How do I resurrect a 6V92?

[PatrickBaptist]

Originally Posted by Mtrdrms

Well, if you feel like taking a road trip to beautiful Indiana you'd make this stranger pretty happy!

I'm going to have to disagree that IN is beautiful, I hated it here in 02 when I first saw it and a few years later took my now Wife away from it and every time we come for a visit I dislike it even more than the first time I came.
Then again the area I'm in is meth head capital of the state, just a seriously filthy area. Though I remember meeting Larry Bird in my drive way years ago when he was looking at my Cobra in the drive way. I had no clue who he was, he was just a tall feller in a Porsche and I asked my father inlaw who in this poor town could own one and he told me who it was, I bet ol Larry was shocked someone in his home town didn't know who he was LOL.
I don't care a thing for sports so..... Def not IN but my Wife's family is here so I'm forced to come back from time to time, can't wait to get back to TN. Now that state is very much beautiful, IN is so flat.

[Mtrdrms]

I was just trying to be nice. I live in a place that makes it hard to appreciate beauty anywhere between appalachia and the Rockies. I'm sure there are nice spots in there somewhere but I haven't spent enough time there to find them.

[PatrickBaptist]

Originally Posted by Mtrdrms

I was just trying to be nice. I live in a place that makes it hard to appreciate beauty anywhere between appalachia and the Rockies. I'm sure there are nice spots in there somewhere but I haven't spent enough time there to find them.

I understand, I need to be a little more kind about it, IN sure isn't the worst state I've been to (just the worst I've lived in), but I'm really bias against it. The area turned me into a drunk and pill head but thankfully I didn't stay that way, but coming back reminds me why I was...... Place is just straight up depressing, when I lived here it was just a small town with 1 red light, since they put in a casino and it has just turned into a overpriced mess.
BUT then again I did get my Wife from here and no other woman ever suited me till I met her 17+ years ago. She says I rescued her from here LOL.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by PatrickBaptist

I'm going to have to disagree that IN is beautiful, I hated it here in 02 when I first saw it and a few years later took my now Wife away from it and every time we come for a visit I dislike it even more than the first time I came.
Then again the area I'm in is meth head capital of the state, just a seriously filthy area. Though I remember meeting Larry Bird in my drive way years ago when he was looking at my Cobra in the drive way. I had no clue who he was, he was just a tall feller in a Porsche and I asked my father inlaw who in this poor town could own one and he told me who it was, I bet ol Larry was shocked someone in his home town didn't know who he was LOL.
I don't care a thing for sports so..... Def not IN but my Wife's family is here so I'm forced to come back from time to time, can't wait to get back to TN. Now that state is very much beautiful, IN is so flat.

Clarkesville TN is probably the most depressing town I've ever spent the night in.

[cadillackid]

well then.. .. wow.. anyway I have had some great times wiut hfriends in indiana.. Santa claus indiana is a fun time indeed... downtown EvansVille was actually pretty nice and that FLATNESS was sure great for a nearly 100 Bus Cruise-in 2 years ago..

that said i do like travelling through tennessee.. Jellico mountain and Monteagle are a couple places i enjoy testing out the tunes on my Bus engines... had some great coffee in some city coffee shops in various places..



as for that Detroit Diesel, you just want to exercise those fuel racks to make sure they are nice and free before you fire it up.. while an oil leak can cause a runaway, the biggest thing is a stuck wide-open rack that can try and run one away.. that bus may already have an emergency cut-off which slams shut the air intake.. if it has such make sure its free and ready to operate should you need it... a CO2 fire extuingisher is another reasonably safe method to shut down a running away detroit..



likely if everything is freed up and normal a runaway will just be a tale you've heard.. not all detroits run away.. in fact very few of them do... great engines indeed


Diesel 911 is mainly for Gelled up fuel which you shouldnt have even with the coming cold weather.. that said, I dont think it will hurt.. if the fuel is going bad then be ready for the bus to run a short while and clog the fuel filters up.. might want to have some on hand and be aware of where they are located on the bus before you embark just in case you need to change on the fly you'll be ready with tools and equipment.
-Christopher

[PatrickBaptist]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Clarkesville TN is probably the most depressing town I've ever spent the night in.

