Hello! Interested on your opinion of the t444e

[jamesd20]

We're about to buy a 30ft bus with a 175 hp t444e engine. Is this engine strong enough to last year's when the added weight of the conversion is added on? Is this a good long-term engine?

[Tango]

What year, trans, bus make?

[jamesd20]

It's a 1994 thomasbuilt but I'm not sure about the transmission

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by jamesd20

It's a 1994 thomasbuilt but I'm not sure about the transmission

Unless its a manual transmission then its going to have a 545.
A 175hp 444 and a 545 is a miserable setup on the highway.

[jamesd20]

Too slow or too much gas? I don't mind if it's slow

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by jamesd20

Too slow or too much gas? I don't mind if it's slow

Strains too hard to maintain highways speeds and the heat from the 545 pushes the cooling system pretty hard. The temps shoot up and you're forced to go really slow. Its just not what I'd buy for driving on the interstates and highways.

[jamesd20]

If I maintained 55mph would I be ok?

[PNW_Steve]

Brokedown successfully toured the US in a T444e/AT545 equipped Vista.

It can be done. I surely do not have the patience.

If you plan on significant travel, i would recommend looking at some buses with higher horsepower and a lockup transmission.

[cadillackid]

I did a lot of miles on my T-444E / AT545.. both brokedown and i have short busses..



my AT545 trans gave up about 16 months ago so I upgraded to a better trans.. (Lockup + overdrive) and most recently I repgrogrammed my computer for the max 210 HP.. in a short bus the 444E is a fine engine.. in a long bus its going to work hard.. its not always a matter of staying at 55.. if you are running a 444E hard they often make heat and run hot in summers esp if you are in the south where its 95+ degrees..



-Christopher

[Johnny Mullet]

I have the same bus and love it. It's a turd on the hills, but super reliable.

[Dog Rescuer]

My t444e engine was straining a bit when the temperatures were in the 90s - other than that it has been tooting like a champ. I still keep it at about 55mph on the highways. The 210HP is nice.
The only over heating was driving through Wyoming up a 10% grade for 13 miles - I had to pull over and cool down 4 times. I averaged 20-25mph up the hill. Coming down was a lot of braking - I had to stop twice to let the brakes cool down.

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I did a lot of miles on my T-444E / AT545.. both brokedown and i have short busses..



my AT545 trans gave up about 16 months ago so I upgraded to a better trans.. (Lockup + overdrive) and most recently I repgrogrammed my computer for the max 210 HP.. in a short bus the 444E is a fine engine.. in a long bus its going to work hard.. its not always a matter of staying at 55.. if you are running a 444E hard they often make heat and run hot in summers esp if you are in the south where its 95+ degrees..



-Christopher

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Dog Rescuer

My t444e engine was straining a bit when the temperatures were in the 90s - other than that it has been tooting like a champ. I still keep it at about 55mph on the highways. The 210HP is nice.
The only over heating was driving through Wyoming up a 10% grade for 13 miles - I had to pull over and cool down 4 times. I averaged 20-25mph up the hill. Coming down was a lot of braking - I had to stop twice to let the brakes cool down.

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Attachment 26986

you are lucky to have that 210HP.. (I finally figured out how to re-program mine for the 210.. and woah! in a little bus that thing flies now) last time I read the computer on yours everything was tip-top shape!! your bus has a lot of life left in it... onward to california you go!!! take the southern routes!! weather changes QUICKLY in the rockies this time of year!!
-Christopher

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Dog Rescuer

My t444e engine was straining a bit when the temperatures were in the 90s - other than that it has been tooting like a champ. I still keep it at about 55mph on the highways. The 210HP is nice.
The only over heating was driving through Wyoming up a 10% grade for 13 miles - I had to pull over and cool down 4 times. I averaged 20-25mph up the hill. Coming down was a lot of braking - I had to stop twice to let the brakes cool down.

Attachment 26985

Attachment 26986

P.S. I forgot to mention i did that wyoming grade this summer.. in a GASOLINE 40 year old bus.. with an AT540.. so alas any bus can really do anything as long as you do as roger did and take it easy!
-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

I have the same bus and love it. It's a turd on the hills, but super reliable.

Yours has an allison 2000 transmission though, right?
If so they're night and day in terms of how they drive and how long they live.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Dog Rescuer

My t444e engine was straining a bit when the temperatures were in the 90s - other than that it has been tooting like a champ. I still keep it at about 55mph on the highways. The 210HP is nice.
The only over heating was driving through Wyoming up a 10% grade for 13 miles - I had to pull over and cool down 4 times. I averaged 20-25mph up the hill. Coming down was a lot of braking - I had to stop twice to let the brakes cool down.

Attachment 26985

Attachment 26986

Don't you also have a 2000 and not a 545?

[cadillackid]

roger has a 5 speed allison 2000 and 210 HP.. I didnt think that extra 20 HP made that jmuch difference till i altered the program in mine..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

roger has a 5 speed allison 2000 and 210 HP.. I didnt think that extra 20 HP made that jmuch difference till i altered the program in mine..

-Christopher

BIG difference, imo.

[cadillackid]

The 210hp allows you to make more use of your overdrive gear.. Roger”s numbers show if too.. he has run all over the mountains with a full conversion and towing his Subaru , yet still netting around 10 MPG, with that kind of load in a 175 or 190 he would’ve been out of OD and wasting fuel a lot more.

The 444e fuels conservatively based on throttle but logs easily , the factory Allison program is designed to run highest gear it can on light throttle but if you crowd the engine at all it’s going to downshift.
The result is that the higher HP models tend to stay in OD much more than the lower ones..with much better MPG as a result.

My reprogram to 210 is recent but I can already note that I’m in 6th gear more than previous. In 6th gear at 65 it practically idles along at 1600 rpm.

Christopher

[jamesd20]

Johnny, how does it handle highways?
Any tips for how to get the most out of this bus?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

The 210hp allows you to make more use of your overdrive gear.. Roger”s numbers show if too.. he has run all over the mountains with a full conversion and towing his Subaru , yet still netting around 10 MPG, with that kind of load in a 175 or 190 he would’ve been out of OD and wasting fuel a lot more.

The 444e fuels conservatively based on throttle but logs easily , the factory Allison program is designed to run highest gear it can on light throttle but if you crowd the engine at all it’s going to downshift.
The result is that the higher HP models tend to stay in OD much more than the lower ones..with much better MPG as a result.

My reprogram to 210 is recent but I can already note that I’m in 6th gear more than previous. In 6th gear at 65 it practically idles along at 1600 rpm.

Christopher

When did you learn how to get more hp? I want some more hp!