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03-02-2022, 06:19 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Is this normal?
please check out this picture of my coolant and tell me what you think https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s8j...ahlw2rs0l/view
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03-02-2022, 06:31 PM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,076
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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looks like oil but you need to have your coolant analyzed to find out for sure because if it is you need to take immediate action to prevent major failure of the engine
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03-02-2022, 06:32 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,076
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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oil coolers have been known to spring leaks into the antifreeze on cumming engines.
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03-02-2022, 06:39 PM
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#4
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmoore6856
looks like oil but you need to have your coolant analyzed to find out for sure because if it is you need to take immediate action to prevent major failure of the engine
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I will look into it I am low on tranny fluid so I was thinking it might be that? the oil is still full after driving 620 miles home 2 weeks ago. I will call around this week I want to get the oil analyzed too.
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03-02-2022, 06:58 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,076
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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If it is the tranny oil you can put a external cooler on the tyranny oil. clean the old cooler in the radiator and plug it off rather than replace the radiator
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03-02-2022, 07:01 PM
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#6
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmoore6856
If it is the tranny oil you can put a external cooler on the tyranny oil. clean the old cooler in the radiator and plug it off rather than replace the radiator
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what if it is engine oil, what is the solution in that case?
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03-02-2022, 08:20 PM
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#7
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 709
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000 28ft
Engine: Cummins ISB 5.9 24v, MD3060
Rated Cap: 14
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I have same engine in mine. There's a few common causes on this engine. I would have a pro diagnose this if you don't want to just throw parts at it.. get the oil or coolant tested.
1. Head gasket is weak on the 24v. Seems to last about 150k-250k. Fix requires pulling the head, possibly having it machines, and replace every gasket on the top end. 8-16hours labor and $400 hard parts.
2. Air compressor leak. It uses oil and coolant and could have a bad seal. 4-8hrs
3. Oil cooler leak. Replace oil cooler. 4hours
A pro would probably be much faster, but those are my labor estimates knowing what I have to move to get at all these parts.
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03-02-2022, 08:32 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fo4imtippin
I have same engine in mine. There's a few common causes on this engine. I would have a pro diagnose this if you don't want to just throw parts at it.. get the oil or coolant tested.
1. Head gasket is weak on the 24v. Seems to last about 150k-250k. Fix requires pulling the head, possibly having it machines, and replace every gasket on the top end. 8-16hours labor and $400 hard parts.
2. Air compressor leak. It uses oil and coolant and could have a bad seal. 4-8hrs
3. Oil cooler leak. Replace oil cooler. 4hours
A pro would probably be much faster, but those are my labor estimates knowing what I have to move to get at all these parts.
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is it even safe to drive it 20 or so miles to a mechanic if I make sure all the fluids are topped off?
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03-02-2022, 09:23 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 709
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000 28ft
Engine: Cummins ISB 5.9 24v, MD3060
Rated Cap: 14
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We don't know that it's even oil. Could be drops from a funnel used to add coolant. You just drove it 600 miles home, 20 more should be fine. I have a weird coolant problem on mine and was nervous to drive it 2000 miles home, but the mechanic said Cummins checked it out and it has chooched along for 11k miles with the symptom and no issues.
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03-04-2022, 04:34 AM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,076
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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Oil in the water is a minor issue the real problem is when the water gets into the oil. When you shut it off the oil pressure drops to zero but the hot radiator still has pressure for hours and can force its way into the oil.
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03-04-2022, 06:43 AM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmoore6856
Oil in the water is a minor issue the real problem is when the water gets into the oil. When you shut it off the oil pressure drops to zero but the hot radiator still has pressure for hours and can force its way into the oil.
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I think it's probably tranny fluid, the oil is still full and didn't lose a drop on a 620 mile drive home but the transmission is low on fluid. Also after that drive only a few drops of something was on the asphalt the next day. My plan is to change the oil, then fill the transmission and see how much was missing, drain and flush the radiator then refill and see how it acts. Does that sound ok?
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03-04-2022, 09:50 AM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,771
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
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hutchy
if you have a filter for the cooling system.... replace that. i think that would be a good idea.
my bluebird has transmission oil/engine coolant heat exchanger that could be your failure point.
mine is not part of the radiator.
william
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03-04-2022, 09:57 AM
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#13
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,076
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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watch for the antifreeze in both the engine and tranny oil when you change them but a oil analysis would catch that if it is getting contaminated. i would flush the radiator, drain a bit of oil from the oil pan (after it sat before starting as water will settle) then run it and see if it returns. if you have a water filter cut it open and do a good look inside it
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03-04-2022, 10:06 AM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: SW USA
Posts: 2,064
Year: 2003
Coachwork: IC / Amtran
Chassis: CE300
Engine: International T444e
Rated Cap: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmoore6856
Oil in the water is a minor issue...
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A mixing of oil & coolant could result from - and become the cause of - any number of mechanical problems, ranging from relatively minor & easily fixed to catastrophic engine / transmission damage. Aren't many scenarios where it's only going to be a one-way exchange. Just because you can't see coolant in the oil (since it drops to the bottom) doesn't mean it's not there.
If it were me, I'd absolutely, positively find and address the problem before running the bus any more than necessary. Ideally, not at all.
__________________
Go away. 'Baitin.
Our Build: Mr. Beefy
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03-04-2022, 02:49 PM
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#15
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Wake Forest NC
Posts: 186
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TS FE 2509
Engine: Cummins 5.9l ISB CM550
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmoore6856
watch for the antifreeze in both the engine and tranny oil when you change them but a oil analysis would catch that if it is getting contaminated. i would flush the radiator, drain a bit of oil from the oil pan (after it sat before starting as water will settle) then run it and see if it returns. if you have a water filter cut it open and do a good look inside it
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how do you get the fluids analyzed? I never heard of that until getting a bus
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03-04-2022, 03:00 PM
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#16
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
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go online and look up
BLACKSTONE LABS.
they will send you sample bottles and directions of how they want the samples taken.
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