I was born there..... LOL I wouldn't live there either though, much less want to visit it. Can't remember ever spending a night there in the last 20 years though...
I live right at the bottom of Unaka Mtn just 5 miles from the Appalachian trail and 4 miles from the NC border.

[PNW_Steve]

I took my 8v71 equipped bus to a truck repair shop for service. They accidentally tripped the emergency shutdown. They couldn't figure out how to start the bus. I had to go back down and show them.....

I won't be using that shop again.......

[ol trunt]

On my MCI 9 the battery bay was the first small bay behind the passenger door.
Jack

[PatrickBaptist]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I took my 8v71 equipped bus to a truck repair shop for service. They accidentally tripped the emergency shutdown. They couldn't figure out how to start the bus. I had to go back down and show them.....

I won't be using that shop again.......

LOL, I'm sure the loved having to be shown LOL. Some truck repair shop. But then again I bought a f350 off a man that paid the ferd dealer more than I paid for the truck and they couldn't get it running after turbo rebuild, new PCM and other things replaced, next they wanted to replace the injectors and he got fed up and let me have it dirt cheap.
Front fuel tank was clogged and rear pickup tube was broken off half way LOL. Truck ran awesome once throwing a new tank in it. I got an awesome deal on that thing. Hated him seeing me driving it through town, one day we were in the same store and he asked me what was wrong with it, he got pretty mad once he found out what the fix was.....
I simply don't trust a shop for anything but to mount tires and give me waste oils to refine for fuel.

[Crown_Guy]

Good luck with that. If it needs to be re-primed for instance you'll find out what real pain is and how few really know how to work on DD's today. If you take off and change the TWO (primary and secondary) fuel filters it'll probably need to be re-primed. Finding that gray haired retired DD mechanic who knows what to do and has the right tools will give you a taste of what's in store for you as you go along. Most mechanics today don't know DD's and even if they say they do...they don't. Don't pay them until they get it running....if they can. I've been through this a few times before so you should listen.

It has two 8D batteries, no question about it, and don't try using anything else. Plus it's a 24 Volt negative ground vehicle. All lights, (except the headlights maybe) are 24V and cost much more than the 12v ones. The electrical system can make a grown man cry if it really wants too. You MUST get a full set of all manuals for it.

Coaches are orders of magnitude more complicated and EXPENSIVE. Don't be in a hurry and have tons of Cash on hand. It'll take MUCH longer than you can imagine now to MAYBE get it up and running. Then you'll find out about all the Other systems that will drain you of any available money and maybe prevent you from driving it at all even if you get the engine running. Too many to list but they are definitely a richer mans hobby right up there with Boats and Airplanes. Air-ride suspension, Air conditioning, air brakes and especially the DD3 parking brakes which will ruin your day if they don't release, complex electrical system, overall body corrosion and even transmission (most probably Allison HT740) and running gear items can all be problems, wheel bearings etc. parts are usually expensive and hard to find due to being proprietary to MCI.

I've driven and owned every kind of coach for fifty years now, still do commercially today, but I'm in no hurry to get a coach of my own as a private non-revenue generating money pit, been there done that and got the t-shirt. Crowns are much simpler and cost quite enough when work is needed, thankfully not often. But once fixed they stay fixed...coaches not so much.

Seriously no insult intended, but hating to see a guy bite off WAY more than he should. If you have to ask these kinds of questions you may want to take a deep breath and check out some of the (coach) bus conversion forums and ask them what you're likely to find and get into.

There's a lifetime of learning associated in getting the most from a coach and all the various makes and models and their idiosyncrasies. MCI's are decent and well engineered and built but they still are complicated and have many ways to hurt you. And you need to get most of the parts from MCI which can be another bunch of trouble and expense. Most operators, me included, prefer MCI's as being operator friendly and not overly complicated and easier to keep running and on the road. But a 30+ year old early model 96A3? I'm assuming, will be interesting to find parts for and who knows what corrosion and other insults you'll find once you get inside the body and associated systems. The engine is most definitely not the worst of the issues to crop up.

