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Old 07-30-2018, 01:31 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle
Posts: 29
Year: 2000
Chassis: Bluebird All American RE
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Bluebird RE Heater Removal

Hey, does anyone know where I'd find the heater valve shutoff on this thing? I . could've sworn I read there there are UP TO three different valves mentioned in these forums.

I initially want to just loop it, but eventually want to re-route the lines under to get my defroster and front heater back.

I am not finding you youtube on this process, so if anyone can direct me there, I'd really appreciate it!

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Old 07-30-2018, 02:48 PM   #2
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 233
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84lug
Quote:
Originally Posted by ekyoung View Post
Hey, does anyone know where I'd find the heater valve shutoff on this thing? I . could've sworn I read there there are UP TO three different valves mentioned in these forums.

I initially want to just loop it, but eventually want to re-route the lines under to get my defroster and front heater back.

I am not finding you youtube on this process, so if anyone can direct me there, I'd really appreciate it!

don't waste your time with that. Just cut the lines long and hang them out the window to dump the into a trash can below. The coolant will eventually dump out low enough to stop flooding those lines then you can loop it. It only dumped about a quart for me I replaced it and all is good.

https://youtu.be/kVK8UUBI_0k here is a video of ours describing the removal look about the 10 minute mark for the info.

Good luck!
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Old 07-30-2018, 03:40 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Salt Lake City Utah
Posts: 1,635
Year: 2000
Chassis: Blue Bird
Engine: ISC 8.3
Follow the coolant lines back to the engine. The rear-most heater should be on the left side behind the rear axle. From here forward the lines are inside the bus going to the front and they're under the floor going back toward the engine. It's a bit hard to see in that area because there's an oil cooler (power steering/hydraulic fan and transmission too) and an air tank, but if you shine a flashlight up there you should be able to find them.

With the Cummins 8.3 engine I think there's one valve up quite high near the exhaust down pipe, below the turbo but not by much. Seems like the other is nearer to the ground.

You might be looking for a multi-turn boiler valve with a big round handle, or it might be a quarter-turn valve with a stubby little bar as the handle.

Even with the valves turned off you should still be prepared to catch a lot of coolant -- maybe a gallon or so by the time you drain several body heaters and a bunch of 1" hose.
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Old 07-31-2018, 02:44 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle
Posts: 29
Year: 2000
Chassis: Bluebird All American RE
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 72


So you should be able to get access to it from underneath? The manual seems to show that there is access from the top. There is some sort of access panel in the rear of the bus, but stupid me I managed to strip four of the screws before I could try to get it off.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:24 PM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Salt Lake City Utah
Posts: 1,635
Year: 2000
Chassis: Blue Bird
Engine: ISC 8.3
Hey, that's a nice diagram. By the way, the image in your post didn't work out -- probably because the URL isn't the image directly, but rather it's an Imgur web page which includes the image. That would have to be linked with the URL tag instead of IMG. I only found it because it was included in the e-mail (it's http://imgur.com/ZEsFlNM, for the benefit of others who may come along wondering). Somewhere we have a thread about how to embed images successfully -- sometimes it's tricky.

When I wrote that earlier post I was working from memory, having last laid eyes on those valves a week or two ago. Anyway, valve 1 in the drawing is the one I tried to describe being up in the area near the exhaust downpipe etc.

The access panel in the middle of the rear bench is useful mainly for cylinder valve adjustments, cylinder head removal, in-frame engine rebuild, etc. You won't be able to reach any coolant valves through there.

That said, the drawing is confusing: it shows valve 2 off the back of the engine, as if it were above the transmission. It isn't. I can't figure out why they position it there in the drawing, but the text beside it mentions the transmission oil cooler. That's the small "radiator" (about 1 foot square) about two feet behind the left rear wheels. Valve 2 will be somewhere in that area.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:51 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle
Posts: 29
Year: 2000
Chassis: Bluebird All American RE
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Found that bugger! Got myself up in the engine compartment and laid across the top to contort myself into position!

Another dumb question though. I was trying to figure out where to put the coolant back in and all I see is a square box with a radiator cap on it. I assume it feeds into the the coolant system but I am not familiar enough with the motor is to make sure that I'm putting the coolant in the right spot.

Also do they take regular coolant that I can pick it up at any auto parts store? and how in the world do you get it in there without spilling it all over the place?
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:11 PM   #7
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Salt Lake City Utah
Posts: 1,635
Year: 2000
Chassis: Blue Bird
Engine: ISC 8.3
Yep.. square metal box in the upper-left corner of the engine bay. It'll probably have a sight glass.

With a jug that's only partly full it's not too hard to pour coolant directly into the reservoir. With a jug completely full... try a long neck funnel, a cheap hand-operated transfer pump, or even just siphon with a piece of hose. (don't suck on it to start the siphon!)

I'm honestly not sure what to say about coolant type. You haven't mentioned which engine you have, but I've assumed it's the 8.3L Cummins. I've owned two of those. Both have come to me with green coolant, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's right. I did recently buy some 3-way coolant test strips and checked both of mine; the strips showed acceptable levels for nitrite, pH, and freeze protection. I'm not certain whether there's any more to it than that; hopefully somebody else will come along with information relevant for this engine.
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Old 07-31-2018, 07:42 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle
Posts: 29
Year: 2000
Chassis: Bluebird All American RE
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Quote:
Originally Posted by family wagon View Post
I'm honestly not sure what to say about coolant type. You haven't mentioned which engine you have, but I've assumed it's the 8.3L Cummins. I've owned two of those. Both have come to me with green coolant, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's right. I did recently buy some 3-way coolant test strips and checked both of mine; the strips showed acceptable levels for nitrite, pH, and freeze protection. I'm not certain whether there's any more to it than that; hopefully somebody else will come along with information relevant for this engine.
Definitely the Cummins! I've kept the coolant that I drained with the intent of putting it back in, but that thing is up there so high in the engine cavity. I hadn't thought of the hand siphon...I've got one of those, so guess I'll get pumping! Mine is all the green stuff, and I'm sure that I've lost a gallon or so in the process.

I appreciate your knowledge so far, you're really been a great help!
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Old 09-06-2020, 01:48 PM   #9
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Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Northern California
Posts: 6
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Freightliner
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins Diesel
Hey everyone I know the heater removal thing has been discussed to death but there are some things I’m still not understanding and it’s been stalling me for too many days now! Hope you can spell it out for me:

I have a 2000 30 ft Bluebird Freightliner dog nose, with front and rear heaters. Thanks to all of you here I located the shut off valves and all have been closed, check. I cut the hoses to the rear heater (Passengers side) and drained the coolant, heater is now out of the bus, check. Cut the electric that runs on this side and taped off (this part seems to not be covered anywhere so I used my best judgement).
First questions: do I loop hoses at the floor where the metal fittings come up through the bus and leave the hoses alone under the bus? Or do I pull them through the floor? What to do with the big rope of electrical?
As for the front (behind driver seat) heater- there is a small pump (?) attached which I assume to be a regulator? What do I do with this? If I want my drivers heaters/defrosters to work still, do I pull the heater behind me, and connect the hoses right where the drivers panel starts?
Also considering keeping this little heater and reincorporating it under furniture, but it seems hard to work around so common sense says pull it and put it back...
So to summarize-
Where tf do I loop the hoses?
What do I do with the electric and pump?
Do I need to pull hoses from under the bus?

Hope this all makes sense, I’m having trouble envisioning it. Thanks for any help!

**also should note I have looked at the bluebird diagrams and they don’t really answer my questions. My brain needs a step by step how-to at this point!
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