Waiting for the right bus

[BusT]

Hello . I posted a few times as bangbus and had problems logging in.
So anyways made a new account just to express some slight frustration .
I’ve been waiting for the right bus for a good few months. I’ve been outbid a few times and the buses that I was outbid against weren’t even 10/10.
I’m looking for a flat nose dt466 with md3060 or Allison 2000.

Now thinking I’ll also accept a 5.9 with same trans options.
I’ve seen more of these.
Another thing to be mentioned is I haven’t seen many international / Amtrak with air ride suspension .
I have seen air ride suspension with 5.9 Cummins ina bluebird and Thomas .

Also is there a 30ft rear engine?
That would be sweet . Anyways please keep an eye out for me .
The YouTube channel rolling vistas has a sweet bus.
Dt466 with md3060 (or mt...)
Wondering if they have air suspension .
Also they have a video saying they were able to get there bus from auction for under 3k after fees and travels. What a steal.

 

[PNW_Steve]

Have patience.

I watched the auction sites, eBay and CL for over a year before I found my 8.3/3060 equipped RE.

I have owned 5.9's in trucks. I currently have one that has been turned up a bit and it's great in a pickup but I would pass on a 5.9 in a mid/full size bus.

It sounds like you have done your homework and figured out what sort of drive train would suit you. Don't settle.

Good luck with your quest.

 

[ermracing]

Another thing to be mentioned is I haven’t seen many international / Amtrak with air ride suspension.

Good luck on your search. As PNW_Steve mentioned, it does take time to find the right bus. As for air suspension, you may have better luck finding a special needs bus with a wheel chair lift. Ours is such a bus and has air bags in the rear. Of course, if you go that route you may end up dealing with hundreds of bolts holding the chair rails to the floor....

 

[o1marc]

Lots of Internationals, including mine, have air suspension.

 

[PNW_Steve]

An International with a DT-466 or 530 and an MD-3060 would be the bomb.

I understand that folks with International's are having better luck getting 6th gear unlocked than us Bluebird owners.

 

[BusT]

Have patience.

I watched the auction sites, eBay and CL for over a year before I found my 8.3/3060 equipped RE.

I have owned 5.9's in trucks. I currently have one that has been turned up a bit and it's great in a pickup but I would pass on a 5.9 in a mid/full size bus.

It sounds like you have done your homework and figured out what sort of drive train would suit you. Don't settle.

Good luck with your quest.

I think having the 5.9 I’m a 30ft bus would be settling

Though the highest hp output rating I’ve seen was 205 .... I keep trying to justify that by wondering if a 5.9 in a midsize would actually be saving gas since it’s a smaller liter then 7.3/7.6 (dt444 or dt466)
So I wonder if a dt466 even though it’s a bigger engine would be either the same or better mpg then a 5.9 in a midsize bus having to work hard pulling 20k pounds at 70mph on highway..
A rear engien 8.3 midsize would be pretty sweet. A bonus would be with airbags

 

[BusT]

Good luck on your search. As PNW_Steve mentioned, it does take time to find the right bus. As for air suspension, you may have better luck finding a special needs bus with a wheel chair lift. Ours is such a bus and has air bags in the rear. Of course, if you go that route you may end up dealing with hundreds of bolts holding the chair rails to the floor....

Cutting torch!!!
Hahaha that doesn’t sound very fun at all.... ohh well the adventures will be worth it haha

 

[BusT]

Lots of Internationals, including mine, have air suspension.

International engine / bus built out by amtran?

 

[BusT]

An International with a DT-466 or 530 and an MD-3060 would be the bomb.

I understand that folks with International's are having better luck getting 6th gear unlocked than us Bluebird owners.

I’ve never heard of a 530...
I think dt466 would be enough power for me . Time will tell. What’s that other transmission besides md3060....
Mt 1325 or something along those lines

 

[cadillackid]

on busses pre-2003. you can find the MT-643 (non electronic, non overdrive.. WITH lockup. very beefy and solid transmission.. they could be paired with most engines.. but most commonly you found them on the DT-466, cummins 8.3, and sometimes the CAT-3208. I say pre 03 because they stopped making this unit in 03 or thereabouts.

the shifter on a 643 is the same as a 545. (R-N-D-3-2-1)



the MD-3060 (6 speed electronic, with usually 5 gears enabled.. it sytarted coming into use in the mid 90s... and is still in use today... its shifter was often a push-button with a single digit red or green display.. there was also a T-handle shifter used for it.. it would also have a single digit display. ive never seen a shifter for the MD-3060 that didnt contain the digit display. the MD-3060 features a 0.75 overdrive in 5th and if enabled a 0.65 OD in 6th



starting in the year 2000. the allison 1000/2000 units came out.. the 1000s were seen mainly on GMC 8.1 gas engines and duramaxx diesels, hoswever navistar used the 1000s on the IC BE series busses. pre 2006 the allison 1000/2000 were 5 speed single overdrive units, the featured a 0.75 Overdrive on 2000 series and a 0.71 on 1000 series.. I list them together because their spec's and ionternals are very much the same.. Most all full truck chassis school busses contained the 2000s vs the 1000s. the shifter on most all school busses will show as R-N-D-4-2-1.



starting in 2006 the 1000/2000 series was sold as a 6 speed transmission.. same features as above but a 0.65 OD in the 2000 for 6th and a 0.61 OD in the 1000 for 6th, same shifter... R-N-D-4-2-1. in sachool busses 6th gear is typically disabled. though ive seen all 6 gears enabled on Van cutaway GMC busses with the 1000 and the duramaxx post 2006..



the 1000/2000 are still sold today with 5th gen electronic controls...



the AT545 as noted is a 4 speed non overdrive mechanical transmission without the lockup feature.. it is also a lighter duty transmission. they were extremely reliable and cost effective units for stop and go school bus usage in town and short jaunts.. the transmissions never had much time or force pushed against them to cause overheating conditions which are what destroys them when used on long road trips in the mountains.. the shift on the AT545 is identical to that of an MT643. (R-N-D-3-2-1). you found these on lower spec engines.. very common on the 175/190 HP versions of the T-444E, the 5.9 cummins, (6BT and IS, 190 HP versions of the CAT-3126, 175 and 195 HP versions of the DT-466E..


swapping transmissions is most definitely possible.. (ive done it on 2 busses now)... but not likely the most desirable unless you want to build a completely custom built-to-your-spec rig.. its best to find a bus that has the drivetrain which will suit your intended use of the bus.. even if it costs you a little more upgront it will likely still be much less than making a major drivetrain upgrade down the line..

-Christopher

 

[o1marc]

International engine / bus built out by amtran?

1999 International Genesis AmTran DT466e/3060, air brakes, air suspension.

 

[ermracing]

Cutting torch!!!
Hahaha that doesn’t sound very fun at all.... ohh well the adventures will be worth it haha

We opted to remove the nuts and bolts 'by hand' in order to salvage the rails. The only ones I will end up cutting out are over the fuel tank since we can't access the nuts from underneath.