Smells Like Teen Spirit: Conversion of 1999 Thomas MVP

[Tango]

Depending on which model Allison you have, reprogramming to pick up 6th gear can make a huge difference. The two top gears are both OD. On mine (as I recollect), 5th is about .75 and 6th is .63. That's a pretty big jump that can equate to lower RPM's or more MPH as well as improved MPG at highway speed. Any way you slice it...sweet!

If you want to nail down just exactly how much difference, you can plug your numbers into any online gear/rpm/wheel size calculator...

like this one...
http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html

Handy little tool.

[Docsgsxr]

Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches

I contacted a dude on Reddit who works on these. He sent me a PDF of the manual.

Think I could get you to email me it??? PLEEEEAAASE!!!!!!!

[sdwarf36]

Make sure you get all the oil out of the cylinder before you put the injectors back. Even if it means cranking over the engine with a towel over the top.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Originally Posted by Docsgsxr

Did you pick up a manual for the motor? How do you know the torque secs? If you did, how much was it, and where did you get it?

I need to do an injector swap on mine too. Figured while I am in there...........
-Doc

I contacted a dude on Reddit who works on these. He sent me a PDF of the manual.[/quote]


Think I could get you to email me it??? PLEEEEAAASE!!!!!!! [/quote]

Its only for the procedure I did, I don't have the whole manual. Don't do this repair unless you have to...and it is only injector SEALS not the whole injector. Replacing all injectors would be like $2500 in parts. I can send you them if you want, PM me your email.

Originally Posted by Tango

Depending on which model Allison you have, reprogramming to pick up 6th gear can make a huge difference. The two top gears are both OD. On mine (as I recollect), 5th is about .75 and 6th is .63. That's a pretty big jump that can equate to lower RPM's or more MPH as well as improved MPG at highway speed. Any way you slice it...sweet!

If you want to nail down just exactly how much difference, you can plug your numbers into any online gear/rpm/wheel size calculator...

like this one...
http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html

Handy little tool.

Thanks, I have calculated that before. I forget the numbers but if I remember right it was something like a 400-500 rpm drop in RPM at 65 mph if 6th was enabled. This motor makes peak torque at 1400 so spinning at 2400 (at the rev limiter) is doing nothing but excessive wear and wasting fuel.

Originally Posted by sdwarf36

Make sure you get all the oil out of the cylinder before you put the injectors back. Even if it means cranking over the engine with a towel over the top.

Thanks, I got a suction gun I am going to use. I also will rotate the crank over slowly with a wrench with the injectors reinstalled in hopes that any pooled oil would get pushed past the rings. Though the way the pistons are shaped its more likely to be trapped in there. In any case, it will probably run like crap for the first few minutes, due to the oil in the cylinders, air being pumped out of injectors oil passages and fuel passages, and installing new oil / fuel filters. Probably will take a lot of cranking to get it to fire even after priming the fuel rail.

[Diesel Dan]

Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches

Thanks, I got a suction gun I am going to use. I also will rotate the crank over slowly with a wrench with the injectors reinstalled in hopes that any pooled oil would get pushed past the rings. Though the way the pistons are shaped its more likely to be trapped in there. In any case, it will probably run like crap for the first few minutes, due to the oil in the cylinders, air being pumped out of injectors oil passages and fuel passages, and installing new oil / fuel filters. Probably will take a lot of cranking to get it to fire even after priming the fuel rail.

I've not followed this conversation is great detail, but oil in the cylinders may cause "runaway diesel", which is not so much running poorly, but running out of control at high RPMs. A scary and possibly destructive situation for the engine. In your case, I suppose there is only a limited quantity of oil, so the runaway situation would hopefully only last for a relatively short time, but still... yikes!

[porkchopsandwiches]

Originally Posted by Diesel Dan

I've not followed this conversation is great detail, but oil in the cylinders may cause "runaway diesel", which is not so much running poorly, but running out of control at high RPMs. A scary and possibly destructive situation for the engine. In your case, I suppose there is only a limited quantity of oil, so the runaway situation would hopefully only last for a relatively short time, but still... yikes!

Yeah it could. There isn't really another way to do it though, since the injectors are hydraulic and are direct to the cylinder. So when you pop them out they spill a ton of oil into the cyl because they are full of it, and the passages are exposed when you pop them out. The goal is to just try and get as much out as possible, that way you don't have enough to hydro lock it or cause it to run away.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Good news, everyone!



