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Old 10-25-2019, 09:14 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
Bonnie Blue

I can finally start a build thread.


On a side note, I saw a couple of comments here about Tapatalk, and for the 13 minutes I've had it installed I like it.

Anyway I believe the bus named herself. I always imagined if the Blues Brothers had a sister her name would be Eleanor. But I test drove a bus and she was Eleanor; the name stayed with her even though I didn't purchase her.

This bus was a Bluebird so it kind of worked out even better. Bonnie is a decent name for a bus, too.

I still need to figure some things out. I took pictures with the go pro but I think I will go back tomorrow and take more with my phone and upload them direct.

I'm over halfway done with getting the seats out though. Not even eight hours in. Which is good because grinding surface rust is going to be a full time venture.

Here's the one photo on my phone for now, just to officially open my build thread. I got more done after that but the light faded into night.Click image for larger version

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Old 10-26-2019, 12:52 PM   #2
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
The seats on the bus go to the dump to the dump.

I'm parked in a storage place so I definitely need to clean as I go. If I could have dumped these into the yard I would have been pulling up the floor already. Going to the scrap metal place Monday.

The butt cushions are gone though.

I pulled up a little but of rubber around the front wheel well. Soaking slimy wet plywood.

Rut roh shaggy.Click image for larger version

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Old 10-27-2019, 03:03 PM   #3
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: GA
Posts: 611
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Amtran RE
Chassis: International 3000
Engine: T444e 7.3L
We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far--
"Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star!"
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Old 10-27-2019, 03:29 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam View Post
We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far--
"Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star!"
Thanks for that. The baby mama was singing my Bonnie lies over the ocean. Glad to get that song out of my head.
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Old 10-27-2019, 03:31 PM   #5
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
Put my first hole into the bus. Digging around the wheel well just to see what I'm in for. Plywood is soaked.

All my seat frames are still sitting inside the bus until tomorrow. After that I start tearing up the plywood for real.

Click image for larger version

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Old 10-27-2019, 06:14 PM   #6
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam View Post
We are a band of brothers
And native to the soil,
Fighting for the property
We gained by honest toil;
And when our rights were threatened,
The cry rose near and far--
"Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star!"
I know that one! Great tune.
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Old 10-27-2019, 06:16 PM   #7
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
The Bonnie Blue-
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Old 10-28-2019, 07:13 PM   #8
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
Bus looks worse than yesterday! Stripped the vinyl and padding from the seats. Going to the scrap yard tomorrow. Wednesday I remove the rear heater.

I keep looking online and everyone is afraid of this step before they start. I'm not. It's like grinding the seats. That was about 7 hours labor, and not too difficult.

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.Click image for larger version

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Old 10-28-2019, 07:17 PM   #9
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
I can't find a plate on the transmission BTW. But this is on the front of the bus. RCM stands for transmission control module. I assume.

It says 2000/2400. Is that the trans? I can't find out what the 2400 means.

There's a plate inside that says the rear axle ratio is 5.29 but I don't really know what that means as far as performance.Click image for larger version

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Old 10-28-2019, 07:23 PM   #10
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDSquared View Post
RCM stands for transmission control module. I assume.
Really....?
They made a 2000 and a 2400 model trans, your bus has one of them.
5.29 gear will be more of a lowend power gear. Low wouldbe something in the 6.00, I have a 4.78 in mine and it cruises at 85mph @2200rpm. Yours would probably be runing around 70 at that RPM.
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Old 10-29-2019, 12:20 AM   #11
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
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Chassis: TC2000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Really....?
They made a 2000 and a 2400 model trans, your bus has one of them.
5.29 gear will be more of a lowend power gear. Low wouldbe something in the 6.00, I have a 4.78 in mine and it cruises at 85mph @2200rpm. Yours would probably be runing around 70 at that RPM.
Yeah coming home I never seemed to go above 2000. At 67mph.
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Old 10-29-2019, 09:54 AM   #12
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Join Date: Apr 2019
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Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
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So I learned today that 760 lb of scrap metal is worth about $19.

Now the floor is empty except for the heater. I'm looking forward to spending hours on the bus this weekend
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Old 10-29-2019, 11:50 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDSquared View Post
So I learned today that 760 lb of scrap metal is worth about $19.

Now the floor is empty except for the heater. I'm looking forward to spending hours on the bus this weekend
Where is that at, you're getting totally screwed. That's $2.50/100lb. When I scrapped the BB, they paid $7/100lbs. I think it's down around $5/100lbs right now.
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Old 10-29-2019, 02:08 PM   #14
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
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Chassis: TC2000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Where is that at, you're getting totally screwed. That's $2.50/100lb. When I scrapped the BB, they paid $7/100lbs. I think it's down around $5/100lbs right now.
I looked it up on Google after. Scrap steel is going for $55 a ton. That matches up with what they paid me.

It was across the street from where the bus is stored. Since I don't have a CDL or insurance or tag I figured that was the best place to drive to.
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Old 10-29-2019, 07:45 PM   #15
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
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Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
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.Click image for larger version

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Old 10-29-2019, 07:51 PM   #16
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Use anti freeze/coolant. Open the cap, if more is needed, buy some of the same color.
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Old 10-29-2019, 07:57 PM   #17
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Join Date: May 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Where is that at, you're getting totally screwed. That's $2.50/100lb. When I scrapped the BB, they paid $7/100lbs. I think it's down around $5/100lbs right now.
I am not sure that I agree....

I have had to pay $43 a ton to get rid of my scrap then the county sells it at market rate. To add insult to injury.... I have to separate the recyclable materials and place them in a separate pile.

I think that I am the one getting screwed.
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Old 10-29-2019, 08:09 PM   #18
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
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Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
the TCM...



allison 2000 is a series the 2400 is the specifica model.. those TCM's can be used on different transmissions...



the throttle is a J1939 (it uses a data link between the engine and trans)
the max engine RPM it allows is 2500
the primary and sec modes on the 2000 series are how the shifter lever pattern acts..



the 5-4-2-1 corresponds to the pattern on your shifter regardless of the labels on it...



if your shifter says D-4-2-1 then D is a max 5th gear.. and 4-2-1 speak for themselves..



the CIN number is the calinration ID that allison uses internally..


-Christopher
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Old 10-29-2019, 10:31 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve View Post
I am not sure that I agree....

I have had to pay $43 a ton to get rid of my scrap then the county sells it at market rate. To add insult to injury.... I have to separate the recyclable materials and place them in a separate pile.

I think that I am the one getting screwed.
I dropped by today to salvage my $4.80 worth of soda cans at $.30/lb. Noticed "scrap" here was down, as you guys are dealing with, to $2.50/100lbs. Salvage steel is down nationwide.
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Old 10-30-2019, 09:25 AM   #20
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Savannah GA
Posts: 756
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Engine: Cummins 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
I dropped by today to salvage my $4.80 worth of soda cans at $.30/lb. Noticed "scrap" here was down, as you guys are dealing with, to $2.50/100lbs. Salvage steel is down nationwide.
Too many people converting school buses LOL. Have a safe trip by the way.
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