.

[Famousinternetjesus]

http://youtu.be/hluu_kht-vE

More to come I have since discovered that I can shift on the fly without taking the Allison out of drive by rev matching then momentarily removing my foot from the pedal which the way I figure Is using the torque converter like a clutch that doesn't fully disengage so I have to slip shift which I am still mastering. Shifting from direct to overdrive is pretty easy and has actually given me a top speed of 80 (when I say top I mean going faster would be scary for me! But I could mechanically do 90 with confidence) I have driven 400 miles in direct and have now begun shifting etc after proving that system in direct

[Famousinternetjesus]

I will post links to videos of me shifting on the fly and give some more accurate rpm/speed data as soon as I can. Life has been verrrry busy but I have driven the bus to the redwoods and back since the install and haven't had a single issue.

[charles_m]

This is so awesome. I want something like this in my bus. Thanks for proving the concept!

[Famousinternetjesus]

I will take a shifting video tommorrow and post it if I have time. to all those who gave me such a hard time and an unwelcoming reception I want you to keep in mind that I am someone who had zero automotive mechanic knowledge beyond oil changes and brakes/steering equipment. All by myself I installed and fitted a 1962 auxiliary transmission successfully without anyone's help. The sheer physical challenge of getting the transmission into position without proper tools deserves congratulations. I am incredibly proud of what I have accomplished.

[crazycal]

I will be the first to eat my shoe...but only if I can find some hot sauce. Nice job. I still don't think the bus is built to run down the freeway at 80 mph.

[charles_m]

A bus ain't built to be lived on, either

[Famousinternetjesus]

So after I drive this bus across the country late November, without blowing up either transmission I say natster, and crazy cal, have to printout the negative all knowing things they wrote, and take a video of themselves eating that piece of paper and post a link for it to this thread. If you have any honor and decency you will, for the sake of humor and goodwill, eat your words on video. If I blow it, I will do the same ;)

[NaturalStateNomad]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

I will take a shifting video tommorrow and post it if I have time. to all those who gave me such a hard time and an unwelcoming reception I want you to keep in mind that I am someone who had zero automotive mechanic knowledge beyond oil changes and brakes/steering equipment. All by myself I installed and fitted a 1962 auxiliary transmission successfully without anyone's help. The sheer physical challenge of getting the transmission into position without proper tools deserves congratulations. I am incredibly proud of what I have accomplished.

I mean, you are Jesus, right?

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

I will take a shifting video tommorrow and post it if I have time. to all those who gave me such a hard time and an unwelcoming reception I want you to keep in mind that I am someone who had zero automotive mechanic knowledge beyond oil changes and brakes/steering equipment. All by myself I installed and fitted a 1962 auxiliary transmission successfully without anyone's help. The sheer physical challenge of getting the transmission into position without proper tools deserves congratulations. I am incredibly proud of what I have accomplished.

Don't pat yourself too hard on the back . There is a lot of stuff that you need to know in order for you to have done this right. However, with the way the internet is today, I hope you found it. I mentioned torque converter, make sure you lower the stall and get a temp gauge on the fluid. Your trans won't last long if you lug it below stall speed. Second is driveline angles. Read up on this, because it means all the difference in u-joint life. Not only are maximum angles, and angle between joints important, but you don't want the joint completely flat either otherwise it won't lubricate properly.

I see you fount out that you can shift on the fly without putting it in neutral. It's similar in the way the big rigs shift without using the clutch. Letting out of the throttle will momentarily take all the load off the driveline, allowing you to shift out of direct and into OD. Time it right and it works. Too fast or slow and your grinding gears.

I'm completely jealous that you found a brownie box . I can't seem to find one, so I'm working on a deal for an OD trans instead. Good luck, and when confused, ask questions.

[Famousinternetjesus]

@crazycal, I think he was just being funny man, no offense, really, I've looked at your conversion, you did a great job,and you clearly know a lot about this stuff. and if I blow my tranny, I WILL eat my own words, because that's the sort of guy I am. I have a 6231a brownie box that I got as a package deal with the 6231c that I installed. It had a gear with a damaged tooth though... If anyone was desperate and wanted it I could ship it to ya. Look up the gear ratios etc. and see if it's what you want I showed the damage to a tranny guy and he thinks the tooth was an imperfection from the factory because there is zero wear or damage to the opposing gear etc. still if I were going to run it I would get that gear re-machined.

[Janet H]

Moderator hat on:

OK folks - let stick to the topic of this thread and stop insulting each other.... sheesh.

[Famousinternetjesus]

This forum has been really disappointing

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

This forum has been really disappointing

Aye mate... It sure has lately.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

So after I drive this bus across the country late November, without blowing up either transmission I say natster, and crazy cal, have to printout the negative all knowing things they wrote, and take a video of themselves eating that piece of paper and post a link for it to this thread. If you have any honor and decency you will, for the sake of humor and goodwill, eat your words on video. If I blow it, I will do the same ;)

You, sir, have won the internet.