Won a pretty nice bus at auction, but then I realized it had a CAT3126

[cadillackid]

sure looks like a real decent bus!
-Christopher

 

[RC000E]

Yeah, it's such a dice roll with these auction buses. All you can do is scrutinize the locations, info given, etc. On this one, my perception in person was this school district may have used this bus as an event/team bus. The belly storage is heavily used and the hours/mileage indicate the bus likely spent its time at speed. Underneath the bus is spotless, shy of typical road dirt. Everything looks very well kept, lubricated, etc. Tires are in great shape, which was pretty important for obvious reasons.

Overall I feel pretty good about it. For the money, it's really hard to see a machine that significant as anything but a bargain really. Plus, who doesn't love the phillips head screws everywhere versus rivets.

I'll have it at my shop within 3 weeks. Not sure it's going to fit inside unfortunately, but all my equipment, even welders, I have capable extensions. The conversion has to happen very efficiently/quickly for reasons that are our own. So...it's going to move forward pretty quick.

 

[sdwarf36]

Did you get anyone to buy your used slicks? ( I grumble every time i throw them out. )

Big Datsun fan here. Had many until they all returned to their natural element.

 

[boojiewoojie]

Buy it. Realistically it's as nice of a bus as you're going to find. And does it really show 2200 hours? Good grief, you've hit the jackpot- you will never find a bus that old with that few of hours. And spotless underneath with no rust??

Honestly, the only disadvantage is it's not the high roof with the taller windows. Not a huge deal unless you're really tall.

I hope you put down a really good deposit!!

I've been told the only things you need to do to get 6th unlocked is to get a letter from Thomas to give Allison the authorization to unlock it. My mechanic told me that it has to do with spinning the drive shaft too fast and I'm sure liability plays into it also.

Unlocking 6th for mpg is on my agenda but mine does pretty well without it. It hits 70 showing close to 2400 rpm (if I remember right) It'll do 65 all day long on the interstate. It's very comfortable at that speed- no squirrelly feel at all.

 

[RC000E]

Did you get anyone to buy your used slicks? ( I grumble every time i throw them out. )

Yeah...I sold plenty of road racing slicks that day to people who couldn't wait to go to the drag strip. Hey, if they're happy, I'm happy...lol :biggrin:

 

[RC000E]

Buy it. Realistically it's as nice of a bus as you're going to find. And does it really show 2200 hours? Good grief, you've hit the jackpot- you will never find a bus that old with that few of hours. And spotless underneath with no rust??

Honestly, the only disadvantage is it's not the high roof with the taller windows. Not a huge deal unless you're really tall.

I hope you put down a really good deposit!!

I've been told the only things you need to do to get 6th unlocked is to get a letter from Thomas to give Allison the authorization to unlock it. My mechanic told me that it has to do with spinning the drive shaft too fast and I'm sure liability plays into it also.

Unlocking 6th for mpg is on my agenda but mine does pretty well without it. It hits 70 showing close to 2400 rpm (if I remember right) It'll do 65 all day long on the interstate. It's very comfortable at that speed- no squirrelly feel at all.

Yeah, bus is locked in on a written contract, so it's all good. I've read the claims of needing a written authorization from Thomas, but the Allison corporate service guy I talked to said no, so...I suppose we'll see. In the end I'm going to have to drive it and find out what it feels like, etc. If the district bought this as a travel bus, maybe it's not too bad.

On the hours...yeah...all three of them were similar in mileage and hours so, reason enough for me to believe no issue. Sure would be nice to get a decent deal on this one. It's definitely super clean underneath, no question.

 

[jake_blue-SKO]

I've been told the only things you need to do to get 6th unlocked is to get a letter from Thomas to give Allison the authorization to unlock it. My mechanic told me that it has to do with spinning the drive shaft too fast and I'm sure liability plays into it also.

I've also been told that and it sounds like a cop out to me. If that transmission goes into motorhomes and other types of trucks that can all do 65+ then the only other explanation for that reasoning is the manufacturer's admission that they're installing a sub-standard driveshaft in these buses.

 

[sdwarf36]

Look for posts from 'porkchopsandwiches'. Maybe 2 years back. He went thru the process + posted good info on how to get them to give you 6th.

 

[RC000E]

^Thanks for that....here's the info transferred here for searchers or interested parties:

Unlock procedure for Allison MD3060 transmission, unlock 6th gear

(Per porkchopsandwiches) The steps I had to go through to get this done:

1. Contact Thomas Built Buses about getting a certificate saying they approve the move to make the additional gear happen. You will need your VIN and trans serial. They analyze the gear ratios in the trans, the diff ratio, tire size, and trans / engine combo. The reason is, theoretically, I should have a higher top speed when all is said and done (more about that later) so they want to make sure nothing will be spinning too fast, that the tires on it are rated for the new theoretical top speed (about 75). I have a contact at Thomas for anyone with a Boos-T-Liner trying to do this exact thing.

