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Old 04-13-2019, 11:56 PM   #21
Bus Nut
 
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.
And they don't salt roads in Auburn very often, if at all, do they?

The bus has some very small patches of light surface on the body, mostly in seams on the body where dust caught, nothing that a good prep job before painting won't take care of.

There's more rust underneath of course, but it's fairly light and sure doesn't look like what I saw when I lived in Canada, especially 30 or 40 years ago. New cars would get holes in 3 to 5 years. No point in buying a new car as far as I was concerned.

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Old 11-07-2019, 04:46 AM   #22
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Posts: 8
Could it possibly have the caterpillar 3408 engine?
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Old 11-07-2019, 07:26 AM   #23
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Central missouri
Posts: 128
Chassis: 2000 Int Amtran
Engine: DT466HT
Rated Cap: 84
Haven't seen a automotive 3408 in 15 years. A friend of mine drove a late 70's Kenworth 3408 with 15 speed double over. Don't remember gear ratio. But truck was stupid fast. 80,000 pounds was nothing for that truck. Trans would get warm if you didn't pay attention.
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Old 11-07-2019, 08:33 AM   #24
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Princeton, IN
Posts: 37
Year: 2006
Chassis: International
Engine: dt466
Rated Cap: 78
Yeah I've found a lot of lower mile buses, but had really high hours. It usually can tell you what the bus was used for. High hours, low miles means it was used in a town or where the pickups were really close together. Low hours and high miles usually means it was a more rural area bus where the pickups were farther apart.

Looking up hours on google says that 1 hour is equal to about 33 miles of wear and tear on the engine.
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Old 11-07-2019, 09:11 AM   #25
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by neversayneverbus View Post
Yeah I've found a lot of lower mile buses, but had really high hours. It usually can tell you what the bus was used for. High hours, low miles means it was used in a town or where the pickups were really close together. Low hours and high miles usually means it was a more rural area bus where the pickups were farther apart.

Looking up hours on google says that 1 hour is equal to about 33 miles of wear and tear on the engine.
School most buses have higher hours. Lots of stop and go, lots of idle time, and long warmups all add to that.
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Old 11-07-2019, 11:14 AM   #26
Bus Nut
 
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.
No, it's not a Cat engine; it's a Cummins 12 valve, which are quite recognizable. And one reason that it has such low miles at that age is that it was a spare for quite a while.

Perhaps this is typical of 12 valves but it actually starts easier when it's been sitting for a while. If it's been a while since it was started, like 2 or 3 weeks, it takes about 5 seconds cranking before it starts. If it was just started the day before, then it takes 10 to 12 seconds of cranking before it starts.

I still think I got a good one, and I do not care that it doesn't have an hour gauge.
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Old 11-07-2019, 11:16 AM   #27
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Originally Posted by Fancierdoughnut View Post
Could it possibly have the caterpillar 3408 engine?
Definitely not.
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Old 02-02-2022, 03:01 PM   #28
Bus Nut
 
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.
Been a while, but I managed to hang onto this bus

First my bus project stalled because of a lack of funds, and then came Covid. So the bus sat for a year-and-half without starting after some rodent apparently chewed the power wire to the started solenoid and the fuel shut off solenoid.

We managed to get it started and out of there under its own power less than 24 hours ahead of a scheduled tow to be scrapped. Plus my brothers and I managed to stop bickering and sell our late father's house. So the lack of funds will soon be at an end.

I didn't come on the forum for a long time because I was so uncertain about whether I would be able to finish my bus project. But I am certain now.
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