Free Lunch & Beer !!! (Dallas / Forth Worth)

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by milkmania

Is single tire rear end typical?
Seems like it'd be light weight

This one is a 350 chassis. My previous bus was 450 chassis and had double rear tires.

I like the single rear. I don't plan on putting too much weight on it. Also, I think tolls are cheaper.

Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by oricha1984

This one is a 350 chassis. My previous bus was 450 chassis and had double rear tires.

I like the single rear. I don't plan on putting too much weight on it. Also, I think tolls are cheaper.

Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

Now I get it

Our Oklahoma toll roads charge per axle

[oricha1984]

Extra info, given my bad luck with the transmission last time.

I went to AAMCO trans, I asked about doing a full tranny service and upgrading the cooler system.
The owner/manager there suggested to keep the radiator route, but to add a dual cooler in the front. He said the main thing is to get "back pressure" to get it to cool.
Quote : $450 for installation of dual cooler, another $100-150 for filter, tranny fluid, flush, gasket.
$100-120 for engine oil and filter change. I'm sure they can also change engine air filters.

I'll probably want to have the AC looked at before doing any tranny work.


Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by oricha1984

This one is a 350 chassis. My previous bus was 450 chassis and had double rear tires.

I like the single rear. I don't plan on putting too much weight on it. Also, I think tolls are cheaper.

Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

I think its per axle here on the FL Turnpike.
Glad to hear you got THE bus you were looking for!

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I think its per axle here on the FL Turnpike.
Glad to hear you got THE bus you were looking for!

Didn't get it yet

Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

[cadillackid]

im at a coffee shop without my headphones so I couldnt watch the vids with soiund, looks like a decent bus... Texas busses are always dusty.. its hot and dry in the summer.. they mauy very well have gotten rid of the bus purely because ther Air-Conditioner quit working.. to have a Coach A/C serviced professionally can be some big bucks, so the school at that point may have decided to give up on that bus.

if you get it and bring it to the SkolliePalooza florida edition we can look at it.. I plan to bring my A/C tools to florida with me on this trip as i want to make a repair on one of my Freon Lines on Redbyrd.. I found a very very slow leak while I was working on my air-lines earlier this week.

transmission fluid color is definitely a nice way to gauge whether the transmission has been run hot before...

like the chart you had above. pull the stick, wipe it clean with a paper towel.. dip it back in, pull it out and let a few drops drip onto a pure white paper or plastic and look at it.. it should be clear and pink to red but not brown or cloudy.

if its all foamy or lots of bubbles when you pull the stick it means the transmission is running Low on fluid or the pump is sucking air due sometimes to a dislodged or cracked pan filter and means the transmission was run with low pressure..

-Christopher

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im at a coffee shop without my headphones so I couldnt watch the vids with soiund, looks like a decent bus... Texas busses are always dusty.. its hot and dry in the summer.. they mauy very well have gotten rid of the bus purely because ther Air-Conditioner quit working.. to have a Coach A/C serviced professionally can be some big bucks, so the school at that point may have decided to give up on that bus.

if you get it and bring it to the SkolliePalooza florida edition we can look at it.. I plan to bring my A/C tools to florida with me on this trip as i want to make a repair on one of my Freon Lines on Redbyrd.. I found a very very slow leak while I was working on my air-lines earlier this week.

transmission fluid color is definitely a nice way to gauge whether the transmission has been run hot before...

like the chart you had above. pull the stick, wipe it clean with a paper towel.. dip it back in, pull it out and let a few drops drip onto a pure white paper or plastic and look at it.. it should be clear and pink to red but not brown or cloudy.

if its all foamy or lots of bubbles when you pull the stick it means the transmission is running Low on fluid or the pump is sucking air due sometimes to a dislodged or cracked pan filter and means the transmission was run with low pressure..

-Christopher

Hey Christopher
I plan on going over to see the bus again on Thursday. I will perform the white paper test. I'll record a video of it and of the underside of the bus.

I might just do a full service service on it before the trip and leave the tranny cooler upgrade/AC fix/ any other customization for a shop in Ocala that someone recommended.

So far the shops I've contacted want to just add a second cooler vs replace the one there. Seems like the shops offer to do the opposite of what I'm researching.

Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk

[EastCoastCB]

Is it overheating the tranny?
If not why mess with it that far from home?

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Is it overheating the tranny?
If not why mess with it that far from home?

Hey east,
As far as I can tell, no problems, I'm just traumatized from my last bus.
Trying to avoid any potential problems in the 1k+ trip.

[cadillackid]

the right way is to leave the existing cooler and add a secxond one on.. that way if you travel into very cold weather the coolant can help keep the transmission warm enough.. any trans cooler ive installed in any of my hotrods was always an added cooler to the stock one.. only time I didnt was the last momnte carlo i built, didnt have a stock cooler for the massive radiator i used so I had only the aftermarket one.
-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by oricha1984

Hey east,
As far as I can tell, no problems, I'm just traumatized from my last bus.
Trying to avoid any potential problems in the 1k+ trip.

