Re: First Bus Opinion/Advice Before Purchase
The 3208 is a hit or miss engine. In non-turbo mode, they only have 2 piston rings, and are notorious for emitting white smoke for a long time on start-up, especially when cold. Make sure you get the chance to start it up and see how it runs. A bit of white smoke on start up is somewhat OK if it clears up quick. It is not re-buildable in chassis, the motor must be swapped when it's tired. Does the motor have a "rebuilt" or "remanufactured" sticker on the valve cover? If so, with the low miles on the bus, you may have a good one. I've got an '80 with orig engine, runs good but makes a bit of smoke. My '75 has a reman with ~45K, runs GREAT! Both Gillig pushers. Go to a local medium or heavy duty truck shop for a service/ vehicle check quote, not an RV shop. Shouldn't be too bad. A BB with a 3208 should have an MT643 if it's an auto. I'd make sure it's not an AT545. There's a few posts here on how to ID them. Good luck!!
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