Oh, and truck repair places don't know crap about any bus things. Period.

You'll need to find the local Charter Bus operators who operate coaches, not school buses, and know how to repair, or at least where to take them to get repaired. Coaches are a completely different bread of cat from any truck. They need mechanics and shops who know where things are located and how to repair them. If you need to do this you'll find this out very quickly, so save the time and find the experienced Coach repair shops. You'll see.


Remember this.....Where Angels fear to tread.....

[Mtrdrms]

Wow, you paint a negative picture here crown guy. Lots of great information and obviously you've had some unfortunate experiences.
I hear ya and I'm ready.
I'm gonna become a helluva DD shade tree and this is the bus I'll learn on. It starts with a trip this weekend.
I'll post back with my horror story!

[Crown_Guy]

Originally Posted by Mtrdrms

Wow, you paint a negative picture here crown guy. Lots of great information and obviously you've had some unfortunate experiences.
I hear ya and I'm ready.
I'm gonna become a helluva DD shade tree and this is the bus I'll learn on. It starts with a trip this weekend.
I'll post back with my horror story!

I'm not trying to be negative, merely realistic and give you a feel for what's in store ahead. I've had many many good experiences through the years and still enjoy being around and operating buses and trucks of all kinds, but I don't have any illusions about the pitfalls. Sounds like you're up for it. Have fun and keep us informed..

[Johnny Mullet]

As a diesel mechanic with some experience with the Detroit Diesel 2 stroke engines, I will say they are very awesome engines, but it's a different animal. They require special attention compared to other diesel engines.

Truthfully I would never own a coach and agree with Crown Guy.

[cadillackid]

crown guy has it. right... coaches are very different animals..ive worked on the Air-Conditioning systems on them... that pretty much cured my desire to go after those 2 MCI's that were all but abandoned in a nearby town... dont get me wrong I Love coaches.. and I'd probab,y have a heck of a lot of fun driving one all over the country (again).. they drive like nothing else youve driven...



I think all crown giuy is saying is dont try to own a coach on a shoe-string budget... it can be one hell of a great bus but make sure you have plenty of $$ in reserve in some form or another.. a good size credit card **IN CASE** you need it.. doesnt mean you will. but just in case.. no one is saying your bus is going to break down anytime soon but be aware of your surroundings as in contigency plans n case it does...

[Mtrdrms]

I hear ya, guys. I know its a different animal than my bluebird. I know what I'm getting into (sort of). I'm hoping this community can help me when issues arise and what I lack in funds, I make up in wisdom, resourcefulness and grit. I'm going for it.

[bus-bro]

A coolant and lube oil analysis would be a good thing to do before you drain and refill. If the coolant wasn't maintained you could be looking at a major rebuild in the near future.

[Mtrdrms]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

A coolant and lube oil analysis would be a good thing to do before you drain and refill. If the coolant wasn't maintained you could be looking at a major rebuild in the near future.

Ok, do you know a company I could use for the analysis? Is the reason for coolant analysis to check for oil presence?
If the radiators haven't beem rebuilt, should I?
What else should I do to maintain the cooling system?

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Mtrdrms

Ok, do you know a company I could use for the analysis? Is the reason for coolant analysis to check for oil presence?
If the radiators haven't beem rebuilt, should I?
What else should I do to maintain the cooling system?

Blackstone Labs has a very good reputation.

For the cooling system maintenance, start with coolant test strips to monitor PH and SCA levels. Where you go from there depends on what coolant you are using.

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Originally Posted by Mtrdrms

Well, if you feel like taking a road trip to beautiful Indiana you'd make this stranger pretty happy!

Feel free to PM me to discuss, if you don't mind covering travel expenses.

[bluebird90]

One of the first things to do with a DD engine is pull the valve covers and make sure the racks move freely. If not you will have a stuck injector. If you do , you WILL have a runaway. Make sure you know how to operate the shut down plates and maybe have a way to shut off the fuel.