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Old 08-29-2016, 05:52 PM   #21
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Thanks guys, painted a stripe on the top today. Looks a lot better IMO

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/Uglyoldpirate/C8617DF3-BE0C-4B6D-98AF-1716BE093430_zpsoh0iazoa.jpg

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Old 08-30-2016, 01:15 AM   #22
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Try again here:

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Old 08-30-2016, 12:10 PM   #23
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
love the green stripe!!
-Christopher
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Old 08-31-2016, 03:42 PM   #24
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 205
Nice. Please don't show my loving and adoring wife that picture.
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Old 08-31-2016, 10:58 PM   #25
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedd View Post
Nice. Please don't show my loving and adoring wife that picture.
...because we all know that women find a man who drives a short bus irresistible.
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Old 09-04-2016, 08:24 AM   #26
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
After suspension lift

(details here http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/di...ift-14907.html)

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Old 09-04-2016, 08:13 PM   #27
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Hazleton, PA
Posts: 48
Year: 2000
Coachwork: International
Chassis: AmTran
Engine: International DT466E 7.6L inline 6
Rated Cap: 84
Nice! whats your inside floor measurements?
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Old 09-04-2016, 10:30 PM   #28
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brasquatch View Post
Nice! whats your inside floor measurements?
Like 90" x 15'
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Old 09-05-2016, 06:09 PM   #29
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Propane tank install

Bought a propane tank off CL for $40. 12"x 32" aprox. Wheeled, primed and painted with rattlecan white Rustoleum. (Which seems to be crap. Better to buy qts, add enamel hardener and spray or roll it on). Built a cradle which attaches to the floor jack to facilitate locating this thing.

Built a mounting frame from 1x2x.125 steel tube that attaches to the bus's box frame in 8 places. Managed to get it all tucked up underneath so nothing protrudes below the side tin. Now I need to find (or make) an door to access the damn thing.












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Old 09-05-2016, 06:52 PM   #30
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 205
Great workmanship, but I'm not sure I would have picked that location, not only under the skirts, but also in the same side as what looks to be the fuel tank.

I know that a number of manufacturers hang a tank amidships and outside the rail, but given a choice, I'll be mounting mine in the rear between the chassis rails.

No disrespect meant.

BTW ... nice buy on the tank. I've waited a real long time and nothing on CL. I'm ordering a new one tomorrow.
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Old 09-05-2016, 09:44 PM   #31
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedd View Post
Great workmanship, but I'm not sure I would have picked that location, not only under the skirts, but also in the same side as what looks to be the fuel tank.

I know that a number of manufacturers hang a tank amidships and outside the rail, but given a choice, I'll be mounting mine in the rear between the chassis rails.

No disrespect meant.

BTW ... nice buy on the tank. I've waited a real long time and nothing on CL. I'm ordering a new one tomorrow.
Well, this tank is mounted outboard of the 55 gal fuel tank, which is on center just behind the rear diff. Behind THAT is about 4 ft of open space...with a bigass diagonal box tubing brace running thru it from one rail to the other. So to mount anything in there would require removal of that frame brace. Which may happen in the future...as the 3-receiver hitch assembly I have planned for that area will adequately brace those rear frame rails.

There were two tanks on Seattle CL this week. Another one was 23 gal and they wanted $50. I got real lucky; this tank is the perfect size. I couldn't have special ordered a tank to fit any better.
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Old 09-05-2016, 10:31 PM   #32
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
This is the only Rustoleum I'll use...
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Old 09-06-2016, 11:42 PM   #33
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakedmuir View Post
Love the bus mate! I wanna do the exact same but am trying to sneak a 4 bed bunk bed haha, are these buses easy to buy? I'm coming from Australia and hope to snap one up quick. Where is best to buy and how do you go about actucally camping up?! Thanks
We had an Australian member pass through this forum last year.... Him and a bunch of buddies saved up, bought a bus, converted it and hit the road...

He's some of their adventures...

