| Author | Message | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: |
greetings... so, i drove my scenicruiser (864) from seattle to lukes us coach in jersey, and back, with about 1,000 miles of sightseeing on the way. right now it still runs, but it does so in a distinctive "world war II smokescreen machine" kind of way. ... local detroit jimmy ninja says the oil rings are gone and the compression rings are pretty trashed, (it's hard to start among other things) and i need to rebuild or replace. he also said it wasn't worth it to rebuild a jimmy anymore. so, i'm looking at, minimally, a rebuild or a repower, and i'm trolling for advice. she pops out of second and third as well, and the rear end seals are leaking to the tune of about a gallon every 1000 miles. the factory shift linkage is pretty bad, and i'm not afraid of electronics, so i will probably be doing a fly by wire system or an air shifter. i haul a *lot* of gear with her, (i was scaling at 55k when i went to lukes) and i'm going to be pulling a 10,000 lb trailer with her as well, so lets keep that in mind. people who know have pointed me at a series 60 detroit and an automatic. i prefer gears, but i'm still open to the auto idea. other people that know have suggested a 9 speed, and yet others have suggested put another jimmy in it, fix my 4 speed, and put a 3 speed rear end in it. this is a long term project, and if 01 = crossthreads lightbulbs and 10 = missing a couple fingers and has a half a million dollar mortgage on the snap on truck i'm about a 07. i have access to a mig, a tig and luke says my rear radius rod bushings are shot, and i really want that sweet steering upgrade that i saw  this rig is going to get 20k miles a year or so. gas mileage matters. anyone have advice for me? -dd | ||
| Jim H Rating: N/A |
I hate to say it but are you sure the bus is worth the $$$ you will put into it?? You have a very old bus that is probably worn out in many ways. If you haul that kind of a load ( it was never meant to haul that much) and put a lot of power in -- you will have many more problems in the near future. Might be a better plan to put that $$$ into something more suited to your needs. I drive an old bus also -- 1963 eagle 01 - I have put a 60 series, electronic trans and different rear gears into it and love the bus. I am however building a new one with all the toys that will suite me better at some time. Old buses have old systems -- need repair and parts hard to find. Hard to find just anyone who will work on them when you breakdown on the road. Just some thoughts -- your mileage may very Jim H | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
well, luke's crew said that she's in really good shape mechanically (running gear, etc) and i have rebuilt and restored enough rigs to know exactly what i'm getting into. in essence, i plan on keeping the chassis, because it's sound, and ditching most of the rest) she had some updates already (wet axles being the most noticeable) sometime in her previous history. as for the weight limit thing, she was 29k off the assembly line, so i did the math like (150 lbs + 50 lbs of luggage per person, x 47 = 9400) to get rough estimates. if i had been greyhound i would have used much higher numbers in the design, as expecting an average of 150 lbs per person for 47 people is ludicrous to the extreme... those numbers put me just shy of 40k, but the cruisers were also used to haul cargo, which generally weighs much more than people. i've talked to at least 3 different people who used to drive 'em, that have, while driving for greyhound, scaled 'em at over 70k. (that is scary) so i figured i was fine with 8k worth of gear on the floor topsides, and the bays as full as i could get 'em. she drove fine, handled well, no problems other than she leaked oil till i fixed it, and she goes through a gallon of oil every 500 miles or so. and the popping out of gear thing. i suspect that the problem is linkage related, if i'm going to do this i'm going to do it right, which means eliminating the 3 bellcrank, 11 pivot shift linkage... truthfully for the entire trip (about 9,000 miles) even with a shot 8v71 jimmy in it, all i was wishing for was more gears. well that and jake brakes, because she won't go slow enough in 4th downgrade) currently it tops out at 10 in first, 20 in second, and those are fine for the most part, but third is all the way out to 40 and 4th is from there on up... the gears are just plain too tall for what i want to do with it. for instance, i was climbing the continental divide and got into a spot where i had to back off in second, and then ultimately into 1st, on the gov. ... i had to climb the next 10 miles in first, because i didn't have enough guts to pull up from the lower rpm's in second ... but i've climed steeper on the gov in second no sweat. i would have really liked to split the difference there... but where it really kills is the 2nd - 3rd shift. 3rd is way too tall for that coach, even empty. she was designed to run the plains, not climb hills. and over here we have real mountains, so i need to do something. right now, the only unobtainum part i know of on my bus that i need a solution for is the radius rod bushings, because they were a scenicruiser only part, and if luke says he can't get 'em, i'm not even going to look. but, i am more than capable of doing the welding and machine work to put in a modern solution, even if i have to build the rods myself. oh, that and the leveling valves seem to be unobtainum as well, but i didn't look very hard, i just made a modern set fit. from my perspective, i have a steel and aluminum shell that i'm going to build into what i want, so the idea is "what would the best running gear be for this, assuming i use it this way" the jimmy would be fine, if i had more gears, but if i'll get more mileage out of a 60 series, then it's obviously the 60 series i should look into. sorry if this sounds defensive, it's not meant to be, it's just that the drone of "buy a newer bus" gets to me after a while. after all, when i'm done with it it's going to be a 2005 warbusaur i think the cruiser is the sweetest looking bus ever made, and i've wanted one since i was 7 and i rode on one. this one. i got a look at a brand new van hool that was sitting by the side of the road i had to rescue during my trip... didn't look nearly as solidly built as mine. the big thing is, i need a path to get where i want to be. 60 series? 8v92? cat? so what transmission are you using, and how do you like it? somehow i think that a 3408 cat, a 15 speed road ranger and a 3 speed rear end are overkill what's the best bang for the buck? thanks -dd | ||
| Bill D
Rating: N/A |
Buy a good 8V71N engine and hang a 13 speed roadranger on it-- It will Pull all The big " HILLS" fine at a good speed. Very close rpm between shift points and it will run 105 MPH with the 3.61 cruiser rear end Use the same radiator with out a heat problem I know this to be true because I did it. I bought all the bushing from IBP. for the rear bulkhead . No problem. I used the 8513 overdrive Fuller roadranger which works great with the 71 toqure range. If the knees are good ,, Go for it. Bill D | ||
| Bill D
Rating: N/A |
I got 10 MPG or better | ||
| dougtheboneifiedbusnut
Rating: N/A |
