multiple TC2000

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by o1marc

It was a legitimate question, why is this being turned around onto me personally? We all like to jump in and help, sometimes with not enough knowledge on the subject.

I didn't direct anything at you.

I simply echoed the feeling that on occasion I feel like the time and effort I put into offering assistance was not time well spent.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by brokedown

All I can say is that this isn't the first time you've asked a question and I've personally given you a detailed answer and you kind of aggressively don't accept it. Take fro that what you will, but it doesn't encourage me to keep responding.

So what you are saying is no matter how much contradictory info I may find elsewhere I should take your advice as gospel? If you think by offering a counter reply is being aggressive, so be it. You'll notice how many others questioned your reply in here also.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I didn't direct anything at you.

I simply echoed the feeling that on occasion I feel like the time and effort I put into offering assistance was not time well spent.

You have to remember you're just another guy on the internet where everyone is an expert. In this case you came here just to troll me. Maybe your previous replies did not answer my needs fully? I question everything that doesn't make sense to me.

[Tango]

Just for the record, here are what Allison shows as the "MT" line...

MT640, MT643, MT644, MT647, MT648, MT650, MT653DR, MT654CR, MTB643, MTB644, MTB647, MTB648, MTB653DR, MTB654CR, MT30, MT41, MT42

No 545.

Still not clear on what distinguishes the "M" series from any other...but that's another story.

[brokedown]

I wrote a lot more but it wasn't really on topic any more.

In this case, I suggest you call Allison. Their number is (317) 242-5000. Let's just nip this one in the bud.

On a different note, how is your bus search going? Are you looking at Thomas or just BBAA?

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I wrote a lot more but it wasn't really on topic any more.

In this case, I suggest you call Allison. Their number is (317) 242-5000. Let's just nip this one in the bud.

Wonderful suggestion!

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I wrote a lot more but it wasn't really on topic any more.

In this case, I suggest you call Allison. Their number is (317) 242-5000. Let's just nip this one in the bud.

On a different note, how is your bus search going? Are you looking at Thomas or just BBAA?

I called ALLISON, they first didn't know the answer other than he didn't think there was one, but the MT started with the 6 series. He then switched me to someone who could better answer my question, got voice mail and didn't wait. forgive me if you felt slighted after your reply, but my reply was merely asking you how you explain all the contradictory info. One offered typo as an explanation,which
i would have bought if it were only one instance that it happened, but it was multiple sites using the designation. Hell for a second I thought they had a manual 545.

The search is going slow but full speed ahead. You say " just a BBAA" as though it is inferior to a Thomas. While there are features I like on the Thomas, I didn't really think the BBAA was a lesser bus. There's plenty out there if I'm willing to settle for a 5.9/545, which at this point for my first build, I am not. I want an 8.3 in one of those buses, chances are it will have the correct tranny if it has that motor.

[Tango]

From what I read in old Allie docs online...the MT series goes back to the 1960's. Don't believe they have been made for quite some time.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Tango

From what I read in old Allie docs online...the MT series goes back to the 1960's. Don't believe they have been made for quite some time.

Now that you mention it, the guy they were switching me to was one that was up on "the older stuff", so maybe there is something to it?

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Tango

From what I read in old Allie docs online...the MT series goes back to the 1960's. Don't believe they have been made for quite some time.

Senior moment.

I bet Cowlitz could tell us

[Iceni John]

I think of the AT 5xx as Automobile Truck (i.e. a pickup truck), MT 6xx as Medium Truck (i.e. a delivery or short-haul truck), and HT 7xx as Heavy Truck. ATs have no lockup (mostly), MTs have it in 3rd and 4th, and HTs have it in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. None of these are current production, unless the military still has Allison making HTs for their HEMTTs or whatever. They're all good transmissions for their intended purposes - simple, durable, not too expensive to fix, and usually no electronics to go wrong.

John

[brokedown]

Don't take the wording of that as being negative about BBAA, it's a great bus, I just meant it as asking if you limited your search to only BBAA or if you were also looking at Thomas options. Although I'm not sure if Thomas had a flat nose front engine option with more than the 5.9 in the years before emissions... Some quick research doesn't turn anything up.

