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Old 11-12-2019, 11:41 AM   #1
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Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Martha’s Vineyard
Posts: 92
Engine: 2000 International 3800 T444E
Rated Cap: 66 passenger
Basic mechanics on my 2000 International 7.3 L turbo T444E

So I am an official skoolie owner now!! Flew the whole damn family on FF miles out to Grand Rapids this weekend and got our bus ( it’s the one that was listed by El Tanke in this forum) We powered home to MA, specifically to Martha’s Vineyard, where I am truly unique as far as skoolies go, and the looks??? Lol

I grew up on a farm with vehicles that always seemed to be broken or needing fixed so I’ m not scared to work on things but is there anywhere I can go to look, for example to see how to put power steering fluid in? She was groaning when I got her home and the dipstick was not reading any when I checked it last night. Also! Could 8 change my own oil?
Is there some place that can dumb all this down for me? Thank you all of you for writing so many great things on this site. I was a much more knowledgeable purchaser as a result of all your comments!
Laura

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Old 11-12-2019, 12:35 PM   #2
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
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Year: 1999
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Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Go to the UserCP now and fill out your profile with your bus and location info. Easier to referance your questions.

Changing oil is just like on your car, just a massive amount more. Power steering pump will have a cap to remove to fill the resevoir.
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Old 11-12-2019, 12:48 PM   #3
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Engine: 2000 International 3800 T444E
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Go to the UserCP now and fill out your profile with your bus and location info. Easier to referance your questions.

Changing oil is just like on your car, just a massive amount more. Power steering pump will have a cap to remove to fill the resevoir.
Awesome! Thank you!
Heading there now.
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Old 11-12-2019, 03:23 PM   #4
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Johnson City TN
Posts: 441
Year: 2004
Coachwork: IC/AMTRANS RE
Engine: T444E 7.3 w/ MD3060
Rated Cap: 36000lbs / 78pass / 39'
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magden5 View Post
So I am an official skoolie owner now!! Flew the whole damn family on FF miles out to Grand Rapids this weekend and got our bus ( it’s the one that was listed by El Tanke in this forum) We powered home to MA, specifically to Martha’s Vineyard, where I am truly unique as far as skoolies go, and the looks??? Lol

I grew up on a farm with vehicles that always seemed to be broken or needing fixed so I’ m not scared to work on things but is there anywhere I can go to look, for example to see how to put power steering fluid in? She was groaning when I got her home and the dipstick was not reading any when I checked it last night. Also! Could 8 change my own oil?
Is there some place that can dumb all this down for me? Thank you all of you for writing so many great things on this site. I was a much more knowledgeable purchaser as a result of all your comments!
Laura
If you have 7.3 questions I would be happy to help. Oil change is pretty easy, but don't get the same oil you put in your car, you need oil for diesels, I usually run Rotella T6 in mine on the cheaper end and have good success out of it, change ever 5k, your injectors are driven by high pressure oil so it's more important to keep it changed, if you let it go too long it can cause it not to start even.
I have several videos about 7.3 powerstrokes found in the ford pickups which is 90%+ same engine as the T444E (my name on YT is the same as on this forum).
I'm not sure how much your bus holds to tell you for sure though.
PS has a cap on the res.
Make sure and change oil filter and don't get fram brand one, they are one of the worst names on the market anymore.

Glad to hear you made it home safely and welcome to the forum and fun!
__________________
If you would like to check out my website that has all sort of information especially for the T444E/7.3PSD engines check out www.PatrickTheSalvageGuy.com I've got helpful downloads and articles as well as a link to my YT for other how to videos mainly on the F series trucks.
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Old 11-12-2019, 07:43 PM   #5
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Location: Ashtabula, Ohio
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Engine: T444E 7.3L
To add power steering fluid to the high mount can next to the radiator where the dipstick is, you need to remove that center bolt next to dipstick and the whole top comes off. Fill with regular ATF Dextron/Mercon and re-install lid. Oil change is basic and don't forget to service the rest of it.......

