Hi Folks... My name is Rick and my wife is Debby... we're about to buy the bus pictured here for 3k. Here are the specs:
2001 International, 36 pass. Mileage 103250. Has T444E diesel 7.3L engine with automatic trans. Hydraulic brakes.
It looks very clean... just want to make sure it's not a "bad" model ... whatever that means. Researched the T444E, most think it's a decent engine if treated right. We'll check for rust (it's in Pennsylvania); but if any fellow, "skool-kids," knows of reason to avoid this model, we would love to hear from you. We're driving down on Friday to pick it up unless someone here convinces us otherwise.
Great forum... can't believe we're going to start from scratch (I'm 63... Deb is... younger than that). We plan on touring northern Vermont, NH and Maine looking for a spot to build a tiny house. Winter? Just call us Rick & Debby Snowbirds... look forward to hearing from folks here.
__________________ The road to enlightenment is long and difficult, be sure to bring along some magazines and a snack...
Looks like a cool bus. t444e is very similar to the 7.3l diesel put in millions of pickups, ambulances and tractors all over. And 103k miles is nothing for it. Lookup videos on how to buy a 7.3l for basic things to check on the engine. Maybe have a mechanic check it out too. If everything checks out I'd say go for it, sweet find.
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https://www.skoolie.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9883 - 7.3L 4x4 Shuttle Bus Toyhauler conversion
Wasn't the right bus... too much oil leaking. Oh well...
In my opinion, if you're fairly mechanical it shouldn't be a deal breaker. The 7.3l PowerStroke/T444e are known for puking oil out around the turbo. It's often either the o-rings between the turbo pedestal and the head, or the Exhaust Back Pressure Valve (EBPV) is getting sloppy. I was able to fix the problem by doing an EBPV delete. I could have fixed the EBPV, but realistically I didn't need that system and wanted to end the oil leak forever. I spent about $4 and put two hours of my time in to get it done. No more leaks!
If it's leaking from anywhere other than around the turbo then it could be a bigger issue.
Linear Mode