Hey Kevin, couldn't agree with you more about how beautiful cruisers are. But with regard to the power packs you'r thinking of, a 15 speed road ranger trans is a 10 speed with the first five gears reduced way down for trucks such as trailer dumps to get out of sand pits and such with very heavy loads.You don't want one of those.You will not find a two speed rear axle to fit your carriers.(no such thing as a 3 speed rear axle).I've been through it wanted a 2 speed rear axle for my crown,don't make em for my rearsdoubt if they make em for yours. Money not being an object you want a 60 series detriot(big) and a 9 speed road ranger with 350:1 or so for rear end gears.This will give you a top speed of around 70 to 75 depending on what tires you are running and your governor setting. | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
beg pardon on the 3 speed rears... they do exist....because FORD used them in their freight hauling over-the-road trucks... it really was a set of 2 speed tandems... BUT.. the front axle shifted to low, the rear axle went to high and this achieved another ratio... HOW???.. the power divider made up the differenc....how do i know???? some of the trucks that haul cotton modules use 2 speed rear ends.. and when the shifter messes up, you accidentially get this 3rd ratio....it actually was sold in the louisville line of ford truck-tractors... | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
a 15 speed road ranger is a 10 speed + 5 extra granny gears? (i think that's what you meant?) greg bush has pics up of his 3408 cat powered, 15 speed road ranger shifted cruiser, here http://scenicruiser.com/gallery_owners.htm, but a *lot* of people have been pointing me at the 9 speed. it seems like a logical choice. i don't need or want anything over 75 mph. as for the rear end, i was under the impression i would replace what i have with it, fabricating the hangers off the air bags, and using a custom drive shaft if it doesn't work with what's there. so does anyone happen to know the rer end gearing on a scenicruiser? thanks -dd | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
I had a 15 speed in my 3406B 425hp Cat powered Kenworth. In a half million miles of coast to coast hauling max legal (and sometimes a little over max legal) loads, I can never recall ever needing or using the first 5 gears, referred to as "deep reduction", and of course I was never hauling logs or getting back into the deep woods. They can actually get you into trouble, twisting off driveshafts and axles if you aren't careful. I sure don't think you need them on a bus. | ||
| Jose Rating: N/A |
Eaton definitely built a 3 speed axel in the early 60's ! It had a slide type switch on the shifter knob, not a plunger switch like a 2 speed. Why not go for a triplex, reach your left arm thru the steering wheel and use both hands to shift, sorry telling my age. { PIE, Pacific Intermountain Express before Inter-states } Jose | ||
| t gojenola
Rating: N/A |
Jose: When I lived there in the 60's "PIE" was more affectionately known among Seattle area truckers as "pig iron express." They were a damn fine LTL operator, but got swallowed up - as I recall, by DC - Denver Chicago, which sort of went down the tube a few years later. But I believe PIE first spun off their tanker division which became Lee & Estes - still in operation. My memory is a bit hazy after all these years, but I worked in the Alaska freight business there and we did a lot of interline with both PIE and DC. tg | ||
| Bill K Rating: N/A |
I have a 15spd overdrive in a dump truck and the gears was to high so I add a direct and under gear box, now she works. I don't think the 15spd over would be to low in a bus. | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
1 of the haul trucks i used to drive was a 3408 powered kenworth 900...it has a 14613 main (13 speed), a 1241 auxiliary (4 speed) and 2 speed tandems....lets see... 13 X 4 X 2 = 104 possible gear combinations....never used all of them, as the 1241 stayed in 3rd (direct) most of the time...the 1241 had the power tower type pto to run the main winch....a braden ms60 (60 ton)....top speed with 11.245s was just over 90 mph....with the 5 axle lowbow trailer this combo weighed in at 65000 lbs empty.... | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
The series 60 with a TRUCK not bus automatic tranny should be just fine. With 5 speeds and no OD the gearing will be "low" all the time. Not as great for fuel milage as 1250rpm at 65 the bus tranny will give, BUT for he weights your contemplating your lots closer to an 80,000 truck than a 30,000 coach. IF you decide on the swop the electrical DE DEC hookups will be the most daunting problem. Get the WHOLE truck , as you will need loads of stuff , throttle shift gages and a load of wiring. The ser 60 are real torquers and should be able to get those monsterous weights moving. FAST FRED | ||
| DMDave Rating: N/A |
We took pictures of Greg's shifter assy at Bussin 2004 in Arcadia. What a piece of art.Its great to fix up an older bus as long as you realize the drawbacks. Its like owning a wooden boat. To alot of people its worth it. | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
I would love to see those pictures... what i'm seriously considering is buying a wrecked 18 wheeler tractor that has what i want in it, and going from there. thing is, i'm still learning what i want one thing i have learned over the years is that "stuff" is heavy and "stuff" expands.. so the beefier i build it to begin with the longer it's going to last. my normal "running" mode will probably be 40k and a 10k trailer ... (the bus weighs 25k without the seats in it, it's not going to get much lighter than that, and while i'm making smart interior choices (no granite mantles and marble floors and such) but it's still heavy... -dd | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
My biggest concern with running overloaded would be stopping the beast. You're bus weighs over twice what my '06 does and has maybe only 60% more braking area (just guessing, tho). So I'm just curious, do you have lead-lined walls, granite counters, a brick fireplace, a spare engine block or three, a few boat anchors and some scrap iron storage filling the bays to run 25k (around the weight of my bus) over stock?! Wow! bb | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
well, the factory brakes worked fine on the trip to lukes and back, but those long downgrades were nerve wracking... jake brakes and a transmission that didn't pop out of gear would have been heavenly. considering that the drive axle dumps gear lube all over the drive axle brakes, i think they'll be fine once i fix that. upgrading the brakes, and installing jakes are both on "the list". the rearend needs work anyway (seals) there's a thread here somewhere about how i should be able to lock my brakes up, but as i've only got 105 lbs of air, and can't lock them up, i know the system needs work. i'm the kinda guy that "the biggest antilocking air brakes i can get to fit" is pretty likely, but luke spent more than enough of his time and energy on us while we were at u.s. coach, so i'm really not going to pick his brain on it until i've got money to spend with him. i'll prolly have engine and transmission in hand, (and possibly the rest of the totaled semi) and solutions in mind, along with some idea of what i'm talking about, before i start asking my bus weighs in at 25k or so right now. my interior stuff is going to be less than 5k. as for "stuff i haul" we do a medieval reinactment war in pensylvania every year ... ( http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn34/GENERAL/photos.html ) i haul all the gear for my kingdom, which consists of armor, pavillions, the thrones, etc. this year it was 15k of kingdom gear, plus myself, 5 people, and enough gear for 30 days. there's 3 other long range events i want to do per year as well... and while i have need to haul a lot of gear (helps defray the cost) i don't have any particuliar want to own a kenworth. i know that she's going to shed a lot of weight when i pull out the factory ac pump and relocate the batteries, pull the bathroom out, most of the upper cargo shelves, etc. heck, the seats weighed 100 lbs each... ya know, those diesel over electric setups they use in ferryboats and trains might be cool -dd | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
