Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 03-28-2015, 07:39 PM   #121
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 584
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: I.H.
Engine: DT360
Move it around once in awhile. It will keep leaves, pine needles etc. from drifting under and and will deter rodents, snakes etc. A coat of wax once in awhile might help with the weather. I know some people swear by wax used for leather. Dawn dish soap is all I use to wash my vehicles.

HolyBus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 06:05 AM   #122
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quick progress update...
Click image for larger version

Name:	uploadfromtaptalk1427799861451.jpg
Views:	14
Size:	149.7 KB
ID:	6545
Paint stripping testing
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 06:15 AM   #123
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Eye lids and grille removed
Click image for larger version

Name:	uploadfromtaptalk1427800084714.jpg
Views:	22
Size:	238.0 KB
ID:	6546
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 06:27 AM   #124
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Eye lid ready for priming
Click image for larger version

Name:	uploadfromtaptalk1427801216262.jpg
Views:	14
Size:	264.6 KB
ID:	6547
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 06:30 AM   #125
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HolyBus View Post
Move it around once in awhile. It will keep leaves, pine needles etc. from drifting under and and will deter rodents, snakes etc. A coat of wax once in awhile might help with the weather. I know some people swear by wax used for leather. Dawn dish soap is all I use to wash my vehicles.
Good point on moving it around. Isn't dish soap too harsh for vehicles? I was using it on my bike, but noticed the rubbers were getting dry too quickly...
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 07:23 AM   #126
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 584
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: I.H.
Engine: DT360
I've always used Blue Dawn.
I haven't heard anything bad about it. Maybe other brands or other Dawn soaps.
HolyBus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 09:15 AM   #127
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Most vehicles have been waxed at some point in their life. Wax protects the surface of the paint. It is a replaceable wear layer of sorts. It helps bugs, tar, tree sap, ect come off the surface without bonding to the paint and causing damage.

Wax also helps seal small imperfections in the paint, and water proof the surface. In winter here, the wax is the front line of protection against the salt and expansion / contraction of water in the small crevices. With out the wax, The body of a car can go down hill fast.

Dish soap removes all this protective coating, and should not be used to wash vehicles.

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 09:27 AM   #128
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by nat_ster View Post
Most vehicles have been waxed at some point in their life. Wax protects the surface of the paint. It is a replaceable wear layer of sorts. It helps bugs, tar, tree sap, ect come off the surface without bonding to the paint and causing damage.

Wax also helps seal small imperfections in the paint, and water proof the surface. In winter here, the wax is the front line of protection against the salt and expansion / contraction of water in the small crevices. With out the wax, The body of a car can go down hill fast.

Dish soap removes all this protective coating, and should not be used to wash vehicles.

Nat
That was my understanding, too. And very important here in S.FL! I wonder how much $$$ would it be to wax a short bus lol!
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 09:33 AM   #129
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by skoolie_n00bie View Post
Eye lid ready for priming
Attachment 6547
I've sanded these by hand while waiting a bit for the paint stripper to do its job. I don't remember last time I sat outside doing something relaxing, beer on the side....and this is another reason why we've got the bus. Riding was my "therapy", but i think the miss likes this better ;)
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2015, 09:36 AM   #130
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HolyBus View Post
I've always used Blue Dawn.
I haven't heard anything bad about it. Maybe other brands or other Dawn soaps.
I know dawn is probably the most gentle of soaps...remember the commercial with the grimy duckling? Still, I like to use "car wash+wax" type of soaps for my cars and bike
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 08:05 AM   #131
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 584
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: I.H.
Engine: DT360
I don't know that its much of an argument one way or the other. Many of these buses are 20-30+ years old. If they have coats of wax on them over their lifetime, a wash with gentle dish soap won't harm them. Another point, if paint is going to be applied, wax will have to come off first. Sanding alone won't do it. Sure, I agree, if you are in an environment where you want wax as a topcoat for whatever reason, it should be reapplied after a wash.
Many years ago, I remember people washing and waxing their vehicles before a vacation trip to help with mileage. I don't know that it was proven to work but it probably prolonged the life of the paint considering the road grime etc.
I use a mix of mineral oil and Australian bees wax on the wood items I make. It adds moisure, highlights the color differences and seals/protects the wood.
HolyBus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 08:40 AM   #132
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
IMO

There is no such thing as a "Gentle Dish Soap".

Dish soap is made to cut grease. That's all I need to say.

If prepping for paint, dish soap is useless. You need to use a degreaser that is made for the job. Let's not promote short cuts that don't work.

Sanding does not degrease before painting. Degreasing is a separate step in paint prep.

Bottom line is dish soap has no place in the automotive washing. It is not the right product for the job.

We are happy for you that you like dish soap. Please don't promote this to people who don't know any better.

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 08:51 AM   #133
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HolyBus View Post
I don't know that its much of an argument one way or the other. Many of these buses are 20-30+ years old. If they have coats of wax on them over their lifetime, a wash with gentle dish soap won't harm them. Another point, if paint is going to be applied, wax will have to come off first. Sanding alone won't do it. Sure, I agree, if you are in an environment where you want wax as a topcoat for whatever reason, it should be reapplied after a wash.
Many years ago, I remember people washing and waxing their vehicles before a vacation trip to help with mileage. I don't know that it was proven to work but it probably prolonged the life of the paint considering the road grime etc.
I use a mix of mineral oil and Australian bees wax on the wood items I make. It adds moisure, highlights the color differences and seals/protects the wood.
"To help with mileage"? On a Ferrari, maybe! LOL anyway....
Absolutely, that's why I'm stripping the heck out of the outside now.

