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Old 09-19-2017, 10:56 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Help me interpret this spec sticker - "Engine - EFI58I90, Trans - AT545"

Trying not to be so wet behind the ears. 2003 Thomas full size rear engine bus, up for auction. I've heard of the AT545 before but that engine code baffles me.

What can you tell me about this engine and trans combination? How well regarded is each? They say the AT545 has no lockup torque converter - there MUST be a reason for that.... right?

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Old 09-19-2017, 11:04 PM   #2
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Here's the sticker. I may be reading some characters incorrectly.
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:08 PM   #3
Traveling
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,573
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Rated Cap: '00
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy View Post
Here's the sticker. I may be reading some characters incorrectly.
AT545 is the non-lockup trans some guys are exchanging for better trans.

190 HP electronic ISB 5.9 Cummins?

like this bus sticker, just rear engine?
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:09 PM   #4
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
After trying a variety of different possibilities for the engine code, I think I narrowed it down to a 5.9 Cummins ("EFISB190"). The Cummins website says that it traded its rotary injection pump for a high pressure common rail system in 2003. Is that better than an injection pump or worse?
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:13 PM   #5
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty View Post
AT545 is the non-lockup trans some guys are exchanging for better trans.

190 HP electronic ISB 5.9 Cummins?

like this bus?
Similar in appearance. What's so bad about the AT545? All I could see would be bad fuel economy due to no lockup... is that true? If yes, how bad, compared to a lockup version of the same transmission?

I'm naturally wary of fancy new stuff, because when it goes, it's more expensive to fix. I've had many old hydraulic 3-speed automatic transmissions without lockup, and they were relatively cheap to replace when they went... not to mention that they didn't "go" all at once. (One, in a Dodge van, took 16,000 miles to die completely from the time it started showing problems.)
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:14 PM   #6
Traveling
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,573
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Rated Cap: '00
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy View Post
After trying a variety of different possibilities for the engine code, I think I narrowed it down to a 5.9 Cummins ("EFISB190"). The Cummins website says that it traded its rotary injection pump for a high pressure common rail system in 2003. Is that better than an injection pump or worse?
The diesel doesn't seem to care much which way it gets squirted, still burns in the end.

Diesels are being targeted for reduced emissions, so they are trying to be more precise with fuel metering.

I have 2003 5.9L , built in '02, so I have the VP44 Injection pump. Feed it 15-18psi and it sings, don't and pay the price $$.
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:18 PM   #7
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
I ran the VIN (assuming I entered it correctly) and it shows an '03 Cummins ISB 5.9 , front-engine, 78" headroom air-brake bus.
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:28 PM   #8
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur View Post
I ran the VIN (assuming I entered it correctly) and it shows an '03 Cummins ISB 5.9 , front-engine, 78" headroom air-brake bus.
Fascinating. Can you run this one (or, perhaps better yet, tell me where I can run them myself)?

Also, would you say that there is a model year beyond which you would never buy a bus no matter what the deal was? (Some people seem to think that newer buses are mechanical nightmares. This auction site shows a third bus - a 2008 model.)
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:33 PM   #9
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
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Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy View Post
Fascinating. Can you run this one (or, perhaps better yet, tell me where I can run them myself)?

Also, would you say that there is a model year beyond which you would never buy a bus no matter what the deal was? (Some people seem to think that newer buses are mechanical nightmares. This auction site shows a third bus - a 2008 model.)
That's the one I ran, VIN 1T88N4D2731130068

Check 'em yourself here.

Gates VIN Decoder

I have this link bookmarked, I suggest doing that if you plan to check more than one.
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:34 PM   #10
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Crud... that's the same one. I thought it was from the second bus ad and the second bus ad doesn't have one posted. Maybe I should just have the site where you can decode these things. I'm trying one site right now and it isn't working.
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Old 09-19-2017, 11:41 PM   #11
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur View Post
That's the one I ran, VIN 1T88N4D2731130068

Check 'em yourself here.

Gates VIN Decoder

I have this link bookmarked, I suggest doing that if you plan to check more than one.
Worked quite nicely. I ran the other VIN and it showed that the 2008 model bus has an MBE 926 Mercedes-Benz diesel engine. I found almost zero information on that engine, searching all of the forums on this website. Know anything about it?
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Old 09-20-2017, 12:05 AM   #12
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
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Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy View Post
Worked quite nicely. I ran the other VIN and it showed that the 2008 model bus has an MBE 926 Mercedes-Benz diesel engine. I found almost zero information on that engine, searching all of the forums on this website. Know anything about it?
Emissions hardware equipped, I'd pass.
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Old 09-20-2017, 05:12 AM   #13
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Location: Eustis FLORIDA
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur View Post
Emissions hardware equipped, I'd pass.
2008- I'd pass too!
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Old 09-20-2017, 09:44 AM   #14
Skoolie
 
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Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
2008- I'd pass too!
Is this because the "emissions hardware" is known to fail, rendering the bus inoperable or barely operable, and be extremely expensive to fix?

After all, if the skoolie community eschews any bus made before [what year, exactly?], as time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer buses available for those who'd convert one.
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Old 09-20-2017, 12:46 PM   #15
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Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomaniGypsy View Post
Is this because the "emissions hardware" is known to fail, rendering the bus inoperable or barely operable, and be extremely expensive to fix?

After all, if the skoolie community eschews any bus made before [what year, exactly?], as time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer buses available for those who'd convert one.
I'd rather NOT have a bus than have that 2008 or anything with DEF, EGR, or DPF.
There are plenty of non-epa buses still out there, so I say "why settle?" when there are buses that aren't designed to melt down from some epa crap.
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