Would love an opinion:1997 T444E

[mustangbebo]

Going to look at it on Saturday.

Sellers description:
1997 Church Bus with a 7.3e International Diesel Eng. 77,700 orig. miles. Allison Automatic Transmission. Starts right up and runs good. No rust.

All seats out, tires are good.
Not sure how often it was run, has been sitting for a few months after he drove it a few miles home.
I'm looking to convert it and hopefully drive around - not just park.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

[cadillackid]

I love the T444E one of my busses is one.. the 444E is essentially the ford powerstroke 7.3 with some changes but solid in good condition..



most 444E's were paired to the AT545 transmission, which if your driving around is mainly on flatlands wont give you much issue but if you plan to traverse big mountains on a regular basis its definitely not the one to choose..



Look for things like dry rot on the tires. (tires are very expensive)..
while the engine is idling take the oil cap off and observe engine blowby. a little smoke is normal but big puffs indicates a worn engine.



the coolant should be a nice green color without swirls of oil or "chocolate milk" look.

[Simplicity]

T444E with no existing issues, yes. Good solid engine. Yet, they come in a hp range of 175 - 250. Make sure you know which one is in the bus. The hp of an engine goes with the transmission.

Transmissions are rated for a certain amount of horsepower. As Cadillackid already said, a common transmission with the T444E is the Allison AT545, but it's a light load transmission. If you google that transmission, you'll find lots of youtube and write-ups about it. Why, because it's not the strongest transmission and people push them and they break.

Along with the AT545, the MT643 is also a mechanical transmission. The 643 is a much more stout tranny. Yet, both of them only have four gears, so when pulling hard, your power range is pretty wide apart.

The other Allison transmissions you might see, yet unlikely, are the 1000 or 2000 series. These are both computer controled, have 5 gears and easier to adjust because of the computer. They both have good reputations.

One more thing about the 545 and 643, they come with three different shift modulators. A linkage, a vacuum and an electrical type. The electrical is a known problem. It's generally found paired with engines that have a computer as the ECM is what sends the signal for the modulator to work. How do I know, because I spoke with Cadillackid who also had an electric modulator. Unfortunately, he didn't discover the issue until it was too late and his 545 burned up. I'm still working on addressing my electric modulator issue.

The modulator can be found on the narrow end of the transmission, near the drive shaft connection. It's about 3" long and 2" in diameter. If it's an electrical one, you'll see the wires. If there are no wires, it's not a real issue.

Best of luck.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

T444E with no existing issues, yes. Good solid engine. Yet, they come in a hp range of 175 - 250. Make sure you know which one is in the bus. The hp of an engine goes with the transmission.

Transmissions are rated for a certain amount of horsepower. As Cadillackid already said, a common transmission with the T444E is the Allison AT545, but it's a light load transmission. If you google that transmission, you'll find lots of youtube and write-ups about it. Why, because it's not the strongest transmission and people push them and they break.

Along with the AT545, the MT643 is also a mechanical transmission. The 643 is a much more stout tranny. Yet, both of them only have four gears, so when pulling hard, your power range is pretty wide apart.

The other Allison transmissions you might see, yet unlikely, are the 1000 or 2000 series. These are both computer controled, have 5 gears and easier to adjust because of the computer. They both have good reputations.

One more thing about the 545 and 643, they come with three different shift modulators. A linkage, a vacuum and an electrical type. The electrical is a known problem. It's generally found paired with engines that have a computer as the ECM is what sends the signal for the modulator to work. How do I know, because I spoke with Cadillackid who also had an electric modulator. Unfortunately, he didn't discover the issue until it was too late and his 545 burned up. I'm still working on addressing my electric modulator issue.

The modulator can be found on the narrow end of the transmission, near the drive shaft connection. It's about 3" long and 2" in diameter. If it's an electrical one, you'll see the wires. If there are no wires, it's not a real issue.

Best of luck.

in 97 the MD3060 WTEC-II (very obsolete computer) was available, the 1000 / 2000 didnt come out until year 2000