Ford 7.9L Diesel?

AK-Brando · 04-09-2004, 01:53 AM

I am new the the board, and new to conversions. I have driven school buses for about three years part-time, so driving one will be no problem for me. I have a couple of questions that (hopefully) somebody will be able to answer.

I am going to go look at a '91 bus that is based on the Ford B700 chassis. The person selling it says it has a 7.9L Ford diesel in it. I have not been able to find any information on this engine. Do any of you know anything about this engine and whether it is a reliable one? Any special areas I need to take a close look at on this bus? Any advice or words of wisdom are appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

EldoMike · 04-09-2004, 07:13 AM

I'd be surprised if he didn't mean 7.3.....

EldoMike

AK-Brando · 04-09-2004, 07:32 AM

I am wondering if maybe he was mistaken and meant a 7.8L. When I last talked to him I specifically asked if it was an inline 6. He said that yes it was an inline 6 and it is turbocharged.

busone · 04-09-2004, 11:50 PM

I wonder if it is that brazillian engine for has built for them? If it is the 7.3 it is the Navistar/International engine. I have heard some not so good things about them.

AK-Brando · 04-09-2004, 11:55 PM

Well I do know the 7.3 Navistar and 7.3 Powerstroke engines are both V8, so no worries there! From what I've read on the net, the 6.6L and 7.8L I6 engines are both brazillian and based on the same block. (I think)

crazycal · 06-13-2010, 11:39 PM

Jason has had several buses with them. I think he liked them. Some other members have said that parts are getting harder to find.

the_experience03 · 06-14-2010, 07:52 PM

A 7.3 wasn't an option in that chassis. A 6.6 or 7.8 Brazilian was for sure, as was a Cummins. A 3208 Kitty MAY have still been an option. My money is on a 7.8 Brazilian.

kamoo · 06-14-2010, 08:29 PM

I dont think they started putting the cummins in until 92 and the 7.8L I dont believe was ever put in the B700. I'd bet anything it is the brazilian new holland 6.6L, I think it was the only option in 91 for a diesel. The 3208 was way back in the day in the medium duty and some Fords had the 8.2 detroit but I think it was also before 91.

kamoo · 06-14-2010, 10:23 PM

I might be wrong about the 7.8, just saw a takeout for sale that came out of a bus.

the_experience03 · 06-15-2010, 12:59 AM

I KNOW the 7.8 was an option. In '89 (the year of my bus) the 6.6, 7.8, 8.2DD, 3208, and B-series Cummins were options.

Stuff · 06-15-2010, 10:57 AM

i have heard to stay away from the brazilian motors. Also everyone says the 7.3 international block is a good motor.

M1031 · 06-15-2010, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuff

i have heard to stay away from the brazilian motors. Also everyone says the 7.3 international block is a good motor.

I've got the 6.6L Brazilian motor. So far so good with 217K miles when I bought her. The engine runs very strong. I also suspect it's how the engine is used. I can tell my engine does not like cranking high rpms. So I back off and let the engine do its thing. That's how I got 12+- mpg with it. I remember driving my company semi with a 350 Cummins. That engine wanted to run flat out at 1800 rpms. When I became an O/O I had three 3406 4&1/4 Cats. Those engines preferred 1550 rpms in the highest gears I had. With my LDT-D multifuel 109A3 truck that engine loved 2100 rpms in high gear (50 mph). So it depends upon the set-up, the use, and maintenance that will determine the reliability of the engine. I'm sure if I push the 6.6 to the limit, it will not last very long. My bus was designed for intra-city use on residential streets where driving above 50 mph is rare. So I'm looking at changing the gears in the rear axle or the rims to accept an 11X22.5 semi tire. Neither option is cheap, but I'll have to do it sometime in order to get top speed up and drive safely out on the interstate. It's already a turtle to accelerate, so I'm not worried about pulling any G-forces with it. I just drive it like a fully loaded semi.

nevrenufhp · 06-16-2010, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuff

i have heard to stay away from the brazilian motors. Also everyone says the 7.3 international block is a good motor.

The Ford/ New Holland 6.6 & 7.8's are really good engines. No reason to stay away from them. I'm actually going to be putting a 6.6 in my 67 F100 one of these days. Far from stock, it'll be a screamer and still get decent fuel economy.

M1031 · 06-16-2010, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevrenufhp

The Ford/ New Holland 6.6 & 7.8's are really good engines. No reason to stay away from them. I'm actually going to be putting a 6.6 in my 67 F100 one of these days. Far from stock, it'll be a screamer and still get decent fuel economy.

Nevrenufhp, I see you're in Modesto. I was stationed at Castle AFB just before it closed in Merced/Atwater back in the early 90s. I remember visiting Modesto quite a bit whenever I could get off base.

nevrenufhp · 06-16-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M1031

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevrenufhp

The Ford/ New Holland 6.6 & 7.8's are really good engines. No reason to stay away from them. I'm actually going to be putting a 6.6 in my 67 F100 one of these days. Far from stock, it'll be a screamer and still get decent fuel economy.

Nevrenufhp, I see you're in Modesto. I was stationed at Castle AFB just before it closed in Merced/Atwater back in the early 90s. I remember visiting Modesto quite a bit whenever I could get off base.

That's funny, my dad was stationed there too. That was back in the early 70s though. For the most part, Modesto is not as scary as some of the news makes it out to be. My first choice is to go back to Oregon though.

AlanM · 08-05-2010, 10:45 AM

Greetings all. I'm a newbie to schoolies and this forum. After a long time of talking about getting a schoolie, I just acquired a 1987 Ford B700. It has an inline 6, turbocharged, but I can't tell any more than that. How do I tell what I've got here? It has an automatic transmission and air breaks. I'd appreciate any tips on this. I've tried searching with the VIN number, but not gotten much info other than it's a Ford made in the USA.

M1031 · 08-05-2010, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanM

Greetings all. I'm a newbie to schoolies and this forum. After a long time of talking about getting a schoolie, I just acquired a 1987 Ford B700. It has an inline 6, turbocharged, but I can't tell any more than that. How do I tell what I've got here? It has an automatic transmission and air breaks. I'd appreciate any tips on this. I've tried searching with the VIN number, but not gotten much info other than it's a Ford made in the USA.

Go to the Ford website and get in contact with the customer service people there. I talked with a few of tehm when I first got my B600. They gave me wiring schematics, chassis prints, and a bunch of other cool stuff helpful to understand my bus (along with contacting other companies).

Hope this helps.

AlanM · 08-05-2010, 09:29 PM

Thanks for the suggestion. The Ford site is confusing me, telling me the VIN isn't valid, or that it's not supported. Haven't found a way in to deal with old schoolies. Guess I'll just go by the Ford dealer tomorrow. Maybe a parts store could look up the info by the VIN?

MikeyBskunk · 12-03-2012, 07:21 PM

I have a 1991 Ford B700 with a Brazilian 7.8L Turbo runs great

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