New Platform

[Maligator.]

Originally Posted by SteamJunky

I have a 1969 Crown Supercoach in Tennessee I am thinking about selling or putting an interior in and a paint job. It has a cummins that was rebuilt shortly before I got it. Allison semiautomatic transmission. 40 foot. I'm near South of Knoxville. I can take some pics tomorrow if you are interested.

The OP is talking about engine and transmission swaps, how is this post relevant? Perhaps start a post about your bus and if you're looking to sell, give all the details on your post.

[SteamJunky]

I thought he was saying he was looking for something to do a new build on as well. I am trying to make the decision about whether I want to put the time into the one I have. Why else would he say he was putting out feelers?

[Native]

Yup, he did say he wanted a "new platform rig" as well as one for a driveline swap.

[Caplansail]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

Look up Blackstone Labs. You send a sample of your oil in and they can analzye it for contaminants and other things like viscosity. I've been meaning to do it on mine for some time now.

I bought a 2004 International from AAA Bus, and asked Tony to send off fluid analysis samples on the oil, transmission, and coolants before he did an oil change. Not a problem for him. It took a few weeks to get the results, and he did a coolant flush as well. I’ll post the details for feedback, but I wanted a baseline since there are no maintenance records available.

CheeseWagon drove out to Phoenix last weekend in a rental car, picked up the bus, and is now one day from New York. He found an oil leak from the air compressor on his famous pre-check about 60 miles out from Phoenix, and after some phone conversations with me took the bus back to Tony for repair. CW checks everything over constantly, we text and talk daily, and I am grateful for his experience and the education he is patiently giving me. The cost difference between CW vs me doing the trip is the rental car (I would have flown on free miles), and his reasonable daily fee. I’d have still had hotels, food, fuel, and likely a few repair shops due to my inexperience. Money well spent.

Barbara

[SteamJunky]

Not sure what I did to earn the ire of the bear there. I just reread the posts and I see several that have less relevance than mine. It would never occur to me to tell someone their post on a PUBLIC FORUM was irrelevant. I don't post here much, but enjoy reading and have always had a good experience. Again it baffles me why the bear would come after me! The reason I haven't posted mine for sale is because I am kind of attached to it. I'm always curious if someone else wants this magnificent beast more than I, but I also don't want to jerk anyones chain with a false offer to sell. When I see someone saying they are looking for a new project... I just want to see this thing reach it's potential. Crowns must make bears jealous.

[Willie_McCoy]

Originally Posted by SteamJunky

I have a 1969 Crown Supercoach in Tennessee I am thinking about selling

Don't leave us hanging here. Post some pictures!

never know who might be interested, OP or maybe others....

[Maligator.]

Originally Posted by SteamJunky

Not sure what I did to earn the ire of the bear there. I just reread the posts and I see several that have less relevance than mine. It would never occur to me to tell someone their post on a PUBLIC FORUM was irrelevant. I don't post here much, but enjoy reading and have always had a good experience. Again it baffles me why the bear would come after me! The reason I haven't posted mine for sale is because I am kind of attached to it. I'm always curious if someone else wants this magnificent beast more than I, but I also don't want to jerk anyones chain with a false offer to sell. When I see someone saying they are looking for a new project... I just want to see this thing reach it's potential. Crowns must make bears jealous.

This is going to be the last time I interact with you on someone else post buddy. First: I didn't say your post was "irrelevant", what I did do was ASK you to explain it relevance, which you did, after which I let the topic drop. You wanna troll me, go for it, but I'm done responding on this guys thread. Go to PM or start a new thread to troll me from. You clearly need to "reread" my thread because it didn't do what you're freaking out about bub.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

What sort of cam shaft failure at 9000 hours does the Cummins 8.3 have?

Cam lobes? Snapped shaft?

Lobe wear, lifters.
Food for thought here.

9000 hours averaging 60 mph = 540k
9000 hours averaging 45 mph = 405k
9000 hours averaging 30 mph = 270k
9000 hours averaging 15 mph = 135k

So you see, 9000 hours really isn't that bad.

The problem is that most school route buses average below 18 miles per hour of engine runtime. The one I transported this summer had 260k and had averaged 29 mph.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by Native

Yup, he did say he wanted a "new platform rig" as well as one for a driveline swap.

I've been busy for the last couple of days. To clarify: I am looking for two buses- one for an engine swap, and one for a new platform. SteamJunky's post is in the clear here.

Originally Posted by Maligator.

You clearly need to "reread" my thread because it didn't do what you're freaking out about bub.

Seems to me at least that you're the one freaking out, he's just responding to you. Chill! Clearly he's just being funny as well:

Originally Posted by SteamJunky

Crowns must make bears jealous.

LOL

Unfortunately I don't think a '69 Crown is what I'd like to build on at this point, thanks for bringing it up here. I've been looking around at MCI Coaches, too, so there's a wide array of possibilities. Right now I'nm chasing down that local RE with the DT466.