If my crusty 92 can make it from KY that pretty lil darling ought to make it just fine. You've done more vetting than 99% of us. I think you should be more than fine. Just check the fluids every so often after draining your own fluids and you'll be fine. If you don't see any real leaks or dripping after its full warm and been driven, then I wouldn't sweat it any more.
Any mechanical thing than and will eventually fail. The more YOU do yourself the better the chance you won't have any major avoidable issues.
It shouldn't have tranny cooling issues cruising down the freeway. I'd think towing, loaded, or lots of stop and go would be the places that issue could be more likely.

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the right way is to leave the existing cooler and add a secxond one on.. that way if you travel into very cold weather the coolant can help keep the transmission warm enough.. any trans cooler ive installed in any of my hotrods was always an added cooler to the stock one.. only time I didnt was the last momnte carlo i built, didnt have a stock cooler for the massive radiator i used so I had only the aftermarket one.
-Christopher

Correct me if I am wrong,
Fuild circulation: tranny -> radiator -> accessory cooler -> tranny

From my readings, adding another accessory cooler. Could create too much back preasure and cousing the by pass valve to open.
tranny -> radiator -> accessory cooler -> second external cooler -> tranny
I read is best to replace stock accessory cooler with larger 6.0 cooler.




Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk

[oricha1984]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

If my crusty 92 can make it from KY that pretty lil darling ought to make it just fine. You've done more vetting than 99% of us. I think you should be more than fine. Just check the fluids every so often after draining your own fluids and you'll be fine. If you don't see any real leaks or dripping after its full warm and been driven, then I wouldn't sweat it any more.
Any mechanical thing than and will eventually fail. The more YOU do yourself the better the chance you won't have any major avoidable issues.
It shouldn't have tranny cooling issues cruising down the freeway. I'd think towing, loaded, or lots of stop and go would be the places that issue could be more likely.

Hahaha. Even my wife told me, just buy the damn bus already, lol.

Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk

[WanderWoman]

This community is awesome! What great support!
Bus looks awesome, I'm with your wife, just buy it already!
Sandi
www.thismidwifetravels.com

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by oricha1984

Correct me if I am wrong,
Fuild circulation: tranny -> radiator -> accessory cooler -> tranny

From my readings, adding another accessory cooler. Could create too much back preasure and cousing the by pass valve to open.
tranny -> radiator -> accessory cooler -> second external cooler -> tranny
I read is best to replace stock accessory cooler with larger 6.0 cooler.




Sent from my SM-T567V using Tapatalk

I admit i dont have a lot of experience with ford transmissions.. my experience is from beating the hell out of GM transmissions with 500+ horsepower engines.. I never removed the stock coolers.. but maybe fords are different.. GM's engaged the cooler anytime the converter was locked on the 700s and anytime you reached 2nd gear on the others.. maybe the bypass valve was one of the passages I drilled out when I was working the valve bodies over.. been over 10 years since I built my last transmission..


You can certainly pay someone to do all of your mechanical work if you like.. However if you learn to do small things yourself you will become much more confident in your bus and also less fearful of breakdowns as you learn how things are supposed to work , then you can pick up on possible issues before they become issues , or at least before you become stranded on the road..

I have confidence you coulkd install your own transmission cooler.. if thats a 6.0 then yeah installing an EGR cooler delete gets more involved.. (and something you want.. or at least a high performance EGR cooler)..

The air conditioning? if you bring the bus to ECCB bus gathering we can give it a look.. it isnt like you'll need to run it before then.. its not predicted to be hot outside even in florida for a bit yet.. then you can learn how that works too..

-Christopher

[Tango]

There are some very effective in-line coolers available these days. Piece of cake to install on coming out as well as going back in to the tranny.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by oricha1984

This one is a 350 chassis. My previous bus was 450 chassis and had double rear tires.

I like the single rear. I don't plan on putting too much weight on it. Also, I think tolls are cheaper.

Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

This is a dual rear E-350
2005 ford E 350 school bus

[cadillackid]

did you buy the Bus???
-Christopher

[oricha1984]

Hello all,

Tango. I'll have to learn about it some more. There seem to been a wide range of coolers. The common suggestion seems to be to upgrade to the ford 6.0 tranny cooler.

Milkmania. I'm no expert in chassis, I was just comparing to my previous bus. I think that one seems to have a wider body than the one I'm looking at. Maybe, that's the reason for the double rear.

Christopher, my last bus was a one night stand. This one I'm taking my sweet time with it. Tomorrow is our second date. Stay tune for more pictures/videos.


Sent from my BLU LIFE ONE X using Tapatalk

[milkmania]

No worries.... Was just soaking it all in, learning as I go