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Old 03-14-2017, 08:49 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by MarkyDee View Post
Uh, that easy? Wow, I'm such a noob....
No, I was an industrial painter for most of my career. I see that as easy. Don't put me near anything electrical!

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Old 03-14-2017, 08:55 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Njsurf73 View Post

Here is a picture of a borderline frame rail from an 2001 ic re I was looking at.
As a frame of reference.

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Yikes! Is that spring suspension almost rusted through at the frame connector? And that frame rail . I don't remember seeing anything like that, but I couldn't see much because I physically couldn't get down and under due to the wind chill.

And you crawled under to get a pic? You're more brave than I would be.

Thank you for the comparison. I will certainly keep that in mind when I look at the bus next (and retake those pics I lost).
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Old 03-14-2017, 08:56 PM   #23
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Yikes! Is that spring suspension almost rusted through at the frame connector? And that frame rail . I don't remember seeing anything like that, but I couldn't see much because I physically couldn't get down and under due to the wind chill.

And you crawled under to get a pic? You're more brave than I would be.

Thank you for the comparison. I will certainly keep that in mind when I look at the bus next (and retake those pics I lost).
That was a forum member that did me a huge favor. When I get out that way he is in for a good lunch!

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Old 03-14-2017, 08:59 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by Njsurf73 View Post
No, I was an industrial painter for most of my career. I see that as easy. Don't put me near anything electrical!

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Haha! I'm on the flip-side - I'm an electrical engineer by training and software engineer by job. I also have a few electricians as friends. Electrical (well, the low-voltage stuff, anyway) I can manage....

Unfortunately, I don't know what to do with metals and other materials to protect them. I'll be back to this forum time-and-again as I move forward with a conversion.
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Old 03-14-2017, 09:00 PM   #25
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That was a forum member that did me a huge favor. When I get out that way he is in for a good lunch!

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Ahhh, I see!
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Old 03-14-2017, 09:11 PM   #26
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I really don't see any noteworthy rust in those pictures.

The thing in the one picture that you were asking what it is... That's a Webasto coolant heater.
So the coolant heater burns diesel fuel to warm the engine's block before starting, correct? How long does it need to run in, say, 32deg F weather before the block is warm enough?
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Old 03-14-2017, 09:31 PM   #27
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So the coolant heater burns diesel fuel to warm the engine's block before starting, correct? How long does it need to run in, say, 32deg F weather before the block is warm enough?
From my research it has a timer, max 90 min I believe, that you set. It then heats the coolant as it pumps it through the entire cooling system, including the interior heaters. This has lead to some interesting modifications: making it a stand alone heater for the Skoolie, a source of heat for a radiant system, or a combination with valves that allow it to be used in both applications.

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Old 03-15-2017, 07:35 AM   #28
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And it does have the a/c compressor mounted on top of the front cover like I was talking about. Did you ask them why there isn't a belt on the compressor?
Could you please explain to me the telltale signs that the cover is cracked? And could you ballpark what fixing that situation would cost if the case is cracked (but no damage to the components yet)? $400? $4000? More?

My thinking right now is that the belt was pulled off because of just that very issue....
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Old 03-15-2017, 09:10 AM   #29
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most often the belts are pulled off A/C units that have a failure.. not necessarily because of the front cover mounting but because the system itself.. ie the compressor has gone bad or the freon leaked out and the belt wasd never replaced..

if you can work on the A/C yourself you can POSSIBLY do it economically.. if you send it to a shop that does bus A/C they WILL CHARGE big bucks for repairs..
-Christopher
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Old 03-15-2017, 09:17 AM   #30
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with 2 A/C units that size id be interested to see the type of compressor used... would have to be the large TM-21 style or there should be 2... those are larger evap units.. a standard TM-16 compressor would be overloaded trying to run 2 units that size.
-Christopher
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Old 03-15-2017, 09:46 AM   #31
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most often the belts are pulled off A/C units that have a failure.. not necessarily because of the front cover mounting but because the system itself.. ie the compressor has gone bad or the freon leaked out and the belt wasd never replaced..

if you can work on the A/C yourself you can POSSIBLY do it economically.. if you send it to a shop that does bus A/C they WILL CHARGE big bucks for repairs..
-Christopher
At this point in my education of all things "bus", I'm not comfortable working on an A/C system. However, I bet I will be in a year or two's time....

