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Old 07-20-2020, 08:25 AM   #281
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
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Year: 1991
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Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
your shifters are upside down because the shift lever bracket is 180 degree turned.. its pulling up when it shoul;d be pushing down.. or vice versa.. should be an easy fix to flip it around and move the bracket..

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Old 07-20-2020, 08:36 AM   #282
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Engine: T444E
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yeah thats what I meant...
to flip the brackets I would've had to make some...

just thought it was funny after all that work that I needed to source new brackets (or fab) for this

but I like it shifts like a boat lol

is character
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Old 08-17-2020, 12:25 PM   #283
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Well lads this is it

doing the final preps for her first actual "trip"

Changing the oil today.

However its odd that somewhere waaay back in this threads origins I think I made it pretty clear that being sailors we are not going to be doing any mountains.

And so our first trip from home in NC is to be 4 hours northish to Peterstown West Va. Which sounds like it is in the mountains. However a dear friend who is a welder and a structural something or other has a ton of metal lying around, and has invited us up to help with some upgrades. So we must if we must as I can't pass the offer up

I added some more insulation to our doghouse. It never really got hot before, but tried to cut down on the noise some and it worked splendid.





And made this



Not quiet done... a bit more carpet to add but M says it looks much less industrial and bus-ish. It is most def quieter.

there is plenty of room and air/flow still... a vista doghouse is more of a large escape hatch





So Any last words of wisdom trekking upwards with the A-2000. I don't have a trans temperature gauge yet, and will just take it low and slow. But I do lock up now and I do have the curiously large oil cooler for the trans now.

The IH shop said driving around over 94+F outside and trans temp via laptop reading held steady at 152


a bit nervous... thinking Good sam for towing is wise... M (the missus, maryanne) researched and seems to think so
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Old 08-17-2020, 12:31 PM   #284
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Kaiju - awesome.
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Old 08-17-2020, 12:33 PM   #285
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Kaiju was our larger sailboat



This is the newer "kaiju" that we will tow behind the bus
at only 22 ft.

She's not quite done being kitted and wired etc.
will be a fall project when cooler

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Old 08-17-2020, 02:06 PM   #286
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first asctual trip after majot upgrades is fun!! take tools with you in case something acts wonky!
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Old 08-17-2020, 03:34 PM   #287
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nice, had the older macgregor, easy to tow with water ballast.
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Old 08-17-2020, 06:10 PM   #288
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
first asctual trip after majot upgrades is fun!! take tools with you in case something acts wonky!
yeah... I am out of fingernails mate, and yes tools of course, never leave without em. Likely will leave the motorcycle here as well as it is still not ready either after 5 years of storage..

So when you breezing through for a visit?

air bnb is empty, with the covid, and the house fire we haven't been renting as of yet so if you are OH-FL raleigh is a free stopover, and plenty of bus parking.

But yeah... mountains , a rig I built from scratch and only driven around town (a bunch, but still) and do have a clean check from IH

so into the deepend we go

Bill is concerned
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Old 08-25-2020, 10:40 AM   #289
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So an after report of the first long drive on the motorway to West VA

A lot of worry for nothing. Everything ran great. The trip was amazing and I got the hitch help I wanted. (a separate post has been made).

Uphill had to drive "manually" but otw home I set the cruise and just relaxed.

I noticed the following observations, in random order:

1. She handles lower inclines without having to drop in 4th. Cruises up fine and I lose little speed.

2. the larger Inclines when I begin to lose RPM's and have to shift to 4th I seem to have a max climb rate of 50 mph at 2100 ish rpms keeps me right at about 210 degrees and everything sounds and feels right.

3. When climbing I would wait until speed dropped from 65 to 55 (bit lower) and the revs would creep down to 1800. At this point we shift to 4th and just climb with flashers... but again at about 50 mph.

4. It was 89 degrees, feels like 96 with humidity.

5. I think my fuel tank, although looks large is only 25 gallons. I am unsure what is standard

6. M calculated the mileage up and seems to have come up with 5.5 going uphill from Raleigh NC to Peterstown West Virginia..but it was indeed a steep drive

7. I breezed through fancy gap and it was over, and I was still worrying. I hadn't realized I was over it until M told me. Too busy watching gauges

8. Downhill I was worried again when I saw the 8 mile steep grade use lower gear. I started in 4th... was too slow, so I went for 5th and it coasted down with the gearing holding me back at about 63 mph

9. Finally on Flat ground and rolling home I set the cruise and she purrs along in the sweet spot at 2000 revs and 65mph.

10. M got new data from the flat ground traveling and fill up and we think she is pulling 9.5 MPG.. is this good?

11. I believe with my gearing of 4.78 my top speed is limited at around 80 mph... I have not gone past 75mph and it easily gets there... but at this point you reach the point where more revs gives little more speed, and there is no point as my goal was 63mph at 1900 revs.

12. The actual ride was a dream... even the bad parts and bumps M didn't suffer any spinal injuries. Her seat was comfortable and in spite of the heat we were fine. Stop and go city traffic I think we might've died yes. Air con is in the works, and the on board genny means we can fire up the roof top if in a traffic pile up

13. It honestly drives just as good and bad as our old ford E-150 camper van
I didn't feel like I was driving a huge thing at all

And the hitch



P. S. "M" is Maryanne, the missus

cheers
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Old 08-25-2020, 03:36 PM   #290
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cool deal on the trip!.. yeah that refusal of the trans to downshift is why I have done what ive done with my integrations.. i travel in hills quite a bit and got tired of having to constantly manually up and downshift or wait for it to drop so far down that the engine was clearly lugging (engine load 100% and below 2000 RPM and a 444E is lugged)...



