Hello all,
I've been lurking here awhile but I've never posted. Now that I've bought a bus, I finally have something to talk about! I'm new to this whole thing, and while I would say I'm mechanically minded (currently studying mechanical / aerospace engineering) I know very little about buses.
Apologies for the long post, but if anyone is knowledgable about these problems, the help (and excessive detail - like you're talking to a five year old!) would be greatly appreciated!
I recently purchased a 1998 RE Thomas bus - school bus everything except transit windows.
It's got an Mt643 tranny and the famed Cummins 8.3.
It
does have 375,000 miles on it, but no biggie
.
On the drive home, it mostly behaved. Steering was tight, power was good, and brakes were strong. However, there were some problems.
1) Trans temp, speedo/miles counter gauges do not work at all.
2) tach seemed inaccurate - RPMs were well above 4k at some points (ie way over the scale on the gauge)
3) Intermittent power loss on the road (near the beginning of the drive, happened twice, no problems later on).
This was also paired with a very noisy accelerator that made wooshing sounds (air accelerator? what even is that?)
On idle, the rpms also periodically pulse - the engine audibly gets faster for a few seconds, then slows back down for a few seconds, etc. This is paired with dimming of the lights as the engine revs.
Hopefully this is just some problem with the pedal itself, but I know other culprits include the sensor in the little bulge under the gas pedal, clogged fuel lines / filters.
4) a Dented rim. How much to replace?
5) This is the most worrisome. There is green fluid leaking from the engine. (where? It seems to me like the seam in the picture attached.) From what I've heard, this is coolant. Could this just be a bad seal and a quick fix?
I did not notice this leak on the way down or the day we parked it (kinda cold weather), but today, the outdoor temperature rose and it was dripping quite quickly. It slowed and eventually nearly stopped as the day went on, lost maybe a few ounces of liquid in a few hours.
6) Transmission fluid dipstick does not have perfectly pink fluid. There seems to be some black in it, but that could just be from the dipstick tube being dirty. also, how should it smell? Mine is somewhat bitter - smelling, maybe burnt. \
7) Many components in the engine compartment are covered in oil, but I can't see well enough to find a leak (washing it off would help) but I don't see any active leaks.
I know I have to replace filters, and my batteries' voltage is also below 12.0 v., (won't start, tested voltage w multimeter both on bats and starter, not a grounding problem) so those have to be replaced as well.
Again, thanks for all the help! I'm new to this and not very knowledgeable about engines, so extra detail would be appreciated!