Furthermore, the Webasto coolant warmer has me considering other possibilities where I might just remove that compressor altoghther.... "Things that make you go 'hummm'...."
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Old 03-15-2017, 10:14 AM   #32
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At this point in my education of all things "bus", I'm not comfortable working on an A/C system. However, I bet I will be in a year or two's time....

Furthermore, the Webasto coolant warmer has me considering other possibilities where I might just remove that compressor altoghther.... "Things that make you go 'hummm'...."
you can certainly remnove it.. you just wont have A/C when driving... in an RE bus it wont be as hot as an FE bus, but driving into the hot sun on a hot day with thayt big windshield you will sweat nevertheless...

rooftop camper A/C units and a generator are great for when parked.. but when driving theres a lot more heatload on a bus since its moving down the road pushing hot road air in from any crack and crevis there is..

if heat on thw road doesnt bother you then yank it and save the extra ceiling space and headaches of maintaining it.. me personally i dont use A/C every day.. but last summer driving south though georgia at 4pm on a 98 degree day into the sun i was uber-glad to have that ice cold air in my face... esp when I passed the church bus full of sweaties on the highway lol

-Christopher
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Old 03-15-2017, 10:29 AM   #33
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you can certainly remnove it.. you just wont have A/C when driving... in an RE bus it wont be as hot as an FE bus, but driving into the hot sun on a hot day with thayt big windshield you will sweat nevertheless...

rooftop camper A/C units and a generator are great for when parked.. but when driving theres a lot more heatload on a bus since its moving down the road pushing hot road air in from any crack and crevis there is..

if heat on thw road doesnt bother you then yank it and save the extra ceiling space and headaches of maintaining it.. me personally i dont use A/C every day.. but last summer driving south though georgia at 4pm on a 98 degree day into the sun i was uber-glad to have that ice cold air in my face... esp when I passed the church bus full of sweaties on the highway lol

-Christopher
Yea, food for thought....
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Old 03-15-2017, 12:44 PM   #34
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Before you commit to buying it, I would take a look at how the a/c compressor is mounted.

Being that it's a rear-mounted engine, it's entirely possible that the compressor setup is different than it is in a typical truck application.

But if the compressor is mounted to the top of the engine's front cover, be ready for very costly problems at some point. That mount configuration led to the front cover cracking, and the compressor subsequently being pulled down into the fan by the belt tension.

The resulting repair bill for a new compressor clutch, a/c lines, fan, radiator, and possibly fan clutch quickly adds up to multiple thousands of dollars. And when it happens, you'll be overheated on the side of the road. So plan on a tow bill, or limping it someplace to do the repairs while stopping every couple miles to let it cool down.


If it has a different compressor mount, then no worries on that front. The only other issue with the DT530 is a ribbon-like seal behind the front cover that separates coolant and oil. Prone to failure, so check both the coolant and oil for cross contamination prior to purchase, and factor repair costs into the purchase price if necessary.

Good luck!
Great post. Full of useful information
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Old 03-17-2017, 02:56 PM   #35
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Could you please explain to me the telltale signs that the cover is cracked? And could you ballpark what fixing that situation would cost if the case is cracked (but no damage to the components yet)? $400? $4000? More?

My thinking right now is that the belt was pulled off because of just that very issue....
Look at where the mount bolts enter the cover and you can see hairline cracks. If they're bad enough, a leak will develop and they'll be wet.

If it isn't cracked yet, you can engineer a brace for the backside of the compressor to hold it down and prevent cracks from developing. The whole problem lies In that the compressor is only mounted with two bolts, side by side, with the belt pulling down on the front side of the mount. If you can hold the back half of the compressor down, problems can be avoided. No idea why they didn't do that from the factory.

