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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: skytrends on October 19, 2014, 05:13:37 PM

Title: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 19, 2014, 05:13:37 PM
On it's 1st trip Only problem was a broken Generator belt. Could'nt have asked for it to run any better! :D 1800 to as high as 2300 rpm during the trip(never did hit govenor) Climbed all the mountians from Yakima, WA. to Tifton, GA. and never went slower then 42 mph. Avg. 7.5 mpg. Over all I'm pretty happy with it although the steering has a little play and the Allison trans acts a little funny after you come to a stop( goes to neutral and takes a long time to go back to a gear) it does shift good. Anyway, looking forward to making some of the events in the near future ;D
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: lostagain on October 19, 2014, 05:20:15 PM
Lee, what kind of bus? What engine? What transmission? etc. Nice to hear it went well.

JC
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 19, 2014, 05:31:42 PM
JC, kind of an unusual conversion it's a 63 Flx. new look city bus. 6v92 silver and Allison 5 sp.
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 19, 2014, 06:08:56 PM
Here's some inside shots
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: bevans6 on October 19, 2014, 06:10:35 PM
That is a beautiful bus!

Brian
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 19, 2014, 06:13:13 PM
 ;DThank you Brian, your to kind but, it does take a good picture...
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: yvan on October 19, 2014, 07:10:00 PM
Congrats.
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: OneLapper on October 19, 2014, 07:59:50 PM
Very cool looking coach!
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: RJ on October 19, 2014, 08:20:22 PM
Lee -

Nice looking Flx.

Is it a "T-drive" powertrain (straight in) or a "V-drive" unit (sitting crossways)?

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 06:28:03 AM
Lee, nice bus only V drive bus that ever offered the left handed 903- V8 Cummins engine most of those were replaced with 6V92 fwiw I wonder if yours was a 903 Cummins or a T drive
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: Paso One on October 20, 2014, 06:44:17 AM
Nice looking bus that runs great, What more could you ask for  Welcome
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 07:13:13 AM
Quote from: RJ on October 19, 2014, 08:20:22 PM
Lee -

Nice looking Flx.

Is it a "T-drive" powertrain (straight in) or a "V-drive" unit (sitting crossways)?

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)
T- Drive straight in. Thanks
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 07:16:44 AM
Quote from: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 06:28:03 AM
Lee, nice bus only V drive bus that ever offered the left handed 903- V8 Cummins engine most of those were replaced with 6V92 fwiw I wonder if yours was a 903 Cummins
Don't have any history on the bus other then it was a Seattle City Transit bus. Thanks
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 07:20:30 AM
Quote from: Paso One on October 20, 2014, 06:44:17 AM
Nice looking bus that runs great, What more could you ask for  Welcome
Not much. Thanks
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 07:31:14 AM
Find out what transmission you have with a 740 you have a torque converter pump going bad or the filter is sucking air in side the pan I hope for you it is the o-ring on the filter cracked
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: seaton@mta on October 20, 2014, 07:58:26 AM
Congratulations on your trip and good luck!  Is this one of the pre-GM Flxibles with the in- line engine or is the motor transverse? 

- Seaton
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: seaton@mta on October 20, 2014, 08:01:11 AM
Never mind.  I was hasty.  Asked and answered.  The T drive buses are pretty tough and solid.  I think they have the torsilastic suspension?

- Seaton
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 08:23:01 AM
Quote from: seaton@mta on October 20, 2014, 08:01:11 AM
Never mind.  I was hasty.  Asked and answered.  The T drive buses are pretty tough and solid.  I think they have the torsilastic suspension?

- Seaton
It has 4 airbags per axle. Thanks
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: Mike in GA on October 20, 2014, 08:26:30 AM
Lee,
Congratulations on the purchase and the successful repositioning of that venerable bus.
   Just a thought... Perhaps you would be interested in meeting other bus nuts from the southeast?  We are convening our autumn rally not too far from Tifton in Waycross, Georgia. I expect there will about 30 conversions attending. The session will run November 5 through 9. To get details, including how to register, visit our website...
www.sebusnuts.org (http://www.sebusnuts.org)
    Hope to see you there. I'd be happy to introduce you around.
Mike in GA
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 08:28:29 AM
Quote from: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 07:31:14 AM
Find out what transmission you have with a 740 you have a torque converter pump going bad or the filter is sucking air in side the pan I hope for you it is the o-ring on the filter cracked
it's a Allison MT654 5 speed automatic transmission Thanks for the info! I'll find an Allison dealer and have it checked out.
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 08:45:43 AM
Quote from: Mike in GA on October 20, 2014, 08:26:30 AM
Lee,
Congratulations on the purchase and the successful repositioning of that venerable bus.
  Just a thought... Perhaps you would be interested in meeting other bus nuts from the southeast?  We are convening our autumn rally not too far from Tifton in Waycross, Georgia. I expect there will about 30 conversions attending. The session will run November 5 through 9. To get details, including how to register, visit our website...
www.sebusnuts.org (http://www.sebusnuts.org)
   Hope to see you there. I'd be happy to introduce you around.
Mike in GA
Would love to Mike but, have to wait till closer to the event date to see where I'm at. I'm an Owner/Operator long haul trucker and never know where the wind blows me on any date. Thanks
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: RJ on October 20, 2014, 10:12:08 AM
Quote from: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 08:28:29 AM
it's a Allison MT654 5 speed automatic transmission Thanks for the info! I'll find an Allison dealer and have it checked out.

Lee -

Before you spend $$ at an Allison dealer, have you checked the oil level in the transmission?  Sometimes an Allison will "clunk" a little at a stop when the level's a bit low.

Should be checked warm with the engine running, transmission in neutral and on a level surface.

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 10:23:17 AM
Quote from: RJ on October 20, 2014, 10:12:08 AM
Lee -

Before you spend $$ at an Allison dealer, have you checked the oil level in the transmission?  Sometimes an Allison will "clunk" a little at a stop when the level's a bit low.

Should be checked warm with the engine running, transmission in neutral and on a level surface.

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)
Yes I checked it but, there are 3 dots on the stick and the level is at the top dot however, someone has put a scribe mark about an inch above that on the dip stick. I was going to fill to that mark and see if it made a difference
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 10:45:37 AM
They over fill it to cover the o-ring then it doesn't suck air but that causes one to run hot  fwiw that is a good transmission if you have a low HP and torque 6v92 but they won't hold up behind a 300 HP+ 6v92 

Best way to check the fluid is remove the check plug on the side or measure your pan size

4.3 in pan =12 qts
5.1 in pan =15 qts
7   in pan = 17 qts
that takes the guess work on the stick out of the picture  
Title: Re: My New Bus and I, Made it home 2700 miles in 4 days
Post by: skytrends on October 20, 2014, 01:17:50 PM
Quote from: luvrbus on October 20, 2014, 10:45:37 AM
They over fill it to cover the o-ring then it doesn't suck air but that causes one to run hot  fwiw that is a good transmission if you have a low HP and torque 6v92 but they won't hold up behind a 300 HP+ 6v92 

Best way to check the fluid is remove the check plug on the side or measure your pan size

4.3 in pan =12 qts
5.1 in pan =15 qts
7   in pan = 17 qts
that takes the guess work on the stick out of the picture 
Thank you, great info! I'll get a fluid and filter change and have them replace that o-ring. along the trip I did put about 3/4 of a quart of fluid in it and for a while I thought it was better