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Old 03-20-2018, 10:16 AM   #1
Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
Is this combo any good

so ive seen a bus that contains the CAT 3126.. MD3060 seems to be in decent shape .. what should i expect with this setup ... Its in a 34-36 foot 2003 Thomas rear engine ... the bus has 104000 on it and no records of a rebuild... and what should i expect to pay for this setup .. ALL TIRES NEW!!!


would this pull a pretty good sized trailer... what about the conversion aspects as far as the length and the available room

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Old 04-14-2018, 03:06 PM   #2
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Year: 2003
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Engine: 3126 7.2
I am having difficulty

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Originally Posted by SilentReprieve View Post
so ive seen a bus that contains the CAT 3126.. MD3060 seems to be in decent shape .. what should i expect with this setup ... Its in a 34-36 foot 2003 Thomas rear engine ... the bus has 104000 on it and no records of a rebuild... and what should i expect to pay for this setup .. ALL TIRES NEW!!!


would this pull a pretty good sized trailer... what about the conversion aspects as far as the length and the available room
Difficulties are coming up in understanding why this post was ignored or not replied to... if i posted something wrong , at least tell me where it should have been... everyone's answers help in making decisions for a lot of us as we have no other place to get questions answered...
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:07 PM   #3
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Talking

Hey it was good talking to myself!!
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:40 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by SilentReprieve View Post
Hey it was good talking to myself!!
I don’t have enough experience with CAT engines to offer an opinion. From reading others opinions it seems they are not well liked. I think this is mostly because of repair costs if something does go wrong. Plenty of people own them and have no problems, so it seems to be a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge type of thing.

The MD3060 Allison is a great transmission, one of the best out there in my opinion.
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:46 PM   #5
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I don’t have enough experience with CAT engines to offer an opinion. From reading others opinions it seems they are not well liked. I think this is mostly because of repair costs if something does go wrong. Plenty of people own them and have no problems, so it seems to be a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge type of thing.

The MD3060 Allison is a great transmission, one of the best out there in my opinion.
thank you for your response, this post is actually old and no one replied then so i figured it was funny to add the It was good talking to myself...
lol
thanks again... I bought that actual bus after i seen it i was in love with it
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:52 PM   #6
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thanks again... I bought that actual bus after i seen it i was in love with it
As long as it treats you well, and you like it, then it doesn’t really matter what other people think about it. 😎
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:55 PM   #7
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OK, I'm gonna give a stab at your question....

The tranny is among the most desirable of the bunch. I don't have one myself, but have done extensive reading in the forums.

CAT engines have a mixed reputation - the 3126 was available in different configurations, from 170hp to 330hp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_3126 Your engine horsepower is probably printed on the dataplate.
My Cummins 5.9 is rated at 215 hp, but is better known for reliability and fuel economy than brute force. That's where my priorities lie, so it works for me.

At least as important as the two items above is how the rear end is geared.

As far as price is concerned, I would guess (with a blindfold on, sight unseen) $3,500 upward - depending on whether you are buying from an auction, or dealer, or private sale.

As far as conversion space, options are up to you. There are a myriad of builds posted here. We took a home design program, entered our dimensions and went from there. Everyone has different needs/priorities/wants, and no two are the same. Lots of things I swore I didn't want when I started have become priorities in my build after reading about other's builds.

Not sure how big (heavy) your "pretty good sized" trailer is, and where/how fast you plan on going (mountains at highway speeds), but that may be an issue depending on what your expectations are. I don't do mountains (and if I decide to, I will plan on being in the slow lane with the loaded semi's), but I do plan on towing a small car - at least in the flatlands.

Good luck with your project - lots of info on these forums if you're willing to read and get up to speed.
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:57 PM   #8
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Talking

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As long as it treats you well, and you like it, then it doesn’t really matter what other people think about it. ��
yes this is very true... however it was before i decided to buy it and I will need to tow a pretty large trailer behind it (24 foot enclosed car trailer with all my shop tools carpentry tools and everything else i dont want to sell yet) , but I think it will do okay as im not trying to get anywhere in record time.... I plan on parking it once i reach my destination and I may travel later after all is said and done....but i wont pull all my things when i travel...Just the initial move
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Old 04-14-2018, 03:59 PM   #9
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I haven't seen anyone else give the standard Cat response, so I will, even though you already bought it.

Cats are as good as any other engine out there, and better than a lot of them. The two main drawbacks that keep Cat from being the Sweetheart of the Skoolie Rodeo are as follows:

1. When they do break, you have to buy the replacement parts from Cat. No third party support. At that time, you will find out why they are painted gold.

2. In the sizes that typically show up in school buses, Cat doesn't offer what's called a "wet sleeve" engine. In other words, when it comes time to rebuild the engine, the block has to be pulled and sent to a machine shop to get the cylinders re-bored, similar to an auto engine.

Other brands of medium duty diesel engines, notably the Cummins ISB/ISC/ISX and International/Navistar DT series, are designed so the cylinder itself is a removable/replaceable item. You will see the term "in-frame rebuild" bandied about, and this is what it is. This offers the possibility of restoring the dimensional tolerances of the cylinders, rings, pistons, main and con rod bearings, etc. to factory spec while working under the shade tree of choice. A real advantage IMHO.
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Old 04-14-2018, 04:30 PM   #10
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Year: 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan-fox View Post
I haven't seen anyone else give the standard Cat response, so I will, even though you already bought it.

Cats are as good as any other engine out there, and better than a lot of them. The two main drawbacks that keep Cat from being the Sweetheart of the Skoolie Rodeo are as follows:

1. When they do break, you have to buy the replacement parts from Cat. No third party support. At that time, you will find out why they are painted gold.

2. In the sizes that typically show up in school buses, Cat doesn't offer what's called a "wet sleeve" engine. In other words, when it comes time to rebuild the engine, the block has to be pulled and sent to a machine shop to get the cylinders re-bored, similar to an auto engine.

Other brands of medium duty diesel engines, notably the Cummins ISB/ISC/ISX and International/Navistar DT series, are designed so the cylinder itself is a removable/replaceable item. You will see the term "in-frame rebuild" bandied about, and this is what it is. This offers the possibility of restoring the dimensional tolerances of the cylinders, rings, pistons, main and con rod bearings, etc. to factory spec while working under the shade tree of choice. A real advantage IMHO.
yes this is what i have been researching about and yes it is a total drawback of the Cat 3126 along with the HUIE (? SPELLING) or injection pump being the most notable drawbacks of these particular engines ... I would love to have found the cummins 8.3 .. for some reason ( my own idea) i wanted to stay away from the DT 466 along with a cuppla few others.. My have been my loss by deciding that but If someone else wanted it then good for them, I left it for them...lol
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Old 04-14-2018, 09:13 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by SilentReprieve View Post
yes this is what i have been researching about and yes it is a total drawback of the Cat 3126 along with the HUIE (? SPELLING) or injection pump being the most notable drawbacks of these particular engines ... I would love to have found the cummins 8.3 .. for some reason ( my own idea) i wanted to stay away from the DT 466 along with a cuppla few others.. My have been my loss by deciding that but If someone else wanted it then good for them, I left it for them...lol
Pre-2004, the DT466 is about as good an engine as a bus gets. If you want more power, then the Cummins 8.3 or DT530 might be better.

If you get a CAT in good condition, it will probably outlive you, but as others have said, a broken CAT is an expensive CAT.
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