What engine repairs have you had?

[kenfoozed]

I keep searching for info on different engines. Some engines, all agree are good or bad, while the ones in the middle have votes for and against. I like the idea of a gasser. Easy to get parts for while out on the road. Easier for me to work on, and so forth. But the gas engines love their fuel. So in most arguments the diesel wins, but they still scare me. I have no clue when it comes to working on diesels. I am still confused when working on my old massey ferguson, and it is as simple as they come. So... what engne repairs have you had? What engine? What was their cost and at what mileage?

[paul iossi]

the I 6 cummins and navistar diesels started life as industrial/tractor engines, they are simple and reliable in design and relatively easy to work on. your massey tractor probably has some version or a Perkins engine.
diesels are easy to work on just think injectors replace the sparkplugs and the injection pump replaces the distributor and carb. The heat for ignition is supplied by the heat of compression instead of a sparkplug, the fuel is atomized and sprayed into the cylinder by the injector at a preset pressure determined by the injector, the injection pump controls how much and when the high pressure fuel is supplied to the injector, that is controlled by the combined position of the internal governor and throttle lever position.

[the_experience03]

I've replaced filters, but not necessarily because I needed to. I had one elbow blow off the aftercooler, but it was just a clamp that had rattled loose. Other than a 2 gallon of coolant per year habit, I have no problems with my 6.6.

[kenfoozed]

Thanks,And yes the old MF'er has a 3cyl Perkins and only sips the fuel. She must only use 1/2 gallon or less an hour. A ten gallon tank will last me pretty much all year if I am just Bushhogging my 2 acre field each month. Why cant the buses be like this?

The cummins would be the 8.3 or the 5.9? and the Navistar the dt466/dt408/dt360 and the t444 correct?
All these eninge numbers are starting to run together.

[paul iossi]

the cummins 5.9 was a joint venture with/for Case tractor, the IH dt360/466 started as wet sleeve tractor engines. the v8 diesels were developed for the medium duty truck/bus market. the408 &530's are updated 360/466programs.

[sportyrick]

Driving a gasoline powered bus lets you pay your highest expenses at the pump as they are considerably cheaper to get engine work done on then a diesel. Driving a diesel which saves you fuel mileage in the short run will cost you dearly if you ever have to have engine work done negating any savings in fuel mileage. Hence the term I have coined lately...... pay at the pump or pay at the garage..... driving a bus averages out expensive either way. I completely rebuilt my gas 427 with lots of racing parts for $4000 including buying another rebuildable motor after dropping a valve trashed mine. You can buy a BRAND NEW complete 427 motor from GM for less than $4000 and that's with a 2 year full warranty. The quarry I have been doing work for lately spends 10's of thousands of dollars a year to keep it's truck running ($27,000 for one replacement Caterpillar motor alone, $8000 for a piston and liner in another). A good diesel should last the life of a vehicle, it's the exceptions to that rule that make me run the other way (not to mention expenses like multiple batteries, glow plugs, $400 starters, $200 each fuel injectors, $150 filter & oil changes, etc.) sportyrick

[jackdenial]

I apologize for bringing this back from the dead,but I am shopping for a capella here in japan, and wanted to hear some opinions on the vehicle itself.

[scoobydoo6v92]

My engine problems were only two. I lost a bus from one failure and the other was a water pump. First problem was totally my fault from lack of experience. I just acquired a 40 foot GMC RTS with a DD6v92 TA and I had nothing but air problems and it would take hooking up an external air compressor to get the bus past 60 PSI once it got there it was fine till you shut it down. I heard this gurgling when I added oil to the engine. Had a moonlighter fix the air leaks and still wouldn't solve the air up problem. Had a couple of friends move it from Salt Lake City to St Louis and in Salina KS they called me and told me the engine shut off and water pooring out of the drip tubes. the air compressor exploded inside sending the air start tank of air plus the rest of the coach's air into the engine and blew a liner. Lesson learned.
I just got an International Carpenter and the water pump took a dump on me on the way into Wolsey got that fixed and runs beautifully. My point though with Detroits is if you ever hear a gurgling sound in the engine from the oil fill change out that compressor. Scoob

[scoobydoo6v92]

Hello John.

Yes it is a VERY rare situation that can happen. What happened was that the compressor inside was cracked in the head and it was located on the side that if goes will send the air through that water jacket in the compressor (remember it is water cooled) And all the air was let inside the engine and blew off the O ring on two liners.
The guy at Detroit told me he only saw three cases in his 40 years of repairing trucks and buses. If you have no air up problems you are fine. Or if you fill the engine with oil and you hear gurgling sound inside the engine then you just need to replace the compressor. I almost did but that mechanic said i didn't need a new compressor I listened to him and then he said I did need one when I was 900 miles away. He told me the only thing that may happen is that the bus will lose air and need to replace the compressor . Well that is the most case scenario but what happened to me can happen as I said in a VERY VERY rare case. The compressor at the air brake place was only 250 bucks much cheaper than 8000 for an engine rebuild. What really hurt me was that the tech told me that the engine only had 50,000 miles or so on the rebuild from waht he could tell. I just want folks to be aware of that scenario. If I had replaced that compressor I still would have that bus today.

[scoobydoo6v92]

Hey John,


Yes the compressor exploded inside and sent all the air from the air start tank and the coach right through the compressor right into the engine though the gear train or the hose I forget but it was nasty and broke my heart for I put a lot of time in that bus.
Yes it was a bendix and was also a 700 right on the engine. My Gillig has a different model but still on the front of the engine. The gillig has the engine mounted straight not sideways. But as I said if you don't hear bubbling inside the engine and you hold air for a decent amount of time you're fine. I would lose air in about 30 minutes! Also you need to replace the hoses for sure and tie wrap them so the vibrations of the engine won't rub them through and that goes for all the hoses that are near frame work or other hoses. Tidy up all the hoses and tie them all up so they don't rub that is so so important and over looked quite a lot. Tom.

[scoobydoo6v92]

I forgot to ask,,What kind of bus do you have?