The thing about the top speed is, at least in my experience, the bus doesn't actually go any faster. The way it comes from the factory, the bus' speed is limited by gearing - i.e. at the top of 5th gear (about 65 mph) you are hitting the engine's rev limiter (about 2400 rpm). When the 6th gear is enabled, the ECU (or whatever CAT calls it) is programmed to not let the ground speed get over 65. So it just reduces the rev limiter in that gear to whatever keeps it at 65, which I think is about 2000. My tach doesn't work so I am getting all these numbers from calculations.

2. Wait for them to approve this, and send you a PDF of it, and make sure they list the correct tire size and type. If what they send you is different than the tires on it, send them documentation telling that the tires on it are rated for 75+ mph. I had goodyears on it, 75R22.5 / 295, but they listed 275s as being the stock size. Since this did not match perfectly (just different tread width) one shop I took it to wouldn't do it. The second shop I went to didn't seem to care that much but it is still a good idea to have them match.

3. Find a truck shop that works on Allison transmissions. Their stuff is very proprietary, so not every "regular Joe" can just program stuff. Tell them what you are doing, with emphasis that you will not be increasing the top speed, as they may get a bit uneasy if they think that is your end game.

4. Print the PDF, make sure the VIN and trans serial are correct, as well as the tire size. You will also need the CIN from the TCM. The CIN is a long letter / number combo on a sticker on the TCM. The TCM is underneath the bus on the drivers side, towards the outside of the bus. The sticker on my bus was missing, so I had to drive to the shop and get them to scan the TCM to get the number.

5. The shop then gets that number, sends it into Allison to see what the current programming is like, then they design a new one, sent it to the shop who then uploaded it onto my bus after I signed a set of waivers. Then you are good to go.

The shop I went to only charged me 2 hours labor to do it, because they were nice, when in reality it was probably more like 6. I had 2 separate trips; one to go there to get them to scan it to get the old CIN, where we thought the communications port on the bus was bad, but it turned out the laptop we were using had issues. We ended up pulling the TCM (they let me use their tools!) and scanning it. Then putting it back, going home, and coming back a week later to put the new one on, waiting for the tech to reset his passwords, and doing a test run.

 

[RC000E]

Decided to implement a credit boosting strategy here. May pull a personal loan from the bank to pay for the bus, so we can direct funds for the buildout to that, instead of the purchase price. I'm in the credit union and have boosted my credit score over 120 points in the past 8 months. I'm antsy to get this beast into my possession though.

Strange how adults are...school buses are just a means to get to the daily grind as a child...here as an adult you're like "a big machine!!!"...at least that's me anyway..lol.

Figure we can defer the purchase cost, pay it off quickly with no early penalties, and get a great credit score boost while we're there for minimal cost/interest. Anytime I make a purchase over 500.00 I try to figure out how to spin it toward my credit rating. Though, admittedly, the past few years and past few businesses I owned took their toll.

The bus is a means to reduce my day to day living costs, so I can focus on commercial real estate development more closely. We'll see how it pans out. I never took the path frequently traveled, why start now?

 

[cadillackid]

Decided to implement a credit boosting strategy here. May pull a personal loan from the bank to pay for the bus, so we can direct funds for the buildout to that, instead of the purchase price. I'm in the credit union and have boosted my credit score over 120 points in the past 8 months. I'm antsy to get this beast into my possession though.

Strange how adults are...school buses are just a means to get to the daily grind as a child...here as an adult you're like "a big machine!!!"...at least that's me anyway..lol.

Figure we can defer the purchase cost, pay it off quickly with no early penalties, and get a great credit score boost while we're there for minimal cost/interest. Anytime I make a purchase over 500.00 I try to figure out how to spin it toward my credit rating. Though, admittedly, the past few years and past few businesses I owned took their toll.

The bus is a means to reduce my day to day living costs, so I can focus on commercial real estate development more closely. We'll see how it pans out. I never took the path frequently traveled, why start now?

THIS!

I always hada decent credit score as I have a mortgage and always a car lease or two however I always would use a credit card Just to get the travel points.. pay it off even before the bill came out.. just to be "0 credit card debt.. some kind of ego boost I guess".. but my score would never go into the "great criteria.."..

then I started letting my cards bill but pay them off on their due dates... that gained me a large amount of points....

I will take out an installment loan every now and then even though i have way more money in the bank than the loan is just to run it and pay it off...

it has sent my credit score way up just because its a "diverse portfolio"..

people can say its a waste of paying interest on a personal loan.. however for me the ROI is real because I refi'd my house at the absolute Best interest rate available... I get all my car leases at rock bottom rates..

so for me over time paying a little perosnal loan interest has resulted in a lot less interest paid elsewhere ..

a Tall credit score also helps with insurance rates also...

-Christopher

 

[EastCoastCB]

Decided to implement a credit boosting strategy here. May pull a personal loan from the bank to pay for the bus, so we can direct funds for the buildout to that, instead of the purchase price. I'm in the credit union and have boosted my credit score over 120 points in the past 8 months. I'm antsy to get this beast into my possession though.