If it pops out of second (or third) on a steep grade it won't matter how good the brakes are... you, your passengers, and anybody you hit on the way down are toast. So get that fixed pronto if you take it out again it its present state. Same with the leaky seals. Oily brakes are almost useless ones. I'm sure glad we didn't read about you and your SC causing bodily harm on your trip, the way that one in Canada did last week! Most of us have done dumb things in our busses, due to inexperience and lack of knowlege, so I'm not trying to harp on you. Luckily, most of us have lived to tell about it and learned to be safer on the next outing. On my first outing in my first bus, an MC8, I came down a steep grade along the Mississippi in fourth, didn't know how to downshift yet, and had to lock up my tags to keep from killing a gawking old couple in front of me. I also found out later my parkbrakes wouldn't hold, so my drive brakes were out of adjustment. With God as my only witness, I vowed never to be so foolhardy again. Your hobby sounds interesting. You'll probably have a lot of fans within your group for having a big old bus. Your SC is certainly capable of taking on a LOT of gear, but just be mindful of the weight. The trailer you mention, with some good brakes would be better than overloading the bus. Keep us posted on your progress. Those Cruisers are the best looking coaches ever built, IMHO. bb | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
>If it pops out of second (or third) on a steep grade it won't matter how good the brakes are... yeah, it was popping out of third when we left, but as the 3/4 linkage is really stiff, i figured it was an annoyance only, and made sure it was in 2nd for downgrade ... didn't start poppin out of second until about 500 miles out of lukes, headed home. :/ >So get that fixed pronto if you take it out again it its present state. Same with the leaky seals. Oily brakes are almost useless ones. on a 9% grade, loaded as i was, the brakes would stop me at 22.5 mph (top speed in 2nd downgrade, according to my gps). so basically the plan was if i had it pop out of second, slam the brakes and pull it over, get into first and creep it down. ironically, "in practice" turned out to be "slap the clutch with the left foot, the brakes and the throttle with the right, when it hits the governor snap the shifter and let out the clutch" which worked amazingly well (basically put me right back in second) but yeah, she's parked until i do the engine, and i'm doing the transmission while i'm there. >I'm sure glad we didn't read about you and your SC causing bodily harm on your trip, the way that one in Canada did last week! i've got a very large number of miles under my belt, and while that doesn't make me "the best" or "super human" or any such nonsense, it does give me a very healthy respect for mass and inertia. i can stop my bus with no brakes at 25 by quite simply running it into something solid like an embankment. it's going to hurt a whole lot, but nothing like hitting an oncoming vehicle. what amuses me to no end is that my bus brings the professionals out of the woodwork like nobody's business. you can tell, they're the ones sitting right behind me on the downgrade, passing with no fuss when they can (i'm very good about pulling over, i tend to climb really big grades in the breakdown lane if their isn't a truck lane) >Most of us have done dumb things in our busses, due to inexperience and lack of knowlege, so I'm not trying to harp on you. Luckily, most of us have lived to tell about it and learned to be safer on the next outing. yeah, i'm not taking it personal. a whole whack of people asked me why i didn't do a ton of work to the bus first... (i owned it less than a week before i left) the answer of course is that if it runs, goes and stops, there is no faster way to find all the quirks than 8,000 miles and 3 mountain ranges in each direction. *now* is the time to design out what i need, and then go build it, to make her safe, sane, and drive like a modern jet instead of like a b29 ... >On my first outing in my first bus, an MC8, I came down a steep grade along the Mississippi in fourth, didn't know how to downshift yet, and had to lock up my tags to keep from killing a gawking old couple in front of me. yeah, i used to tow a 2500 lb (loaded) double axle flatbed with my 2nd generation mazda rx7 for years for events and so on... having a couple old school gearjammers in the family when i was a kid really helped (i knew about downshift-for-downgrade by time i was 6) but then, coming out of the campground just down from wall drug was an adventure. wasn't payin' attention, got in, started it, released the brakes and pulled out. went something like this: ...that shouldn't have been possible until i had air, wtf? let off throttle hit engine kill oh yeah, no air. would the mousetrap help here? (not sure, lets wait on that) 8 mph and no brakes... could be worse. i have lots of room. *no anchor* (damn) ...that is a 1.5 million dollar prevost, lets go around that. ...that is a really nice crown, lets not hit that either. ...that woman is stupid, otherwise i could roll in a big circle till i had air and could stop. lugnuts wins you stupid git, move! looks like the exit road, like it or not. good thing that it's a couple hundred yards to the cross street. 3 mph, can't shut it down, can't brake, can't get it into reverse. glad it's not a ... damn, that was a truck that just crossed ... and another... and there's a motorhome.. this is going to be ugly. :/ i'm not going to build enough air to stop this thing in 200 yards... *neutral, run it to the gov, hope for the best* this is a semi blind corner, they aren't going to see me until i get to it... i have a horn! i'm only going 3 mph find something soft. those yards look awfully nice, and no fences or trees or bushes or nothing. that wouldn't work, and the ditch is going to break something. jaguar isn't going to be soft cadilac escalade. as much as i'd like to, no. now i can see around the corner, nothing comin but one truck, and he sees me, stand on the horn, drop it in first, hard left, hammer it. buy trucker dinner later about 500 miles down the road for not running my stupid butt over. >I also found out later my parkbrakes wouldn't hold, so my drive brakes were out of adjustment. With God as my only witness, I vowed never to be so foolhardy again. yeah, i've got a 15" lcd above my drivers station (street atlas, gps nav, etc) and i always look at it first (habit) so it's screensaver is now "AIR!" in great big letters and has a password on it. >Your hobby sounds interesting. it is >You'll probably have a lot of fans within your group for having a big old bus. they dubbed it my WarBusaur or my battlecruiser, depending on who you ask >Your SC is certainly capable of taking on a LOT of gear, but just be mindful of the weight. The trailer you mention, with some good brakes would be better than overloading the bus. yeah. the trailer is custom built (by me) 30 ft pop top gypsy wagon. basically think flatbed with 4 ft high sidewalls that are 2x2 and bridge trussed to handle heavy weight, (3) 8k axles with brakes, and it's going to look a lot like this: ( http://www.enslin.com/rae/gypsy/wagon15.htm ) when it's done. (but much bigger) (it already hauls fine, but it's still ugly) the problem is that the scenicruiser's engine and transmission, as far as i can tell, actually hang from the roof, so i need to engineer something stout to weld the hitch to. >Keep us posted on your progress. Those Cruisers are the best looking coaches ever built, IMHO. my opinion as well., allthough a local guy has a beautiful bus that isn't a 'cruiser the way i looked at it was pretty simple.. if i'm going to spend the money, lets make it something awesome thanks for all the input guys -dd | ||