Turns out I CAN get 6th gear enabled in my bus. According to my calculations, right now in 5th I hit the rev limiter at 66 mph (2400 rpm). With 6th enabled, I will be at about 2000 rpm at 66, and will have a new theoretical top speed of 77 mph (I will never test this). I just have to take it to an allison tech and give them this, and they will take care of it.

If anyone has this same trans (MD3000 or 3060) and wants info on how to do this, PM me.

[Docsgsxr]

PM sent!

[porkchopsandwiches]

Yessir. I already have a car that sucks down fuel at 3600 rpm on the highway ('87 3-series) I don't need another

Tomorrow morning I'm going to take all 6 injectors to a local diesel shop to get them cleaned and tested. I'm doing this because none of the oil-to-fuel passage O rings look terribly bad or obviously broken to cause the leak , so I want to make sure none of them are leaking internally. I'd be pissed if I put it back together and had the same problems. Also they are a bit carbon heavy on the tips, and I can't safely clean those myself. Hopefully with this, the valve adjustment and 6th gear enabled, I can break 11 mpg

Originally Posted by Docsgsxr

PM sent!

Email sent

[M1031]

WOW Porkchop!

Congrats on the letter!!!! Once my bus goes to auction, I'll be asking how you did that if you don't mind! Katy ISD won't let me drive over 50 mph with my bus . I'm sure I'll have some questions for you once I get my baby.

M1031

[Stu & Filo. T]

Now can I get 6th out of the Allison 647 Trans?

[porkchopsandwiches]

Built 2 of these. They will mount on each emergency exit and are good to turn on when the vents are popped. On mine the whole exit pops up like 3". They push air up and out. I made them with four 120mm computer fans that draw 4 watts each and move 40 cfm each. They make almost no noise and the whole assembly was about $18 to build. I bought the fans off amazon, a 4 pack was $12.

[Tango]

Gotta love those computer fans...I see'em installed in all kinds of applications.

Also...my understanding of the Allison 3-digit model code (AT's, MT's & HT's) is that the middle number indicates the total number of gears. That would mean that the 543, 545, 645, 647, etc. are all four speeds. No idea what the codes for the "World Transmission" series might mean. Mine is a 2200MH, 6-speed, double OD. All I know about that code is that "MH" is the Motor Home variant.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Originally Posted by Tango

Gotta love those computer fans...I see'em installed in all kinds of applications.

Also...my understanding of the Allison 3-digit model code (AT's, MT's & HT's) is that the middle number indicates the total number of gears. That would mean that the 543, 545, 645, 647, etc. are all four speeds. No idea what the codes for the "World Transmission" series might mean. Mine is a 2200MH, 6-speed, double OD. All I know about that code is that "MH" is the Motor Home variant.

They are great. That would make sense, seeing as my type of CAT motor codes are similar. 3126 - 3 is the model series of the engine, 12 atands for 1.2 liters per cylinder and 6 stands for 6 cylinders. I would buy that the trans codes are similar. Not sure what 3060 could stand for though.

[orangepeel91]

Couple of things here, I'll start with bus related to keep it on topic.
I may have missed it but where did you get those seats? They look as comfortable as you say they are. in other words I want some!

As to your neighbor with the family members leased to Fed Ex. They are just that leased to fed Ex. They are not employees. They own the truck not Fed Ex.

For the fuel treatment I use the one they gave you or the one in the white bottle. Have had no problems with either and more importantly have no problems with gelling in winter or fungus in summer. Besides the one in my bus I have a 5.9 in my pickup.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Originally Posted by orangepeel91

Couple of things here, I'll start with bus related to keep it on topic.
I may have missed it but where did you get those seats? They look as comfortable as you say they are. in other words I want some!

As to your neighbor with the family members leased to Fed Ex. They are just that leased to fed Ex. They are not employees. They own the truck not Fed Ex.

For the fuel treatment I use the one they gave you or the one in the white bottle. Have had no problems with either and more importantly have no problems with gelling in winter or fungus in summer. Besides the one in my bus I have a 5.9 in my pickup.