Do some filler work after, sand it smooth, wash it nicely, few coats of primer, paint, wax maybe

At least, that is my plan for now!
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 08:59 AM   #134
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Quote:
Originally Posted by nat_ster View Post
IMO

There is no such thing as a "Gentle Dish Soap".

Dish soap is made to cut grease. That's all I need to say.

If prepping for paint, dish soap is useless. You need to use a degreaser that is made for the job. Let's not promote short cuts that don't work.

Sanding does not degrease before painting. Degreasing is a separate step in paint prep.

Bottom line is dish soap has no place in the automotive washing. It is not the right product for the job.

We are happy for you that you like dish soap. Please don't promote this to people who don't know any better.

Nat
I don't think holybus is promoting anything, just describing his experience. [emoji6]
I do agree with you on the degreasing points. Dish soap is not the right product. Might make the outside clean and smell nice [emoji253] , but I think that is it.

Ask me is I ALWAYS degrease walls inside the house before I painted...specially the kitchen [emoji33]
But you know what? Nothing has peeled off, yet [emoji16]

EDIT: even though i do think cheap dish soap ruined the rubbers on my bike :P
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 10:12 AM   #135
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
BTW i finally found the tag for the tranny. it was painted over (-_-) but readable.
It's an AT545, which i believe not many of us here are a fan of, correct?

Or is it another tranny that is..."not liked"?
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 03:12 PM   #136
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
The Allison AT545 was an excellent tranny...in it's day. But given the demands of newer vehicles and drivers, today it is a boat anchor. No lockup, not enough gearing, terrible mpg and a host of other attributes that the newer trans nearly all overcome.

A 5 or 6 speed with full lockup is much preferred.

The 4th gen 6-speed Allisons are pretty amazing but they ain't cheap. Around $8500 new from the factory and really difficult to find used under $5-6k. What IS great about them is all they need is a electro-mechanical throttle position sensor (TPS) to work with any non-computerized engine. The previous generations called for complex homemade harnesses and some really serious program & language hacking to get them to play nice with just about any engine.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-01-2015, 10:04 PM   #137
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Florida
Posts: 584
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: I.H.
Engine: DT360
Nat, nOObie is right, I am not promoting anything. I said sanding alone won't do it. Period. I did not advocate using dish soap as a prep for painting.
I did say that a vehicle that has had many coats of wax over many years won't be harmed by gentle dish soap.
If you are someone who waxes after washing, this is especially true.
Wash your bus with whatever you want. I don't care if it is MeGuiare's, Mother's, Turtle Wax, Blue Dawn, Alladin's, ArmourAll, Mr.Pink,Zymol, LiquidGlass, Rain-X, Eucerin or Arm&Hammer. Even Mr. Clean makes a car wash product.
Whatever floats your bus.
There are gentle and harsh dish soaps.
HolyBus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2015, 01:17 PM   #138
Bus Nut
 
skoolie_n00bie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 447
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: International
Engine: Navistar 5.9 Diesel
Rated Cap: A butt-load...
Sooooo....changing gears... (Pun totally intended) about the transmission. I see the preferred way to obtain a bit more top speed with these suckers is to change the gear ratio at the differential. Has anyone looked into any chokes or governors for fuel line, or exhaust? And no, I can't take credit for this idea, as the question came from my lazy bum-poor-filthy-dumpster diving for spare parts-brother (just in case he's reading!)
__________________
n00b build > https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/th...ily-10122.html
Not my fault if anything I post results in someone losing a finger...
Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum
skoolie_n00bie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2015, 02:04 PM   #139
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Hey n00b --- actually there are several ways to pick up more top end speed. More often than not, a combination gets the best results. Below are the three most common variables you have to play with.

Rear end (Ring & Pinion Ratio) - Taller gears will make you go faster at any given engine RPM...but only if the engine has enough torque to pull those gears. Typically a small change in axle ratio will yield a small improvement that most engines can handle.

Transmission Final Gear Ratio - This can be modified by going with a different tranny that has higher gearing, finding one with one or more levels of Overdrive, or by adding an auxiliary trans that multiplies what you already have (sometimes called a Brownie Box). As far as I know Brownies only work with standard trans.

Tire Diameter - Often overlooked and actually one of the cheapest fixes there is. Increasing the diameter can have a significant effect.
Example: RPM and Gearing being the same (2240 RPM x 1:1 ratio)...going two inches larger on the tires will take a vehicle from 65mph to about 69 mph.

But...before you get too deeply committed to any solution...play with the numbers on a good calculator. Lots of "what ifs" can be tested out before you spend a dime. I have used the link below with good results, especially the "Manual Entry" calc at the bottom of the page.

Engine RPM Calculator

Good luck with it pardner and let us know what you decide.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2015, 02:05 PM   #140
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Do you mean things like changing the Cummins governor spring for more RPM?

Bad Idea IMO.

More RPM = shorter engine life and more fuel burned.

As a general rule, you don't want your engine turning faster than were the torque curve peaks.

Most older Cummins are around 1600 RPM.

The At 545 auto transmission needs minimum 2000 RPM to lock the bands.

That's one of the big reasons why the AT 545 sucks.

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.