1991 Chevy With 366 Gas Need some input

[headface]

It has the origanal 366 with 115000 on it it is a 5 speed manual no rust runs and drives great



Is this a good bus for conversion?

How about that motor I see it in alot of bus's??

Anyone own a bus like this if so what kind of milage do you get and what deos a bus like this weight i think it is a 54 passanger

 

[headface]

By the way the guy wants 1500 is that a pretty good deal i plan to live in this bus this summer

 

[captainkf]

re: 366

I just purchased an 85 gmc w/366 converted to propane. It has 466K KM's on the odometer. This is the 2nd or possibly 3rd motor on this bus. It sounds good and the mechanic figures I have alot of life on it. Hope this helps. -Richard

 

[Jarlaxle]

4-5MPG, tops, & it probably won't break 55MPH--like the Ford 370, it's just not enough engine, resulting in it always running WOT trying nto keep up with traffic.

115K should have plenty of life left, though. When it does go, a truck 427 bolts right in, & a 454 or 502 will work with some minor changes.

 

[headface]

should i wait and find another bus

how does that propane conversion work do u get cheaper milage per dollar or is it about the same

 

[headface]

O K I Have heard of all the engines to avoid

Like i know that the

345 gas
383 gas
6.6 deisel
7.3 deisel pre 95
and the dt406

Are all engines to avoid yes i say the dt406 because it has limited parts availability.

So what are some engines that I should be looking for and what body what is a good platform to start with i want the most reliable engine i can find as well as tranny i dont care if it is a Stick shift

I also need this to be a cheap bus

Yes this is alot to ask is it possible

 

[Foggy Dewhurst]

:? I have a 345 International gas burner. It seems like a strong motor but is slow on hills. Otherwise OK. It gets about 7-10 MPG. I didn't know they are supposed to be avoided. Can you enlighten me as to why?

 

[headface]

ya know that is a good question how many miles do you have on it

I was emailing a bus ''guru'' and this is just what i was told

My dad had a international scout2 with a 345 in it and it ran good too for a long time

i dunno i just want to know what engines to look for for a good runner with above 6 mpg maybe the 345 is one i should look at

 

[Foggy Dewhurst]

I think you might want to visit http://www.binderbulletin.org/forums/? and read up on what some people have done with the 345 & 392 etc. For myself, I find Internationals to be a strong motor.

Hope this helps. Barrie

 

[Jarlaxle]

Your guru needs his status revoked. The 304/345/392 Internationals are strong, tremendously durable engines, though any 304 & a 345/auto are a bit thin on power.

If the 383 is a Dodge engine, it's fine (if not, I have no idea what he's talking about).

The Ford/New Holland 6.6 is a good engine. It's a bit underpowered with an automatic (especially an Allison 545), but very durable, & can easily be turned up for more power.

The 7.3 International (aka the 444 V8; also it's smaller brother, the 6.9/420 V8) is another durable engine--as used in 82-94 Ford trucks. The only weak spot is coolant: not using the correct additive can result in cavitation eating through the cylinders. If kept up, they just keep running and running.

Also, I've heard nothing bad about the International DT408 (no DT406, AFAIK), except that it's a bit thin on power, especially with an automatic. IIRC, it's a smaller version of the legendary DT466.

The only "avoid" list I'd have would be:
8.2 litre Detroit diesel (GMC, the occasional Ford)
9.0 litre International (IH only)
AT545 automatic transmission (any make or model)
Lucas-Girling hydraulic brakes (late-80's to early-90's Fords)

That's about it.

 

[headface]

Thanx for the reply and that guy will no longer be my source for info

Is there any engines that i should definetly look for??

Ones that are just awsome and never break down??

Thanx again Tony

 

[headface]

i still like this 366 because i think it will run for a long while yet however what kind of gas milage should i expect

Thanx

 

[Jarlaxle]

Best choices:

Cummins 6BT/ISB 5.9 litre
International DT466/466E (best of the bunch, by far)

Close runners-up:

International T444E
International DT408
Caterpillar 3208 (smoky, but durable if maintained)

 

[headface]

are these engines hard to come by for under 2000 to 3000

 

[lapeer20m]

I'd stay away from anything with an "E" at the end. This makes fixing it yourself very difficult.

That's ok tough, because these electroinic engines weren't used much in the era of buses we buy.

 

[headface]

r u refering to the 466e and the 444e

 

[Jarlaxle]

IIRC, the "E" version of the DT466 arrived in mid-1995. The T444E showed up in, IIRC, early 1995. The T444E, at least (dunno about the DT466E), does not need a code reader to troubleshoot.

For about $15 at a dealer, you can get a code list (like, about 100 of them) & a troubleshooting flowchart. Use the bus's diagnostic mode, read the codes, & use the flowchart--I've done it on a 1999 IH 3800 at work, & it's pretty simple.

Even if the 466 doesn't have the diagnostic button (dunno--we have no 466's at work), a $50 code reader should work.

 

[1979GMC6000]

For the AT545 to be a bad tranny, it seems that a lot of buses use them... At least from the for-sale lists that I have looked at. I'm more of a manual trans kinda guy anyway, but just curious... What's the problem with them?

Brian

They are inefficent (10-15% mpg loss over different tranny) and the gears are generally tall, that combined with only 3 speeds limits top speed and runs engine at higher RPM's. That being said I have one and if it is serviced reguarly and do not get it stuck and spin the wheels (death for that trans) its pretty much bulletproof. I plan on swapping my rear end out to a lower ratio to get the speed/mpg
~B~

 

[trx]

They are inefficent (10-15% mpg loss over different tranny) and the gears are generally tall, that combined with only 3 speeds limits top speed and runs engine at higher RPM's. That being said I have one and if it is serviced reguarly and do not get it stuck and spin the wheels (death for that trans) its pretty much bulletproof. I plan on swapping my rear end out to a lower ratio to get the speed/mpg
~B~

They are actually a 4 speed transmission with a final 4th gear ratio of 1:1 like pretty much any other transmission. The torque converter does not lock up which allows up to a 10+% slip so you don't really get a final 1:1, so you loose a little speed there. The slip reduces the efficiency since some of the power is lost to slippage (and heat). They always slip some but that depends on your driving. On mine if you get up to speed and then back off the throttle a bit it seems to slip a little less since the rpms drop but not much speed is lost. I don’t think slippage directly correlates to 10-15% loss in mileage. Heck the new International CTX truck which is lighter and has a better transmission gets the same mileage as my bus (8.5 - Four Wheeler Magazine). Yes, it's not the best transmission but it's cheap, plentiful and gets the job done. Am I a transmission expert? No, but I just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night :wink: