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Old 01-30-2018, 03:32 PM   #121
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hubometers are only as accurate as how they were set up... they have to be set up for the correct size tires to be accurate.. we've already seen more thasn one case where schools changed the wheels from when they bought the bus.. whether it was done just for the sale or for at some point during service no one knows.

the hour meters riun anytime the engine is running.. on electromnic engines they start measuring when RPM is above zero.. on mechanical engines im not sure how they work unless they were in that era of mechanical engine and electrical dash gauges.. then they measured how long the tach was above zero ..

there used to be a meter sold that would measure hours that the oil pressure was above a low value like 5 PSI or such.. you put a switch in the block and the meter started when the switch closed.

dash panels get replaced.. esp on Navistar..
electronic engines have a little more backup of mileage.
computers also get replaced.. a manufacturer can set the mileage on a completely failed ECM to the dash mileage (I believe). when they build the new ECM..

commercial vehicles dont seem to have the same laws regarding mileage that cars do.. getting a TMU (true mileage unknown) sticker on your consumer car is a kiss of death for ever selling or trading it in. if its anything even remotely recent.

commercial vehicles seem to have a pretty decent number of them that no one has a clue of the mileage.
-Christopher

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Old 01-30-2018, 05:25 PM   #122
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Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
hubometers are only as accurate as how they were set up... they have to be set up for the correct size tires to be accurate.. we've already seen more thasn one case where schools changed the wheels from when they bought the bus.. whether it was done just for the sale or for at some point during service no one knows.

the hour meters riun anytime the engine is running.. on electromnic engines they start measuring when RPM is above zero.. on mechanical engines im not sure how they work unless they were in that era of mechanical engine and electrical dash gauges.. then they measured how long the tach was above zero ..

there used to be a meter sold that would measure hours that the oil pressure was above a low value like 5 PSI or such.. you put a switch in the block and the meter started when the switch closed.

dash panels get replaced.. esp on Navistar..
electronic engines have a little more backup of mileage.
computers also get replaced.. a manufacturer can set the mileage on a completely failed ECM to the dash mileage (I believe). when they build the new ECM..

commercial vehicles dont seem to have the same laws regarding mileage that cars do.. getting a TMU (true mileage unknown) sticker on your consumer car is a kiss of death for ever selling or trading it in. if its anything even remotely recent.

commercial vehicles seem to have a pretty decent number of them that no one has a clue of the mileage.
-Christopher
So it's a crapshoot regardless. Sounds about right when it comes to skoolies..

My plan was to check the odo, hubo, and hours on the few buses that are listed with reasonable mileages. If all three seem to match up, that sounds like as close as I'm going to get to validating the accuracy of the mileage.
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Old 01-30-2018, 06:29 PM   #123
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For sure don't rely too much on what an odometer tells you. Schools buy buses in groups, and as they age you see parts migrate from bus to bus. Start with 10 good ones, end up with 3 good ones and 7 parts buses. Was the same thing with military CUCV trucks, when one stops moving they move its good parts to another truck that does move.
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Old 01-30-2018, 06:41 PM   #124
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For sure don't rely too much on what an odometer tells you. Schools buy buses in groups, and as they age you see parts migrate from bus to bus. Start with 10 good ones, end up with 3 good ones and 7 parts buses. Was the same thing with military CUCV trucks, when one stops moving they move its good parts to another truck that does move.
With that in mind, would you feel fairly good about the dash odometer if it matched the hubometer and the hours also lined up? I know I'll be gambling regardless.

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Old 01-30-2018, 06:44 PM   #125
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If they match pretty closely it might be reliable. The hours won't really map well though, consider that a separate statistic. Some people idle buses for hours and hours not going anywhere, some people don't.
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Old 01-30-2018, 06:57 PM   #126
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Originally Posted by brokedown View Post
If they match pretty closely it might be reliable. The hours won't really map well though, consider that a separate statistic. Some people idle buses for hours and hours not going anywhere, some people don't.

every school district has different dynamics.. some districts rotate busses on different types of routes.. others give a driver a bus and let them drive it on the same route year after year..

for instance the busses in my neighborhood are barely run ,long enoiugh to warm up.. the schools are relatively close and kid density is high.. the the bus comes from the bus barn cold.. gets to my neighborhood and idles its way through filling up in a short time.. then goes to the school where it then sits till the driver goes on another route in my neighborhood for the elementary kids (they go later).. im sure she just lets the bus idle in that school lot.. then it gets put away till afternoon (or possibly a field trip)..

that bus has been the same one for years now.. its a 2013.. its going to have a much higher hours to miles ratio than say the one i see which runs and picks up the kids on the outskirts of town which gets run up the highway from place to place..

that said, the first bus mentioned is likely never fully warmed up.. so may have more maintenance issues than bus 2 which gets warmed up and run well every day..

-Christopher
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Old 01-30-2018, 07:01 PM   #127
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Meh. I like them. They are over by the Sam Hughes neighborhood ---visit is a bonus as they are beautiful homes.

Tucson vehicles are wonderful to work on, but anything rubber dries-out.

6CTA - I'd just replace, not rebuild if that sloppy. They are plentiful with low miles. $2500.

Same with the trans- I'd have one on hand so you are ready to swap. I just was offered rebuilt B400r for $400.

I'm thinking about grabbing one- could use a road trip. Don't need another bus, though.
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