TC 2000 5.9/AT545 24,000 OG miles losing power

[LiveTheRide]

Hello all....Ive got a 1997 TC2000 with a 5.9/AT545 combo. 24,000 Original miles, stored in a barn. Use to be the Manatee County Sheriff command bus in the Bradenton FL area. Stored in a barn. Also a little extra long at 44'

Anyways, got it 3.5 years ago. Drove it to a truck shop, got engine oil and things checked out and new tires but they did not work on the transmissions so let that ride and drove it on down to Naples FL. for the refit . Cruised along 60-65 mph. Everything great.

Sat for a year or so working on it, ran it down old allligator alley to the keys to work on it at a fab shop down there, same thing was able to get 60-65 or a slight more. Average acceleration what you would expect from 44' of steel.

On the way back to Naples I started losing power and having issues with the generators quitting. Changed fuel filters, figured I was having issues with fuel. Sat for a year in Naples working on it.

Drove it to Fort Lauderdale with new filters for doing some more work over there. Slow speeds everything seemed....ok....merged on to 75 and took about 10 miles feathering and flooring the throttle to get it to 50. Then a few trucks passed and got a draft and finally pulled it up to maybe 55 with my foot putting the pedal on the floor but not getting full RPMS. Used to get up around 2500/2600 on a straight when I floored it and 63-65mph. Now I was struggling to get past 2100.

Every overpass or wildlife bridge on 75 I would lose 10-15 mph. Figured I was chasing fuel issues but also noticing it seemed to not be catching 4th gear easy or when it did it just had no power.

Took it to a truck shop. Gave it to them for 2 months. They never got around to anything. I'll leave that topic alone. Changed the filters again myself (not transmission)

Sat for a while . Time to go back to Naples to undercover storage for some work. This run it ran a little better, i was still losing speed but it I was able to keep it closing in on 60 probably with a tailwind but still losing speed on the overpasses and if I lost speed it took forever to get back.

Tried to get several mechanics to come check/adjust the kickdown cable and look it over. Could not get anyone to book me appointment or mobile service. I think when I said 1997 bus they thought "no budget to fix"

If I knew how much I dumped into this rig I would be sick...and its in like mint condition. New paint job. Underbody literally looks brand new. 24,000 miles in Manatee County Florida and stored in a warehouse when not in use.

Anyway, could not get it anyone to come out. Finally the time had come to take it to NC about 3 years late. I have a couple acres not far from the Blueridge Parkway and have wanted it up there. I contemplated driving it because the last run was a "little" better. Thought maybe I was working thru the fuel issues. And I was frustrated and wanted to take the rig on a trip after 4 years.

Luckily I got busy at work and could not find time to drive it up. so made a deal with a guy with a lowboy. Trucked it close to the property in brevard but not all the way to the property as there was no place up there to park his rig and offload mine.

Took it for a quick spin in the cold but mostly in the valley and thought maybe the bus just loved it up here and not south Florida. Seemed to be driving a little better.

Decided to make the push up to the property, about 20 miles of basically rolling and mostly uphill climbing from 2400 ft elevation in Brevard to 3500 where it sits now. Finally caught nearly proper RPMS and speed on some flats and downhills going out of town. Got real excited.

Then got to the first hill rolling at 55-58. Then 50. Then 40. Then 30. Then 20. Then roughly 10 mph with it floored , in a very short timeframe....and temps rising. Flashers on and people flashing their lights at me. No place to go, committed now. Get to the top and down another one, temps drop like a rock and back to normal. Get speed back. Get to next hill.....same thing. Creeping...

Finally got off the main road and onto a more gentile side road and was able to move along between 35-50 mph not bogging down in some gentler rolling areas .

Then got to the "really big hill". About 2.5 miles up winding up hill. But back country road and no traffic. Dropped it into second and just started chugging. Did ok for a bit then down to 10 mph then crawling. Dropped it to first and feathered it a bit. Kept going.....then it stalls out going up the hill. Hit the airbrakes and wipe the sweat off and crank it a few times and it starts. Slam it into first and hit the gas as I am releasing the brakes and made it most of the way up in 1st gear and it stalled out again. Repeat process, get to the top where I had a few miles of more gentile stuff and no noises, temps ok , speed fine...but as soon as I hit any incline at all it was just barely chugging to the top in 1st.

One other symptom...after any of these runs that I had issues...even the flats in FL with engine and tranny hot...when I go to park....it is stalling it out. I ran from FLL to Naples with no sign of stalling out but then trying to maneuver into parking spot, can not keep it running at idle when its hot. Have to throttle it up and just bump it in and out ....and cuss and get it into place. Same thing after this run. Finally got it off public roads and onto my property and then hard to keep it running trying to get it in place.

So...chased fuel issues, changed filters many times , can reach full RPM no load....no longer thinking it is fuel and is transmission.

Also after that chug up hill to the property and got out I could smell some hot transmission fluid. No leakage. No temp gauge on the trans. on this bus...and I have not had time but also gotten up the nerve to drain the trans fluid and see if its toasted.

Kick down cable?
Clogged filter?
Torque converter?
Ideas?
I've tried hard to pay professionals good money to work on it and focus on my work ....but cant get anyone to come when i say "bus"....I am a mechanic by trade and own a marine industry type service company. John Deere factory trained and started the business turning wrenches but just have no time. Tired of chasing this.

I do not expect to maintain 55 up every hill but I literally was going 7mph up a hill that I have watched semi's and regular school buses maintain 40-45 min.

Anyone have same experience or ideas?