New Canadian Skoolie - A Toy Hauler!

[slidewayzm5]

Hey everyone!

I bit the bullet last Friday and drove home my new to me:

1991 International 7.3 IDI w 4 speed auto 66 Passenger Corbeil body bus.
Only 121,000 kms on it!

Couple things I settled on - 1 is that it's an auto.. I definitely wanted a stick shift. 2 is that it's geared for roughly 60mph top speed. Until I change all fluids I don't want to push it, but she's humming along at a solid 2800 rpm I'd say at that speed.

So I'll have to dig in to see which slush box it has, and what rear end gears it has. Hopefully it's a strong auto, and that I can find some gears to give the bus some longer legs to lower the rpm at speed.

Hydraulic brakes, seats were all removed except for the front cushions. Oh and ALL of the heaters in the bus were removed (prev owner used it for storage for the last 7yrs, but started and ran the bus every 6mo). Needless to say, ALL fluids will be getting changed.

Runs well but I'll be doing a ton of overhaul to the whole thing - my project is to create a Toy Hauler RV for going sledding in the mountains, dirt bike or street bike trips and all around being able to simplify life whenever I want.

I'm starting this build thread to get feedback as I go along and hopefully learn from others great ideas as well as their mistakes.

I'm just outside of Calgary - I can look at the Rocky mountains out of my kitchen window, but I'd rather be in them on foot or on a toy!

Any other Albertan's here?

My friends all started out thinking I'm nuts, and its quickly turned into them wanting to be on board - and I've told them to enjoy it later on, they gotta help me first!

So far I have 2 days of tear down into it - I've pulled the last of the seat rests out, the front bumper mechanism, the side stop lamp, the front convex mirror frame (mirrors were missing anyway) and am working on the tear out of the floor so I can prep the bare metal, seal up the holes and then start to cut the rivets out of the back and move the rear section of the bus roughly 9' forward to expose my new toy hauler deck!

I tried to attach pictures and it failed. I'm tired. When I started writing this message my laptop just shut off on me so I completely disassembled it (thought I ruined it in the process) then googled how to do it properly, and finished the job, cleaned the fan out, and when it powered back up - here I was still on the introduce yourself page. The fact that I didn't eff that up was great because I don't feel like spending money on anything unless I need to. (Our current Premier is arguably the biggest socialist bonehead ever elected - so the whole province has been going to Poo in a hurry and of course that affects the spending money or in this case lack of.) Anyway - not here for Political chit chat so .. end rant.

I was en route to buy a wood stove when I got a text back from the seller that he was around so I ended up driving a hell of a lot that day. Needless to say I was committed to the project because I was buying the wood stove before the bus

It turned out to be a great deal so far and I'm looking to make it quite nice but on the absolute cheap skatiest budget ever. Yep I made that word up. Canadians eh?

I also need to name the Beast. That might take some time.

I'll be working on the bus every moment I can, but it's being stored 45 mins away at an acreage because I live in a new neighborhood with no do what I want space.

So - First Question - does anyone have the 93-94.5 turbo 7.3 IDI parts that they would like to get rid of, and has anyone done the swap from NA to turbo and can walk me through what is all involved? With the elevations that my bus will see, I'm going to need more pep or its going to be a LONG drive all the time.

[-cycosis-]

Hey man, Im a Calgary Skoolie . Wont start deconstruction until late August. Welcome.

[slidewayzm5]

Sweet.. I'll send you a PM with contact details. I'm headed to the acreage tonight and tomorrow to work on it.

[slidewayzm5]

Ok so here's the update. I figured out from the diagram post of AT545 vs MT643 that I have an AT545.. although mine has a drain plug on the side of it and what looks like a temp pickup sender on the upper part of the oil pan as well. But the side of the case looks exactly like that photo of the AT545. So I'll go with that. I searched for the info on the rear diff and I'll have to call international tomorrow to see what gear ratio I have but from the sounds of it I'd venture a guess at the 5.78 due to the top speed of the bus.

