Bonnie Blue

[JDSquared]

Final charge 50/50

That's what the school system used.

[JDSquared]

Send my check to Vermont DMV this morning finally. I also dropped off my rent check, and I really hope I didn't mix the two up

[JDSquared]

I was right about the shifter. 1 2 D OD N R.

And I found a plate on a transmission. Confirming it's a 2000. But I already knew that. I don't know what the other numbers mean

[JDSquared]

Another note to self: look up at that picture you posted. With the key turned to the on position.

You idiot. You noticed that when you first looked at the picture uploading it. Told yourself you had to get back and make sure you didn't leave it that way.

24 hours later you came back to the bus and remembered. Guess who's bus wouldn't start?

That stupid buzzer in the rear door still works though.

[JDSquared]

It could have been a lot worse.

I suppose it could have been a lot better too.
Still need to pull up the flooring from the back wheel wells. I needed a break.

[Free Bird]

Originally Posted by JDSquared

There's a huge heater by the driver. That one makes me a bit nervous. Mostly because I don't want to tear up the defroster. I will tackle that after the floors. I really need to get them up this weekend and know what I'm working with.Attachment 38934

There are all kinds of places in America where you will appreciate that heater, especially since you are removing your rear heater. Your fresh air enters the bus via the heater box, there is a filter in it as well. If you need to work on the heater things will go best if you remove the seat first.

Re anti freeze - you should be using a grade formulated for heavy duty diesel engines, yes 50/50 unless it's premixed. Distilled water is best for long rad life.

[JDSquared]

Originally Posted by Free Bird

There are all kinds of places in America where you will appreciate that heater, especially since you are removing your rear heater. Your fresh air enters the bus via the heater box, there is a filter in it as well. If you need to work on the heater things will go best if you remove the seat first.

Re anti freeze - you should be using a grade formulated for heavy duty diesel engines, yes 50/50 unless it's premixed. Distilled water is best for long rad life.

I forgot to mention as well, there's a block heater. But I'm pretty sure that's completely separate from the system. But yeah I am undecided about the heater. Plenty of time before I get to the dash.

And for now I am just topping off with what the school system used. Bus is not moving, and won't be travelling more than across town for the next year, so a flush is on my list, but farther down for now.

I have to decide if RO/DI is the same as distilled. I mean, it is, and I get gallons of it for my reef tank, in a big Primo water bottle. I hate the idea of buying all those plastic gallon jugs of distilled and tossing them.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by JDSquared

Just wanted to get a new picture up without the mess.
Found a plate on the alternator but forgot to take a pic

I was underneath following the hose from the rear heater. I want to loop it under the bus but as soon as it goes down it tees off to the defroster that's under the driver window. Not sure I want to bypass that. Then it keeps going all the way to the other side of the bus to the dash heater and defroster. I think lol.

So I think I'm going to cut the heater out tomorrow and loop it behind the driver's seat for now.

Realized I don't know what coolant to use and started searching on this site. Now I'm freaked out. The school mechanic topped it off before I left with the bus. Didn't think to ask. Now it's low again and I don't know what kind he used. And he doesn't bother to answer email even though he acted like he would.

So even if I don't spill s drop tomorrow I still need coolant. Not ready to flush the whole radiator yet. I hate doing research on this site because everything I breathe on is going to kill my bus according to y'all.Attachment 38966

I recall those days...

[JDSquared]

Originally Posted by milkmania

I recall those days...

look at all that height lol

[JDSquared]

Virtually rust free floors


Some mental notes about my flooring:
I spent about eight hours total grinding in applying a first coat of Ospho over the course of a week. The floor has this white film on it from whatever they etched it with originally I guess. Almost all of my surface rust was on top of that. It pretty much just chipped away to bare metal.




Most of the bad stuff wasn't too deep. I was worried about all the rust at the back wall but I ground it down there and I think the rust converter will do its job. There's a bunch of rust under the two back windows so I can't wait to see what that looks like when I take those panels off.

The directions on the Ospho don't say anything about neutralizing it before primer. But that's what everybody does. So I guess that's what I'll be doing.

There's three spots with holes to the outside. Two of them closing up together it's probably one patch. I don't think I'm going to be patching for a couple of months. So I ground them down as best I could and applied the Ospho. If I hadn't already seen the underneath of the bus I would think I was done. But I'm going to have to get under there still and cutaway some rust. Probably end up with bigger patches when I do that. So I figured I would try to convert and seal what I could until I got underneath.

It would be nice to start taking things off the walls without all the rust and dust and mess.

[JDSquared]

One more mental note.
The whole front of the bus isn't done yet. That step up where the engine cover is in the driver's seat and the front dash. Still not sure how all that comes off yet. The base of the driver seat is pretty rested on top of the rubber so I'm definitely going to have to pull it all up.
And the stairwell is all rusted. Underneath the rubber. There's a hole going outside on the wall at the bottom step.

[JDSquared]

And the floor is primed.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by JDSquared

And the floor is primed.Attachment 39286

They look so big at that point, now watch how fast that big space becomes not enough.

[JDSquared]

Originally Posted by o1marc

They look so big at that point, now watch how fast that big space becomes not enough.[emoji3]

Let's hope it goes fast. I'm itching to move into it

[JDSquared]

It's been raining for two days. I finally came out to see the damage. Going to have to take care of leaks before i end up having to sand and reapply Ospho!

Thought I might see water at the window sills. But those are all dry. So is coming down and inside underneath the metal

[JDSquared]

Some new deconstruction pictures.

Somebody on here used these plastic clips and I followed the link and ordered some. Used some caulking I already had. I'm not doing the floor before the new year so I can see if it works or not.

[JDSquared]

Under the back windows. This side was worse than the other. The top is in good shape. I'm not sure if water is coming in from the lights above or from under the windowsill. I don't have the panel above the window off yet.

Rusted at the floor too. But no holes. I'm going to grind and Ospho it and see how it looks.

[JDSquared]

So as soon as I took this box away from the metal I can open the door and start the bus without any buzzer or beeping. Not disconnected yet. Playing around to make sure I can run the bus before pulling wires next week or two. I started it with an emergency window open too yesterday, but once started the buzzer went off until I shut the window.

[JDSquared]

I can just Ospho this and call it a day right?

[JDSquared]

That wasn't a serious question.


I'm watching the rest of y'all working on your bus in the snow and I'm sitting here in 55 degree weather and supposed to be even nicer this weekend, and I have no time to work on the bus.

I had a tiny bit of plywood left on the floor around the seat belt and engine bay. Got that up with no rust. I had to cut the bolts holding the seat belt down.
Cut all the walls off and all the ceiling panels off. The only piece left is on the front of the bus where the manufacturing plate is. Got rid of all the fiberglass.

Going to pull off that stop sign and front bar and then look at all the wiring. When my teenager has a chance to help me.

After that I'll pull off the stairs prime the good areas then get underneath and look at what actual rust I have under there.

Eventually I'll be able to pull the windows and reseal them. It rained and the only leaks I noticed score from the front escape hatch in the roof. I've got two windows that don't close right because the latches are broken.

I got my license plates from Vermont. 2 days later I got my registration and stickers. I got a number for insurance and I was going to call but we had a medical emergency in the family. And at some point I lost that registration and my sticker.

I've got a new one coming in the mail.