| Author |
Message |
steve (129.49.12.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 4:11 pm: | |
I don't know if anyone would know, but, I thought someone in this forum might be able to shed some light in regards to this subject. My home transit system has six 2000 New Flyer C35LF coaches. One coach in particular is known for having slack brakes. It is written up almost daily for this problem. Maintenance claims to have cranked up the retarder (Allison B500R) as high as it will go, to assist with stopping, although the retarder on this bus is pathetic. They say that they can't find anything wrong with the brakes on the bus, yet, the operators practically have to stand on them to get this bus to stop and on some days, you can actually smell them which is concerning since it's only 15 degrees outside. Anybody care to take a guess as to what could be causing this? From what I've been told, maintenance has spent a lot of time trying to get to the root of the problem, so, it's not an obvious problem. Also, when it comes to the retarder, the new 2001 New Flyer D35LF coaches have very strong retarders. The 2000 coaches retarders don't even come close to matching the retarding power, yet, it's the same tranny and maintenance says the 2000 coaches are as high as they will go. How is this possible?
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HenryMC7 (142.179.232.113)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 7:23 pm: | |
The amount of retard is adjustable. Our transit system has 250+ 40DLF models from New Flyer and the amount of retard varies from bus to bus. I used to get one occasionally that had next to no retarder effect and I would book it off. Maintenance would make the adjustment to fix it. Same thing if it had too much effect; book it off for them to look at it.
Ask your maintenance department if the 2001 models have a different rear end ratio than the older ones. Our latest shipment of buses had a higher rear-end ratio which has made the retarder effect much more pronounced.
As for the poor braking, I'm not aware of any specific problems. I'll ask one of the mechanics but I'm pretty sure they all like working on them. The biggest thing we've noticed is all the parts are not cheap but hey, we aren't paying for the repairs directly. (let's not get into a municipal tax discussion LOL!)
Hope this helps,
Henry |
Mike Stabler (Docdezl) (64.255.109.182)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 8:52 pm: | |
Sounds like you have a "dual" braking system. Its time to unhook one and then the other(for the truely brave)see which one or both ain't workin. Aim at another bus you don't like.
Ok just kidding. Disc or drum. Juice or air. There are different sizes of retarders. Different ratios. You compare what you have(parts & pieces) in the unit that "works" to the(parts & pieces) in the unit someone saved money on. I would like to be wrong here but usually not. Its always a $$ low bid or low inventory $$. Pull the "line set tickets" for the units lift there tails and look some of the #'s will be different.
If "WE" needed a few trucks we could spec them and take delivery in,oh, a, month or five. OR we could pull one off the "line" thats real close and have "them" end of the month. Accountant refered to them as a variance in the inventory. Parts manager called them bas***ds and other words but never "variance"! Mechanics like them "ALL" the same,good, bad,or what have you,but the same. But buisness is buisness.
You know drivers, if the horn buttons the same it just needs ajustin. SORRY I just couldn't resist it,lowly mechanic.......
smoke,rattle&,stink.......docdezl |
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