Tore out the rest of the windows and most of the flooring and found I have a couple that are double pane glass. I'll have to fix the release buttons on them but they'll be great for the 4 window's I will keep in the bus. We also started grinding a ton of rivets on the outside near the back door of the bus as this is where we will detach it, remove a section of the bus, and then rivet it back together so that I have a 9' flat deck on the back end. Then I've gotta get the rest of the floor up, cut all the screws sticking up off, clean it and rust convert it.

I had my 2 cousin's and a cute female Pilot helping out - we tuned up her bike and in return she helped with a bunch of help removing windows on the bus. Then Sunday we all worked again and stopped to teach her how to back up a long trailer like a champ, and how to wheelie her bike with control. A great day for all!

I just tried uploading 5 pics that were all jpg or png, less than 1600 x 1600 as per Paint and less than 2MB and they all failed.

Anyone know how to fix this pic upload issue?

[slidewayzm5]

Started an album to see if that would accept my pics and sure enough it did. Sucks that I have to do it that way, but here ya go!

Day 1
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...cture13642.png
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...cture13643.jpg

Progress
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...cture13645.jpg
Wheelie girl
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...cture13646.png

Final rendering (but I'll want a better paint job)
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/member...cture13644.jpg

[-cycosis-]

Photobucket

[Tango]

Have you considered leaving the roof over the rear area? There is a lot to be said for having a "covered porch" and I have seen more than a few done that way.

[slidewayzm5]

PITA to have to use another place to link photos. I probably won't post many pics because of the hassle - unless someone has a question.

Thought about the covered porch style but decided it wasn't going to be the best option for me.

On a positive - I found out from my local IH rep my bus has a 5.38 rear gear so it looks like 62 mph is 2800 rpm. He also let me know for a cool $3000 that he could have the diff swapped with a rebuilt 4.44. I thanked him for the offer but that's way more than I spent on the bus!

Transmission Ratio RPM Calculator

With this calculator a 4.44 would be cruising at 65 mph at a sweet 2400 rpm.

Chances are unless I stumble across a ridiculous deal on one with hydraulic brakes and its' the entire axle, I won't bother with the swap for how many km's I'll be driving per year.

The IH rep also confirmed it is an AT545 so I found this tidbit on the specs of that transmission.

ALLISON AT 545 TRANSMISSION SPECIFICATION - Topic

Once I've got the rear door moved forward and the floor all rust converted, then I'll focus on a full mechanical checkup - change all fluids, etc.

There's a lot to learn on these things and WAY more work than learning!


Oh and one more thing - what do people usually do with their extra windows when they are pulled out? Anyone looking for a bunch of them?

[BusFiend]

Throw the removed windows up on CL for $10 a piece. You'd be surprised how many people grab them. They're especially popular amongst ice fishermen. Many use them in their ice huts. Looks like you may be in ice fishing territory.

Good luck!

[Tango]

And put some wrecking yard calls out for that 4.44 gear set. The installation should be no more than a grand or so. The improved engine life & MPG would be worth the difference if you plan on doing much highway driving.

[slidewayzm5]

Great advice - thanks fellas!

I just got lost on a couple of threads by Nat_ster. Holy **** he did a lot and knew his stuff. Too bad he hasn't been on in a while because he's likely about 3 hours north of me and would be a great wealth of knowledge on saving time in the build.

Anyway - I removed 90% of the floor today - just have to unbolt the drivers seat and all that other crap to get the last bit out.
Once I got that far, I switched to grinding rivets off of the bumper trim so that I can hopefully get far enough to remove the rear of the bus tomorrow.

Crossing my fingers.

All I know is with the crappy paper mask I was using and fighting a cold - the rust I was inhaling from the hour I spent inside tearing out the floor wasn't good. Just gotta get to bed and heal up. Normally I would have had my much better nose and mouth sealing mask but I rode a friend's rocket to the farm to save fuel and put a smile on my face.

