Hey Guys! What bus is this?!

[Ryansmart]

Hey ladies and gents! My girlfriend and I are on the verge of purchasing a bus and starting this whole journey. I’ve been trying to source an RE style bus, and it’s been proving difficult. I’m in contact with someone selling a 1991 12 window, Thomas RE, which he says has a 3116 CAT engine.

Anyone who is familiar with this bus/or CAT engines in general want to chime in? I’m still getting info on this particular bus, but assuming everything’s in great shape, he’s asking $5000. Sound like a deal, or should I pass?

THANK YOU for the wealth of information I’ve obtained from lurking here, and I’m excited to be a part of the community and share our journey!!

More pics/info as it comes in ����

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Not a big fan of the Cat engines. Another member on this forum recently bought a 3116 Cat engine bus, ended up with a "low power" issue and was diagnosed with a rather expensive injector replacement issue (I forget the specifics, but apparently it's real common for this engine, and the replacement requires specialized tools, specialized knowledge, and specific procedures to do it right). Selling price seems a bit high to me. You can get a nice bus for about half that in an auction.

One problem with Cat engines is you can *ONLY* get parts at a Cat dealer, and they don't come cheap. The IH and Cummins engines have very wide and common parts availability.

Yes, you'll get an occasional Cat fan here. Don't take me wrong, I don't dislike Cat engines as a whole ... I just dislike certain aspects of them. Only you can decide if you think it's a good deal or not, but at least make an informed decision.

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by Brad_SwiftFur

Not a big fan of the Cat engines. Another member on this forum recently bought a 3116 Cat engine bus, ended up with a "low power" issue and was diagnosed with a rather expensive injector replacement issue (I forget the specifics, but apparently it's real common for this engine, and the replacement requires specialized tools, specialized knowledge, and specific procedures to do it right). Selling price seems a bit high to me. You can get a nice bus for about half that in an auction.

One problem with Cat engines is you can *ONLY* get parts at a Cat dealer, and they don't come cheap. The IH and Cummins engines have very wide and common parts availability.

Yes, you'll get an occasional Cat fan here. Don't take me wrong, I don't dislike Cat engines as a whole ... I just dislike certain aspects of them. Only you can decide if you think it's a good deal or not, but at least make an informed decision.

I'm with you here...they are beasts for sure...but maintenance is akin to owning a European exotic vehicle...

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by Ryansmart

Hey ladies and gents! My girlfriend and I are on the verge of purchasing a bus and starting this whole journey. I’ve been trying to source an RE style bus, and it’s been proving difficult. I’m in contact with someone selling a 1991 12 window, Thomas RE, which he says has a 3116 CAT engine.

Anyone who is familiar with this bus/or CAT engines in general want to chime in? I’m still getting info on this particular bus, but assuming everything’s in great shape, he’s asking $5000. Sound like a deal, or should I pass?

THANK YOU for the wealth of information I’ve obtained from lurking here, and I’m excited to be a part of the community and share our journey!!

More pics/info as it comes in ����

Good looking bus

[cadillackid]

the 3116 is an all mechanical engine so you have the advantage that there are no computers to mess with... id be interested to know what transmission is in it.. for that money it should be an MT-643. .. the price is a couple grand too high.. for 5k ive seen the desirable cummins 8.3 / MD3060 busses sell..

you also would want to find out what the rear-gear ratio is.. that will determine whether that bus is highway-speed capable or not...

CAT engines are good solid engines, but as mentioned, repairs and parts can be expensive.. if its in good shape you may never have to tear it apart...

-Christopher