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06-21-2017, 03:08 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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3126 caterpillar engine
Good Morning Gang;
I have a mechanical question for someone. I now own a 2001 Blue Bird A3RE bus with a 3126 caterpillar engine, 439 cubic inches, 7.2 liters and an Allison MD3060 transmission. Overall the bus operated in what I say was normal specs except for the Gas and Brake pedal kept sticking.
At one point during our trip home, the Gas pedal had to be pulled back into place by hand. My older brother stated it is an electronic issue and spray them both down with some kind of electronic cleaner. Similar to 5103 Quick Dry Electronic Cleaner - 11 Wt Oz. 11 Ounce, USA, Brand CRC or WD-40 11 Oz. Specialist Silicone Spray.
Well I need some input from Team Skoolie
__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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06-21-2017, 04:18 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 20,046
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IWC Bus
Good Morning Gang;
I have a mechanical question for someone. I now own a 2001 Blue Bird A3RE bus with a 3126 caterpillar engine, 439 cubic inches, 7.2 liters and an Allison MD3060 transmission. Overall the bus operated in what I say was normal specs except for the Gas and Brake pedal kept sticking.
At one point during our trip home, the Gas pedal had to be pulled back into place by hand. My older brother stated it is an electronic issue and spray them both down with some kind of electronic cleaner. Similar to 5103 Quick Dry Electronic Cleaner - 11 Wt Oz. 11 Ounce, USA, Brand CRC or WD-40 11 Oz. Specialist Silicone Spray.
Well I need some input from Team Skoolie 
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was the pedal physically stuck down or was it pulled all the way up but the bus continued as if it had pressure on the pedal? im assuming there's no air throttle since its a 3126, that theres just 5 or 6 wires going to the pedal?
-Christopher
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06-21-2017, 04:30 PM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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Christopher
It was physically stuck down and the bus was still moving as if someone had their foot on the pedal. The brake pedal was hard to push down and even harder with the gas pedal sticking. The wiring, well I didn't get down there yet. We just parked it and getting to battle another day.
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__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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06-21-2017, 04:35 PM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
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Ghost bus?
If you're not accustomed to air brakes they're definitely going to feel difficult to apply. I locked my brakes up several times before getting a handle on it. Nothing about this is like driving a car.
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Robin
Nobody's Business
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06-21-2017, 05:35 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IWC Bus
Christopher
It was physically stuck down and the bus was still moving as if someone had their foot on the pedal. The brake pedal was hard to push down and even harder with the gas pedal sticking. The wiring, well I didn't get down there yet. We just parked it and getting to battle another day.
Sent from my VS835 using Tapatalk
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Look up how an air brake valve works. It should not be hard to push down if your foot is in the right position on it. It is possible the fulcrum point is dirty, etc., Even the fuel petal should be easy to push down whether mechanical linkage or the electronic ones. After all, both of these controls are meant to be easily manipulated for hours at a time every day.
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
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06-21-2017, 05:50 PM
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#6
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Vacaville, Ca
Posts: 1,634
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Crown / Pusher
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
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Drain your air tanks ?
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06-21-2017, 08:10 PM
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#7
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 855
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 8.3/Allison MD3060
Rated Cap: 84
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I've seen pedal assemblies get stiff sometimes after the truck or bus they're in has been parked for an extended time. The ones I've seen it happen in have a cast aluminum pedal assembly and a steel pivot pin. The stiffness was due to corrosion which is common in steel to aluminum contact.
If that's what you have going on, the pin can be removed, the parts cleaned up with some emory cloth and a small file, and reassembled with a touch of grease. But be careful not to break the cast aluminum tabs while removing the pins.
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06-21-2017, 08:24 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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Rameses
When I get home from work I'm going to try your first and see what happens where exactly is this tab I should be looking for because I can't afford to break nothing. LOL
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__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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06-21-2017, 08:38 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 855
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 8.3/Allison MD3060
Rated Cap: 84
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I just went out and looked at my pedals. Mine's an A3 also, so they probably have the same pedals. The throttle pedal looks to be made of plastic, so just spray that hinge pin down with WD40, or Kroil, or PB Blaster, or whatever your spray lube of choice is, and that'll probably work.
Try the same thing with the brake pedal before you take the pin out. It's pretty tight down there, with the steering column on one side of the pedal and the throttle on the other. In order to get the pin out, you'll need to pull the brake pedal assembly out. That'll mean pulling several bolts out that go down into the floor (and probably have a nut on the underside.) Once that's out, you'll be able to see that it's basically an aluminum plate with two tabs that stick up with holes in them. The pin goes through those two holes and the pedal is affixed to the pin. The pin rotates in the holes in the aluminum tabs with the pedal moving with the pin.
Hopefully just spraying it with lube will get it moving freely, because taking that assembly out is probably going to be a pain.
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06-23-2017, 05:27 PM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 1,413
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: CAT 3126
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Stuck throttle sounds scary! Hopefully it is as simple as a little well placed lube.
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06-23-2017, 05:33 PM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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Well I sprayed the brake and throttle pedal down with WD-40 the other day. We have been working hard inside removing the seats so far. The plywood is shot. Its turning to dust and splintering as we pull the seats. The metal isle strips came up by hand without removing the screws. I am praying to God about the condition of the metal floor.
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__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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06-23-2017, 05:38 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 1,413
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: CAT 3126
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Where did the bus come from? Pictures please!
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06-23-2017, 05:57 PM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 20,046
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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the thing about air brakes.. there is not nearly as much pedal travel as there is in hydraulic or car brakes.. so the pedal feels "solid" right away when you step.. and it takes very little pedal movement to get quite a bit of braking.. so some think it feels "hard".. but trust me if you stomp down the air brakes will engage hard.. it takes finesse to learn them.. then you'll get really good at how they operate.
-Christopher
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06-23-2017, 06:00 PM
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#14
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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Yeah but you got to understand I used to drive a tractor trailer back in the day (20 years ago) and I can feel that there is something restricting it.
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__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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06-23-2017, 06:38 PM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 20,046
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IWC Bus
Yeah but you got to understand I used to drive a tractor trailer back in the day (20 years ago) and I can feel that there is something restricting it.
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Oops! sorry I didnt know you were familiar with air brakes.. I have a lot of people telling me their brakes suck only for it to be they arent used to how air brakes feel...
-Christopher
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06-23-2017, 07:12 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 153
Year: 2001
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: A3RE
Engine: 3126 Cat
Rated Cap: 33220 GVwR
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No worries however it has also been over 20 years
Sent from my VS835 using Tapatalk
__________________
The Rev.
Don't Fret God's Not Through With Me Yet!
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