| dougtheboneifiedbusnut
Rating: N/A |
Hey Kevin, With regard to some of the info on rear ends I can tell you that maybe somewhere in an obscure corner of the earth, in a military junk yard, in an old rusted out carcus,there might be a 3 speed rear end, but I doubt it, and even if there were you aint gonna get it.Fast Fred says it all when he says "Read Da Book".If you do you can be about 98 to 100% sure the info is accurite.If you listen to someone talking to you the likelyhood that the info is accurite drops to about 30% Jose... That was NOT a 3 speed axle!!! I got about 15k miles on one of those!!!. Bill it was not an 8513 because they didn"t make an 8513, they made a 9513 which means the trans was designed to have no more than 950 ftlbs of torque delivered to it and itr had 13 forward gears,and it is impossible to get 105 mph with that comb unless the engine is turning about 3k rpm. And Jimmc You REALLY need to get your facts straight.You have no idea what a power divider does. And how the %&#* do you have two rear ends at different ratios at once!!! | ||
| Phil Dumpster2 Rating: N/A |
Umm, Doug... Jimmci9 does know what he's talking about. I saw an ex military deuce-and-a-half converted to a water tanker once when I was with the forest service with this setup, and it works just like jim says. The driveline goes to the interaxle differential, which splits the power going to the two rear axles. On dry pavement, it works well. Off road or in slippery conditions, the intermediate range isn't usable because the axle that is in low range tends to slip easily if it loses traction. When that happens you have to shift the other axle into low and engage the interaxle differential lock in order to keep moving. Such a setup would work great in a Scenicruiser if you planned to keep the original engine and transmission, as it would put a few "gears" in the gaps between 2nd, 3rd and 4th. However, for the dog in question here with the worn engine and transmission, it would be far more economical to find a wrecked semi tractor with a desirable powertrain and use it as a donor. Find a trashed out USXpress tractor and grab its series 60 and Eaton autoshift transmission for the ultimate Scenicruiser powertrain. | ||
| Johnny Rating: N/A |
I gotta say I'm with Bill D here--either IFO the current engine or get a rebuilt 8V71 (maybe a turbo), and either a 9 or 13-speed (9-speed with OD). We know it works...why re-engineer when you don't have to. | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
thanks phil..... i worked as a field mechanic for REYNOLDS... the pioneer/developer of the cotton module hauling trucks... we used IHC (mainly) chassis with 3208's and dt466's with small allisons (653's and 643'S..etc).. with 2 speed eaton tandems... when 1 of the 2 speed shifters didn't want to work (as in not shift).. it did wierd stuff to the timing necessary to load the cotton modules off the ground.....like break them in half.....result?? big mess...so i got really good at figuring out whn 1 of them wasn't shifting...i wish i could find my old chiltons or motors service manual.... it explains how the power divider makes the 3rd ratio.... | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
well, it seems to me that with the mileage i do, getting my gas mileage up to something reasonable would be nice... the math is showing me that i'm going to save 8k a year or so in fuel at 3 bucks a gallon, by going with the 60 series and more gears, v.s. what i have. (rig currently gets 6) so the big question is, can i buy a 60 series detroit and one of those super badass 18 speed road ranger automatics, and install them, for less than the cost of an 8v71 or 92, the same transmission, and 5 years or so of fuel? issues i face: 1) shift linkage. stock one sucks, need to do something no matter what. automatic would be easiest. 2) transmission. can't stand the 4 speed, want more gears, in my best interest to do it while i'm there. forget anything with less than 9 gears, and if it's an automatic, it must have a lockup converter and must be able to force it into a certain gear and have it stay there. 3) driveline. replacing the transmission is probably going to require that i modify the driveline. 4) rear end. needs seals, may need more, like a gearing change. the rearend in it is probably strong enough, if not we'll find out soon enough. :/ 5) engine. 8v71 bolts in, but may not bolt to new transmission. 8v92 same situation. both will not get as good gas mileage as a series 60 14L will. 6) electronics. don't scare me in the slightest. 7) engine swap will require welding. this doesn't scare me eithier. 8) weight. i'm going to have to add in a lot of reinforcement to the rear of the bus to put the hitch in anyway, and in gutting out the rest (ac system, etc) i'll actually weigh a bit less with a series 60 in there. 9) cooling i'm going to put another radiator in where the ac condensor was, to assure more than enough cooling capacity. did i miss anything? -dd | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
> Find a trashed out USXpress tractor and grab its series 60 and Eaton autoshift transmission for the ultimate Scenicruiser powertrain. paydirt. this was what i was lookin for. now, where do i find one? -dd | ||
| Phil Dumpster2 Rating: N/A |
Start checking the truck wrecking yards. If you know of any near the Seattle area, let me know, as I know of only one out on the peninsula, and I've never been there to visit it. | ||
| Bill D
Rating: N/A |
Doug. Glad you noticed the 8513 error. I punched an 8 in place of a nine. you seem good on math. on MPH. Run these nunbers through your mind and post the answer here. RPM= 2275-- 9513 final drive ratio = .73 rear end ratio = 3.7 to 1 1100R22.5 tires=497 inchs.. How fast would I go through a test run ? Bill | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
"did i miss anything?' -dd TIME>>> Sounds like about 400-600 or more hours of work to driveaway.Will sure ruin a season. Radiator may need changing and shift linkage will be puzzel. Auto would be easiest for shifting hookup ., perhaps one of the 9 speed is similar to the 4 speed linkage , but a cruise of the Eaton web site , or a chat with their help desk might be in order before shelling out any bucks. One of the newest style trannys that use a clutch & shift for ya might be best for gas milage, but the junkyard might value somthing that new too dearly. Good Hunting! FAST FRED | ||
| Russ Barnes (Neoruss)
Rating: N/A |
