sound proofing front of bus

[Bluespoet]

Sound proofing a bus can be extremely costly, so to begin I plan to do the front of the bus.
I have an airporter shuttle bus e450 from 1999. So this will be the engine hood since sound transmits thru the windshield, drivers door, engine cover and any place on the firewall either side.

There are some hideously expensive sound proof materials, reading online you read about people using peel and seal and just as often people who condemn it. Could be that the mfg and sellers of expensive materials want to squash the low cost alternatives.

So, if you have sound proofed the front of your bus, what did you use? how well did it work? and what would you do different next time around or stay the same?

[turf]

the more you do the happier you'll be!!

i used some of the peel and stick aluminum tape and was happy with the difference it made.

i used it on some of my lower panels and dash panels. i tried to cover the underside of the doghouse, but the adhesive didnt work under the heat of the engine.

i seen one bus that did the top of the doghouse and they said it work well. not sure if i like the look of it enough to do mine that way.

quieter is better

good luck

[BusFiend]

Are the FE Type Ds as noisy as the Type C conventionals?

[roach711]

I put down a double layer of Peel and Seal on my steel bus floor and it did lower the sound level in cab. No smell at all from the Peel and Seal.

Assuming your E450 has a 7.3L diesel, check your up pipe donut seals (the exhaust pipes running from the exhaust manifolds up to the turbocharger inlet). They commonly leak with time and can really raise the noise level. I just replaced my up pipes with a "bellowed" pipe kit and between the Peel and Seal and the new pipes our cabin noise is noticeably lower.

Also, with my bus's gearing there's a big noise gain when I go from 60 mph to 65 mph. We also get quite a bit of wind noise when there's a cross wind.

[cadillackid]

I use dynamat and hush mat both and they both help with the engine heat (in a regular school bus the heat is hodeous).. and with the noise.. your doghouse is a good place to start... often the insulation is deteriorated / missing from underneath the plastic over.. or the weather strip which seals it to the engine compartment is bad... both will let in heat and alot of noise... .

in general though school busses are a bit noisy... they are trucks and truck engines tend to have a growl to them (diesels)...

-Christopher

[Bluespoet]

I do know that products like peel and stick are for dampening vibration, so there is no sense in covering every inch, but would think this deadning sound would be a common problem, glad to hear people are having success with peel and stick which is a roofing product, because the mfg of the expensive stuff constantly knock it while posing as consumers.

[NowhereFast]

I put sound deadening board pretty much everywhere, across the floors, boxed in the wheel wells with it (plus denim). My two walls I built at the front of the bus to seperate driving and living space were insulated with it.
It's the highest grade board you can get for condos, had it all left over from a remodel.
its definitely decreased the noise in the living space down the road.



Now to only figure out how to insulate the drivers space and the engine... Not going for library quiet, just a little softer so a baby can sleep.

[FlyboyHPD]

There is a product called Lizard Skin and it has great reviews especially for the engine cover in front engine transit style buses. They sell 2 different materials, one is a sound deadener and the other is a heat insulator. Check them out: Spray-On Insulation - Automotive Insulation Coatings | LizardSkin

[cadillackid]

I havent tried any of the spray-on products yet... that migght be an option for better heat insulation around wiring and such... i been filling those gaps with a gap sealer that remains flexible.. and its getting better.. but still seems like a ton of heat when its 95 out and im running into the sun...

-Christopher

[retiredChemist]

I was experimenting with something similar today. Seeing if the noise can be modified out of nuisance range.

My bus is mid engine with front mounted radiator. So the fan is about level with my knees. So with a viscous fan it's loud.

For noise modification /reduction look at perforated foam mat. For me it's giving about 10-15db drop at 3mm. In my application peak temp never exceeds 120c so I can get away with closed cell Eva foam. But check your Max temp.

another option is get an acoustic bat, put it in a leather case, like a leather pillow and secure it using push together type rivet.