[Brad_SwiftFur]

For the $3000 the dealer was quoting you, I would hope it includes *THE ENTIRE AXLE*, completely refurbished. I can do a gear swap for under $1000, the includes having a local gear shop professionally install new ring and pinion.

[slidewayzm5]

Sadly I don't think that was the case Brad. I'll keep an eye open as things progress but right now it's pretty low on the totem pole.

Spent most of the day grinding rivets all over the place, tearing out the dash that the UV rays made brittle, and fixing the 3 double pane windows that had broken slide tabs. Now I have 4 usable double pane windows for the 4 spots that I want to keep.

It's a lot of work but progress is progress. I sure like when others help, it makes the time pass a lot faster and 2 people are often 3x more effective than 1.

Time for cold meds and rest.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by slidewayzm5

Sadly I don't think that was the case Brad. I'll keep an eye open as things progress but right now it's pretty low on the totem pole.

Spent most of the day grinding rivets all over the place, tearing out the dash that the UV rays made brittle, and fixing the 3 double pane windows that had broken slide tabs. Now I have 4 usable double pane windows for the 4 spots that I want to keep.

It's a lot of work but progress is progress. I sure like when others help, it makes the time pass a lot faster and 2 people are often 3x more effective than 1.

Time for cold meds and rest.

I've found that having some company is really helpful.

[slidewayzm5]

Great news - Found a turbo and all large parts that I need for the bus (minus gaskets, boost gauge and pyro gauge). Once that is all installed I plan on setting the wastegate to 6-8psi max and then slowly turning up the IDI pump but staying well within the no smoke zone. Fuel economy will be more important than power, especially because it won't make big power regardless and I don't want to burn the trans up.

After doing a ton of research on what was the best option for stopping and preventing rust - I ordered a Gallon of Rust Bullet Metal Blast and a Gallon of Rust Bullet Automotive from a company in Edmonton called On Point Distribution. The guy was extremely helpful and it was at my front door the next day. Definitely recommend him for his service.

After much reading I now have a better understanding of the Dayton wheels that the bus has, and will be checking on the alignments of all the wheels after I go through it thoroughly on the mechanical aspects.

Next step is to remove the driver seat and rest of the floor, remove the back of the bus and then prep the floor properly. Once all the floor is done, I'm thinking I will use bedliner on the flat deck where the toys go - to protect from carbide's on ski's, etc.

It's been Slow progress lately but progress nevertheless.

[rock649]

Hey brother, I got the same bus in Calgary...but 36 passanger 7.3L at545. I say keep the tranny and everything stock....unless you are going to get a split rearend. Check out old farm grain hauling trucks...but the hi gearing is terrible and needs customization. This also involves a possible airpump install for the engine. If you are going skidooing and all that...a lower rear end is good for bush wacking and hilly roads with a load on. Just straight higher gears and it won't go up hills so well. Tire chains wouldn't be a bad idea either. I keep mine at 80kph on the highway for max fuel efficiency. After about 2200 rpm she really gobbles the fuel!
I also put a wood stove in mine. I installed it on the wheel well since its central and sort of a tight spot to do anything anyways...
I wish I had bought a stove with a hot water saddle.
I made a heat shield from an old stove I found in the alley. I used double insulated 6" chimney....1 piece of 6 foot, I do believe. I screwed the collar to my stove top and clamped it in. It goes straight up through the roof to minimise the fire hazard. Works great. I used dryer sheet metal (pre enamelled) to fill in the windows. I also put 1.5" Styrofoam on the floor. If you want you can swing by and take a look. James 902 403 6012
PS I tried to throw in some pics but it wouldn't let me!!

[slidewayzm5]

Awesome James, I just sent you a text - would love to take a look at what you've done! Yours is the newer electronic 7.3 so it would likely be the Powerstroke engine. Either way, having a turbo with low boost will definitely help the fuel economy and power in the mountains as the NA engines will have trouble filling the cylinders and therefor just be dumping the fuel out the back or rolling coal as the kids call it.

Yesterday I was out working on it for a couple hours. Removed the drivers seat and tore up the floor around there as well. Started grinding rivets to remove the roof panels - I've got 6 sections to cut out at 85 rivets a piece.

Pulled one section and that crap insulation was junk so it's all coming out and spray foam will replace everywhere but above the floor.

Headed to sit down and plan out the build step by step like I did with my basement suite so that it's done as efficiently as I can. Man I wish I had an acreage within 10-15 mins of me so I could work on it a lot more often.

Oh and hoping to go see a buddy who is building a fully self sufficient off grid tiny home to gain ideas as well.

[slidewayzm5]

WARNING!!

Even when using eye protection while grinding rivets on a bus - it IS very possible to get a chunk of steel ricochet into your eye causing great pain and requiring surgery to get it out.

I've got most of the interior panels - roof and sides stripped out and the gross pink insulation out. Still have a lot of that to do and it takes FOREVER to remove.

Even with 2 cute women who work extremely hard (lucky guy right? ), it's been a long process to get this far. Thankfully they are both motivating people naturally as there were many days where I might have said eff it.
Big thanks to the tip about using a 60-80 grit flap wheel as it is MUCH faster than a cutting disc and an air chisel, and leaves a much nicer result.

As my eye heals up, I'll be taking the turbo apart to check if it needs to be rebuilt before the install, and planning the next step of demolition on the bus.

What has everyone done with all of the wiring by the cockpit while removing all of the insulation behind that area to replace with spray foam? I might have to get super big zip ties and hang it from the roof in the interim.

[meldy]

Originally Posted by rock649

Hey brother, I got the same bus in Calgary...but 36 passanger 7.3L at545. I say keep the tranny and everything stock....unless you are going to get a split rearend. Check out old farm grain hauling trucks...but the hi gearing is terrible and needs customization. This also involves a possible airpump install for the engine. If you are going skidooing and all that...a lower rear end is good for bush wacking and hilly roads with a load on. Just straight higher gears and it won't go up hills so well. Tire chains wouldn't be a bad idea either. I keep mine at 80kph on the highway for max fuel efficiency. After about 2200 rpm she really gobbles the fuel!
I also put a wood stove in mine. I installed it on the wheel well since its central and sort of a tight spot to do anything anyways...
I wish I had bought a stove with a hot water saddle.
I made a heat shield from an old stove I found in the alley. I used double insulated 6" chimney....1 piece of 6 foot, I do believe. I screwed the collar to my stove top and clamped it in. It goes straight up through the roof to minimise the fire hazard. Works great. I used dryer sheet metal (pre enamelled) to fill in the windows. I also put 1.5" Styrofoam on the floor. If you want you can swing by and take a look. James 902 403 6012
PS I tried to throw in some pics but it wouldn't let me!!

Random question but where did you guys get your buses? Just off kijiji? Im fairly certain there's some sort of bus auction in this province somewhere but I cant seem to find it anywhere....(other than Ritchie Bros)

PS Im in Olds!! Lots of Albertans on here!

[slidewayzm5]

Hey Meldy, you are quite close! One of the girls that helps is from Rocky Mtn House, so she travels quite a ways. I wouldn't be surprised if she bought a bus as soon as mine is done and we build a second one.

I was going to call Southland to get mine, but while I was waiting for their buses to come available (right now would probably be the best time of the year) I found one on kijiji that fit the bill and I went out to look at it. With such low km's on it and the low price, I took it.

I might still call the lady this week and see if there are any other buses that I can scavenge future needed parts from as I am told that they sell them only to scrapyards.

I'd be excited if I found a rear end that was geared around 4.44, or a MT643 trans. Chances are on this bus that I'll learn all of the things I like and don't and then one day make a future bus that is all that I'll ever want.

Today I finished taking the turbo right down to each individual components and everything looks good so once I have the rebuild kit in my hands - it should be good for another 200,000 km.