Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 03-18-2017, 10:32 PM   #81
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Here we go with the "X-ray" drawing.
Chalk didn't show up so well, so I used blue masking tape.

First of all.... The "bird" is sitting something like 8 or 10 inches higher that its final height. Note the tire. I cannot lower it further until I cut away the "boat" part of it.



The cockpit -- that is, the "indoor" area -- is marked with solid double lines. The vertical double is the firewall, which is already there in the form of the rear bulkhead (wall) of the bow compartment.

The horizontal solid double is the center aisle floor of the cockpit, which is some inches above the floor of the bus. And then there is the angle-difference. But it looks like it will mostly be removed, and the bus floor will take its place -- and the bus floor will meet the firewall right about at the junction with the firewall. Though... I cannot be sure of that until the two halves actually meet.

The dotted double is the raised floor on each side of the cockpit, where the pilots sit.
The angle of this will not bother anybody.

Oh... this is with the bird at 4 degrees down in front. This may be more than necessary. I hope to tilt it back up a couple degrees.

The engine has six individual valve covers, and "X-ray" pistons.

Up front is the "sandwich" of radiator and intercooler. This is just about as far forward as they can fit, so this is all coming together as if it were meant to be.

And I have begun developing a method for dismantling excess "bird" metal:



Removing this rectangular sample was surprisingly easy.

The aluminum is very hard. My sawsall is useless. But an abrasive cutting wheel on the angle grinder does a fine job.

Remarkably, I can drill out the rivets quite easily with a cobalt-tipped bit. The rivets are 1/8", so I have tried a 1/8" bit, going partly thru, and then driving the rest out with a drift. But I already broke a drift. And if I drill all the way thru, the bit grabs when it breaks thru.
I just might use a 3/16" bit instead. That means reassembly with 3/16" rivets or bolts, but there is no harm in that. This thing will look like Frankenstein's monster anyway.

__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2017, 10:40 PM   #82
Bus Crazy
 
Njsurf73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
It needs alley lights.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Njsurf73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2017, 11:14 PM   #83
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Such as on a police cruiser? Why?
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2017, 11:19 PM   #84
Bus Crazy
 
Njsurf73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess View Post
Such as on a police cruiser? Why?
Just a gut feeling. That it would look cool. Not for any actual operational need.


Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Njsurf73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-19-2017, 10:43 AM   #85
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
I just caught up on your recent acquisition and ambitions this morning. Impressive doesn't quite cover it. You certainly are an ambitious soul. That's going to look like the fastest school bus on the planet. I just realized. This may be the first "actual" airbus.

Recognizing how you obviously plan ahead I'm guessing you've already got a paint scheme planned. I'm also curious to know if that aluminum nose will end up polished like a shiny dime?

It's always amazing when engineering meets imagination.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-28-2017, 06:11 PM   #86
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Major snafu at DMV today. See my new thread under registration and insurance and such:

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f18/ca...rds-17301.html
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2017, 12:40 PM   #87
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
And then.... I simply went to a different DMV office -- and they accepted it just fine! Hopefully, no-one "higher up" will kick it back.

“Boat” removal is progressing nicely.

I’m cutting with two tools – skil saw with plywood blade running backward (an old trick to cut aluminum), and angle grinder with abrasive cutting blades.

The hull consists of three sections – the bow compartment, the landing gear well, and the rear compartment. Or… actually, the landing gear well is open in the middle, so there is one section on each side for a total of four.

The bow compartment came out in one piece. You see it on the ground in one of the photos (up-side-down and backward).

The two landing gear compartments… I’m having to whittle away a couple ribs at the time, because I cannot crawl inside to cut all the ribs at once. In the photos, one side is gone and the other not.

To help orient you.... The white surfaces underneath there... that's where the landing gear used to live. The green surfaces are inside the actual boat -- the empty volume which provided buoyancy.

The improvised stand... supports it at a "hard point" which was used to tie the plane to a dock or anchor.

As I carve my way thru this thing... I am immensely impressed by the technology. This, Folks, is American Know-How -- the stuff that made America the World's leading nation in manufacturing of all types.

And this was designed with slide-rules and pencils, based on solid education in mechanical engineering, and with focused brain-effort, and... a sheer Can-Do Attitude.



__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2017, 07:30 PM   #88
Bus Crazy
 
Njsurf73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
I hope all is going well

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Njsurf73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2017, 09:57 PM   #89
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Thanks. Pretty sure all is well. I just have not had time to work on it.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2017, 09:58 PM   #90
Bus Crazy
 
Njsurf73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
Darn life, getting in the way of fun.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Njsurf73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2017, 10:57 PM   #91
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess View Post
Thanks. Pretty sure all is well. I just have not had time to work on it.
I know that feeling!
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-2017, 11:43 PM   #92
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by Njsurf73 View Post
Darn life, getting in the way of fun.
Finally fired up my brother's Datsun 240 Z today. He bought it non-running. Took me "forever" to get the ignition system working. Turned out to be corrosion on the coil's output terminal.
The coil is mounted on top of the distributor cap, so the high tension juice goes straight from the coil via a small spring thru a hole in the center of the cap to the rotor.
That terminal is supposed to be bright shiny brass. It looked like old rusty sand-cast iron. A new coil fixed that.

