2006 IC CE300 dt466

[Bpjr07]

So my search for a bus is over 2 years now...
Thanks for all the help. It's hard to find any info on specific buses.

2006 5 window IC CE300 with 260,000 (miles ok?) Hear they can go for 400k?

Only information I have is that it has a dt466 and automatic.

Been reading up the small information I found online looks like IC CE300 would have come with a allison 1000?

What would the gas milage and max speed be like?

Is this a 6 speed allison not locked to 5?
Or can this be is the 2005 allison 1000 with the 5 speeds?

Would this be a decent shortbus combo?
Would I be able to vin check the bus with IC to verify what it has?

Thank you for all the help!

[cadillackid]

the CE300 will have either an allison 3000 series (optional) or a 2000 series.. year 2006 was a transition year.. being a school bus only 5 gears will be unlocked, however whether the trans is 6 capable or not will depend on your TCM and transmision serial number..



if someone has a picture of the TCM and its the model with a single 80 pin connector then its 4th gen and 6th gear capable and would just need unlocked.



the DT466E engine theoretically Can go 400k. but school bus service is tough on drivetrains.. 260k is getting up there.. being likely in service for 13 years.(maybe 14) it likely saw a little more highway service than some do which is a positive, buit at 260k id still want to inspect it for oil leaks, blowby, computer codes, tattletale(permanent set failure codes), EGR operation, oil cooler, etc.. the EGR and oil cooler on these around that mileage point are often in need of replkacement unless by chance the bus has had impeccable maintenance..

[cadillackid]

the allison 1000 was only offered standard in the IC BE series busses...and it was 6th gear capable from 2006 on.

[Bpjr07]

Wow thanks for the information.
The miles are high and it's going to be auction so I cant physically check it,

Sounds like too high of a risk then.

What would be the gas milage if it was a 6 speed?

[cadillackid]

MPG depends on so many factors.. whether its 4,5, or 6 speeds doesnt matter so much. as the total package.. how much total weight, what is the rear gear and tire size, how fast are you driving.. etc.. most school busses get in the 7-10 range..



some guys higher, some lower.. and it varies from day to day..



as for the bus you are looking at.. you can contact the school who is selling it and see if they have maint rewcords for it.. often they do. so you can see if any major components or updates have been done.. some here have obtained maint records and found things like transmissions were already rebuilt, or EGT coolers replaced, etc..

there is usually a contact in the auction listing..

[cadillackid]

MPG example.. my little red bus is a 6 window shorty with allison 6 speed and T444E (7.3 V8 diesel) engine..


driving on mostly flat ground with not much wind..

if I drive it at 55-60. it stays in 5th gear and gets easily in the 13-15 MPG range..
if I drive 65 it goes in 6th gear.. shifts out if I step on it moderately.. and gets in the 10-12 range.


if I drive it 75 (maximum speed for my tires).. it stays in 6th more but wind resistance means it will downshift on most any incline.. and it gets 8-9.



so you can see that driving faster really hurts the MPG.. school busses are like a shoe box going down the highway.. not much aerodynamics. so your weather will greatly affect mileage..



ive had trips where i got close to 20 at 65 because I had such tail wind.. ive also had trips where I had to run it in 4th gear the whole trip because of headwinds and i got 5-6

[Bpjr07]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

MPG example.. my little red bus is a 6 window shorty with allison 6 speed and T444E (7.3 V8 diesel) engine..


driving on mostly flat ground with not much wind..

if I drive it at 55-60. it stays in 5th gear and gets easily in the 13-15 MPG range..
if I drive 65 it goes in 6th gear.. shifts out if I step on it moderately.. and gets in the 10-12 range.


if I drive it 75 (maximum speed for my tires).. it stays in 6th more but wind resistance means it will downshift on most any incline.. and it gets 8-9.



so you can see that driving faster really hurts the MPG.. school busses are like a shoe box going down the highway.. not much aerodynamics. so your weather will greatly affect mileage..



ive had trips where i got close to 20 at 65 because I had such tail wind.. ive also had trips where I had to run it in 4th gear the whole trip because of headwinds and i got 5-6

Wow they have 4 2003 IC t444e for sale with 160k, maybe I need to research these.
Was not thinking about this engine since I heard it was gutless?

But I like the 2003 look more than the 2006 has the weird round hoods.

Here in California most of my trips consist of going uphill or to mountains to get to my campgrounds.