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Old 02-12-2013, 05:49 AM   #221
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

So I spent some quality time with the bus this weekend



passenger side exhaust pipe consisted of : a 5 foot muffler attached to a 2 foot section of pipe, then a couple more feet of tube


then a 6 foot snake over driveshaft and to the drivers side
so first things first

and then

and this is now exhaust


hard to see but it will be replaced with a none rusty one this weekend(I had to order a 4 foot pc of 4" exhaust from JEG's)

That pc of tubing will be sticking out a couple inches to clear fumes....

look I now have room for "stuff"



and she now has a little attitude at idle and not much louder at unloaded throttle stabs,I can't wait to get some boost built up on the road

next installment will be the 2 day struggle with front shocks...argh...I hate ignorant mechanics or shall i say stupid idiots...I know,I know...but wait until you see the pictures and you will all agree
Chow!

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Old 02-12-2013, 02:52 PM   #222
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Nice realignment on the exhaust system, and the extra room for stuff makes it really worth it
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Old 02-13-2013, 12:11 PM   #223
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

so while I was under bus looking at exhaust I saw this

yup that is 1/2 plate bent

and looky at the top mounts,cracked and broken and flopping in the wind


soaked with pb blaster...wasn't coming loose
so I started to cut it off
shock off




buggered,cracked and the thru shaft welded with bubble gum...more cutting to do







this had been welded any ways atleast 3 times

hole in frame is wallered out but it is still nice and flat!


So I will make new mounts and replace shocks this weekend
.
.
.
.
.
now why did it shear off the mounts you ask???

distance between the centers of the mounts was 17 inches
.
.
space between bump stops and frame is 2-3/4 inch plus about an inch of compression...so that means the lower mount can move up about 3-3/4 inches
.
.
so 17.00 - 3.75 = 13.25 compressed shock length(close enuf)

now when I compressed shock that was mounted guess what??????



16.75 inches

so back to last wanderings of a mental state.....what kind of idiot mechanic does this crap??? not once but 3 times atleast....now I now the "clunking" I have heard and the bone jarring ride might have had a reason behind it...not to mention State Troopers who inspected the bus for safety,since it was a school bus...
.
.
argh!!!!!!!!!!

So at lunch I started to widdle on some steel...



oh and the shocks I got are 13.25 compressed and 21.25 extended with the 3/4dia bushings so I will have up and down travel now
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Old 02-13-2013, 12:28 PM   #224
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Bummer having to go through all that but at least you've got it sorted and new shocks in the bargain.

My bus probably had the same mechanic working on it. Lots of bonehead fixes on it.
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Old 02-13-2013, 12:47 PM   #225
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Good Lord. Makes me want to personally inspect the bus my kids are riding to school in every day!
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Old 02-13-2013, 04:56 PM   #226
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Scared to look under my own. Funny thing is I see the person that I bought it from and his 'mechanic' all the time at my work. I told them I was worried about how hard the transmission shifted... 'good ole boy' says.. oh heck that's got a 400 turbo transmission in it.. 'shifts hard while it's empty.. will be fine once you get some weight in it' ???

So I says, why's the empty bottle of transmission fluid in the cab? 'I was using that in the power steering'. So, that could be the leaking drops I seen on the ground under the front.
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Old 02-13-2013, 06:40 PM   #227
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadoll
Scared to look under my own. Funny thing is I see the person that I bought it from and his 'mechanic' all the time at my work. I told them I was worried about how hard the transmission shifted... 'good ole boy' says.. oh heck that's got a 400 turbo transmission in it.. 'shifts hard while it's empty.. will be fine once you get some weight in it' ???

So I says, why's the empty bottle of transmission fluid in the cab? 'I was using that in the power steering'. So, that could be the leaking drops I seen on the ground under the front.
Hard down shift is possible a bad speed sensor..... I would get it checked before it does any damage.....Plus a fluid and filter change would not hurt.....
JUST MY 2 CENTS
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Old 02-13-2013, 07:20 PM   #228
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Your lucky with late model T400 its about the same as my allison 545
Keep them cool and clean you'll be "ok"
You don't have speed sensors or any of that stuff.
I would be suspect of the vacumn modulator,pull off rubber hose.
If tranny fluid is present...its bad cheap fix
If no fluid present than check engine vacumm
If vacumm is in spec and fluid llooks and smells good....you can adjust the shift points with a screw driver inserted into modulator
Mmm.....if you want to continue this "off air" pm me I could type for along time on this subject of th350/th400 peace
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Old 02-13-2013, 07:58 PM   #229
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

