Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-20-2016, 04:38 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 108
Quieting the Ford 7.3 Powerstroke

Mine is in a 1999 Ford E450 airporter style shuttle bus.
I want to quiet the noise from the engine.
That means also quieting the noise thru the hood since the noise travels thru the hood and the windshield to the interior.

I can use google like everyone else, but am esp interested in what you have done to quiet the 7.3 engine in your bus?

If you are stating opinion without experience (which is welcome) please state so in your reply.
Thanks for the help

Bluespoet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 05:49 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
sdwarf36's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Well-I got a 96 e-450 shuttle bus-so I guess I count as having experience. Theres only so much you can do-you ARE sitting on top of the motor. I have indoor/outdoor carpet on any flat surface I could on the inside- I'm sure that helped out a bunch. I don't have anything on the dog house except the stock padding inside.
A product that I can say works good is Dynamat. Its some form of rubber with aluminum backing. I've used it in a few cars. Its expensive-there may be cheaper stuff out there.
Actually, I don't consider it that noisy at hiway speed. It has a nice goin' down the road tone to it. You get as much wind + road noise as engine noise. But my ride before that for many years was 85 GMC cube van with a 350-with headers-so quiet might be relative.
__________________
Don't make a fuss-just get on the bus!

my bus build https://www.skoolie.net/gallery/Skoolies/Sped
sdwarf36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 06:47 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I havent used it on my T-444e (7.3) yet, however I can say that hushmat DOES work for a DT-360 so i can only assume it will help with the 7.3

also make sure you have any Injector Cackle TSB's performed.. much of the 7.3 noise is injector cackle and there are fixes to quiet it down.. injector cackle is harmless just annoying..

the Split-shot injectors in the later models.. (99 up?) are more annoying than the earlier versions of the 7.3

the T-444E is even noisier than the ford 7.3 due to using a mechanical Fuel Pump..

if your thermostat is bad and your engine doesnt warm up to operating temp it is also extremely noisy.. (not just when its cold..)

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 08:59 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Southern California
Posts: 554
Year: 2002
Chassis: e450 super duty
Engine: 7.3l ford powerstroke
You can try useing dulpi-color rubberized undercoat spray in between doghouse & insulation, or on the inside around the doghouse, Or the under side of the hood i used it inside. works good just alittle pricey. you can get it at Auotzone, napa, pepboys etc..its always in stock. you can try getting rid of the dead-head fuel issue hear that works with shutin it up a bit. Cheers.!
__________________
Blue Sky's
dopamine16 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 09:36 PM   #5
Bus Nut
 
GreyCoyote's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
I dont have your engine or chassis, but I do have a DT-466. If you think the T-444 is loud, wait until you are sitting on a DT.

A trick I used to great effect is the rubber mat designed for horse trailers from Tractor Supply. This stuff is almost an inch thick and comes in 4'x6' sheets. Its HEAVY, and works a treat. Its better than dynamat for these diesels. Very dense. You'll need to monkey something to attach it to your engine cover, but its worth the effort. Also cuts down on heat transfer into the drivers compartment.
__________________
"You can finally say you have enough horsepower when you leave two black streaks from corner to corner"
(Mark Donohue, famed TransAm driver)
GreyCoyote is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 10:04 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Pshaww...if you want to hear loud?...try a Detroit 6V53 "Screamer". Just maybe the loudest engine ever created! Same engine that was used in the Viet Nam "Swift" boats (the Brown Water navy). The joke was that the noise from the Detroits did more harm to the Viet Cong than the twin 50's ever did.

PS...I had that engine in a 40' BB and can testify to the noise level.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2016, 11:13 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
Pshaww...if you want to hear loud?...try a Detroit 6V53 "Screamer". Just maybe the loudest engine ever created! Same engine that was used in the Viet Nam "Swift" boats (the Brown Water navy). The joke was that the noise from the Detroits did more harm to the Viet Cong than the twin 50's ever did.

PS...I had that engine in a 40' BB and can testify to the noise level.
Man you make me miss my Detroit......
PNW_Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 12:46 AM   #8
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 108
some good ideas here
Bluespoet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 05:40 AM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
TheCog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 42
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Shuttle Bus
Chassis: Ford E350
Engine: Ford 460/7.5l
Rated Cap: 15
My shuttle bus has a Ford 460...pretty quiet ride.

My '84 Ford F250 6.9l IDI w/ Banks Turbo as a muffler is music to my ears and sometimes turn the radio off and just drive. Surprising how quiet it can be rolling down the highway.
__________________
Certified Zip Tie Mechanic
TheCog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 06:20 AM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
sdwarf36's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyCoyote View Post
I dont have your engine or chassis, but I do have a DT-466. If you think the T-444 is loud, wait until you are sitting on a DT.

A trick I used to great effect is the rubber mat designed for horse trailers from Tractor Supply. This stuff is almost an inch thick and comes in 4'x6' sheets. Its HEAVY, and works a treat. Its better than dynamat for these diesels. Very dense. You'll need to monkey something to attach it to your engine cover, but its worth the effort. Also cuts down on heat transfer into the drivers compartment.
I used that stuff on my steps after I rebuilt them. Good stuff. I could see using it as a carpet underlay.
__________________
Don't make a fuss-just get on the bus!

my bus build https://www.skoolie.net/gallery/Skoolies/Sped
sdwarf36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 08:17 AM   #11
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyCoyote View Post
I dont have your engine or chassis, but I do have a DT-466. If you think the T-444 is loud, wait until you are sitting on a DT.

