Back again...now with bus!

[jazty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

interesting on the oil leak... I havent looked at that on mine yet.. but the few drops of oil I find on the ground.. "look" like a rear main seal except I do notice some pil in my valley pan..

The other simple culprits for oil trickling down the valley are a mechanical low pressure oil pump (LPOP) and the turbo pedestal o-rings.

Otherwise it could actually be a crank seal

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by jazty

The other simple culprits for oil trickling down the valley are a mechanical low pressure oil pump (LPOP) and the turbo pedestal o-rings.

Otherwise it could actually be a crank seal

true it could be a rtear main.. its not a lot of oil. I notice theres some greasy spots on the bottom of the bell and a little on the trans poan and tyou get a few drops o nthe gorund over-night... nothing big..

as for the LPOP I thought that was on the front crank just behind the balancer.

-Christopher

[jazty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

as for the LPOP I thought that was on the front crank just behind the balancer.

Yes, of course it is.

I miswrote. I meant the mechanical fuel pump, if there is one. I know most of the powerstrokes use an electric pump.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by jazty

Yes, of course it is.

I miswrote. I meant the mechanical fuel pump, if there is one. I know most of the powerstrokes use an electric pump.

the fords used electric pumps... the IHC's (at least up through 99) used mechanical pumps... mine is a mechanical pump.. i could easily tell when i had a fuel pressure gauge on it.. you could see the pulsations in the pressure... im not sure if we have an electric Lift pump in the tank or not as a boost.. i havent pulled my insopection plate to see how many wires are going into the tank.

-Christopher

[jazty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im not sure if we have an electric Lift pump in the tank or not as a boost.. i havent pulled my insopection plate to see how many wires are going into the tank.

Mine doesn't have an in-tank pump. Heck, if I'm remembering correctly mine doesn't even have a strainer in the tank. It's just a metal hose. Which, in my opinion, is kinda nice! There's a pre-strainer before the fuel filter on top of the engine and all the big stuff gets stuck in there instead of on a screen at the bottom of the tank.

I little after I first purchased the bus I noticed a drop in engine power. After checking several things I landed on the pre-strainer. I pulled it out and there was what looked to be chunks of plastic sandwich bag stuck to it! Pulled that out and cleaned the strainer and everything was good.. Some brat must have thought it'd be pretty funny to toss their garbage in the tank. That's my only guess as to how that got in there!

[cadillackid]

I know on the fords it was an update at some point to have a strainer and a lift pump.. I dont knw what year.. but iwas watching a powerstrokehelp video where he was shoing 2 different versions for the 7.3

the IHC's are built a bit better in my opinion as we have returns plumbed.. where i think the fords didnt or it was a much later thing.

I know our cams are different for the mechanical injection pump.

I had my bus serviced and they replaced the fuel flter and cleaned that strainer you speak of...

the plastic bag doesnt surprise me... it was a school bus after all...
-Christopher

[jazty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the plastic bag doesnt surprise me...

Having junk in the pre-strainer didn't surprise me entirely. It was the size of the junk that did. There were some big chunks of plastic bag that got sucked from the tank, through 15 feet of fuel line, then into the pre-strainer. It's a testament to the vacuum power of that lift pump.

I would think that if the fuel line was standard rubber hose it would have collapsed. Our buses use 3/8" nylon air brake tubing for the fuel lines. It'd take some serious vacuum to collapse that stuff.

[tobeamiss]

A little of topic but....how did you get it insured and registered for the trip? I'm having a heck of a time with that! No one wants to insure a retired school bus

[deftone]

Originally Posted by tobeamiss

A little of topic but....how did you get it insured and registered for the trip? I'm having a heck of a time with that! No one wants to insure a retired school bus

I got my insurance through Progressive. Make sure you contact Progressive Commercial and not Progressive Auto. When they ask for business type there is an option for "personal use only".

It was really no problem at all except for my state (Louisiana) having higher state minimum levels of coverage than most states, resulting in a slightly higher premium than I wanted to pay.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by deftone

It was really no problem at all except for my state (Louisiana)

Have you gotten her home yet?

Still hate you for grabbing a bus from where I live for only $150.

[deftone]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Have you gotten her home yet?

Still hate you for grabbing a bus from where I live for only $150.

Unfortunately not, I am currently working in Savannah, GA for the next few weeks. I have the turbo with me and have the rebuild kit here, so I will get the turbo rebuilt in the next few days and head back up there when my work here is done.

fingers crossed that this at least gets me home!!