6 Australian Friends Made A Skoolie For An Epic US Road Trip
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Old 09-09-2016, 12:02 AM   #34
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Good Gawd am I a glutton for punishment. Bulletproofing the 6.0L. Day one:






Radiator removed:

Home made fan wrenches; the aluminum one I already had but I had to build the steel one today in order to remove this stupid huge fan. It's like 28" or so, and has an insulated shroud that directs the hot air downward and blocks the engine from it.

Ten gallons of sh!t in a 5 gallon pail:
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Old 09-09-2016, 09:29 AM   #35
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
heck while i was in there id change the sep belt and the tensioner too!.. thasts a lot of pulleys!
-Christopher
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Old 09-09-2016, 12:10 PM   #36
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
heck while i was in there id change the sep belt and the tensioner too!.. thasts a lot of pulleys!
-Christopher
Yep, new belt and new bearings in the pulleys
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Old 09-10-2016, 02:01 PM   #37
New Member
 
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Philomath Oregon
Posts: 8
Year: 1999
Coachwork: We are doing the coach work ourselves.
Chassis: Collins Grand Bantam
Engine: 7.3L Diesel
Rated Cap: 17
Love what you have done so far. My husband and I will continue to follow your progress. Maybe we can meet up with some day. We are just west of Corvallis Oregon.
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Old 09-11-2016, 12:05 AM   #38
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Plugging away at this stupid thing; like eating an elephant. Managed to extract the turbo last night, sure enuf the actuator ring for the variable vanes in the turbine inlet housing was stuck and not working. That would explain the lack of power and turbo whistle. My truck with the 7.3L whistles WAY more when you're on it. So I split the turbo, cleaned all that out and polished the mating surfaces best I could, then reassembled. Seems to move freely now. We'll see if I have any boost...

Also discovered there was this bulge in the exhaust pipe with a brick of this ceramic-like stuff in it. Seemed like that shouldn't be in there, so I got a 3ft crowbar and a BFH and cleared it out.

This morning I managed to extract the intake manifold and EGR cooler, after disconnecting about 50 friggin wire connectors and removing the wiring harness. Removed the EGR valve as well, and was pleasantly surprised to find NONE of the telltale signs of impending doom. This motor appears to be in great shape. I hope it stays that way...

I plasma cut a couple plugs from a piece of SS square tube I had laying around, then ground away until I had a plug that fit perfectly. I tapped it into place with a small hammer, then drove it down a bit more with a punch. Managed to TIG weld it in there without disturbing the OD of that register for the up-pipe connection. I think it turned out well and should seal up tight.

Tomorrow I go after the oil cooler...



Top of the motor w/ wiring removed: EGR cooler on the right under & parallel w/ right leg of manifold


EGR cooler with exhaust gas inlet plugged and TIG welded.

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Old 09-11-2016, 08:02 AM   #39
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
Wow nice work there.

As i read about the exhaust bulge i got a smile and was reminded of that delightful day when i snapped and pulled the bowl of pasta off the 86 GMC 5.7l.
It has cast iron heads with built in tubes for the egr, so i used pennies (old copper, not zink that can melt at low temp) to plug the holes. She runs better than ever and is happy to be able to breathe again
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Old 09-26-2016, 11:57 PM   #40
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 138
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Collins
Chassis: E450 Ferd
Engine: 6.0L Diesel
Rated Cap: 20 window lickin Jeffies
Well, after a couple weeks of mucking around and a few rainy procrastination days...it's all back together and actually runs. Runs pretty good actually; really cold blooded- need to get some of that Snakeoil or whatever they call that stuff that eliminates injector stick-shun. (sp?) Smokes a bit during warmup - I'm ASSuming the cat-con was masking that but has now been eliminated...

Today I bought a pair of USED tires from some Mexicans with a used tire store. 235/85-16's (32's) for the front. Will get a full set of Cooper ST Maxx when $$ allow$. Might move up to 255/85's (33's)... if I think I can make 'em fit. This might require re-contouring the rear wheel openings and reattaching the rubber strip. Also drilling a new hole in my rear lift block so as to slide the axle forward an inch. Both are easy enough to do.

Filled the bigass SCHOOL BUS blank spot with some painted treadplate and a pirate fish. It's kinda like the Jesus fish...but w/o the Jesus.

Have yet to decide what to do with where the stop sign went...

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