A trick I used to great effect is the rubber mat designed for horse trailers from Tractor Supply. This stuff is almost an inch thick and comes in 4'x6' sheets. Its HEAVY, and works a treat. Its better than dynamat for these diesels. Very dense. You'll need to monkey something to attach it to your engine cover, but its worth the effort. Also cuts down on heat transfer into the drivers compartment.
interesting.. the T-444E's have a completely flat floor.. so I could probably get one of these, cut it to the shape of my floor and just plop it down..
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 08:19 AM   #12
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I would say when its cold my T-444E is way louder than my DT-360 but when hot the T-444E is quieter unless oyu hit that mod throttle then it really growls.. but at full throttle its quiet and it idles quiet..

the DT seems to just growl all the time.. cold, hot, part or full throttle..

the DT definitely puts a TON more heat into the driver compartment than the T-444E does..

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 11:13 AM   #13
Bus Crazy
 
roach711's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington Hills, Mi (Detroit area)
Posts: 1,968
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
A cheap alternative to the dynamat is Peel and Seal roof sealant tape. I laid down two layers on the floor around the engine cover and it did lower the noise a bit.

Adding some two-stroke oil to the fuel tank helps quiet the injector rattle at idle at least. I use Walmart TCW3 outboard oil in mine at 1 ounce to a gallon of fuel. It also adds back some of the lubricity lost with the new low sulfur diesel.

Check your engine cover gasket. If that's not sealing the noise will be incredible.

Check your up pipe and turbo connections. Common leak points are at the turbo outlet and at the up pipe donut seals. Fortunately those are easy checks in a van. Just pull the engine cover and there you are. I replaced my up pipes last year and it did quiet things down noticeably.

Many of us have glued carpet onto the bus walls to help suppress some interior noise.

As Sdwarf said, wind noise is the big issue at highway speeds. I've found that the sweet spot for engine noise is at 62 mph or so in mine. Slower or faster are both noisier.
__________________
The Roach Motel
roach711 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 04:23 PM   #14
Moderator
 
crazycal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
Quote:
Adding some two-stroke oil to the fuel tank helps quiet the injector rattle at idle at least. I use Walmart TCW3 outboard oil in mine at 1 ounce to a gallon of fuel. It also adds back some of the lubricity lost with the new low sulfur diesel.
You beat me to it. This helped out a whole bunch on my 2000 but not as much with my 1996. Don't know why. I also keep several gallons in my 2000 diesel Excursion.

I buy the Walmat stuff you listed by the gallon for $12.88. I don't care how crazy people think I am for using it. I have run it for tens of thousands of miles.
__________________
I'm hungry!

You Gotta Let Me Fly
crazycal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 05:31 PM   #15
Bus Crazy
 
sdwarf36's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Moodus, Ct.
Posts: 1,062
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: Ford e-450
Engine: 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 14
I had to do a trip on diesel recently ( I'm on WVO 99.9% of the time) there's a big difference of noise. Even the wife asked if everything was ok.
I've read on other forums of people running all kinds of crap in the Powerstrokes-and they don't seem to mind it at all. Once warm, I bet you could run on 100% 2 stroke oil if you wish.
Roach-I've found the same thing on the sweet spot. As soon as I hit the highway, I lock the cruise at 63 mph. That's 2425 rpm. Its also like a 1/2 mile a gallon better that 65.
__________________
Don't make a fuss-just get on the bus!

my bus build https://www.skoolie.net/gallery/Skoolies/Sped
sdwarf36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 05:36 PM   #16
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
I haven't tried it yet but have been told that spraying the outside of the rocker covers on a Cummins with undercoating or several coats of truck bed liner can make a big difference. I do know that Cummins makes heavier covers for industrial engines but hear they are real pricey.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2016, 06:22 PM   #17
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
interesting I havent yet tried the 2 cycle oil yet.. I read about it on here a couple months ago. im going to have to try it.. I know my 444E is similar that at about 2300-2400 RPM its quiet on the highway..

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2019, 04:55 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 13
We have a T444E in a 3800 which is actually pretty quiet - until the temp gets to 170 and the fan kicks on. Then it's really loud until it cools down and the fan stops running so hard. I'm wondering if an electric fan (running in parallel with what is already there), might help keep it below the 170 mark for a longer period.
sdHeights is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2019, 06:18 PM   #19
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdHeights View Post
We have a T444E in a 3800 which is actually pretty quiet - until the temp gets to 170 and the fan kicks on. Then it's really loud until it cools down and the fan stops running so hard. I'm wondering if an electric fan (running in parallel with what is already there), might help keep it below the 170 mark for a longer period.
Normal operating temp is 190, not sure you want to, or can keep it at 170. If you want the fan on later, get an adjustable thermostat for the fan. I suspect a gauge is off if it sits at 170.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2019, 07:16 PM   #20
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
depends on the type of clutch it has... if it has an electric clutch that is connected to the ECM then the ECM controls the fan ands its programmable within the computer program. if its viscous then someone may have adjusted the temp spiral down lower on it..

or the dashboard gauge could be lying to you and the engine is much hotter...
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.