"The Italian Connection" a.k.a. "Squeezed Daily"

[Tango]

Nat is absolutely right --- Unless you plan on building a dragster or a sled pulling rig, keep your rpm's as close to the engines peak torque rating as possible for longevity and mpg's. Playing with the governor will get you more rpm's...but at a very high price. Mind boggling power & torque can be wrung out of these engines when tweaked but the legendary reliability & mileage of diesels goes away rapidly when they are pushed beyond their design limits. Especially when it comes to rpm's.

[skoolie_n00bie]

Oh for sure guys! I'm not planning in building a spaceship LOL. But the bus is topping at 55mpg screaming.....don't recall the rpms....lowering that (rpms) would also lower noise levels at cruise speed, don't you think?

[nat_ster]

Yes it would.

Nat

[Tango]

You really do need to know what rpm's you are pulling. Without that information, everything else has little meaning or value as far as gearing. A couple of hundred rpm can make a very big difference in mpg and overall reliability.

[skoolie_n00bie]

Originally Posted by Tango

Hey n00b --- actually there are several ways to pick up more top end speed. More often than not, a combination gets the best results. Below are the three most common variables you have to play with.

Rear end (Ring & Pinion Ratio) - Taller gears will make you go faster at any given engine RPM...but only if the engine has enough torque to pull those gears. Typically a small change in axle ratio will yield a small improvement that most engines can handle.

Transmission Final Gear Ratio - This can be modified by going with a different tranny that has higher gearing, finding one with one or more levels of Overdrive, or by adding an auxiliary trans that multiplies what you already have (sometimes called a Brownie Box). As far as I know Brownies only work with standard trans.

Tire Diameter - Often overlooked and actually one of the cheapest fixes there is. Increasing the diameter can have a significant effect.
Example: RPM and Gearing being the same (2240 RPM x 1:1 ratio)...going two inches larger on the tires will take a vehicle from 65mph to about 69 mph.

But...before you get too deeply committed to any solution...play with the numbers on a good calculator. Lots of "what ifs" can be tested out before you spend a dime. I have used the link below with good results, especially the "Manual Entry" calc at the bottom of the page.

Engine RPM Calculator

Good luck with it pardner and let us know what you decide.

This is such useful info. Thank you!

[skoolie_n00bie]

Picture time!
All lights are removed

[skoolie_n00bie]

I can reuse most of them, and swap all reds in back, and amber in front, but I think I'll get new ones (or decent used) for some of them....too rusty

[skoolie_n00bie]

Disclaimer: If you guys see pics twice, sorry....tapatalk it's being wonky

[skoolie_n00bie]

Started (finally!!!!) prepping the outside: the nose is as smooth as a baby's butt!

[skoolie_n00bie]

I also moved the bus today so the tires could move 1/4 turn to avoid getting them square lol

[bansil]

Originally Posted by skoolie_n00bie

Disclaimer: If you guys see pics twice, sorry....tapatalk it's being wonky

Don't blame wonky on tapatalk .......wonky is a state......that you drove to....when you woke up and said..."self, I need...NO..... I want a bus".... ;)

When you laying down paint?

[skoolie_n00bie]

Originally Posted by bansil

Don't blame wonky on tapatalk .......wonky is a state......that you drove to....when you woke up and said..."self, I need...NO..... I want a bus".... ;)

When you laying down paint?

Might have been also me trying to post but barely seeing keys from my eyes not wanting to stay open....[emoji16]
I'll sand and prep the whole thing, then prime it.
Anyone ever tried a wrap on their bus?

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by skoolie_n00bie

Might have been also me trying to post but barely seeing keys from my eyes not wanting to stay open....[emoji16]
I'll sand and prep the whole thing, then prime it.
Anyone ever tried a wrap on their bus?

I looked into the wrap's, but was disappointed to find they only last 5 years max.

Then there is the cost.

How about plasti dip?

Nat

[EastCoastCB]

I have a neighbor who is obsessed with plasti dip. I wouldn't do a bus in it.
Its impossible to tape off very well and it rips easily. The sun fades it quickly and it ends up looking like a high schooler went to town on it with krylon.
Its ok stuff for blacking our the plastic chrome on cars and stuff, but when I see the neighbor's plasti dipped 2015 buick I wanna puke. It peels super easy. It aslo leaches into paint sometimes. His 2013 Jetta was white from the factory. They "dipped" it pink and now the color is etched into the finish. Looks atrocious.
Vinyl wrap would hold up a heck of a lot better but 5 years isn't terribly long either.

[Piersg]

and Plasti Dip is not all that cheap.

[nat_ster]

When my bus is done, I'm going to get the entire exterior coated with Pollyurea.

Comes in any color, UV stable, and unreal tough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWIaTIQJr7Y

Nat

[EastCoastCB]

Very cool idea nat.

[crazycal]

Nice bus. Have you measured the bus from bumper to bumper?

[skoolie_n00bie]

Originally Posted by crazycal

Nice bus. Have you measured the bus from bumper to bumper?

If I remember correctly, 18'

[Dragrace]

New question of the day, how do you hook up a diesel tachometer, on a car it has a hot wire, a ground and a green wire to the distributer. I am not sure a diesel has a distributer. Second question of the day, what is the peak torque rpm of a 7.3 turbo ford engine. BTW, although I am a drag racer, and love high output, I do not intend to persue greater power with my bus, I would be interested in mileage and trouble free service.