The Beast

[lapeer20m]

i got my jacuzzi fixed. It turned out to be a lot less work than i had planned. Everything that was leaking was accessable through the service panel. In the end, i didn't have to remove the entire hot tub from the bus, which was definately a bonus !

[Steve]

Originally Posted by SoulTrader

Any ideas for a name??

-Kevin

Figuring out a name for my bus was a really hard decision, especially since Ben rushed me so much to name it. I posted a topic up on our local campus bulliten board for name suggestions, some were good and some were not. So I have posted your bus up there and maybe you will get a response that you like.

[lapeer20m]

I disagree with your perspective on the Wal-mart parking lot. Sam Walton was a big fan of RV's, and he made it a company wide policy to invite RV's to stay a nite in their lot. It's good business sense. Wal-mart knows that if you stay in the unused portion of the huge parking, it's very likely that you'll come inside and spend some money. Most Wal-marts welcome RV's with open arms.

They do not however appreciate people who try to stay for extended periods of time. One nite is fine. Two is pushing it, and three or more is completely unacceptable. Some Wal-marts have been forced to ban RV's from parking in their lots because of the few who stay too long. It only takes a couple of bad apples to ruin it for all of us.

Feel free to stay in the Wal-mart parking lot for a nite. To show your thanks, go in and buy something. Leave no trace when you head back out on the road.

[lapeer20m]

The following taken from Wal-mart.com


"RV Parking


Wal-Mart permits recreational-vehicle (RV) parking on our store lots, as we are able. The ability to accommodate RVs is determined on a store-by-store basis, contingent upon available space, local regulations and ordinances."

RV Parking

[Eric von Kleist]

I'm just going to have to be careful, since I'm not entirely sure what's UNDER the wood.

I think what is generally at the bottom of everything is sheet metal. If the wood is rotten, there's a likelihood that the sheet metal will be, as well.

Anyway, here's my dilema... In the area where I'm going to put the kitchen/bath, I want to use 6"x6" slate tile, I've put some thought into this and have come up with the only way I think it can work. If I use white silicone as the adhesive, as well as the between tile "grout", it should provide enough flex for the tiles to not break, and not pop off the floor, right? Is this feasable? I really like the way the slate tile looks and its resistance to wear.

I have been thinking along the same lines. I have just recently completed my second home tiling job. I have *no* idea how tile will behave in the kind of environment presented by a school bus frame. I do know that if you have deflections of greater than L/360, you will have problems. On a 6" tile that is not stiffly bonded to another tile, the deflection over the 6" length could be as much as 0.00138 inches across the 6" length....theoretically. That does not allow for much deflection at all. But people have, and do, tile busses, so there must be some way to do it!!

I'd recommend a very stiff (1.125") sub-floor plus a half inch cementitious backer board on top of that...PLUS if you are going to be doing this in an environment subject to water (i.e. shower/bathroom), you need to put down some kind of impermeable water barrier below the backerboard.

A good tiling book at the library will have the basics.

[Eric von Kleist]

I'm not sure about the dates involved, but be very careful when removing old tile. It used to be made frequently with asbestos in it, and you shouldn't create *any* dust with old tiles that have asbestos in them. Wear a respirator, not just a dust mask if you suspect the tiles are old enough to have asbestos content.

With the bronchitis, you might ought to use a respirator anyway.

3 layers of 3/4" tile = 2.25 inches. That ought to be plenty stiff to put tile over, even with a thinset adhesive instead of a flexible adhesive as you were planning.

Good Luck!

[Firearm]

Wet them down a little too, to keep them from creating dust.

[Eric von Kleist]

I'm not positive, but I think it takes yeeeaaars for the symptoms of asbestosis to show up.

Maybe all you got was good dust.

[Firearm]

I have an older friend who used to mix asbestos with water by stiring it up to his shoulders with his arms in a metal tub. That was the old days. He has no symptoms of any problems now, but others did. It's kind of hit and miss and the problems don't come on for many years. You probably didn't have enough exposure to pose a threat so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The symptoms you have, if at all from this project, are probably from the dust you created and breathed. More likely, it's just a bug. Probably should go to the doc cause lung problems are nothing to mess with...even viruses.

[Clueie]

I've done a couple of asbestos abatement courses at work, from what I've learned is the exposure you most likely received is probably less than what you would have received if you stood at a busy intersection after a walk througha downtown area (brake dust). The effects take years to be noticable. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you aren't exposed to the stuff on a regular basis. BUT, don't take chances, get the tiles tested, keep them wet during removal, don't breath in the dust, ALWAYS wear a good, fit tested respirator with the proper filter for fine particulates (asbestos fibres can get as small or smaller than a virus, and this is essentially where the problem starts, as it can become embedded deep in your lungs).

[Firearm]

From my experience tearing Chevy small blocks apart, I have only seen a difference between a truck engine (vans, pickups, etc...) and car engines in the cams, carbs and heads. I would believe that your bus engine is probably pretty close to the van engine if they're both 350's and they're probably the same engine.

I would have no hesitation in making the switch.

[gumby223]

Take a peek at the block.
I would measure it to make sure it is the same height.
Should still bolt up...but you need to think about something here.
What was your cam made for in the van?
The trucks had a good grind for low end tq.

I am not saying it would not be a good idea, but I can tell you what would make a difference still...

A nice NV4500 and a clutch pedal!

There is so much loss through that slush box, that you cannot use the engine you have there.

Nevermind the horror show and price of parts for it, should it crap the bed on you while you are out there running it.

