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10-20-2015, 10:39 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Farmington, IL
Posts: 187
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: AARE 3903
Engine: Cummins 6CTA 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
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Fan clutch wrong temperature range
My bus is running hot.
The fan doesn't kick on until 240ish* and it kicks back off at 215ish*! Gauges are accurate according to an IR thermometer...
Is the fan clutch bad or can something else cause this condition?
Engine is a mechanical 8.3 in an RE bus.
Definitely not driving this this anymore until I get this heat situation under control! Well, I'm not driving it anymore anyway until its converted over to RV...
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10-20-2015, 10:50 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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That's not a clutch fan in a RE bus.
The fan is driven by a hydraulic motor driven by pressurized oil. The motor is triggered by a heat sensor in the coolant piping. Depending on the year it can be in a few different places.
Start tracing cooling lines, and rad hoses. Some of the sensors are in ports on the top of the engine head. There is also a port down under the top rad hose that is sometimes used.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-20-2015, 11:04 PM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Farmington, IL
Posts: 187
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: AARE 3903
Engine: Cummins 6CTA 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
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Thanks nat.
I did know it wasn't actually the clutch type but I didn't know what else to call it.
What I did not know is how it was triggered. This will help me, thank you!
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08-07-2016, 06:22 PM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nat_ster
That's not a clutch fan in a RE bus.
The fan is driven by a hydraulic motor driven by pressurized oil. The motor is triggered by a heat sensor in the coolant piping. Depending on the year it can be in a few different places.
Start tracing cooling lines, and rad hoses. Some of the sensors are in ports on the top of the engine head. There is also a port down under the top rad hose that is sometimes used.
Nat
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Hey Nat. If the fan motor is leaking oil... Would this be a pressure issue, gasket issue and would this cause over heating?
Thanks
Ben
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08-07-2016, 06:25 PM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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is this bus using an air-controlled solenoid or is it a mechanical Viscous type clutch? a viscous clutch leaking will definitely be failing...
a viscous clutch running at the wrong temperature range can sometimes be adjusted..
-Christopher
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08-07-2016, 06:42 PM
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#6
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 14
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Thanks for responding Chris.
I'm going to say mechanical. It's a 1997 bluebird cummins 8.3. I needed to add about 1qt of oil every couple hundred miles to the cooling reservoir. Here is the catch. My temp gage is not working. I continued to replace oil for about 2500 miles. Drove it home to MD from AZ. It was strong and felt fine all the way. A faint beeping started up and I unplugged the temp sensor and let the fan run full speed. How would I adjust the fan to run at the correct temp. Of course, getting the temp gage working is first thing.
Ben
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08-07-2016, 06:55 PM
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#7
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 14
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I stopped and had some guy named "Big Rig" just look at it and he claimed the motor just needed a new gasket /seal. I figure the motor just needs replacement but I'm not sure that will remedy the overheating issue. Will the engine shut off automatically if it reaches a certain temp?
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08-07-2016, 10:23 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 218
Year: 1997
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Alth
I stopped and had some guy named "Big Rig" just look at it and he claimed the motor just needed a new gasket /seal. I figure the motor just needs replacement but I'm not sure that will remedy the overheating issue. Will the engine shut off automatically if it reaches a certain temp?
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Not usually. It will nicely destroy itself in different fun and exciting ways as it reaches different temperatures, however.
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08-08-2016, 07:48 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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good thing its a cummins... if it was a DT360/DT466 it wouldve been destroyed likely by that 240!! or at least the coolant wouldve all been in the oil....
im not familiar with the oil filled clutches that can have oil added.. im only familiar with the sealed ones that are simply temperature and hub driven...
I didnt realize it was an RE bus.. all my experience is on conventionals..
-Christopher
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08-08-2016, 02:03 PM
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#10
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chino Valley AZ
Posts: 15
Year: 1991
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 8.3 L Cummins
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Having the same problem. Looking for a new clutch fan. This one is a Horton. Website says not being manufactured anymore. 1981 bluebird with 3.8 L Cummins. Any ideas?
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08-08-2016, 02:39 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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kit-masters can match up about anything... there are a lot of reman older units out there... borg-warner has picked up a lot of the old horton part numbers...
I used kit-masters for even my unusual viscous fan clutch and had one in a couple days..
-Christopher
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08-08-2016, 03:33 PM
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#12
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW
Having the same problem. Looking for a new clutch fan. This one is a Horton. Website says not being manufactured anymore. 1981 bluebird with 3.8 L Cummins. Any ideas?
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I bet you get great mileage.
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08-08-2016, 03:40 PM
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#13
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Snowflake, Arizona
Posts: 343
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American Rear Engine
Engine: C-8.3-300 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 40 Prisoners
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Fan Motor
My 1996 Bluebird rear engine with the 8.3 Cummins has the
radiator and fan setting on the drivers side of the engine bay.
The fan is driven by hydraulic pressure from the power steering
pump. The fan is attached to the hydraulic fan motor and is
supplied with oil by two hoses. The temperature is controlled by
a temperature switch on the engine. If I remember correctly the
switch is electrical and controls a solenoid in the pressure line to
activate the fan at the proper time. Prior to my getting the bus
the state repair facility logged a similar complaint to what you
are describing with my bus (ie Using coolant and running hot).
After removing the head to check for head gasket failure they
found a cracked head which they subsequently repaired.
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08-08-2016, 08:49 PM
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#14
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chino Valley AZ
Posts: 15
Year: 1991
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 8.3 L Cummins
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Same here. Replacement head and labor $7720.02. Out of town on vacation replacement. But still running hot.
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08-08-2016, 08:53 PM
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#15
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chino Valley AZ
Posts: 15
Year: 1991
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 8.3 L Cummins
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Mileage around 8 mpg. Hard to guess. My gauges aren't working either.
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08-08-2016, 09:00 PM
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#16
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimW
Replacement head and labor $7720.02. Out of town on vacation replacement.
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__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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08-08-2016, 11:53 PM
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#17
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Garden State (rural NJ)
Posts: 378
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You have heard the stories that skoolies can get expensive for what seems like somewhat basic fixes? They're true stories...
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkmania
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08-09-2016, 10:01 AM
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#18
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chino Valley AZ
Posts: 15
Year: 1991
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 8.3 L Cummins
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Quoted price for repair kit for clutch fan $450. Plus $80 per hour labor to do the repair.
I'll take it apart and see what's up. Watching YouTube for tips.
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08-09-2016, 10:25 AM
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#19
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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alomost 8k for a head?? I was told i could replace my whole engine for less than that if I needed to...
-Christopher
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08-09-2016, 12:16 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chino Valley AZ
Posts: 15
Year: 1991
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 8.3 L Cummins
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Labor charges. Wisconsin
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