dd, I'm in the middle (I hope I've gotten that far) of repowering my Neoplan double decker from an 8V-92 to a series 60. Here's what I've done so far: * Bought a '93 Freightliner with 550k miles and stripped it. That got me the 12.7l engine, and many items that would be a nusiance to find. However the engine was a DDEC II and I've upgraded to a DDEC IV to raise the hp from the 400hp on cruise to slightly over 500hp on throttle. I also replaced wear items (bearings, seals, injectors, and so forth). That $5k cost was offeset by selling the 8V and trans for $3.5k. But after doing the hotrod stuff I'm over $10k in this part. * I have a 4:20 drive axle that I needed a major O.D. to keep the mpg high and use the torque that the engine will put out. I found a Detroit tech that got me a core and rebuilt a B500 (World Trans). I looked at the auto sticks and just couldn't find one a year or more ago. This wasn't cheap, cost about $15k. * Stretched and strengehened the craddle (about $50 in steel and my time. What cost was the Prevost mounts to keep the bus from rattling. The truck mounts are too stiff and the original Neoplan mounts were shot and they wanted $875 each for new. The Prevost were about $600 for all four. * I kept the original driveshaft length since I didn't want to shorten it the 9 1/2" that my new engine and trans required, again concerned about vibration. So I currently am adding this length to the back of the bus. I don't mind doing the work because I love to cut, grind and weld over and over. Besides I took out the HUGE A.C. that this 79 passenger bus had and I can do a better job repackaging the stuff I'm putting in if I re-do the back end. * There's no book, just common sense and several good DD contacts to ask what goes to what. There are at least six other of us busnuts on this site that have or are doing this. A couple have already completed this and are running theirs so they aren't on as much. I expect to be here for a few years more so e-mail me if you want to know what I've done about some of these issues and what I reget doing the way I have. Don't get put off by the put downs that a few have said (and from your responses I can see you haven't been), we each have our reasons for doing our projects the way we want to. I almost bought a Senicruiser before I decided I wanted the added space a double decker affords so I think I understand why the total rebuilding, modification, rewiring, replumbing, etc. has more satisfaction than tackling an easy project like many Eagle, MCI or GM projects require - GO FOR IT! | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin - There's a fellow in the Western GM FMCA group, who's name I cannot remember at the moment, that has a Scenic repowered with a big Cat and an Allison HT-754CR gearbox. Seems to be real happy with it, and, IIRC, says it pulls the Grapevine (I-5 between Bakersfield & Los Angeles - 6% grades) at about 45 mph. (Barclay - do you know who I'm referring to?) All mechanical engine/trans, no electronics. HT-754CR is the five-speed close ratio version of the workhorse HT-740, virtually indestructable. Found often in trash trucks. Works GREAT in a coach. An RTO version of the 10-speed Fuller Roadranger, which is the overdrive model, would give you lots of gears to play with, plus decent (for a bus) fuel mileage. Still have the shift linkage to deal with, plus one thing additional that no one's mentioned: a backwards shift pattern, as the tranny is turned around in a pusher coach application. Linkage becomes Rube Goldberg to turn around. . . makes the automatic a little more appealing. If you could find a wrecked coach with a Series 60/B500 world auto in it, that would be the most modern and ideal solution. A suggestion for the trailer, especially considering tongue weight issues, is a Tuff-Tow unit. Might want to check it out: www.tufftow.com FWIW, RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Greg Bush did a great repower using a Big Cat (3608?, I believe). Delightful guy and a real talent. Lots of similarities with Gumpydog. Greg made his own genset using a Thermoking engine. 1500 # of hill flattening torque was his repower claim. You might find a link as I believe he had his own website. He solved the shifter "problem" with a neat, custom machined ( did I mention that he's talented?) I took a picture of the shifter at Bussin 2003. Not the best detail of a pic, but don't let that point hinder you. I'll dig out the picture if you need it. Greg's been busy lately cuz I haven't seen a post or an e-mail in awhile. Onward and Upward | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
fred: Radiator may need changing i'm a glutton for "one box for each task" and "symetrical is good" ... and as i don't have any clue as to how much cooling i'm going to really need, i'm going to simply install a second radiator. the cruiser has a radiator on the left side and a huge ugly bulky ac system on the right. i'm going to pull out the ac system and shove another radiator in there, plumbed either in paralell or in series, depending on the engine allowances (on the *v* detroits you can cool one bank with one rad and one with the other) russ: I expect to be here for a few years more so e-mail me if you want to know what I've done about some of these issues and what I reget doing the way I have. thank you, i'd love any all advice people have to give. russ: Don't get put off by the put downs that a few have said (and from your responses I can see you haven't been), we each have our reasons for doing our projects the way we want to. I almost bought a Senicruiser before I decided I wanted the added space a double decker affords so I think I understand why the total rebuilding, modification, rewiring, replumbing, etc. has more satisfaction than tackling an easy project like many Eagle, MCI or GM projects require - GO FOR IT! i will, it's going to be grand i tell you (anyone has any info on that absolutely bitchin red scenicruiser floating around i'd love to hear all about it) Marc: Greg Bush did a great repower using a Big Cat (3608?, I believe). 3408, i've seen the pics at scenicruiser.com, nice work. i'd love to see the linkage pics spent a goodly amount of time on the phone with jimmci9 the other night, and the plan is to find a heavily wrecked rig with: 14L series 60 (400-460 hp or so) with jakes, 10 speed eaton autoshift. anything else i can get off it is icing on the cake. (thinking i may want the rear end too, but not sure about reverse rotation issues) i'll be wanting guages and such too, so this seems my best course of action. the only thing that needs to happen with this bus that i don't know how to do is i have a few corroded panels that need to be repaired/replaced ... and i'm hearing rumours that someone reskinned a cruiser with stainless that looks liek the factory aluminum, and welded it so there's no rivets ... sounds awesome to me if anyone knows anything about the rig or the process. thanks guys -dd | ||
| niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin - the red scenicruiser is Pat McNeil's - he's out of Baltimore - stretched in three places to 45' and totally custom frame w/ 8v92 - he tows a good size trailer w/ it too - FYI - niles | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
> the red scenicruiser is Pat McNeil's - he's out of Baltimore - stretched in three places to 45' and totally custom frame w/ 8v92 - he tows a good size trailer w/ it too - FYI - niles wooo ... where do i get all the dirt on that? -dd | ||
| Ed (Ednj)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin Check your E-Mail | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
didn't get anything? -dd | ||
| Ed (Ednj)
Rating: N/A |
Is that the right address in your profile? | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
yea, i think it might be spamtrap settings or something. try sylverstone@gmail.com thanks -dd | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
