Oldntired gotta bus today

[oldntired]

paid for, titled and now parked at home. will register later.
Pictures to follow, soon.... gotta charge the camera
Govdeals auction from Clarksville school system, lucky me! My home town!
Watched bus 99-77 drive off as I got to storage yard.
Me??? I got 99-68. Bluebird body, Cummins 5.9 and Allison545.
now to get info on this body and learn me somethings about diesel.
air brakes suck!!!! ( haven't been this worried about driving anything since driving a stick, in 1994 Wales; trying to find my way back to Crickhowell from Cardiff.)
may just need new pads.... plenty of pressure. has 8D battery.
more later

[thrifty1]

Waiting..... haha

[o1marc]

I got an oldntired bus at the same time.

[gypsyfiredance]

Congrats!!! How exciting. Looking forward to the build posts.

[oldntired]

never had air brakes before. Found where to bleed/drain air tanks. Opened drain valves ~ 1min, no fluids, so guess mechanics at school did a drain.
After sitting for a day, started engine, fired right-up!! pressure lights indicate about 80-90 psi still in tanks.
Hey, I am expecting copy of maint. records for last year from the school! Waiting to see if a cost my be incurred.
Wth luck, will have part numbers for filters and stuff... did I mention this is also my first diesel?
2 negatives for this adventure.... brakes are soft and wife thinks full-sized bus will be hard to get in and out of property...
so, gotta trouble-shoot brakes, then blind-fold the BOSS!

[Versatile]

Online search for a shop manual or beg the school for theirs. There will be several. Engine, Tranny,Body And chassis should have the air brakes. Don't forget brake line antifreeze this fall.

[Seriousracer]

Define soft and what air pressures are you at when soft

[brokedown]

Air brakes don't have the same feel as hydraulic brakes. Sounds like you hold pressure a lot better than mine does!

[cadillackid]

Air-brakes have a lot LESS pedal travel than hydraulic brakes.. you will also notice a bit of "delay" when you get on them.. the pedal seems "spongey" because you are simply pressing against a spring and opening an air valve to apply the brakes.. as opposed to stabbing your foot into a piston that goers to a column of liquid..



air brakes feel like.. well like there's air in the lines.. because there is..



I will say, if you mash air brakes to the floor and you arent locking up the rear tires or triggering the ABS on a front engine bus, then something isnt right...



-Christopher

[oldntired]

Wow! Lots of kind people trying to help. Is the reason I joined!
Note to self: gotta post pics soon! (also need to check POST count)
01marc - glad you got another bus. also from same auction?
versatile - I have leeched BB Vantage for (?)1997-2003 wiring schematics and manuals. FYI- just put in your chassis number. Still digging through it learning stuff, I hope...
Seriousracer/brokedown/cadillackid - air pressure indicator has 2 LED bar graphs, red when under 60PSI, goes up to 150. I get full pressure, even holds >60PSI after couple days sitting idle. (see note on pics)
Define soft: @45 mph, stepping on brakes, takes a looong time for reduction in speed, like pads not extending in drums...
Maybe my imagination; as if rear brakes not working well and front brakes are slowing bus. At low speed, applying brakes is jerking, almost like ABS is working.
So I suspect @ 216K miles, need new rear pads and drums turned.
IF, I were much younger, I'd tackle taking them big tires off. But time and experience tells me: Don't Do It, You Old F*rt!!

[o1marc]

My first bus I found on CL in Butte, Mt., the second one came from a Govdeals auction at the school 20 miles from my house in Ga.

[oldntired]

Pics, as I attempt for 3rd time>>>
#1952 gauges showing air pressure, #1882 pic of bus, #1907 panel under driver's window to bleed/drain air tanks, #1914 What is that box with tape 9-16 on it?
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge!

[Seriousracer]

More worried his slack adjusters are not in adjustment. Or s cams are binding


The adjusters sound like you are in need to manually do the.

[Seriousracer]

http://www.cvse.ca/references_public.../pdf/PI221.pdf

Great read.

[oldntired]

Seriousracer - Thank you for the link about slack adjustment. I will have to take a brush with me under the bus and clean some crud off and check my slack.
Might also start removing bolts for the seats, got them broke loose.

[Seriousracer]

Please make sure you grease the s cam pivots and the slack adjusters.

This could happen lol

[rsymonds]

I've had 2 commercial coaches in the past and the air brakes reacted completely different on both of them. one could put you thru the windshield, the other I assumed had poor brakes. What I found was that one had a passenger friendly brake valve that would not allow you to stop abruptly, which I interpreted as poor brakes. Neither one had real brake feel to the pedal. both stopped the bus...

[oldntired]

rsymonds - Thank you about your air brake experience.
Saturday moved the bus onto flat ground and set chocks. did 5 second brake hold 6 times... hope it moves the slack adjusters some. If I get home early, will crawl under and see what is up... and take some pics.
Seriousracer - hope I never wear something that bad.

[Flyguy87]

Oldntired im a local from Clarksville as well. Interested to see your project. I’m just getting in to this all. Pretty excited to start.

[HappyInTN]

Originally Posted by Flyguy87

Oldntired im a local from Clarksville as well. Interested to see your project. I’m just getting in to this all. Pretty excited to start.

From the clevelan/Chattanooga area... Nice to see some fellow TN people on here!