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Old 08-23-2010, 04:22 PM   #1
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Micro Blue Bird engine...


I've got a short/micro/mini Blue Bird bus. It has a Chevy 6.2 in it however it has the unfortunate problem of being seized right now. I think that both a combination of semi poor maintenance and driving that engine to death was the culprit.

What i'm wondering is if there is a better engine that would fit into this particular bus. I was told that a Cummins 5.9 would fit with some additional upgrades. We really need a engine that can handle the long haul while towing a load. If there's anyone that can offer any advice that would sure help.

Thanks, and cheers


dall

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Old 08-23-2010, 04:56 PM   #2
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Get another 6.2L engine! When they are given some TLC, they will last forever. I have four 6.2L trucks and really enjoy them. Plus they are cheap right now.
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Old 08-23-2010, 05:53 PM   #3
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

BTW - like the username.... That's my favorite song by Soundgarden.
Yeah, that's where it came from. I don't think anyone else has ever called the reference.

I've just been skeptical about the 6.2 from the beginning (mind you this is from someone that knows -> || <- that much about any kind of mechanics) because it never seemed to want to preform. Like i said i know nothing of mechanics and when it seemed to never want to go above 60 mph i was a little confused. I understand that any diesel isn't going to typically want to go from 0-60 in 5 seconds or anything, but to have the pedal to the floor and only be going 60 at tops seems a little extreme. We did have some trouble with monitoring the oil and there was 1 case in particular in which i'm pretty positive it was overfilled. Basically i guess now that i think about it as far as being mechanically inclined, we are all numskulls.

I got the bus from someone that bought 2 identical buses from his local district. Their maintenance program was weekly (he knew the main mechanic). So when i got it everything looked pretty great and reasonably taken care of. But as i mentioned before, from day one it seemed to struggle at highway speeds. Maybe my ignorance is that to not know that such a thing is commonplace. I don't know.

My main interest in getting an "upgraded engine" was to make sure that i had the right tool for the right job. If the general consensus would be to try again, than maybe i should reevaluate my logic as well as expand my knowledge of the 6.2 and the 6.5.

Thanks Cheese_Wagon for the data and M1031 for the comments. It's widening my perspective already.
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Old 08-23-2010, 06:07 PM   #4
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

The "Optimiser 6500" is an upgraded 6.5 used in Hummvees and Stepvans, should bolt in. A gas 350 is also a viable swap.

But, might be better to just get a different bus.
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Old 08-23-2010, 06:53 PM   #5
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON
More food for thought on the durability of the 6.2/6.5....

Sorry, I couldn't watch the pain........
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Old 08-23-2010, 08:45 PM   #6
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

good theory on the durability but i hate that cash for clunkers bs. just my opinion.
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Old 08-25-2010, 06:18 AM   #7
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

In addition, use Prolong (found at AutoZone and other retailers) in the crankcase. I went from 17 mpg in town to 21 instantly. Plus, the more air you can cram into the intake the better your fuel economy and torque will be. I'll post some pics of what I've done to my air intakes to help with shoving more air into the engine.
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Old 08-26-2010, 04:50 PM   #8
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

The 6.2 is still a turd, no matter how much you polish it. I had the misfortune to own one in a K-35 CUCV, my wife has one in a K-5 Blazer. They are absolutely,totally, hopelessly gutless, athsmatic, 3-legged dogs. Her Blazer--the lightest thing a 6.2 was ever used in--was about 17 seconds 0-60 when stock. My K35 was horrid. It was actually painful to drive loaded and was actually so underpowered (even with 4.56 gears) as to be unsafe with a 5000lb trailer. Several MILES of full-throttle and it never topped 55MPH.
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Old 08-27-2010, 12:53 AM   #9
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Just got back from a short trip.

So the question still seems to remain for me, the right tool for the right job... What should i be looking for in an engine to keep us at highway speeds (55-75) and that doesn't mind towing a bit of a load? Is it not worth it to try and put something besides another 6.2 or maybe a turbo? As far as funds go, times are just as tight for us as it has always been. But to me it's worth the effort to save the trouble of having to get a new vehicle every year only to have the same problems that we had before.