I like to set the cruise and drive... up and down hills and it drops up and down as it should.. I still havent perfected my Hill-descent program but that comes in time..



-Christopher
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Old 08-26-2020, 02:45 AM   #291
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I notice the I-beam on the end of the hitchis open on the passenger side. Is the I-beam for holding a bike of some sort?
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Old 08-26-2020, 07:38 AM   #292
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Native View Post
I notice the I-beam on the end of the hitchis open on the passenger side. Is the I-beam for holding a bike of some sort?
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/t...sta-32691.html
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Old 08-26-2020, 04:10 PM   #293
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Thank you for the link.
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Old 01-01-2021, 12:09 PM   #294
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Did You Do a Write-Up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mmink View Post
Swapping in 2000 for a 545 is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. I believe it was designed to replace the 545 when necessary. I just successfully completed this project. This will common thing to do soon enough. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will do full write up as Caddilac kid did,(and thanks by the way to him as there is very few resources for this). I have been documenting it on instagram, but will also do it here. My factory wiring harness in my 99 3800 had unused plugs hanging there waiting for the A2000. International had to change ECM from At to MD as someone previously said. After that, this thing rips! 70mph at 2100rpm. DM me anytime if you have questions
I’m reading through RolesvilleMarines thread and wondered if you finished your write up? Would like to see it and hopefully some helpful pics.

Thanks,
Josh
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Old 01-01-2021, 03:34 PM   #295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diverdude0075 View Post
I’m reading through RolesvilleMarines thread and wondered if you finished your write up? Would like to see it and hopefully some helpful pics.

Thanks,
Josh
+2 for the write up
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Old 01-01-2021, 08:27 PM   #296
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+3 for a write up.. mine was more of a chronicle for Geeking out than it was a write-up..
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Old 01-02-2021, 08:02 AM   #297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
+3 for a write up.. mine was more of a chronicle for Geeking out than it was a write-up..
Bah! don't sell yourself short

You paved the way for duffers like me to try it and we are forever in your debt


Without Redbyrd thread I never would even attempted it.


Now all you have to do is come visit one day and turn up my heat, and adjust my shift points
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Old 01-02-2021, 02:29 PM   #298
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Thanks Dave and Chris and others for sharing all the info! I’ve posted a few places that I have my A2000 bolted in and am now starting to do electrical. Here are a few pics of the TCM. It’s from a 20001. I plan to use the ECM that came in my ‘99 originally, unless I have to upgrade. Should I start a new thread or just add to this? Hopefully the link to pics works...

https://imgur.com/gallery/52MlTEy
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Old 01-02-2021, 02:49 PM   #299
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diverdude0075 View Post
Thanks Dave and Chris and others for sharing all the info! I’ve posted a few places that I have my A2000 bolted in and am now starting to do electrical. Here are a few pics of the TCM. It’s from a 20001. I plan to use the ECM that came in my ‘99 originally, unless I have to upgrade. Should I start a new thread or just add to this? Hopefully the link to pics works...

https://imgur.com/gallery/52MlTEy
You should probably start your own thread..

all the swaps should be separate I think so we can reference them

I still wish an admin would change the title of my thread to something more easily searchable... at the time I was asking about trans options and didn't realize it was going to end up the build thread


I see some issues with your harness already.. looks like you are missing some of it that is still in the vehicle it came from (for the dash end) You will also need to get the Diag plug from a junkyard bus as yours is wrong in your current bus (again I had a donor, so I stole that too)

Also the sensors on that harness look like they are for a bus that is wired for a 2000 already

not the end of the world and I am also studying your harness still

just not a plug and play

Send me more detailed pics of each section and the connectors via email

we can do this
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Old 01-02-2021, 05:31 PM   #300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diverdude0075 View Post
Thanks Dave and Chris and others for sharing all the info! I’ve posted a few places that I have my A2000 bolted in and am now starting to do electrical. Here are a few pics of the TCM. It’s from a 20001. I plan to use the ECM that came in my ‘99 originally, unless I have to upgrade. Should I start a new thread or just add to this? Hopefully the link to pics works...

https://imgur.com/gallery/52MlTEy



your engine ECM will work.. HOWEVER


unless you can program the transmission type parameter from 'allison AT / MT' to 'Allison MD'. your speedometer, engine high idle, and cruise control will fail to operate.. as also the ability for the ECM to issue kickdown commands will be inhibitied as it doesnt know how fast the bus is moving till about 20 seconds after you take off from a stop.. (if that.. it may not register speed at all)..



reason being is that the Speed signal on an AT545 is a 2 wire signal sent from a physical sensor to the engine ECM.. (it was the connector you unplugged from the 2 wure speed sender at the rear of the trans).. the allison 2000 uses a computer-generated pulse on a single wire to send speed to the ECM from the trans TCM. whenb you program the allison MD in your engine ECM it tells the ECM to look for speed on a single wire and to ignore the fact the other wire is either grounded or not connected at all..



changing this parameter requires either a IH dealer or the "god-mode" servicemaxx and a Nexiq or nexiq-clone device..



rolesville swapped the ECM from his donor bus which had the same engine. (and of course was set to allison MD) so he didnt have any isues with the speed sensor data..



I reprogrammed mine and then updated to a 2004 year ECM as it handled my transmission better than my 99 / 00 year ECM did.
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