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Old 11-13-2019, 08:54 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PatrickBaptist View Post
If you have 7.3 questions I would be happy to help. Oil change is pretty easy, but don't get the same oil you put in your car, you need oil for diesels, I usually run Rotella T6 in mine on the cheaper end and have good success out of it, change ever 5k, your injectors are driven by high pressure oil so it's more important to keep it changed, if you let it go too long it can cause it not to start even.
I have several videos about 7.3 powerstrokes found in the ford pickups which is 90%+ same engine as the T444E (my name on YT is the same as on this forum).
I'm not sure how much your bus holds to tell you for sure though.
PS has a cap on the res.
Make sure and change oil filter and don't get fram brand one, they are one of the worst names on the market anymore.

Glad to hear you made it home safely and welcome to the forum and fun!
Thank you so much!!!
I am certain that I will be calling! I would love to do a lot of the maintenance myself, so I may call and ask the tools that I would need.
Again, thank you!
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Old 11-13-2019, 09:03 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet View Post
To add power steering fluid to the high mount can next to the radiator where the dipstick is, you need to remove that center bolt next to dipstick and the whole top comes off. Fill with regular ATF Dextron/Mercon and re-install lid. Oil change is basic and don't forget to service the rest of it.......

Ignore that part about PS fill. I didn't se your comments above the video.��

OMgosh! Bless your heart! That is exactly, well almost exactly my bus! Just perfect! I checked my PS fluid and it has squat. I just twist off that knob and add, correct? Sorry that my questions are going to be BEYOND basic but in this two gal family, I'm the car mechanic; the other is the builder and kids who don't know jack yet but my son is desperate to help so I figure, I will learn along with him
Thank you again! really.
Laura
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Old 11-13-2019, 10:04 AM   #8
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At 3:32 in the video you can see the center nut that needs to come off to open the lid from the canister. Easy as pie.
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Old 11-13-2019, 10:07 AM   #9
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Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet View Post
At 3:32 in the video you can see the center nut that needs to come off to open the lid from the canister. Easy as pie.
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Old 11-14-2019, 05:14 PM   #10
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One more question..., who am I kidding, one of a gazillion now that I have this bus.lol I don't know the transmission on my bus. How would I find that?
Thanks... AGAIN!
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Old 11-14-2019, 05:17 PM   #11
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Johnson City TN
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Engine: T444E 7.3 w/ MD3060
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Magden5 View Post
One more question..., who am I kidding, one of a gazillion now that I have this bus.lol I don't know the transmission on my bus. How would I find that?
Thanks... AGAIN!
Look at the plate with all the numbers on the side of the transmission.
IF it has a push button control then it's probably a MD3060.
Otherwise best way to know is have look at the plate on the trans, it has the model stated on it.
__________________
If you would like to check out my website that has all sort of information especially for the T444E/7.3PSD engines check out www.PatrickTheSalvageGuy.com I've got helpful downloads and articles as well as a link to my YT for other how to videos mainly on the F series trucks.
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Old 11-14-2019, 05:18 PM   #12
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Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
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Chassis: International
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Magden5 View Post
One more question..., who am I kidding, one of a gazillion now that I have this bus.lol I don't know the transmission on my bus. How would I find that?
Thanks... AGAIN!
Build tag, VIN tag, trans tag. One of those should decipher that. A pic of the shifter would help us get close.
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:46 PM   #13
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Engine: 2000 International 3800 T444E
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PatrickBaptist View Post
Look at the plate with all the numbers on the side of the transmission.
IF it has a push button control then it's probably a MD3060.
Otherwise best way to know is have look at the plate on the trans, it has the model stated on it.
Thank you!
Will check tomorrow!
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:47 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Build tag, VIN tag, trans tag. One of those should decipher that. A pic of the shifter would help us get close.
I will post photo tomorrow.
Thank you!
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Old 11-14-2019, 10:29 PM   #15
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
If it's like my BlueBird there is a tag inside the bus that gives serial numbers for things like engines, differentials and transmissions.