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by deftone

fingers crossed that this at least gets me home!!

Guess you worked out some place to keep it. Can't just bypass the turbo with a section of pipe and drive it home at 35mph without boost?

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Guess you worked out some place to keep it. Can't just bypass the turbo with a section of pipe and drive it home at 35mph without boost?

the turbo oil lines are an issue.. and you cannot just connect them together as then you lower the system LPOP pressure...

if i were the OP i would be armed with an injector as well just in case... Ive been reading some things where a busted injector itself can dump oil into the cylinder... and of catastrophic note is that a cracked head can do it also...

-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the turbo oil lines are an issue.. and you cannot just connect them together as then you lower the system LPOP pressure...

-Christopher

I duuno squat about the voodoo of spinny bits (as I call them) even tho I own two cars with spinny bits; one is a rotary engine (spinny doritos, these I know about) and the other TDI Jetta.

But, that oil comes from someplace and goes someplace else; bypass it too.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

I duuno squat about the voodoo of spinny bits (as I call them) even tho I own two cars with spinny bits; one is a rotary engine (spinny doritos, these I know about) and the other TDI Jetta.

But, that oil comes from someplace and goes someplace else; bypass it too.

I mentioned that... you cant just bypass the oil line.. the turbo creates some sort of resistance and flow restriction but also allows some flow throiugh it... if you connect supply to return the flow is too great and no resistance so the oil pressure in the system will drop..

if you just block off the supply line you end up in possibly oil-starving or causing lack of oil flow in part of the system..

these engines were engineered to have a turbo... sure you wont hurt the engine to run with no boost but very well might if you bypass or alter the oil lines..

and you may not... I dont have the oil flow diagram to one of these....

if he had a 10 mile drive its one thing... but running a long distance in a bypassed mode may cause other issues...

-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I mentioned that... you cant just bypass the oil line.. the turbo creates some sort of resistance and flow restriction
-Christopher

Figured as much but there seem to be some pretty smart cookies on this site; you among them. Someone somewhere knows what that pressure is. Add a restrictor and two hose clamps.

A permanent fix no. But if he's spending $100 a month for storage, 500 miles away, etc. it won't take long in travel expenses (much less PITA time traveling) to make it worth a gamble to get it home so he can tear it down properly.

[deftone]

I have to admit, I did consider the option of trying to rig it up to run without the turbo. I just didnt feel it would be worth the gamble when covering a 1200mile drive home, especially if I was stuck at 30mph and restricted from using interstates etc. The oil return from the turbo drains into the oil pan, however I imagine there would be some restriction required in the line if it were to be bypassed.

The bus is back at the auction yard right now. I am pretty close to their "official" deadline of 30days to move it, although they seemed pretty decent about it when I was up there working on it. They dont have any more auctions scheduled in the immediate future so the yard is pretty empty. Hopefully this leads to them being lenient with their policy and let it sit for a few more weeks!

[deftone]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the turbo oil lines are an issue.. and you cannot just connect them together as then you lower the system LPOP pressure...

if i were the OP i would be armed with an injector as well just in case... Ive been reading some things where a busted injector itself can dump oil into the cylinder... and of catastrophic note is that a cracked head can do it also...

-Christopher

I have been speaking to a local diesel shop here in Savannah and plan to buy one of their old injectors that has been flow tested. They are a "tuner" shop so they have a bunch from people upgrading to larger injectors.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by deftone

I have been speaking to a local diesel shop here in Savannah and plan to buy one of their old injectors that has been flow tested. They are a "tuner" shop so they have a bunch from people upgrading to larger injectors.

your year should use a code "AD" injector.. and these poarts i know are the same from the ford 7.3 to the T-444E so yeah a good choice to get a used one from there...

I wouldnt mind finding a Diesel shop that could tune on a T-444E... thus far only Pre-97 seems to be supported..

not that I need a ton more power.. but considering what my lans are for that T-444E bus of mine a little more power might be nice.. thouygh in a 6 window shortie it does go OK.. my best efforts are probably put into an allison 1000 Upgrade instead of the Engine.. LOL..
or justr drive it as it is since it does go 65-70 easily...
-Christopher

[deftone]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

or justr drive it as it is since it does go 65-70 easily...
-Christopher

If I can get 65mph and have a reliable motor I would be delighted!! Being such a heavy vehicle I am anticipating 50mph cruising on the way home