If it is cracked, but not bad enough to leak, you can pull the compressor off, run with no a/c, and the cracks won't get any worse.

If it's cracked but the compressor hasn't taken a dump into the fan yet, like you were talking about... The front cover alone is about $1,200. Add in about 400 bucks for new coolant, oil, a gasket kit, etc. If you have a shop change it for you, that job lists at 20 hours. (You have to pull the valve cover, rocker arms, etc, in order to pull the cam, and pull the injection pump.) Most shops charge at least $100/hr, so that brings it to $3,600 if you don't have to replace the radiator, fan, etc.
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Old 03-17-2017, 03:05 PM   #36
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Maybe all this is why Kubla told me to stick with 466's?
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Old 03-17-2017, 07:46 PM   #37
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That was a forum member that did me a huge favor. When I get out that way he is in for a good lunch!
I'm always up for lunch! It was my pleasure as I was going there to look at as many buses as I could to get ideas. I was going there for myself so it worked out to look at the one you had in your sights. I got to learn a lot about the different models, what I like and don't like about each of them. I also wanted to learn how to know if the bus is high ceiling or not. I know more of what I am looking for after that trip. The worst part was the smell permeated my coat. They all smelled like snot nosed kids haha.

The buses I looked at were at Kerlins, north of Silver Lake, Indiana. They had a very large selection and that was just about a month ago. They had more rust than I would want but to each their own. Their huge selection let me see many variations. I'm trying to buy something out west or down south but I haven't found the one I'm looking for yet.
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Old 03-17-2017, 07:50 PM   #38
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I'm always up for lunch! It was my pleasure as I was going there to look at as many buses as I could to get ideas. I was going there for myself so it worked out to look at the one you had in your sights. I got to learn a lot about the different models, what I like and don't like about each of them. I also wanted to learn how to know if the bus is high ceiling or not. I know more of what I am looking for after that trip. The worst part was the smell permeated my coat. They all smelled like snot nosed kids haha.

The buses I looked at were at Kerlins, north of Silver Lake, Indiana. They had a very large selection and that was just about a month ago. They had more rust than I would want but to each their own. Their huge selection let me see many variations. I'm trying to buy something out west or down south but I haven't found the one I'm looking for yet.
I have moved away from that bus, but still with Kerlin. Looking at an all American. He got me a bunch of pics and it is in much better shape all around. There is some rust, but nothing like that international. Better tires, and good batteries.
I will be out that way the first week in April (looks like the 3rd) and coming down from Elkhart. If that's your neck of the woods I will gladly take you to lunch or at the very least shake your hand.

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Old 03-17-2017, 08:08 PM   #39
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I will be out that way the first week in April (looks like the 3rd) and coming down from Elkhart. If that's your neck of the woods I will gladly take you to lunch or at the very least shake your hand.
Bummer I'll miss you. I'm just over an hour away from Elkhart but I'd make the trip down to meet you. I ride my motorcycle down that way for breakfast sometimes just to try a greasy spoon. April might be decent enough to get the bike out if the salt's washed off the roads. Today we got a blast of snow so the salt is out in force again.

I'm going to be out in sunny Wyoming that week. I'm looking at moving out there and will be spending a week with friends during my daughter's Spring Break. I'll also be keeping an eye on what's on public surplus and govdeals out west that week since I'll be out that way.
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Old 03-17-2017, 08:10 PM   #40
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Bummer I'll miss you. I'm just over an hour away from Elkhart but I'd make the trip down to meet you. I ride my motorcycle down that way for breakfast sometimes just to try a greasy spoon. April might be decent enough to get the bike out if the salt's washed off the roads. Today we got a blast of snow so the salt is out in force again.

I'm going to be out in sunny Wyoming that week. I'm looking at moving out there and will be spending a week with friends during my daughter's Spring Break. I'll also be keeping an eye on what's on public surplus and govdeals out west that week since I'll be out that way.
Well, I am sorry I am going to miss ya. But Wyoming sounds more fun than snowy Indiana. We just got a 18-20" blast of snow this week too. Playing bagpipes in the snow on St. Patrick's day is a bit odd lol

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