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Old 04-12-2016, 12:56 PM   #61
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
The swap was pretty time consuming. Everything fit tight and there was little room for error.
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Old 04-12-2016, 01:35 PM   #62
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
Here's a couple more
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Old 04-12-2016, 04:50 PM   #63
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
WOW!!!! As someone whose has r+r'd a 7.3 out of my bus, I know all about tight conditions under there. Is that a 4BT? How is it for noise? Shaking? Cooling?
Nice work!
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Old 04-12-2016, 07:35 PM   #64
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
It is a 5.9 from a 1991.5 Dodge truck. I have done about everything I can to reduce the noise so it's really not bad at all. Cooling is no problem at all since I used the radiator and intercooler from a 2006 6.0 diesel Econoline. Runs at 195 with a 195 thermostat. Maintenance access is probably better than a stock Ford diesel van.
Just started doing the paintwork on the bus. A picture is attached.
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Old 04-12-2016, 08:07 PM   #65
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Location: Willamina, Oregon
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Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
Like your bus really needed to be painted dude.

Looks great.
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Old 04-12-2016, 09:09 PM   #66
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin97396 View Post
Like your bus really needed to be painted dude.

Looks great.
It was just "Too Much White".
Really, the paint was in pretty bad shape. Looked OK at 50' but closer, it was pretty rough.
This weekend I'll try to paint the rear Gray. It may also need a red stripe or????? I may wait a bit to paint the frontend.
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Old 04-12-2016, 09:25 PM   #67
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Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
Maybe get one of those graphic wraps?

I think the white buses are nearly as invisible as the yellow school buses. You know how everyone ignores and tolerates school buses. Generic white buses are the next best thing.
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Old 04-12-2016, 09:45 PM   #68
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
I know its a common swap in a pick up-did you use any kit stuff or did you built it yourself? Its been asked in the past if this was possible - thumbs up for for all the test fitting it must have taken. I can't believe it clears the bottom of the dash. I wanna see how you hooked it up to the cherry picker. I had to make a engine lift plate to get right into the vee of the 7.3 to get enough room to get between the dash bottom + the crossmember.
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Old 04-13-2016, 06:15 AM   #69
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
The engine/trans adapter is from Diesel Conversion Specialists. I had to build everything else.
Lift setup picture attached
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:58 AM   #70
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
what about an A-Team style paint?
I know it was a different van, but wouldn't that be cool?
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:11 AM   #71
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Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
That puppy should be able to tow a house. Nice job.
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:01 AM   #72
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Location: NUNYA
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Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
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Nice job. I am impressed. I wish you would have taken pictures throughout the process. It would have been cool to see this come together.
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Old 04-13-2016, 04:57 PM   #73
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Good solution! Your right-you got more room than I do.
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Old 04-14-2016, 06:12 AM   #74
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 60
Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
Chassis: Ford E-SuperDuty
Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
Thanks guys. I'll see if I can dig up more pictures.
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Old 04-19-2016, 02:04 PM   #75
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
Just read through your build...Great job! ... she's a tight squeeze.

Maybe there should be a "TOY HAULER" section like the "Short bus", "Full size" and Coach....?
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Old 11-25-2017, 12:26 AM   #76
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidshelton View Post
A lot of things have happened since the last update. I swapped in the Cummins and 5R110 Automatic trans. Took a few different "tunes" from my Trans tuner guru to get the transmission working well. Managed to get all of the instruments and cruise control working.
I really like the results. Getting about 12-14 mpg now vs. the 7mpg the 460 gas engine got. Raised the front end about 1 1/2" to 2" to level things up. Went to a larger TM-21 A/C compressor. Made several changes to insulate the noise from the firewall/engine cover area. Even added a TV and DVD player for my passenger (wife) to enjoy. This has become my favorite vehicle! I even drive it to work at least one day a week.
Now that all of the bugs are worked out I am starting on the paint work. Painted the sides Gray and black. Still have to paint the back and front gray and maybe add a stripe or 2 for color.
I'll try to add a couple of pictures later.
Hey David really enjoying your shuttle what did you do to get the front end raised up?

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