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Old 03-07-2018, 10:23 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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The grand adventure bus

hello everyone we finally got our bus and ready to start taring into it. Its a 1998 bluebird with a t444e with 545 Allison with 175,000
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Old 03-07-2018, 10:39 PM   #2
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Started pulling some seats they didnt fight me too bad and had one broken window that so i pulled that to take it a glass shop. Question though I been reading and everyone insulate there buese and when i pulled one of the panels to get the window out there was insulation in the ceiling already it seemed to be in good shape there no reason why i cant just use that insulation right thanks
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Old 03-07-2018, 10:55 PM   #3
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The main problem with the original insulation is that it doesn't insulate very well. The bus body construction has lots of thermal bridges that basically bypass the insulation. The outer steel bus body attaches to steel ribs that "bridge" the cold into the inner steel body. The most effective insulation plan is one that breaks that bridge between the inner walls and outer body.
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Old 03-07-2018, 11:33 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by roach711 View Post
The main problem with the original insulation is that it doesn't insulate very well. The bus body construction has lots of thermal bridges that basically bypass the insulation. The outer steel bus body attaches to steel ribs that "bridge" the cold into the inner steel body. The most effective insulation plan is one that breaks that bridge between the inner walls and outer body.
ah ok that makes sense we are going to do this in stages were going to get the floor done and make it usable for this summer and then this next winter really tare into it do something with the ceiling then
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Old 03-08-2018, 12:02 AM   #5
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hello everyone we finally got our bus and ready to start taring into it. Its a 1998 bluebird with a t444e with 545 Allison with 175,000
Welcome to the adventure

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Old 03-08-2018, 06:08 AM   #6
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Looks real clean for the mileage,welcome to the site
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Old 03-08-2018, 06:50 AM   #7
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Thanks and another question when we were driving it home the bus was going 55 mph at 2500 rpm is that too high to be running the 7.3
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Old 03-08-2018, 07:12 AM   #8
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Thanks and another question when we were driving it home the bus was going 55 mph at 2500 rpm is that too high to be running the 7.3
It's high but I don't know if it's abnormal...probably normal

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Old 03-08-2018, 10:03 PM   #9
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We made some pretty good progress tonight we got all the seats out and half of the sub floor out. Found a little bit of rust under the wood, nothing too crazy. I will get the welder out and patch these holes. We are researching floor insulation and flooring anyone have any suggestions. thanks
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Old 03-08-2018, 10:20 PM   #10
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Depending on how tall you are, most of us use rigid foam insulation under 3/4" plywood. If you're short 2" rigid goes a long way. I'm going to attempt 2" rigid with hydronic floor heat with snap together wood flooring right on top.
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Old 03-10-2018, 09:27 AM   #11
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I am in pharr tx 78577. Where i can get the insulation? Its my first project. And what wolder i can buy to do my project?
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Old 03-11-2018, 09:16 AM   #12
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I been busy past couple of days didnt get a chance to post my progress Friday night I got the rest of the flooring pulled up and found some rust. I think we are going to go vinyl flooring
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Old 03-11-2018, 10:37 AM   #13
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That is some pretty nasty rust. How are things on the underside?
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Old 03-11-2018, 12:15 PM   #14
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That is some pretty nasty rust. How are things on the underside?
Not as bad as the inside it rotted itself out from the inside out the wood was still wet when I pulled it up the under side still had the under coating on it
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Old 03-11-2018, 09:48 PM   #15
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Window leaks eat floors. And ALL school bus windows leak. Just a matter of how badly. Time to seal them up properly so the new floor doesn't look the same in a year.
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Old 03-11-2018, 10:55 PM   #16
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Window leaks eat floors. And ALL school bus windows leak. Just a matter of how badly. Time to seal them up properly so the new floor doesn't look the same in a year.
We were thinking about pulling all the side window when we paint it here soon what type of silicone should we use when we put the windows back in also what would be the best way to reseal the front and back windows thanks
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Old 03-11-2018, 11:16 PM   #17
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We were thinking about pulling all the side window when we paint it here soon what type of silicone should we use when we put the windows back in also what would be the best way to reseal the front and back windows thanks
Don't use any type of silicone.