I am close to the deal on mine...and it was specifically chosen for its clutch/5spd and engine. SAE housing, which will be replaced by a 10 speed and a highway rear ;)

(But I am a diesel guy...what can I say?)

Very good reading on this thread folks!

[gealto]

Generally, skoolies I've looked at, including mine, use "heavy truck" engines, which are much more heavy duty than light truck engies. They usually have "four bolt main bearings", for example, larger bearing and race surfaces. Usually heavy cast iron construction, too. I admit I'm living in the past somewhat

Mine has a '69 Ford 360 MD, which is an industrial engine made for Ford heavy trucks, never put in pickups or vans. Not only 4 bolt mains, but sodium filled valves (if you can remember these?)

As another poster said, the cams are for high torque at low rpms.

You can certainly install any engine that you want. Remember in your skoolie that it will be running at full bore most of the time.

[Clueie]

Hey gumby, what kind of bus are you getting? The thing you said about swapping in a 10 speed peaked my interest. I'm looking at a bus ('89 Chev, 8.2 Det., 5-spd.) with a bad gearbox, and was wondering about the possibility of swapping in a 9, 10, or even 13 speed box. I know that years ago, tandem Chevy C70's could be spec'ed with 13 speed trannies, but often these had 427c.i. motors. It would make for an interesting addition to a schoolie. Any thoughts?

Soultrader, I'd go along with Firearm in saying that if both motors are Chevy 350 small blocks swapping them shouldn't be a problem, especially if they're both of the same vintage. That is they're both carb'ed, pre-fuel injection engines. Mixing and matching fuelies and carb'ed engines is only a tad more involved. The big thing here is how your "good" motor was built, I'd guess if it was cam'ed for torque, it should be good to go. Even if a cam change was in order, after you get some advice from the cam company you choose, that's no big deal either. Probably be a good idea to do some research with respect to cam selection, if in fact you need to change cams at all.

[gumby223]

You can pretty much use anything out of the midsize truck arena. Mine requires air...and I might just decide to go with the 6 speed instead with a 2 speed rear.

The trucks are pretty standard compared to car stuff.

I will let you know, but you should be able to easily find yourself a six speed for your rig.

If you have an 8.2, I will see what I can find out and let you konw

The newer 350's are 350's.

There is no difference with the newer ones. A four bolt main block would not hold up THAT much better than a 2 bolt. (Well, if you had the good motor sitting there, I would not toss it in favor of a 4 bolt.

[Firearm]

2 or 4 bolt mains really doesn't matter, the 4 bolt is a little more strong but I've never heard of anyone breaking a main cap off. My dad was a fantastic mechanic and he said it didn't matter when I thought I needed the 4 bolt. I trusted him completely when it came to engines and I have won features with every stock car we built. As for the heads, we always tried to find the 305 heads since they often times had a smaller combustion chamber so they had better power than the ones designated for 350 only. All the heads are the same from what I've seen (305 or 350) and I have never heard of anyone having to grind or drill the holes, but a little monster garage tech never hurts. Sounds like you have a good engine for your project.

[gumby223]

You are not going to toast the motor.

If you ordered it for pulling, that is exactly what it will be doing....so I would not worry about it.

A couple of suggestions:

Stickshift...no, STICKSHIFT. Get thyself a 5 speed!
If you do the swap (which sounds like it would be foolish not to)I would use dual ex on the thing with mufflers that allow flow more than be quiet.
Headers are a pain in the ass and dont always make the grade for optimal torque, but good sized pipes and turbo mufflers can drop your operating temperature quite a bit under hard pulls.

Also, I saw where the folks were talking about 400 amp alternators. Great idea if your engine only sits there and runs the alternator. If you checked out how much that drew from the engine... WOW!

A good alternative would be an alternator from an ambulance. You need to find a local ambulance company, or an Auto-Electric place. Dont pay out 300.00 for one of the things either. You should be able to buy one and rebuild it for 150.00 easily. Keep talking to them till you find the right one ;) they are out there for cheap.

I have a 200 amp from an ambulance and it ran me 75.00 from the yard (which was kind of high priced actually) and 35.00 for the bearings and brushes.

I am not trying to fill your glass more than it is already, but I would hate to see you do all that work, only to have leaks...SOOOOO, you need need need need NEED!!!!! to look at your rear axle seals. While you have the brakes apart, make sure you replace them!! If they leak, in most cases, your fresh shoes or pads are ruined. (You can also blow a rearend form lack of lube if you dont catch it in time.) The seals are cheap and usually pretty easy to do.
If you dont know how to do them yourself (there shold be a bearing adjustment involved) I have a way to save you some cash:

Find a truck shop or bus garage with a second shift. Talk to the shop foreman about getting some sidework done by one of the mechanics there. You should be able to get one of the guys to help you out for a lot less than having a truck service come out.

(You do not want a small place when you do this. You want a commercial truck leasing company or a bus company with a large fleet. The key is, you want a spot that would not work on your bus. That way, you are not causing conflict of interest. A large truck leasing firm has mechanics that always do sidework for extra money. A cash deal with an experienced wrench can save you a ton of headache down the road.)

Your truck has been sitting for a long time. The seals, if they are not gone, will be soon.

Also, before you move the thing...a grease gun and a couple of shots into each U-Joint would be a very good thing ;)

Sorry for the long post, but I have been thinking about your rig a little and wanted to mention the stuff rolling around amongst the cobwebs...

[Steve]

Your APC UPS is almost certainly powered by 24V, you did know that right?