"i'm going to simply install a second radiator. the cruiser has a radiator on the left side and a huge ugly bulky ac system on the right." From what I hear the 60 is so efficent hat it can cool from a good stock radiator , what came in the truck should be close ,although 25% more HP from tinkering , and the side location may need more cooling. Engines CAN be overcooled , the rad system is just suposed to knock 20 -25 deg from the coolant. On our boat with a HUGE keel cooler it is definatly overcooled , so the temp surges at the gage over a 4 or 5 min period. The water goes from 180F on gage very quickly to 165F and slowly climbs back. When we were sucking more than 2gph at 1100rpm , 4.5 gph at 1500rpm the same condition happens , just the temp rise is quicker. Overcooling , as we installed new Chinese DD thermostats just to be sure. Might not be a hassle when sucking down 25 gal per hour with a 500hp defuler! FAST FRED | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
kevin...click over to the ebay section | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
>>"i'm going to simply install a second radiator. the cruiser has a radiator on the left side and a huge ugly bulky ac system on the right." >From what I hear the 60 is so efficent that it can cool from a good stock radiator , what came in the truck should be close ,although 25% more HP from tinkering , and the side location may need more cooling. yeah, i thought about that, but i'm going to have to put a tranny cooler in somewhere, and an oil cooler might not be a bad idea, depending, and both of those block some airflow (although i may just use a big electric thermostatically controlled fan on those, dunno yet) >Engines CAN be overcooled , the rad system is just suposed to knock 20 -25 deg from the coolant. as far as i knew, you couldn't undercool an engine, because the thermostat prevents water flow, so in essence your operating temp = whatever your thermostat temp is. the way i see it, 2 radiators and a pair of lighter fans that spin slower will save me horsepower, which directly converts into better gas mileage... >On our boat with a HUGE keel cooler it is definatly overcooled , so the temp surges at the gage over a 4 or 5 min period. >The water goes from 180F on gage very quickly to 165F and slowly climbs back. >When we were sucking more than 2gph at 1100rpm , 4.5 gph at 1500rpm the same condition happens , >just the temp rise is quicker. hmm. ok. >Overcooling , as we installed new Chinese DD thermostats just to be sure. >Might not be a hassle when sucking down 25 gal per hour with a 500hp defuler! worst case i have a huge electric controlled valve i can use to bring the second one on or off line as i need. i'm open to suggestions here, it just seemed like a good idea to me, since i'm going to be shedding a lot more heat. -dd | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin, the way to look at overcooling is that the water that is not in the engine gets a chance to get quite cool. When the thermostat pops open, and the water in the keel cooler is maybe 40 degrees, while the engine is 180 degrees, the engine can be cooled quite suddenly. You probably would not add cold water to an overheated engine very quickly and Fast Fred probably doesn't like his engine getting those thermal shocks again and again, as part of its normal operation. I kind of think that the torus drive on our fans is a real nice way to avoid those shocks. The same way, there's some reason for using both thermostats and shutterstats on the same coach. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
>radiator water = 40 degrees >engine = 180 degrees >thermal shocks... i see... hmm. >The same way, there's some reason for using >both thermostats and shutterstats on the same >coach. and that's the same reason that you see 18 wheelers with jackets on the radiators... hmm. well, my shutters are toasted, so i should probably do something there. so what's a reasonable thermal difference? i mean, i can very easily design out something to keep my rad water at whatever temp i want with no real pain. i know the cooling fan in my cruiser moves a disgusting amount of air... it's basically a triple belt driven pully with a right angle drive behind it, and a fan that pulls air in sideways... i'm sure it takes horses to drive that, (fan has serious pitch to it) and i have to redo the whole system anyway, since it's doubtful that my motor will have mounts for my right angle drive, etc. i'm a big believer in electric fans because they run quieter and you can use them or not whatever your whim is, but to the best of my knowledge electric fans that size are unobtainum, and a large number of smaller ones is cost prohibitive. so, that means belt drive something... seems to me a pair of big squirrelcages would do the job, and i suppose i could figure out a way to thermal clutch them, but whatever i used would have to ramp up slow so i don't rip the belts off. hmmm. solid mount the fans to the back of the radiators, put a heavy spring loaded tensioner on the belts so that the engine rocking around won't make them tighter or looser or anything... hrm. anyone know how well a squirrelcage moves air when it's not being spun? (i.e. my bus will still cool if my fan belts are gone because of the way the engine compartment ground effects, although it won't do it well unless i open the rear decklid.. what do squirrelcages do? thanks -dd | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin, why don't you look at what is being used in the way of modern fan drives. There are various clutch heads, such as viscous drives, that don't require much power if the engine is cool enough. One trouble with electric drives is that you have to throw away two thirds of the energy in the fuel to produce the elctricity. In other words, the fuel consumption cost of electrics can approach three times what a mechanical drive costs to operate. This means if the fan takes 20 hp mechanically driven, you might use only one gallon per hour cooling, but with electric, you might use 3 gallons per hour. Just think, $10 per hour, just to run the fan. I believe that this is why you see such elaborate fan setups. Squirrel cage fans are much more efficient when operating against some back pressure. As the pressure rises, power consumption drops off. When the pressure against a propeller type fan rises, its output energy falls while its power consumption rises. This leads me to wonder why squirrel cage fans are not more common on heavy equipment; it may be due to the way the squirrel cages fill up with debris. That is one of their drawbacks. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
well, i have a 7 core radiator, and i think it's safe to assume that it won't pull much debris in that way. i can build me a pair of stainless fan shrouds to match the squirrel cages up to the radiators pretty easily, so the only thing i would have to engineer would be the belt drives, and i'm sure that this shouldn't be too hard. hmmm. yeah. so i need something that can go between a pulley and the pulley mount, that will slip a little or a lot, based on engine temp... (i think it's safe to assumme the radiators won't cool much without the fans spinning) hmmm. there should be some backpressure because of the 7 cores... especially if i put my tranny cooler and oil cooler on the rads. ... it seems to me that the shutters will basically rob horsepower when the shutters are closed, whereas the clutched squirrelcaged design i'm talking about would only rob horsepower at high temps... more input -dd | ||
| Phil Dumpster2 Rating: N/A |
I doubt you're going to have overcooling issues to begin with. It's not even worth worrying about on a coach with the radiator setup to pull air from the side. You'd want to use a viscous clutch more as an economy measure, to save fuel and cut down on noise, more than as a means to prevent overcooling. For one thing, thermostats are not binary devices, as in when the temperature gets to a certain point the thing is wide open. They begin to open at their rated temp, and are wide open perhaps five degrees warmer. Conversely, they don't close the same way either. This latency alone will prevent any extreme temperature swings that could damage your engine. Far more important than overcooling is designing a cooling system that won't have trapped air left in it after you fill it, and that circulates the coolant well. | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
that's kinda what i was thinking (that overcooling wouldn't be an issue) i mean, a keel cooler is several thousand orders of magnitude more efficient than an air cooled radiator is... and a thermostat doesn't close completely anyway (at least not that i have seen) ... and the heater system is circulating water anyway... the way my van is set up (with a custom shroud and a pair of 15" rapidcool fans) is that my thermostat opens at 180, the fans come on when the water in the radiator hits 200. (this keeps them from being on all the time, since at highway speeds they're unnecessary) i put them in because they're much quieter than the original fan, and i was having overheat problems climbing big hills pulling my trailer. >Far more important than overcooling is designing a cooling system that won't have trapped air left in it after you fill it, and that circulates the coolant well. well, the original radiator is going to be in the stock location on the left, and i was just going to mirror it on the right, since i'm pulling the old ac condenser out. the series 60, as best i can tell, is designed to use one rad, but it seems to me that i'm going to need something beefier because of the sideways-to-the-airflow situation, combined with double the horses, plus the automatic (it had an 8v71 jimmy in it) otherwise my cooling fans are going to be spooled up all the time, and i'm likely to still have overheat problems, whereas a second rad would double the efficiency, if not a little more because of the water slowdown, and give me free horsepower because the fans don't have to spin all that fast unless i'm climbing some mountain in 100 degree heat or something. i can either put in a pair of y pipes and run 'em in paralell (the advantage being the water flows through the rads slower, allowing them to work more efficiently) or i can string them together in series (water pump works harder, adds about 7 feet of line if i bottom flow the right side, almost 10 if i don't) and yeah, we're in agreement about the viscous clutch. i'm visualising something that the hotter it gets the less it slips... so at idle when it's cold the fans will spin very slow, of at all... and at 200 deg or so it's locked up completely. anyone know of such a beast? hmm. occurs to me that i could drive the whole thing hydraulicaly, but i'd have some losses, and be generating heat. the idea here is simple, redundant, efficient and foolproof. the trapped air issue is easy, i had planned on plumbing a pair of lines from the top of the rads to a higher tank on the rig, so it would be self bleeding. (radiator cap you actually open is on top of the tank, not the rads) i need to figure out what i want to do for ac before i build anything though. (open to suggestions) i'm assuming i'll need an ac condenser and a transmission oil cooler in this rig, so it's likely they'll go behind the rads and in front of the fans. can i overcool a transmission? need more input thanks guys -dd | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
seems to me that this image: http://www.walkercoach.com/images/DCP00736.JPG is a good place for the parts. (what kinda bus is this?) take two of that upper fan assembly, pull one fan off it (if it'll work that way) and put a fan and a pulley on each side of the bus.. hmm. or just use this one, (those are where my stock air cleaners would be, and they're coming out) rotate them so they push straight out the rear instead of down, and put a skidplate under the engine compartment... this would basically pull lots of air in through the rads, and hey, a couple lbs of thrust as well ) put in an air intake duct to put some of that cool air along the bottom front of the engine compartment and it should work fine? just kicking it around because the bus in the pic really looks like there is serious effort being made to cool the entire engine compartment, and the engine compartment doors not being vented means that every last bit of that air comes out the bottom... having seen my scenicruiser in the gravel at 65, i'll bet that thing raises a heck of a lot of dirt and dust... -dd | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
Kevin, it's a Walker Coach, so it's doubtful the thing even runs and that's a good thing. Spend some time on that Website and you'll see what I'm talking about. Then, do a forum search of "Sam Walker" here on BNO (those posts that haven't been deleted anyways) and you'll get more than enough clarity on the man and his "coach conversion" shop. Can't say much more than this about that... Anyways, keep the ideas coming. I look forward to seeing some of your work on your SC and it's great that one more will be saved from extinction! bb | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Rating: N/A |
"the idea here is simple, redundant, efficient and foolproof." - UMMMM, Doesn't that eliminate all of us busnuts? :^) That pic looks like the standard setup for a MCI bus. (If you haven't heard already, be very, very careful concerning walkercoach) A series 60 is more efficient than the 8V71 and as a result it rejects less heat for the same HP produced. If you recored your radiator with the new dimpled core, you would get all the cooling you would ever need out of the stock size & located radiator & fan. But your idea of putting a centrifugal fan on it sounds promising. The MCI buses have overheating problems if the fans are not sealed to the radiators, so don't underestimate the importance of sealing. A crude, over simplification of Centrifugal fans : - The fan construction (wheel to housing clearances) determines the maximum pressure head the fan CAN produce. - The wheel size determines the volume of air it CAN move. - The horsepower supplied to it, the available air, and the pressure difference will determine how much air it WILL move. If a centrifugal fan is moving air at max pressure, and you restrict the air intake to it(reducing the volume of air moved), the horsepower to drive it will drop. Other scenarios get to complicated for me. I'm guessing that is why MCI uses shutters on their radiators. The MCIs use 2 radiators, but they look way smaller than the HUGE radiator on a scenic! Concerning the A/C, I'm going to use a split system. I plan on getting a couple of automotive compressors (A6), several house window units, and a couple of automotive evaporators. I'll arrange these to cool the interior in zones. The condensers will be loccated to efficiently dump waste heat, while the evaporators will be located to minimize lost space inside. The engine driven units will be for 'on the road' & the butchered house units will be for 'parked'. I hope to have a low enough power draw to be able to cool just the bedroom with battery & inverter overnight & boondocking without using the gen set or requiring an excessive number of batteries. (Hey, It's my fantasy & I can dream if I want to!) Good luck! kyle4501 | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
>Kevin, it's a Walker Coach, so it's doubtful the thing even runs and that's a good thing. Spend some time on that Website and you'll see what I'm talking about. i know, i wouldn't give him my money, just from what he's done to others. it just happened to be the pic i found >Anyways, keep the ideas coming. I look forward to seeing some of your work on your SC and it's great that one more will be saved from extinction! thanks for the most part i'm thinking aloud, and hoping all'y'all will say "nooooooo! don't do that!" and then tell me why, when i start wandering down a road i shouldn't travel. -dd | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
>"the idea here is simple, redundant, efficient and foolproof." - UMMMM, Doesn't that eliminate all of us busnuts? :^) the fact that you own one of these that you can drive puts you in the "not too big of an idiot" class >That pic looks like the standard setup for a MCI bus. (If you haven't heard already, be very, very careful concerning walker coach) if i have to buy anything bus related, i'm buying from luke, or who luke reffers me to. >A series 60 is more efficient than the 8V71 and as a result it rejects less heat for the same HP produced. If you recored your radiator with the new dimpled core, you would get all the cooling you would ever need out of the stock size & located radiator & fan. stock for the engine, or stock for the bus? the stock-for-the-bus would mean i would have to figure out how to mount the v drives, but it's doable... thing is, if i have to engineer any of it, i might as well reengineer all of it, since the entire engine compartment is going to be changed when i do the 60 series. i've heard that the stock fan can use up to 50 hp to drive when it's wound all the way up with the shutters closed, so any solution that uses less would be good. someone has a carbon fiber fan on theirs and it saves them about 15 hp. >But your idea of putting a centrifugal fan on it sounds promising. The MCI buses have overheating problems if the fans are not sealed to the radiators, so don't underestimate the importance of sealing. well, one way basically turns the engine compartment into a box that has 3 holes in it. one hole blows air out at large rate, which sucks large amounts of air in the other two holes, which have radiators in them. (that's how the mci works, but i'd be doing it to the entire engine compartment, instead of just the radiator area) the other way is build shrouds to make the squirrelcage pull all it's air through the rads. >A crude, over simplification of Centrifugal fans : - The fan construction (wheel to housing clearances) determines the maximum pressure head the fan CAN produce. - The wheel size determines the volume of air it CAN move. - The horsepower supplied to it, the available air, and the pressure difference will determine how much air it WILL move. If a centrifugal fan is moving air at max pressure, and you restrict the air intake to it(reducing the volume of air moved), the horsepower to drive it will drop. Other scenarios get to complicated for me. I'm guessing that is why MCI uses shutters on their radiators. The MCIs use 2 radiators, but they look way smaller than the HUGE radiator on a scenic! okay, so while my thought of "dropping the fan speed" is a good one, the way a squirrelcage fan works, i could do the same kinda thing with shutters? Concerning the A/C, I'm going to use a split system. I plan on getting a couple of automotive compressors (A6), several house window units, and a couple of automotive evaporators. I'll arrange these to cool the interior in zones. The condensers will be loccated to efficiently dump waste heat, while the evaporators will be located to minimize lost space inside. The engine driven units will be for 'on the road' & the butchered house units will be for 'parked'. I hope to have a low enough power draw to be able to cool just the bedroom with battery & inverter overnight & boondocking without using the gen set or requiring an excessive number of batteries. (Hey, It's my fantasy & I can dream if I want to!) hmm. well, i need something when i'm moving, but i suspect nothing like the original system. the first thing i'm doing once i get the mechanical sorted out, i'm going to be sprayfoaming the entire interior. my interior design keeps all the windows, and doesn't block any of them, but at minimum i'm going to limo tint all the side ones. thansk for the feedback -dd | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Rating: N/A |
'the fact that you own one of these that you can drive puts you in the "not too big of an idiot" class' - either that or "one of the luckiest guys in the world class" also, some would say my abilities behind the wheel are not yet good enough to call 'driving' :^) -radiator- Stock original to the scenicruiser. The S60 may be narrow enough to mount the fan on the engine, making the drive simple but the shroud to the fan may pose a opportunity. Sealing around the drive shaft or transmission will be a challange. I will have to recore my radiator & will go with the new more efficient style to minimize future problems. -A/C- The standard automotive A/C is better than 3 tons. 2 of those should keep things cool while under way usually & the other units can help out by running them off the inverter / alternator / generator when needed. You can insulate the windows effectively with 'warm shades' and possibly use foam boards cut for a snug friction fit to minimize heat gain while onder way. I'm glad to see others who think outside the box, keep it up. kyle4501 | ||
| Phil Dumpster2 Rating: N/A |
If it were my coach, I'd use a thermostatic clutch on the fan hub and do away with the shutters completely. Actually, that's what I have on my coach right now, and it's never been a problem. | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A |
Phil, I knew that the thermostat was supposed to open over a range of 15 degrees or so. When an engine is working hard enough,the thermostat stays open, at least partway. However, if an engine is not working hard enough, and the thermostat closes completely, then overcooling can be a problem in the form of constant cycling. I guess all that I am saying is that there is an effective working range of any cooling system, and if you operate outside of that range, it won't work very well. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher | ||
| Doug G Rating: N/A |
If you are going to repower, read this site's stuff. They can get you 900 hp with the same fuel useage: http://dieselinjection.net/frames.html | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
"They can get you 900 hp with the same fuel useage". If someone could get 300% more HP on the same fuel consumption , they would OWN a bridge in Brooklyn too. With the Millions the eng mfg of the world would pour into their pockets for THAT little secret , they could afford it!! Good Luck By the way are you interested in a little pill that changes water into Atomic Fuel to run anything at 200mpg? Caviat Emptor FAST FRED | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
oh lord. so a buddy of mine was checking out my cruiser today, and told me i was crazy, and asked what i was going to do with it. over the course of the conversation i mentioned that it was technically a spacecraft, since it meets all the criteria (well, except it can't get out of the gravity well without help, and doesn't keep the air in ) ... so i get home and she had e mailed me a note that said: "just to add to your bright ideas..." and it had a movie attatched to it. the big bus (1976) this is basically a spoof on disaster movies, done well before airplane and the like. so anyone need a 32 wheeled, 75 ton nuclear powered bus with a bowling alley, a pool, and a piano bar? ... sadly enough, i did crib a few cool ideas from it. -dd |
