3116 vs. 3208?

[Locutus]

Hi, all.

There are some Thomas Saf-T-Liners up for auction locally that I may be interested in. They have the 3116 engine and MT646 transmission. Pretty low milage too, at under 140K. 1991 models, 14 window, 38 ft length. One is a hightop.

Anyway, I had been looking for a bus with a 3208 engine because I'd heard that they're good in rear-engine bodies and don't tend to overheat as much as some others, have plenty of power, and are good candidates for WVO conversion. So I'm wondering how the 3116 compares on these attributes. Any wisdom on this out there in the forum membership?

[Locutus]

Nobody wants to comment on this? Okay I'll add some information. These are four identical Thomas buses with mileage varying from 131K to 150K. The engines are the Cat 3116TA215, which are the 215HP turbos. I talked to a guy at NC Machinery yesterday. They are the local Cat dealer/service/parts shop. I gave him the engine serial numbers and he was able to look them up in his service records. Turns out they were all owned by the same school district and were in for valve adjustements several years ago. One had the head gasket replaced.

What I found out so far about the 3116 vs. 3208 is that the 3116 is an inline 6 cyl. whereas the 3208 is a V8. However, the 3116 has about the same horsepower as the 3208 and is a newer design than the 3208. I don't know if there's any difference in torque output though. I'm told the 3208 also had a reputation for smoking.

But what I really want to know is whether the 3116 is similarly suitable for a WVO conversion. Nobody here has any knowledge or experience with this?