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I have an idea.

Call Allison.

The funny thing is, even though that model does not exist, other people will search for mt545 and see skoolie.net in their results and think "well those guys wouldn't be talking about it if it wasn't real", which is probably giving it more credibility than those ebay links did.

So we become our own ministers of misinformation.

It's a"urban legend", not misinformation[emoji3]

Sent from my VS500PP using Tapatalk

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by brokedown

Don't take the wording of that as being negative about BBAA, it's a great bus, I just meant it as asking if you limited your search to only BBAA or if you were also looking at Thomas options. Although I'm not sure if Thomas had a flat nose front engine option with more than the 5.9 in the years before emissions... Some quick research doesn't turn anything up.

I'm leaning towards Thomas for a couple of reason, both are minor. I have torn rotator cuffs in both shoulders, so doing anything over my head for more than 3-4 minutes leaves me unable to hold my arms up, so I'd rather be removing screws from the ceiling than drilling out, or punching shafts and chiseling off 1000 rivit heads, and an almost equal amount of labor putting them back in (oops, not putting them back in).
Second, when modifying the back to accept double doors, the Thomas has a splice on the rear panel just before it wraps around he corner, making the back much easier to skin without cutting existing panels. The big engine dilemma is what has help me back from having one as yet, trying to avoid the 5.9/545 that came in most of what i want. I'm beginning to understand that there is more issue with the 545 than with 5.9 itself. So a tranny swap or gear change is not out of the question depending on purchase price of the bus.
Looking right now at an 88 BBAA activity bus with an 8.2 and 163k for $2500

[brokedown]

I have a similar injury and have done rivets in my Bluebird and screws in my Thomas. I'm not sure the screws are really better than rivets, comparing between an electric impact drill and an air chisel. If you include breaks, it took me much much longer to pull a panel in my Thomas. I can tear a ceiling panel down in my bluebird in under 10 minutes. I pulled 4 panels down in a day while also doing other things, unthinkable on my Thomas.

I'm becoming a fan of the 5.9 the more I work around it. I can't get over how it starts right up without glow in cold weather, meanwhile my friend's 7.3 IDI Just Wot Start below 40 degrees even with glow.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by brokedown

I have a similar injury and have done rivets in my Bluebird and screws in my Thomas. I'm not sure the screws are really better than rivets, comparing between an electric impact drill and an air chisel. If you include breaks, it took me much much longer to pull a panel in my Thomas. I can tear a ceiling panel down in my bluebird in under 10 minutes. I pulled 4 panels down in a day while also doing other things, unthinkable on my Thomas.

I'm becoming a fan of the 5.9 the more I work around it. I can't get over how it starts right up without glow in cold weather, meanwhile my friend's 7.3 IDI Just Wot Start below 40 degrees even with glow.

Interesting... I have removed interior metal from both a Thomas and a Bluebird.

On the Thomas I did not break a single screw and they came out pretty easy. Then I had to cut the top of the wall metal.

On the Bluebird I found three different styles. One had a nice fat head and came out easily. The second had a smaller head and were a little tough to get purchase on with the chisel. The third had small heads and tended to "smear" rather than cut. I think the last ones are aluminum.

The Thomas ceiling was easier than the BB. The BB walls were easier than the Thomas.

I can't say that one was overall easier than the other.

Just my $0.02

[o1marc]

Like I said, the issue is minor. The metal on the back of the bus is more of a concern, but even it is workable.

[brokedown]

Here's what I'm talking about. This was the second step after I popped the pins with the pointy chisel tool which was about the same speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTndp9zYAUE

[o1marc]

I noticed on the local BBAA I was looking at that all the rivits shafts in the ceiling were very recessed and would make drilling the heads off a piece of cake. In the video he's doing one rivit every 2 seconds, but then add the time and step of driving the shafts out.

[Robin97396]

You can tap the mandrels out with a lightweight punch and something to tap it with.

I agree, it's six of one and a half dozen of the other.