Strange how adults are...school buses are just a means to get to the daily grind as a child...here as an adult you're like "a big machine!!!"...at least that's me anyway..lol.

Figure we can defer the purchase cost, pay it off quickly with no early penalties, and get a great credit score boost while we're there for minimal cost/interest. Anytime I make a purchase over 500.00 I try to figure out how to spin it toward my credit rating. Though, admittedly, the past few years and past few businesses I owned took their toll.

The bus is a means to reduce my day to day living costs, so I can focus on commercial real estate development more closely. We'll see how it pans out. I never took the path frequently traveled, why start now?

Kinda sounds like me. I used a credit card, got something like 8% cash back, then paid it in full the first month after to avoid any interest.

 

[RC000E]

Yeah, any time you do a money exchange, it's always wise to try and maximize that exchange. I've experimented with cards a bit. Even taking an interest hit by carrying a balance will often have you bulked into a category of clientele that other banks want to do business with. Making them believe you'll be a money maker, via interest and carryover balances often leads to good mail offers on new cards.

It's all a game right...just gotta play it. So, yeah...instead of cash paying, think we are going to approach the bank to get a loan and pay it across four months...get max credit value out of the purchase. We have a good myriad of revolving positives, but we need more of that diversity.

More to skoolie buildin than meets the eye...lol!!!

 

[jhagan]

I have 4 of these motors in my fleet and have never had any major issues. Because of the HEUI system, change the oil on a routine basis and have the valves adjusted every-other year. One main issue these engines did have, is the cam shaft sensors would go out. There are two sensors on a single bracket that are mounted in the right side of the engine behind the timing cover and the air compressor. When that bottom sensor goes out, the engine will crank, but not turn over without a shoot of ether. Real simple fix. Aside from this, we love our CATs. They typically see 15-20k miles per season. Also, if you have the MD3060, have the 6tj gear OD unlocked. You'll save 300+ RPM, starting around 49 MPH.
J

 

[Brewerbob]

Doing a Google search on the Cat 3126 came back with a bunch of engines for sale between $2800 and $4500 so worst case if yours blows up...

I was looking for displacement and hp/torque. Which version is yours?

The Cat C7 was available with the following horsepower ratings:
210, 230, 250, 275, 300, 330, 350 and 360 hp.
Torque ratings ranged from 520 up to 925 lb-ft. The 201, 230 and 250 hp. ratings were available in either a low torque or high torque option.

 

[maco144]

This was a great read and Im glad to hear you went with the 3126. Do you have any conversion pics or progress updates?

 

[RC000E]

Sorry, I've been away. The bus and I went through a short bout of "wtf"...lol. I stripped the seats, cleared the inside, got rid of all signage and roof hatches, then it wouldn't start. I went down the common path of thinking the typical interrupt issue had gotten me. I checked the hatches, the stop sign, the windows, doors, etc....no go. I put it aside for a while, as I had a lot of other things going on, but recently jumped back to it. I did some wiring diagnostics and ended up a ground wire got pinched by a zip tie and shut down the allison shift panel. So, we are back and running.

At this time, we've gotten into a space of possibly wanting a smaller vehicle with less complexity and cost. I'm not sure we financially can sustain such a project at the moment. It's a damn great bus though...so, so, so clean it's unreal.

I'm in a bit of a limbo state trying to figure what to do with it.

 

[JDOnTheGo]

My old whore here:

That photo shocked me!! I felt like I had seen it before!

I started digging and found this one that I took of my coach - from nearly the same spot - with it sitting in the same parking space!

 

[cadillackid]

Sorry, I've been away. The bus and I went through a short bout of "wtf"...lol. I stripped the seats, cleared the inside, got rid of all signage and roof hatches, then it wouldn't start. I went down the common path of thinking the typical interrupt issue had gotten me. I checked the hatches, the stop sign, the windows, doors, etc....no go. I put it aside for a while, as I had a lot of other things going on, but recently jumped back to it. I did some wiring diagnostics and ended up a ground wire got pinched by a zip tie and shut down the allison shift panel. So, we are back and running.

At this time, we've gotten into a space of possibly wanting a smaller vehicle with less complexity and cost. I'm not sure we financially can sustain such a project at the moment. It's a damn great bus though...so, so, so clean it's unreal.

I'm in a bit of a limbo state trying to figure what to do with it.

you may find that trying to find a smaller vehicle results in more expense... I know a couple people looking for vans to convert and the prices get run-up.. Van cutaway busses do seem to still sometimes go for a decent price. but even those seem to command decent coin at auction... smaller seems to be getting more popular (thus more pricey)...

I also dont see the number of busses at auction this year as I did last.. my guess is that schools are holding back as to be afraid of trump ripping the education budgets to shreds... busses that still run dont command a big expense so hang onto them.

-Christopher

 

[RC000E]

That photo shocked me!! I felt like I had seen it before!

I started digging and found this one that I took of my coach - from nearly the same spot - with it sitting in the same parking space!

Holy

That's crazy! Hahaha....same parking spot is nuts.