Once again: PLEASE look at this bus! d(^^d)

shaymcquaid · 09-05-2018, 04:13 PM

Thanks for looking

It is an Allison MT643.

What sort of top end and mpg's could I expect?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

2000 Thomas FE MVP 84 Passenger School Bus - B85466-Used2000ThomasMVP

PNW_Steve · 09-05-2018, 04:26 PM

Likely around 8-10mpg.

If you are willing to spend that much on that bus, call me before you buy. I'll take good care of you

If you shop a bit you should be able to find a similar or better bus for $3k-$5k.

I have seen a few 8.3/3060 equipped buses go for under $3k. Mine was $3800.

brokedown · 09-05-2018, 04:40 PM

Too much money, not enough bus. Also they don't tell you what transmission it has, so assume it doesn't have one that you'd want.

shaymcquaid · 09-05-2018, 05:07 PM

Its an MT 643

Man. Everytime I think I found a good bus....Its always something

Cons as I see it:

Not a Cummings 8.3
Sorta high mileage at 180+k
Price

Pros as I see it:

40'
78" celing
Under bus storage (but not pass thru)
Cummings engine
Decent tranny
Pre-2007 emissions
West Coast, not as much rust

Continue to let me know what ya'll think

magnakansas · 09-05-2018, 05:24 PM

will need gear ratio, engine type, wheel size, a picture would also.

shaymcquaid · 09-05-2018, 08:00 PM

Ok. Flame THIS one? Not too familiar with this engine?

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...tid=5213#media

EastCoastCB · 09-05-2018, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaymcquaid

Ok. Flame THIS one? Not too familiar with this engine?

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...tid=5213#media

They say its a 550, the pic shows a cummins 5.9, and the vin comes back as a Cat 3126.

PNW_Steve · 09-06-2018, 05:31 PM

I have seen several buses offered with a "250hp Cummins CM550".

Google'ing it does not yield much except referencing ISB. My best guess is that it is another name for the 5.9 Cummins.

Or was it Cummings?

o1marc · 09-06-2018, 05:36 PM

2000 had the bad 53 block on the 5.9

o1marc · 09-06-2018, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I have seen several buses offered with a "250hp Cummins CM550".

Google'ing it does not yield much except referencing ISB. My best guess is that it is another name for the 5.9 Cummins.

Or was it Cummings?

There is a town below me called Cumming. Everyone new calls it Cummings incorrectly. Rumor has it the city below it, Alpharetta, and my town of Dawsonville, above it, are going to be renamed Heavy Breathing and Cigarette, Because everyone knows there is heavy breathing is before Cumming and a Cigarette afterwards.

PNW_Steve · 09-06-2018, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaymcquaid

Ok. Flame THIS one? Not too familiar with this engine?

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...tid=5213#media

Are you planning a roof raise? If so, be aware that the sides of that bus angle in a few degrees starting at the bottom of the windows making a roof raise more challenging.

I bought my 2002 Bluebird out of the same area and it had no notable rust. Just a few patches of light surface rust under the plywood.

The MD3060 transmission is the "god standard" for Skoolies. Behind a 250hp 5.9 it should be reasonably powerful.

The mileage is a tad high if the engine has not had major service. Some will tell you that they are "million mile motors". I disagree. So does Cummins. The give the ISB a B50 of 350k miles in normal duty. ( 5.9L 24v Cummins ISB Specs ). That means that by the time they hit 350k miles half of them have needed rebuilding or replacing. School bus duty is considered "severe duty" and has a reduced B50. I cannot find the number but it is lower than 350k.

It looks, to me, to a fairly good looking bus otherwise.

PNW_Steve · 09-06-2018, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

There is a town below me called Cumming. Everyone new calls it Cummings incorrectly. Rumor has it the city below it, Alpharetta, and my town of Dawsonville, above it, are going to be renamed Heavy Breathing and Cigarette, Because everyone knows there is heavy breathing is before Cumming and a Cigarette afterwards.

BaaaHaaaHaaaa.

Did I ever tell you about getting thrown out of my bedroom window in the middle of Intercourse?

CaptSquid · 09-06-2018, 06:05 PM

Northwest Bus Sales is WAAAAAAAAY overpriced.

Try Midwesttransit.com.

o1marc · 09-06-2018, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

BaaaHaaaHaaaa.

Did I ever tell you about getting thrown out of my bedroom window in the middle of Intercourse?

In Pa. ?

Since we're going off track here with strange names. I had a printer who's name was Dick Leaker and a printer named Dick Blick. If I had either of those names I would be in court getting them changed asap.

PNW_Steve · 09-06-2018, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

In Pa. ?

Since we're going off track here with strange names. I had a printer who's name was Dick Leaker and a printer named Dick Blick. If I had either of those names I would be in court getting them changed asap.

Yep.

The door lock broke and I couldn't get out. I thought that I could reach the drive tires if I climbed out the bedroom window and make a graceful exit. I was wrong......

I dropped from the window to the ground and bruised both of my heels so badly that I hobbled around for a month.

I was on a parking lot in Intercourse PA.

When people asked why I was hobbling around I told them: "My wife threw me out of the window in the middle of Intercourse.".

o1marc · 09-06-2018, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

Yep.

The door lock broke and I couldn't get out. I thought that I could reach the drive tires if I climbed out the bedroom window and make a graceful exit. I was wrong......

I dropped from the window to the ground and bruised both of my heels so badly that I hobbled around for a month.

I was on a parking lot in Intercourse PA.

When people asked why I was hobbling around I told them: "My wife threw me out of the window in the middle of Intercourse.".

You know how to get your wife really excited while you're having sex? Call her and tell her where you are.

PNW_Steve · 09-06-2018, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

You know how to get your wife really excited while you're having sex? Call her and tell her where you are.

Hmm............

That is a decent looking bus.........

Brad199 · 09-09-2018, 11:31 AM

The 5 9 Cummins is a decent motor but they have a poor fuel system the high pressure pump if you take care of it will last three 350,000 but a part of making sure the last that long is that it keeps fuel pressure going to it and you can get new lift pumps for 200 bucks a piece as long as you make sure that those lift pumps are always good the pump should last and in this year range you can swap a p 7100 pump on it it's the high pressure mechanical pump from the 12 valve Cummins and then it's an instant hundred horsepower of that pump and you can run vegetable oil through it if you want and the swap costs less than a new pump from Cummins

bigmackone · 09-09-2018, 05:16 PM

"550" refers to ECM model. CM550 is an old system used across all Cummins platforms of that vintage. It has nothing to do with engine model or HP. I think the latest ECM is CM2850. They are not interchangeable.

Booyah45828 · 09-10-2018, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

2000 had the bad 53 block on the 5.9

53 Blocks aren't as much of an issue in a bus due to the engine mounts being a different. Most commercial stuff use a mount on each side of the flywheel housing and a mount below the timing cover. Dodge trucks used a mount on each side of the block and a mount on the tailhousing of the trans.

The 53 blocks had a thin spot in the casting on the side of the block where the dodge engine mount would be located. Through the torque of the engine on the mount, this thin spot would crack and leak coolant. Busses not having the mount there makes it pretty much a non issue.

You may also like: