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Johnny (63.159.197.93)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 31, 2002 - 6:14 pm: | |
The title says it all--after 2 cans of degreaser, the engine compartment was actually clean. It got a coat of paint (chassis black), & the 460 went in. It fit the F-600 brackets perfectly, everything lined up except the fan shroud (need a bigger one with the bigger fan), & it runs. The carb works OK (though I need to hook up the choke--old one was mechanical, this is electric), new clutch is in, & I'll be giving test-drive results tomorrow (after I collar 2 people to help me get the bonnet back on).
I also have the big gas tank (50 gallons, according to the guy at the junkyard--it looks about twice the size of mine, so that sounds right) installed.
Next step: Collar my friend with a TIG welder to help me build a mount for the propane tank.
The interior layout is almost finalized; the under-chassis layout is finalized. |
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 31, 2002 - 7:23 pm: | |
Hey Johnny--let us know how the mighty first drive turns out. Also let us know how much rubber she will burn. Good luck. |
Johnny (63.159.196.171)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 12:21 pm: | |
It turned out nicely. The break-in went well (though loud--2500-3000RPM for 25 minutes), oil pressure was 50-55psi at cold idle (5W-30 for break-in), coolant stayed at 150-160 (hmmmm), & the Economaster ran perfectly. After a couple adjustments (the timing was a tad off & the throttle linkage needed adjustment), the engine purred nicely. Swap the front tires for the radials (thank you, Snap-On impact wrench!), tighten a seeping heater hose (loose clamp), change the break-in oil for some fresh 15W-40 Rotella, close & latch the bonnet, & we're ready to hit the road.
What a difference! With the worn-out 370, the bus would be almost undriveable without the 2-speed axle--I'd start in 2-lo, then 3-lo, then 3-hi, then 4-lo, then 4-hi, then 5-hi. With the 460, I started in 3-hi by mistake twice. I now start off in 2-hi, & only use the splitter for 4th gear (3 & 4 are VERY widely-spaced in a Spicer). Hills the 370 struggled up at WOT in 3rd gear, the 460 will cruise up at 3x the speed in 5-hi. The torque is amazing--plenty of grunt, right off idle. My biggest fear--overheating--also seems to be unfounded. The engine didn't go past 160 until I was driving, & never passed 180 degrees. I guess the radiator (from a 429-powered F-700) is enough, though I still need a fan shroud.
As a bonus, the 460 is quieter (MUCH less WOT) than the 370, & will probably get better mileage.
Two other things I found:
1) I have no passenger wiper--it just doesn't work when the switch is turned on. My guess: bad motor or bad connection. Junkyard time (again).
2) The door seals better than I thought--I hit a BIG puddle going ~45MPH (oops), & got no water thru the door. I still have to seal the gap at the bottom, though. |
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 - 10:13 am: | |
Very Cool. How did the burnout go? He he he. Hey Johnny, if your COACH has the 5 and 2, are you shifting it correctly? Maybe I am missing something...but I thought you said....
Anyway, the neat thing about the "short forth" 5-speed is that it splits the 2-speed rear end ratio. That is, if you use every gear, you shift like this....
One under, one over, two under, two over, three under, three over, four under, FIVE under, four OVER, then five over. The top 4 gear splits are very close.
But I am sure you already know this. It just sounded as if the way you were shifting your old worn out mill was you were missing a gear.
And......I still want to bet that once your new super mill is broken in, your COACH will get 7 to 8 mpg!!! Bet ya a six pack!!!! Enjoy. |
Johnny (63.159.198.127)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 5:52 pm: | |
It's not a coach, it's a truck! |
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