So what do the learned think? What's the direction that i should be looking in?
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Old 08-28-2010, 09:52 PM   #10
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON
Jarl - it's a diesel, not a hot-rod. What do you expect with 4.56 gears? The thing is lucky to survive 55 with the revolutions needed to run that speed with those gears. 4.56 is lower than anything you'll usually find in a production light truck or SUV. The diesel has the torque to pull higher (numerically lower) gears, so why run 4.56s with a diesel, seriously?
It was what the factory installed and presumably what the Army called for in CUCV's. The truck managed acceleration times similar to a loaded cement truck, mileage matching a gas 350 (worse than a 6.9-powered F-350 TOW TRUCK with 4.10's), and noise levels matching a paper shredder trying to shred gravel. Unfortunately, the 6.2 is about at its limit in a Blazer or half-ton pickup. For moving any real weight, a gas 350 (or even a gas V6) is a better choice.
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Old 08-29-2010, 08:00 AM   #11
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
. . . Her Blazer--the lightest thing a 6.2 was ever used in--was about 17 seconds 0-60 when stock. . .
Really? We had a few '85 milsurp CUCV pickups at an agency I used to work at, and I timed a stock one at 27 seconds 0-60. They were geared to run at 55 MPH, but we routinely wound them up to 70. They would go about 79 on the flats, but only if drafting a bus, semi-trailer or motorhome. I usually got the short straw chasing the mobile command truck, and earplugs were a must!

We had a Banks intake and exhaust plus pyrometer installed on one, and its ability to pull a three-ton trailer up a certain incline on the interstate jumped from about 37 MPH to 53 MPH. Fuel mileage was not good, as the mechanic who installed the fat pipes also turned the fuel up to black smoke plus liquid drops out the back. One of the directors ordered that the command truck will NEVER be driven BEHIND that pickup. The stock fuel tank was good for about 2 hours of overspeed running on the interstate.

I've seen half of these trucks in private hands, so I guess they went to auction after I left.

That said, I wouldn't mind running one of those pickups myself, if I could install lower numerical axle ratios and an aux fuel tank. I would be sure the fuel pump was adjusted more accurately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON
. . it's a diesel, not a hot-rod.
Amen.
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Old 08-30-2010, 03:50 PM   #12
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

I have owned two 4WD diesel pickups...a 1992 F-350 with a 7.3 turbo and (currently) a 1979 F-350 SuperCab with a 5.9 Cummins. Compared to my K35, both accelerate faster loaded than it did empty, use less fuel (about 30-35% less in the case of the 79), and are more capable in every way. The 6.2 is a steaming, stinking turd. It's barely adequate in a K-5 Blazer, and hopelessly overwhelmed in anything heavier. You're better off with a gas V6.
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Old 08-31-2010, 12:50 AM   #13
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

Well my main reason for trying to use diesel is the thought of longevity. So far since the beginning of the year i would guess that we've gone 55,000 miles or so, give or take a few, with a few more months left in the year. Are there reasonable gas engines that can take that kind of road time?

Honestly, if it could maintain a median of somewhere around 60-65 mph i could settle with that as long as it's not six months to a year down the road before a rebuild is necessary. When you need to get from Orlando to Charlotte in 10 hours or less it's nice to be able to cruse at something more than 50-55ish.
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Old 09-02-2010, 04:35 PM   #14
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Re: Micro Blue Bird engine...

I've seen many Ford 5.4 V8's and 6.8 V10's wind up over 300,000 hard miles in livery service. Saw a V10 with over 400,000 miles in a 2000 F-550 4x4 that sees the brutal life of a repo truck. Heck, plenty of Chevy 350's and 454's and Ford 351's and 460's have wound up over 250,000 miles. Maintain a V10 and I would not be even slightly surprised to see it turn over 500,000 miles.
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