I feel like I am forgetting something important

[Roadlife]

Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, my bus project (03 international with a 466) has been sitting for 2 years. I've recently started working on it again. Put new batteries in, new tires all the way around. Starts right up, no problem.
Except the diesel in the tank is well over 2 years old, the oil is at least 3 years, and my brake check valve has an air leak from a gasket going bad. Much rather it leak here than on a road trip.
I have a new check valve, air filter, fuel filter, fuel water seperater, and oil filter sitting in my shopping cart. I already have the oil. And I feel like I am forgetting something very important that I need to do when servicing my bus that I don't do on my motorcycle.

 

[BamaBus]

From what I know is that 2 year old fuel is not a major issue. Problem would be if the tank was almost empty which would allow more water to accumulate adding to rust and algae concerns. Maybe have more than one fuel filter on hand while driving? As far as filters go, there should be a filter in the power steering reservoir.
You seem to be in a good situation with new tires and a starting bus!

 

[ewo1]

Dt466's do not sitting for long periods very much so you are right to be concerned and proactive.
You going in the right direction for sure.
severely overlooked is the condition of your coolant or if you even have the right coolant for your motor so this i would recommend checking on.

Air filter too!

 

[Mr P]

Dt466's do not sitting for long periods very much so you are right to be concerned and proactive.

What problem(s) do they have from sitting? The "E" or mechanical?

 

[ewo1]

The liner o-rings dry up...piston rings sticking ...coolant goes bad... If it has water instead of coolant...yes it does happen...

Not saying it always happens but these things do occur.

 

[nikitis]

Cavitation is known for these older engines. If you don't have that expensive Red coolant without all of the corrosive additives, it's going to occur on these motors and T444E's as well. You CANNOT just put the regular old stuff. You need the coolant without the added detergents. The wrong coolant with the motor sitting will eat holes into the engine block (Cavitation) and then your coolant starts mixing with the oil. We've seen it many times here on the forums.

Around the 2004 models something changed with the metal they used to cast the blocks which can handle the newer stuff with detergents and it's not an issue to use that stuff or any coolant as far as I'm aware. But if you have an older bus than that, I'd go with the pricey stuff that International sells.

 

[Mr P]

From what I've read, cavitation of coolant (regarding the cylinder liners) happens when the wrong coolant is subjected to the extreme vibration from the diesel igniting in the cylinder as the engine is running. Coolant acidity is a large factor that you might be confusing with cavitation.

Why would piston rings stick from sitting in a diesel, what sticks them? A diesel stops running because the diesel injection is stopped, and the engine spins to a stop with no fuel in the cylinder, only normal oil coating.

Liner o-rings "drying up"....how does running change their "dryness"??

MAYBE the diesel injection pump could suffer from sitting if it's exposed to moisture in the fuel during storage.

I'm not here to pick a fight, but I'm long time mechanic who owns some diesel stuff. I'm new to the (old) dt466 and want good info passed around on this site.

 

[nikitis]

I'm not a mechanic. I'm an electronic guy and software guy. But I do know that as old as these engines are there's plenty of data to show cavitation as a result of using modern coolant on them and I'm not talking about leakage past the pistons. Data not just on this site but others as well. Cavitation occurs in the small passage ways on the side of the block that the coolant runs through. It will rust out the inner walls of those passage ways and coolant will leak into the oil compartment. It mixes and becomes a milky grey oil and then your engine no worky soon after.

 

[ewo1]

From what I've read, cavitation of coolant (regarding the cylinder liners) happens when the wrong coolant is subjected to the extreme vibration from the diesel igniting in the cylinder as the engine is running. Coolant acidity is a large factor that you might be confusing with cavitation.

Why would piston rings stick from sitting in a diesel, what sticks them? A diesel stops running because the diesel injection is stopped, and the engine spins to a stop with no fuel in the cylinder, only normal oil coating.

Liner o-rings "drying up"....how does running change their "dryness"??

MAYBE the diesel injection pump could suffer from sitting if it's exposed to moisture in the fuel during storage.

I'm not here to pick a fight, but I'm long time mechanic who owns some diesel stuff. I'm new to the (old) dt466 and want good info passed around on this site.

I'm glad your not here to pick a fight...me too...I just want to help and learn.
I solidify the learning by trying to help out...
3 years ago i knew nothing about repairing diesel motors, datalink wiring on a truck, air brakes on a bus...etc...
This is not rocket science but like anything else, apply yourself and you will move forward...

That being said...

The liner O-ring can dry out from sitting too long, they tend to dry out and crack.
How long is too long ??? case by case...
When you restart the motor after a really long sit time, refreshing the o-rings can cause them to just break apart. not saying this happens all the time but it is an issue, a consideration to be aware of.

Cavitation, you got it just about right...cavitation is a long process that eats up the metal not just from vibration but electron flow...long discussion topic... Again, if you got the wrong coolant and it sits, cavitation could just speed itself up. A perfect example of cavitation, aluminum outboards on salt water boats. movement of the boat creates electron flow which eats away at the aluminum.

My 2005 (milkshake bus), engine got Fu barred because of two issues. The primary one was cavitation in the front engine cover ate away the thin wall that separates the oil flow from the coolant flow. They got mixed together and the engine became a milkshake maker. Common cavitation problem on DT466e motors...

Why would piston rings stick in ANY motor...oiled surfaces over time become bare and moisture starts to creep in causing all sort of nightmare issues.
this is nothing new, can happen in any and all fossil fueled engines... On a freshly shut down engine, yes O-rings are coated with oil.
On an engine that has been sitting for a real long period of time, oil drips away leaving components no longer coated with oil...

