TC1000 Build

[lebusmagique]

Just took a look around and noticed the manufacturer info plates. The rear axle ratio is 3.54:1. I think that's about as low as you can go right?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by lebusmagique

Just took a look around and noticed the manufacturer info plates. The rear axle ratio is 3.54:1. I think that's about as low as you can go right?

Just about.
That's a common ratio on buses with 19.5 wheels.

My bus came with 4.10 and for whatever reason the school swapped that for 3.42.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by farok

GOOD advice!! I learned the drill bit thing the hard way - good bits are well worth their price. Never took a chance grinding without the gear, and wouldn't want anyone to take that chance either.

Chris

another thing I forgot. to mention is heat kills drill bits.. if the end is discolored you probably trashed it..


for metal I like to drill with as low RPM as i can and make progress.. I like to see shavings peel off..



just squeezing the trigger onto high speed is what mosrt people do and with hard metals that can thrash a bit really quick.

[cadillackid]

a 3.54 with 225/70R19.5 tires will result in a speed of around 70 at 2600 RPM..

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by lebusmagique

Just took a look around and noticed the manufacturer info plates. The rear axle ratio is 3.54:1. I think that's about as low as you can go right?

That would be as high as they get, l.ow would be a 6.00

[lebusmagique]

Welp fingers crossed! I went to the tax/tag office this morning and was told I needed some DOT inspection to verify that the bus was no longer used for commerical purposes. Sounded about right so I called DOT, who said Health and Safety does those inspections, who said I needed to talk to Salvage, who transferred me to a woman in revenue who basically said that even if I completely convert it I wouldn't be able to change the title from a bus to an RV. No one seemed to know anything about the inspection.

Determined, I went back to the courthouse to talk to the woman I spoke with because she seemed to know what she was talking about. She was busy, so I spoke to an older lady who's son's friend had converted a bus! I told her my predicament and she asked to play around with it, so I give her the title and 5 minutes later she's submitted a title change application and handed me a plate. She said it might get rejected but I'll know in about 3 weeks when I either get a new title or a letter in the mail!

[BlackHeart]

So??? What happened???

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by lebusmagique

Welp fingers crossed! I went to the tax/tag office this morning and was told I needed some DOT inspection to verify that the bus was no longer used for commerical purposes. Sounded about right so I called DOT, who said Health and Safety does those inspections, who said I needed to talk to Salvage, who transferred me to a woman in revenue who basically said that even if I completely convert it I wouldn't be able to change the title from a bus to an RV. No one seemed to know anything about the inspection.

Determined, I went back to the courthouse to talk to the woman I spoke with because she seemed to know what she was talking about. She was busy, so I spoke to an older lady who's son's friend had converted a bus! I told her my predicament and she asked to play around with it, so I give her the title and 5 minutes later she's submitted a title change application and handed me a plate. She said it might get rejected but I'll know in about 3 weeks when I either get a new title or a letter in the mail!

if you get hung up in MS you may want to consider Vermont registration. You can do it by mail. Once you have it changed to RV in VT. Then take your RV title to MS.

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by lebusmagique

... but I'll know in about 3 weeks when I either get a new title or a letter in the mail!

Sorry - I asked What happened from my phone last night - not seeing that you had just posted that yesterday - my bad.
Please let us know in a couple weeks if it worked.

I am planning on buying a bus next spring. One of the things that has been holding me back is horror stories have finally finding your bus, spending time and money on it to do your conversion - and then either not be able to title/register it - or not insure it!!

Keep us posted

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by BlackHeart

Sorry - I asked What happened from my phone last night - not seeing that you had just posted that yesterday - my bad.
Please let us know in a couple weeks if it worked.

I am planning on buying a bus next spring. One of the things that has been holding me back is horror stories have finally finding your bus, spending time and money on it to do your conversion - and then either not be able to title/register it - or not insure it!!

Keep us posted

the first thing I did, even before seriously looking at a bus to buy, was phone the appropriate authorities to see what was required - it sure made things simple because I knew what I was doing before I started - things have been going smoothly so far for me as far as the regulations go

[lebusmagique]

Couple of questions:

1) I've looked up and down the heater lines and found no valve to speak of. However between each section of hose there are these little things sticking out between the hose barbs. Are those meant to cut the supply of coolant off?



2) does anyone use pre-existing holes for running any electrical or plumbing lines? I'm not sure if these are big enough but they're exactly where I would want my solar lines to come down and go to my battery compartment on the underside, and then have my battery power come back up into a breaker box.

[BlackHeart]

Not sure if that is a valve or some kind of pressure relief? Maybe someone will have notes on that quickly.
As for the existing holes - I'd use them, but make sure you grommet them - and then, after your installation is done - last thing I'd do is probably plug the hole with some spray foam. I did that on a different conversion years back.

[o1marc]

Agree with BlackHeart, looks like a bleeder valve, to bleed air out of the system. Grommet all holes.

[lebusmagique]

Yep I flipped open the panels in front of the engine and one mentioned bleeding the air from the coolant lines so that's it.

I'll grommet them thanks for the tip.

Demolition is about 90% done I'd reckon. Between yesterday and today I removed all the panels, insulation, L-track, rubber floor, and I just took a wire brush to the whole floor. There wasn't a whole lot of rust to begin with just one spot. I'm assuming it doesn't have to be picture perfect for the rust conversion?

I couldn't get any ospho but I'd really like to get my rust converter on there tomorrow because it will be the last hot day for a while. I bought some wd-40 rust converter. I'm assuming that will work?

Does this floor look rust converter ready?

[lebusmagique]

Also fingers crossed I don't get hantavirus! I'm pretty sure the rat poo has been sitting long enough to deactivate, and I wore a full face mask/respirator + gloves the whole day (air chiseling was sending metal flakes everywhere). Went about 5 hours straight with the mask on and no water, so I am pretty parched.

[o1marc]

Concrete Prep and Etch from Home Depot is the same as Ospho, just half the price.

[Doktari]

I think concrete prep and etch might be a weaker concentration than ospho but would need to double check.
If it was mine I’d work that floor down some more with a wire brush or something abrasive. More scraping maybe.
I am wondering what to save the aluminum floor track for from my shuttle bus. I’ll try to salvage it just in case.

[EastCoastCB]

To each their own. I'm cheap, but for me a $25 gallon of oshpo isn't too much money.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Doktari

I think concrete prep and etch might be a weaker concentration than ospho but would need to double check.
If it was mine I’d work that floor down some more with a wire brush or something abrasive. More scraping maybe.
I am wondering what to save the aluminum floor track for from my shuttle bus. I’ll try to salvage it just in case.

I found them to be near identical in all but price.
Never said Ospho was too much, only that it is more expensive.

They are both basically phosphoric acid in about 45%.

[lebusmagique]

Well the title went through! It's now an RV according to the state of Mississippi. Turns out that wd-40 stuff did nothing. I ground down the floor and now I'm just waiting for a hot day in a few weeks to use the ospho.

Was wondering what the consensus is on a dash/driver's area rebuild on an FE? I was going to pull up the rubber floor and put in a new drivers seat but all the nuts on the underside for the seat and pedals are hidden and difficult to access by all sorts of engine stuff. It also looked like the seat bolts didn't actually have any nuts on them??? I'd have to go back and look.