I don't believe that a diesel engine driven automatic transmission uses a vacuum modulator. Just my understanding of a diesel's air intake, they don't pull a vacuum. Don't know more than that though.
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Old 02-13-2013, 08:27 PM   #230
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by bus-bro
I don't believe that a diesel engine driven automatic transmission uses a vacuum modulator. Just my understanding of a diesel's air intake, they don't pull a vacuum. Don't know more than that though.
Your correct she has an old skool gas engine and a TH400 trans.....I just made the remark that the design of the tranny has been linked
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Old 02-14-2013, 08:03 AM   #231
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
You don't have speed sensors or any of that stuff.
peace
Learn something everyday... A friend of my has a 95 bluebird full size and he just replaced the speed sensors in it,
or so he was told by the transmission shop the did the rebuild........ makes one wonder????
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Old 02-14-2013, 08:36 AM   #232
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyEagle
Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
You don't have speed sensors or any of that stuff.
peace
Learn something everyday... A friend of my has a 95 bluebird full size and he just replaced the speed sensors in it,
or so he was told by the transmission shop the did the rebuild........ makes one wonder????
I am going on the fact that it is a 1979 gas engined bus with a 3 speed TH400 and they did not have speed sensors and production had stopped basically by the late 80's and then the 4l80 and a varient or two was the new auto in that size with 4 speeds.

So a factory installed th400 in 1995 would be odd esp
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Old 02-14-2013, 03:58 PM   #233
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Your lucky with late model T400 its about the same as my allison 545
Keep them cool and clean you'll be "ok"
You don't have speed sensors or any of that stuff.
I would be suspect of the vacumn modulator,pull off rubber hose.
If tranny fluid is present...its bad cheap fix
If no fluid present than check engine vacumm
If vacumm is in spec and fluid llooks and smells good....you can adjust the shift points with a screw driver inserted into modulator
Mmm.....if you want to continue this "off air" pm me I could type for along time on this subject of th350/th400 peace
'Thanks.. might do that when I get to where I'm going to be driving it more.
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Old 02-14-2013, 06:39 PM   #234
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Also remember that when rebuilding the th350/th400 shift kits were installed almost 100% of the time.
This resulted in more band pressure etc,it shifts quicker thus less slippage.
It could range from removing a couple springs,to modifing the steel plate between valve body and case.
If it shifts too hard,learn the shift point and "back off" throttle right before itshifts and then "roll" into the throttle.
Under throttle you will get harder shifts due to "quicker" shift times....your u-joints etc will like you backing off alittle better
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Old 02-15-2013, 12:06 PM   #235
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Also remember that when rebuilding the th350/th400 shift kits were installed almost 100% of the time.
This resulted in more band pressure etc,it shifts quicker thus less slippage.
It could range from removing a couple springs,to modifing the steel plate between valve body and case.
If it shifts too hard,learn the shift point and "back off" throttle right before itshifts and then "roll" into the throttle.
Under throttle you will get harder shifts due to "quicker" shift times....your u-joints etc will like you backing off alittle better
Good information. I think that I need something new in the shift kit setup anyways, will have that looked at as I have to toy with the shifter in Neutral position to even get it to start. It's a pain. ~ Move shifter and hold tongue right that I can catch the firing point.
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Old 02-15-2013, 12:19 PM   #236
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

PM SENT
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Old 02-18-2013, 04:00 PM   #237
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

That sucks about the shock mount. I have questioned how some things on my bus got past state inspection like how I got 20 holes I my exhaust system less than 6 months after a state inspection.
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Old 02-18-2013, 04:26 PM   #238
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycal
That sucks about the shock mount. I have questioned how some things on my bus got past state inspection like how I got 20 holes I my exhaust system less than 6 months after a state inspection.
Hey CC....
It was a Tennessee state inspector..........
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Old 02-19-2013, 05:25 AM   #239
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyEagle
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycal
That sucks about the shock mount. I have questioned how some things on my bus got past state inspection like how I got 20 holes I my exhaust system less than 6 months after a state inspection.
Hey CC....
It was a Tennessee state inspector..........
X2
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Old 02-25-2013, 02:56 PM   #240
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Re: El Tortuga...update 02-12-13

worked on the sink/storage area alittle this weekend





got a coat of clear on the back walls also
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