[JackE]

My local school district is selling 2 MCI coaches, '89 & '90, both are manual. They are selling them on their own through some sort of bid process, but I don't know the details. Both do run and drive. Starting bid is $3500. A couple of my kids spent many hours riding these busses. They claim both have over a million miles, but kids like to talk, so I really don't know. I did look at one of them in the dark and can tell you the engine is shoehorned in the back, but I have no idea what engine it has. I can get you contact info if you want it.

[RamRod4]

I know you currently have a T444E and they're a love/hate type of thing, but Fairfax County Public Schools in VA spec'd T444E/MD3060 drivetrains in a lot of their buses. We recently bought our Amtran RE from a local auction who acquired a couple and I have no complaints. The 6th gear unlock will be icing on the cake as well.

[kazetsukai]

So.. I found a bus with the same chassis as mine with the DT466(E?) and MD3060. The bus is not driveable, but the engine starts, and runs well. Some problems however, and I could really use some expert input here- the aim here is to swap the engine/transmission from this donor bus into mine (which currently has the T444E/AT545).

The problem is that the engine has been gutted of all belt-driven accessories:


I'm not sure what is gone-gone, but the alternator is present:


Even the fan is gone:


There's a few missing items at/around the air intake (and what looks like the turbo(s)):



And the instrument cluster is gone:


However the shifter is present:


I'm willing to go parts hunting and spend a little bit of cash to get that done. Assuming I can get the engine/transmission out, is this a feasible swap candidate? The engine started right up but as there's no air compressor I couldn't test moving it, but virtually everything in/around the engine compartment looked identical to mine.

Also- assuming I can pilfer the whole bus- what would be on the list to take?

[TJones]

Has the engine been sitting there with the air filter out or intake tubing disconnected? If it has I would be very concerned that dirt, bugs, mice, water, ect could have gotten into the engine. I think I would hold out for a bus that has complete mechanicals. The little parts that are missing will add up in cost. I would wonder why they chose to cannibalize this bus in the first place.

Ted

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

10 days just does not seem like enough time to work out the logistics of transporting it to my destination (KY). Anyone have any experience / suggestions there?

Per the $11,500 with 421,000 miles and aftermarket DPF, that sounds like too much $ for too many miles and an unwanted aftermarket emission headache.

Per the auction buses transportation logistics, maybe you could buy it and then store it for a month or two while you figure out the logistics?

If the buses are available, exactly what you're looking for and normally they are in short supply, I'd be inclined on buying and figuring out how to get it where you want it afterwards.

IMHO

[Ronnie]

I too wonder why they are parting it out. Maybe the rest of the bus is a mess?

Cost, is it cheap enough that worst case it is a good core for rebuild? Can you do a rebuild if need be? With patience and a manual you should be able to.

Will you be able to go back to the vehicle a few months later to get something you might have forgotten?

I would get all computers and the wiring harness, as the 3060 is a computer controlled tyranny.

Check the radiator, if different then yours get it, heck get it as a spare, especially if it is one price for everything you can take.

[joeblack5]

If the 444 and 545 are working then it seems a lot of work and money to get a bit of improvement.
If you are parallel thinking about a bigger platform to make you happy and sell the other then I doubt you would get your money out of the engine swap.

I have an old danish army softtop mercedes gelande 240d.
On flat road I can 60 mph ..in the mountain I need to go to 2 gear and 30 mph.
Often I dream about putting a turbo on it, or replacing
The engine with the larger om617.
At the end of the day ..it is a lot of fun driving it the way it is and I have all the time in the world to get thru the mountains.

If it is a 466e then then you might need a computer that integrates the engine / bus and chassis. A lot of wires.

Good luck with your project

[rffffffff]

A dt466 with parts taken off of it has to assume that it needs an inframe rebuild IMO. 10k-12k hours is pretty typical for cylinder o ring failure. You would likely find that out with oil analysis I would guess, but without an instrument cluster you’re prolly not going to know how used up it is.

Hopefully you can get a deal with that reflected
In the price, and a similar feelings/pricing with the tranny.

I had my fan clutch replaced and I think it was $400 or so for the fan clutch itself plus a few hours labor (Fe flat nose) so don’t think the missing pieces are insignificant.

You may be better off with a bus that is complete but rusted or suffering from some other defect that lowers the price instead of one that was taken apart. I guess risk/reward is tough to judge but I would not put a lot of dollars into this one. Just my silly opinion.

[kazetsukai]

They're asking $1300 FWIW.

[rffffffff]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

They're asking $1300 FWIW.

That seems fairly reasonable. I guess I would catalog the missing parts and price them before jumping in.

[kazetsukai]

Anyone with a DT466 RE- could you share pics of your engine compartment? As many as willing.