If you run your transmission serial number through the data base at:

https://www.allisontransmission.com/...y-transmission

it will tell you which transmission you have.
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Old 11-16-2019, 09:37 AM   #16
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Join Date: Mar 2019
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Engine: 2000 International 3800 T444E
Rated Cap: 66 passenger
Quote:
Originally Posted by gs1949 View Post
If it's like my BlueBird there is a tag inside the bus that gives serial numbers for things like engines, differentials and transmissions.

If you run your transmission serial number through the data base at:

https://www.allisontransmission.com/...y-transmission

it will tell you which transmission you have.

Thank you!
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Old 11-16-2019, 12:40 PM   #17
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Location: Western Oregon
Posts: 876
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue-Bird
Chassis: TC RE 3408
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12V Mechanical/Allison MT643
Rated Cap: Blue-Bird says 72 pass.
You are very welcome.
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Old 11-16-2019, 02:17 PM   #18
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Engine: 2000 International 3800 T444E
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So I had a bit of baptism by fire as I was taking my bus to get inspected. Earlier in the thread I had asked about power steering fluid cuz it was empty. Got it topped it up a couple of days before and so was headed to get the last t crossed on 'Pumpkin' to make her official. As I'm cruising down the hill the free brake light comes on and starts beeping intermittently and **** comes out of my mouth and then the wheel seems hard to turn. I thought should I go home or do the 1/4 mile to a garage I had just visited the day before. So I have insta sweat already cause the brakes I'm practically standing up to get to stop and THEN I try and make the turn and that monster turns a fraction, so then I am having to back up into the highway to have another go at it and now am literally standing up and gripping with two hands, heave hoing to get that beast turned!LOL
Wow. I made it and the guy at the shop was a dear and saw that a hydraulic hose and gone( cracked and hard, had been sitting on the engine frying for awhile it seemed) so 217 bucks later, new hose, new almost gallon of PS fluid and I was off for an inspection.
Ah the adventures already.Haha
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Old 11-16-2019, 02:52 PM   #19
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
You have an AWESOME attitude.

Some folks would have been traumatized by your little adventure.

Challenges will occur. How you face them can be the difference between an exciting adventure and a traumatic event.

I remember being stuck on a parking lot in Phoenix, in August, with transmission troubles.

I got on the phone with my diesel mechanic buddy and he had no idea so he refereed me to somebody else who refereed me to someone else and so on.

I finally wound up to talking to a gent in Tacoma Washington who was able to tell me in short order what was wrong with my transmission and talked me through removing the side cover and the governor assembly in order to remove a bit of gasket material that was blocking a port in the governor. Two hours on the phone and an hour laying on my back on HOT tarmac and the problem was solved.

My takeaway: I made a new friend and learned a bit about my HT-740 transmission. It was a good day
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Old 11-16-2019, 07:36 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve View Post
You have an AWESOME attitude.

Some folks would have been traumatized by your little adventure.

Challenges will occur. How you face them can be the difference between an exciting adventure and a traumatic event.

I remember being stuck on a parking lot in Phoenix, in August, with transmission troubles.

I got on the phone with my diesel mechanic buddy and he had no idea so he refereed me to somebody else who refereed me to someone else and so on.

I finally wound up to talking to a gent in Tacoma Washington who was able to tell me in short order what was wrong with my transmission and talked me through removing the side cover and the governor assembly in order to remove a bit of gasket material that was blocking a port in the governor. Two hours on the phone and an hour laying on my back on HOT tarmac and the problem was solved.

My takeaway: I made a new friend and learned a bit about my HT-740 transmission. It was a good day
Oh is it EVER about attitude! I always say that I can respond,” Oh ****!” Or “ plot twist !” Lol
That’s a great story ! And dang, I bet that tarmac was hot! Our family road tripped out to Utah and AZ last summer and walking across the tarmac was like you had opened the oven door into your face!
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