Oh.... If that sounds to you like a GM HEI system... you are correct. The engine is a small block Chevy -- supposedly a 383 stroker.

This might be fun also.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-2017, 05:28 AM   #93
Bus Crazy
 
Njsurf73's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess View Post
Finally fired up my brother's Datsun 240 Z today. He bought it non-running. Took me "forever" to get the ignition system working. Turned out to be corrosion on the coil's output terminal.
The coil is mounted on top of the distributor cap, so the high tension juice goes straight from the coil via a small spring thru a hole in the center of the cap to the rotor.
That terminal is supposed to be bright shiny brass. It looked like old rusty sand-cast iron. A new coil fixed that.

Oh.... If that sounds to you like a GM HEI system... you are correct. The engine is a small block Chevy -- supposedly a 383 stroker.

This might be fun also.
Well hot dam. Those cars were fun with the straight 6 and dual carbs. That little old Chevy is gonna make that car fly!

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Njsurf73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-20-2017, 09:31 AM   #94
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
So, the next day he drove it three miles. But didn't "get into it". Too many other issues, like rear suspension bushings... absent. But heck, it is sort'a driveable now.

And after that little detour about how my time is often diverted....

Had the Albatross bus VIN verified by a local business (because I bought her out of state). Cost $40, but saved me the drive to the Highway Patrol office in Kelseyville.

And I suppose that is why such businesses exist -- apparently they serve as authorized agents for the DMV -- because the DMV office is 25 miles away. I have noticed that AAA offices do it also.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2017, 06:39 AM   #95
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Whoa! Rewind! Do-over!

In our last episode, a local "agent" for the DMV had verified the VIN and I should be all set to pick up the plates.

Not so.

Before I headed for the DMV, I looked over the VIN verification form.

The so-and-so had not filled it out correctly! Not even close! In fact, it was so incomplete that I must wonder whether the fellow is licensed to do this!

Right at the top of the form are detailed instructions -- including the warning that EVERY item must be filled out. No erasures of corrections. Any item that does not apply must be marked N/A and not left blank. They take this Stuff seriously.

And the aforementioned so-and-so had not even entered his permit number -- the license to do this work on DMV's behalf!

So I telephoned him. He made an appointment. He never showed up for the appointment. His clerk filled out a new form by my directions -- I expected the owner was just late for the appointment and would sign it when he arrived.

But no. The clerk rubber-stamped the fellow's name on the form and handed it to me as if completed.

Remember those instructions? No stamped signature!

The shyster finally gave me my money back.

Cheeeeeze.... He actually advertises that he does VIN verifications. Donuts to dollars he is not even licensed to do it.

So... drove Albatross to DMV for VIN verification. And she flunked. Conversion to RV not complete. I had many new components, still in boxes, and tanks, and bunks (not installed) in the bus... not acceptable.
I understand.
And they gave me three months to get the necessary equipment installed.

So... no worries.

But if you ever consider using a paid service for any DMV Stuff... make sure they have some clue -- and the appropriate authorization. Criminy. What a... what a... what an...

__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2017, 10:21 AM   #96
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess View Post
Millicent measures 28", center to center of the window posts. Note... center to center -- not the window itself, which is a tiny bit less.
Put an other way, the full roof panels measure 56" and span two windows.

Could I ask you BB owners to run out and measure yours?

Millicent has 15 windows and 84 pax, and is 39-40 feet.

But I'm seeing buses with only 14 windows, yet also 84 pax and 39/40 feet. Longer windows and roof panels?
My bus has both 25" (side to side) windows and 32" (side to side) windows. There is a 3" gap between all windows regardless of window width.

From front glass to rear glass my bus measures 39'4" interior. Give or take; my tape measure is only 35'. It is a 13 row bus. The emergency door is one of the 25" wide windows on the opposite side. The door is also 25". Go figure.
Attached Thumbnails
Blue Bird3.jpg  
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2017, 10:26 AM   #97
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
my bluebird has both window widths on it.. i never was sure why bluebird busses always had 1 or maybe 2 'long' windows.. but every one of them ive seen always did.. never iunderstood what they couldnt standardize on that caused them to make those.. I never have seen a whole bus with the wide windows on it..

-Christopher
E-windows are 32. Windows opposite of e-windows are the same.
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2017, 11:55 AM   #98
Bus Nut
 
Rameses's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 855
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 8.3/Allison MD3060
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
i never was sure why bluebird busses always had 1 or maybe 2 'long' windows.. but every one of them ive seen always did..

-Christopher
I was always curious about that too, and that's the kind of thing that drives me nuts. I like things to be uniform. There's at least one Blue Bird out there with no "long" windows. It's in my back yard right now, and I was really happy when I found one with all the windows the same size!
Rameses is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2017, 01:13 PM   #99
Bus Geek
 
Brewerbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess View Post


And on the front, a chain drive from a dummy shaft sticking out below,
To a set of tricycle pedals.
Brewerbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2017, 01:14 PM   #100
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
Mine are also all the same size in this TC1000. First time for me. It doesn't make a real big difference, but the single size leads to fewer mistakes in materials cutting for the windows.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:03 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.