I hoped I answered your questions well..

 

[Mr P]

I can't yet understand how an O ring that is trapped between a cylinder liner and the engine block (with oil on one side and coolant on the other) can "dry out" any more than the oil pan gasket, for instance.

Piston rings....I've heard of rings sticking. Never from a healthy engine that's been parked for a few years. That's ASSUMING they haven't had exposure to lots of moisture.

"Cavitation", by definition, has nothing to do with electrons. That's electrolysis, which is important also.




I think the OP should check the coolant for type and Ph level.

 

[Roadlife]

I did check the coolant, it is on my to do list. But it is fairly clean and the right color (red coolant) so it is a little further down the list of things to do before I hit the road.
It has been sitting, but I have been starting it every 2-4 weeks the entire time it's been in storage.
My best guess is there's about 10 gallons of old diesel in the tank. I've been debating having it pumped out vs diluting the old by adding more diesel. I don't plan on a long trips any time soon, so I am leaning towards siphoning out the old when I replace the filters.

 

[Mr P]

The old fuel will not hurt, unless it's gotten water in it.

 

[BamaBus]

I did check the coolant, it is on my to do list. But it is fairly clean and the right color (red coolant) so it is a little further down the list of things to do before I hit the road.
It has been sitting, but I have been starting it every 2-4 weeks the entire time it's been in storage.
My best guess is there's about 10 gallons of old diesel in the tank. I've been debating having it pumped out vs diluting the old by adding more diesel. I don't plan on a long trips any time soon, so I am leaning towards siphoning out the old when I replace the filters.

I bought a bus that had been sitting for many years and the fuel smelled terrible. I drained it from the plug at the bottom of the tank. The few gallons I expected, turned out to be 30 and didn't notice any water. In hindsight I probably could have just left it. After putting in about 20 gallons of new fuel and driving home I found thick, sticky sludge in the bottom of the tank which did not affect the drive home.

 

[ewo1]

"Cavitation", by definition, has nothing to do with electrons. That's electrolysis, which is important also.

Electrolysis uses an electric current to drive a chemical reaction, while electrons are the fundamental particles involved in electrical conduction and chemical reactions. Electrolysis relies on the movement of electrons and ions to facilitate chemical changes...
you can't have electrolysis without electron flow...That's just the way the cookie crumbles...

 

[Mr P]

Cavitation, you got it just about right...cavitation is a long process that eats up the metal not just from vibration but electron flow...long discussion topic... Again, if you got the wrong coolant and it sits, cavitation could just speed itself up. A perfect example of cavitation, aluminum outboards on salt water boats. movement of the boat creates electron flow which eats away at the aluminum.

^ So that quote is....faulty. Cavitation is about fluid movement, rapid movement causing a pressure drop lower than vapor pressure of the fluid, thus a gas is formed.

Correct coolant system pressure is essential to fighting cavitation. Checking the radiator cap is cheap.

 

[ewo1]

^ So that quote is....faulty. Cavitation is about fluid movement, rapid movement causing a pressure drop lower than vapor pressure of the fluid, thus a gas is formed.

Correct coolant system pressure is essential to fighting cavitation. Checking the radiator cap is cheap.

Ok,I'll give it to you..it is faulty... I got the two two topics too close to each other in my mind when in fact you are more correct with regards to fluid movement. in the end, with water movement your still gonna have electron flow but cavitation is more fueled by changes in fluid pressure.

For more detailed info one can read this long explanation...

Cavitation: Causes, Effects, and Solutions | The Armoloy Corporation

Learn the basics of cavitation: causes, effects, and solutions for industries relying on pumps, turbines, and fluid dynamics.

armoloy.com

 

[Roadlife]

Went to double check the fuel filter number, opened the hood, and one of my headlights fell out.
The "very important thing" I couldn't remember is that one of the headlight adjusting springs corroded away and needs to be replaced.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

also an engine setting outside in unconditioned space can and will condensate inside of the engine in the valve covers oil pan and any other void above the pistons below the pistons etc..
as the temperature changes up and down depending on what area you live in

 

[nikitis]

The old fuel will not hurt, unless it's gotten water in it.

I've seen 10 year old diesel fuel run just fine in an old bus before. Wouldn't recommend it but it's possible to still burn it. You are correct though about the water, or algae/sludge/whateverthatcrapis.

Went to double check the fuel filter number, opened the hood, and one of my headlights fell out.
The "very important thing" I couldn't remember is that one of the headlight adjusting springs corroded away and needs to be replaced.

I 3D Printed some for mine. Every single one of mine disintegrated. My 3D print design isn't the best but it does hold them in fine. Adjustment works on them if you use the right sized screw with my print, the original screws are too thin to use so you need one size up. If you have 3D printing capability let me know I'll provide you the print file.

 

[Mat7783]

Due to unforseen circumstances beyond my control, my bus project (03 international with a 466) has been sitting for 2 years. I've recently started working on it again. Put new batteries in, new tires all the way around. Starts right up, no problem.
Except the diesel in the tank is well over 2 years old, the oil is at least 3 years, and my brake check valve has an air leak from a gasket going bad. Much rather it leak here than on a road trip.
I have a new check valve, air filter, fuel filter, fuel water seperater, and oil filter sitting in my shopping cart. I already have the oil. And I feel like I am forgetting something very important that I need to do when servicing my bus that I don't do on my motorcycle.

Well since I bought a sitting church bus and painfully discovered gel and sludge in the diesel tank which had to be removed and restored by me;I would throw some Stratron or sea foam in the tank to run your fuel and again with the next tank of fuel.