What to look out for when getting a bus that's been sitting for a year?

[Armonius]

So I'm thinking of getting a bus. It's a bluebird tc with a Cummins in it. (I think 5.9L). I'm going to inspect it sometime in January or February because it's very far from me. The owner says it was maintained well but now it's been sitting for over a year. The batteries are dead and the fluids need to be changed. Probably the filters too. But I want to know what else to look out for before taking it on a long drive.
I'm aware of
•Algae getting into the diesel so it may need a flush
• Possible blowby depending on whether the seals have gone bad
• Tires dry rotting
What else do I need to look out for? I'm most likely going to take a battery from my old bus to use it, and nspect how it runs ..

[nikitis]

There's a lot you can inspect. If I were you I'd watch one of the CDL test youtube videos. There's 100's, and it will go over a lot of inspection points. Familiarize yourself with those steps so you know what to look for.

But for a first trip home. Check hoses, belt, Radiator fluid, oil levels after running for a few mins, transmission fluids. Test drive to check for functioning brakes.

One mistake I made on mine was not checking the front end suspension well and realized I needed a king pin replacement. I suspect many on here buy their buses and just drive with bad king pins because nobody talks about replacing them here other than myself. You can drive with them like that but it wears out your steer tires far faster.

Evidence of this would be worn steer tire more on one side of the tire than the other side of the same tire. (Usually inner side is more worn) If you see that on the tires, it's gonna need a king pin job likely. You can also push hard inwards and there will be play as well. If you take a 6 ton bottlejack and jack up the front end on one side, you can push the wheel in and see if there's more than 3/4 inch play, up to 3/4 in of movement is allowed, more than that and you'll be in for a King Pin job which if you don't do it yourself can cost $5k.

If air brakes, check the dash for air pressure. Should be two needles, both need to be above 90, Can operate at 60psi, but doesn't give you any wiggle room if the system fails.90-120psi+ is what you are looking for minimum. The CDL test will show how to test air brakes with a pump down test to see if the braking system is working.

If you got good wheels, brakes, and cooled engine, you can take it off of his hands. Otherwise negotiate the price down because it's gonna cost you to fix many of those things.

[sportyrick]

Don't let anyone warm up the diesel engine before you get there, tell them you want to be able to start it cold yourself to see how it responds when doing such. It should start without a problem with very little smoke and no cylinders mis-firing or extra noises. Also get it started and running then let it idle for a while so if it needs a head gasket it has a chance to overheat while your there. Sometimes if it has been overheating a lot there will be telltale signs of rust stains around the radiator cap area. Open the radiator cap and check and see if it has oil in the water (should be none). Take a look underneath while it's warming up and see how much blowby it has, shouldn't be much. Then do a walk around checking tires, open the hood and look for oil leaks, pull the dipstick and look for a peanut butter on the dipstick, that means coolant in the oil. These things should get them nervous if they are trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

[Armonius]

I've watched some CDL videos already and those are definitely helpful.. I see a lot of things like tires, suspension and ways to check the steering system as well how to check the air braking system... You've given me a lot of information and I'm so grateful for it.. I'll be sure to look for any play in the steer tires. I have a 20ton bottle jack I can carry with me...

[Armonius]

Okay that makes sense. What does coolant in the oil indicate? Or as you said oil in the radiator cap area? I think those would mean big issues inside in the engine where areas are leaking right...
Also how do I tell what engine that is?

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by Armonius

Okay that makes sense. What does coolant in the oil indicate? Or as you said oil in the radiator cap area? I think those would mean big issues inside in the engine where areas are leaking right...
Also how do I tell what engine that is?

Coolant in the oil OR oil in the coolant - bad signs...walk away...unless they give it you for free!

A real good reason aside from what was said, to check the engine cold, lets you pull the dipstick to see the oil before it gets mixed up. It's always a great idea to check the oil BEFORE you start an engine for obvious low level reasons but also to check for coolant in the oil pan.

how to tell what engine it is...many times there will be a label on the motor but the best thing to do is google engine types, study the pictures. every motor is different and has tell tale signs of what it can be.

also, with the VIN number, you can contact a dealer and they will give you specifics on the motor or a "Build Sheet"/"line set" on the bus and the parts used to build it.

[magnakansas]

Telephone me. I have brought several parked buses to life. All made maiden voyage home with out needing repairs. Well, repairs done before moving.

I am in Kansas. You?

William 7852077600