You need an elastomeric polyurethane sealant, and there are lots to choose from. They cost a few bucks more per tube, but they are what is needed for joints that flex.

You do not need fancy "RV" stuff.
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Old 03-12-2018, 06:16 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by thegrandadventurebus View Post
Thanks and another question when we were driving it home the bus was going 55 mph at 2500 rpm is that too high to be running the 7.3
the bus is geared low.. the max RPM for the 444E is 2600-2700 RPM... before I did major updates to my cooling system and transmission my bus would Over-temp in hot summer weather running it full out at 2600 RPM... my shorty went 65-68 at 2500 RPM.. so just watch your temperature when it gets warm outside.. the fan clutches in these 444E;s love to go bad.. and since the busses almost always run cool in traffic even wit ha bad fan clutch, the schools rarely notice the issue in normal route service.. once the weather warms up pay attention to your temp gauge..

I ran my bus at 2500 RPM or so for 10,000 or so miles, sometimes 1000 at a time and never had issues with the engine as long as i made sure it stayed cool..

the factory insulation in my Bluebird seems decent compared to my older carpenter.. im sure its not nearly as good as re-doing it but my roof doesnt get burning hot in summer.. my roof is white.

as you get into being out and about with your bus this summer you will learn how it heats up, cools down, and also find the worst offenders of heat gain or loss.. then you can tackle as you do more conversion.. there are a mix of people here who pull the ceilings and who leave them... as well as the windows.. school bus windows are pretty bad for insulating factors.. as it seems are the sidewalls..

I notice when driving my bus on long road trips in winter.. (I wear short sleeves and keep the heater on Blast-setting).. when I park my ceiling wont be that cold but my sidewalls will be ice cold even aftyer havign the heat on high for many hours..
-Christopher
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Old 03-12-2018, 09:04 AM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twigg View Post
Don't use any type of silicone.

You need an elastomeric polyurethane sealant, and there are lots to choose from. They cost a few bucks more per tube, but they are what is needed for joints that flex.

You do not need fancy "RV" stuff.
So just some window weld I used that before it seems to work pretty good
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Old 03-12-2018, 09:26 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Canton, Ohio
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Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
the bus is geared low.. the max RPM for the 444E is 2600-2700 RPM... before I did major updates to my cooling system and transmission my bus would Over-temp in hot summer weather running it full out at 2600 RPM... my shorty went 65-68 at 2500 RPM.. so just watch your temperature when it gets warm outside.. the fan clutches in these 444E;s love to go bad.. and since the busses almost always run cool in traffic even wit ha bad fan clutch, the schools rarely notice the issue in normal route service.. once the weather warms up pay attention to your temp gauge..

I ran my bus at 2500 RPM or so for 10,000 or so miles, sometimes 1000 at a time and never had issues with the engine as long as i made sure it stayed cool..

the factory insulation in my Bluebird seems decent compared to my older carpenter.. im sure its not nearly as good as re-doing it but my roof doesnt get burning hot in summer.. my roof is white.

as you get into being out and about with your bus this summer you will learn how it heats up, cools down, and also find the worst offenders of heat gain or loss.. then you can tackle as you do more conversion.. there are a mix of people here who pull the ceilings and who leave them... as well as the windows.. school bus windows are pretty bad for insulating factors.. as it seems are the sidewalls..

I notice when driving my bus on long road trips in winter.. (I wear short sleeves and keep the heater on Blast-setting).. when I park my ceiling wont be that cold but my sidewalls will be ice cold even aftyer havign the heat on high for many hours..
-Christopher
Ok thanks I want sure I know plenty about gas motors but this is my first diesel and I read that one thread about adding the trans cooler too these so I was planning on doing that I will have to see what the engine temp does when we start to drive it in the summer heat. It seems fine when I drove back I was on the highway for 30 mins or so but it also was like 40 degrees out.

I think we are going to leave factory insulation in the ceiling for now and windows but we are going to paint are roof white and do you know what insulation they use in the side walls is it the same as the ceiling ?
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