The seats were a craigslist find, $275 for the three seats plus a folding bench / bed that I've yet to install. Everybody who has sat in them loves them, you could easily sleep in one for a night. Likely out of a 80s / 90s conversion van.

Thanks for clarifying how they are set up and yes that is correct, I just phrased it poorly.



I painted the upper bit green as well, the top of the roof is still white. I think it looks better this way, the whole-white roof was a bit awkward.

We have since painted the trim black again and are almost done.





I built these stairs this weekend, I think they came out okay. Hopefully I never plug into a hot ground plug, or this will be a killing floor I got the diamond from metalsdepot.com, had the order cut for shipping and that and some angle was like $8 to ship. The sheet (4x8 cut into 4 pieces) was around $100. Just cut it with a jigsaw. I did some other stuff too but I forgot to take pics!

[Diesel Dan]

Ooooh! Shiny! Nice stairwell.

[LaCasitaBus]

Originally Posted by Diesel Dan

Ooooh! Shiny! Nice stairwell.

+1

[porkchopsandwiches]

Update on the Boos-T-Liner:

Took the injectors out, and took them to a shop to be bench tested. I learned that these injectors are almost the same as Powerstroke 7.3L injectors, same hydraulic unit injection (with the same potential for oil in the fuel). They were developed in a joint effort by CAT and International.

The shop tested them and found one had a broken magnet, and one didn't fire at all. They rebuilt them and cleaned the other ones, no carbon on the tips anymore, and put all the new O rings on for me. The total for all this came out to the cost of one new injector from CAT: $577. Not cheap but I am REALLY glad that I took those to be tested because had I not known I was running on 5 cylinders (pretty sure I wasn't, either they messed up or I broke it upon removal / transport) I would have been down on power and using a lot more fuel than necessary.

I cleaned the bores real well (to CAT spec with their overpriced tools) and lubed up the injectors real well (dunked them in oil) and reinstalled them, used a pry bar to push them in which was real difficult. Got them all seated and threaded the bolts in, and tomorrow I will change the oil, filter, fuel filters and probably adjust the valves. Then put the valve cover back on and hope for the best...

Also I recieved a CB antenna (firestik) and cable, 4 speakers, a head unit with aux jack (USB inputs always annoy me) and HID lights with projector lenses. I ordered a CB radio but they were out of stock. Also thanks to ThePimentals I finally found a seal that works for my rear emergency exit window.

I have been neglecting my E30 too much:



One projector / HID installed





Beam comparison



And they're not even aimed down as far as they should be yet.







Hard to get the white balance right on that one.

They are annoying when people put them on Civics with fart cannons but honestly the lights on this thing were like candles in a shoebox. Not safe at all for night driving, the difference is incredible and was under $100 in parts, took about 45 minutes to install both. No wiring necessary, the connectors line right up with stock. Let me know if anyone wants me to link the parts. They are for "7x6" headlights and use a H4 bulb. The H4 bulb in the HID kit uses a HID low beam and a 55 watt halogen HI beam. I need to figure out how to jump the relay with a diode to get lows to stay on with hi's. I did this in my silverado, I doubt it is much different. It is possible it would generate too much heat in the housing, though.

9 days till Memphis. Yikes.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Got the bus running again.

Initial start:

http://youtu.be/hemB92v8l5w

http://youtu.be/WOWUeyKMipo

http://youtu.be/MFjE-BHeJAE

Purrs like a CAT. Definitely would not buy another vehicle with a CAT engine, their parts are insane. I daresay if this motor were to fail I'd do a Cummins 8.3 swap. It would bolt right up to this trans and the only input requires for the trans is throttle position.



I did an oil / filter change too. Both of these jugs are full. 5 gal each though some was put in one already from a car. It was between 6-7 gallons of oil that came out. It was blacker than nighttime in the countryside. I bought the oil filter at the CAT dealer for $15 and the oil (Shell Rotella 15w-40) in a 5 gallon bucket from Advance Auto for $70 each (I bought 2, my car can use the same oil). So about a $110 oil change, with OEM filter and good oil. Not THAT bad.

Initial start was scary because prior to the first video I cranked it for 30 seconds after priming the pump and it didn't fire, so I stopped, primed it again and it fired up as you saw. The smoke entirely cleared after it warmed up. Time will tell if the oil consumption issue was fixed.