I am starting to prep my new to me 1987 MCI 102A3. It has a 6V92 and 4 speed automatic Allison transmission. I drove it 600 miles to bring it home and only had 1 issue about 75 miles in, with it stalling come up a incline at a stop sign. It took a minute of cranking but started back up and we never had a problem again. I have drove it another 50 miles since then with no issues. I am going to service it for our first big trip(2200 miles round trip). This is what I am planning on doing:
Change oil and filter
Replace 2 drive tires( uneven wear , causing vibrations, all other tires like new)
Replacing 3 worn radius rod bushings
Air filter is clean
OTR heat and ac is functioning and working, is there anything that needs to be done here?
Change fuel filter
Need to find one air leak on the front drivers side.
Grease any fittings.
I am new to owning a bus, what else should I be doing?
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Check all the brakes and adjusters, check and lube all the wheel bearings, I would remove the driveline and check the u-joints for freedom of movement and lube or replace.
Can you hear air leaking from the front (there's a brake valve up there unless they moved it for the 102A3. It will "hiss" if it's leaking) or do you notice the bus going flat too soon after parking it? What does the air pressure do while going down the road?
You have the maintenance manual, I assume?
Sorry for the questions, but I've done the leaking air, brake valve dance...it's one of the things I know.
As for coach heat/ac, check the return vents and air channels for "dust" build up, if you haven't already.
Welcome to being a busnut :)!!
It maintains pressure , approx 120 psi while going down the road. It looses pressure pretty quickly, and settles down within 45 minutes of shut down. I can only hear a leak in the drivers side front wheel area.
Jason
Make sure that you have a full fuel tank! ;D
I drove my bus from Az to Pa to find loose bolts on drive shaft flange. I was lucky it was still there. I do not think yours would have one, but look and check every little thing.
Order a subscription to Bus Conversion Magazine at a very minimum and maybe also order some back issues about topics you are interested in, or better yet, order one of every print back issue available for $2.00 per issue plus S&H for a limited time.
To order a subscription go to the BCM Store tab and choose Subscriptions and choose either a Print Subscription which is 32 pages long or a Digital Edition which is close to 60 pages long each month which has additional information such as more information about upcoming rallies and reprints of articles from issues from the past 25 years. If you order a Print Subscription, it also comes with a free Digital Edition. There is tons of useful info in these magazines which will teach you everything you need to know about bus conversions from people who have converted their own bus(es) or bought one and modified it to suit their needs.
For a list of all articles in all back issues we have in stock, email Noemi and she will send one right out to you. Or you can call the office and we can take care of you over the phone.
Noemi@BusConversions.com
657-221-0432
Magazine subscriptions support this Forum you are reading now. Without subscribers like you, there would be no Forum.
What Ed said!!!
How much fuel in the tank?
This isn't your car, the bottom of the tank is a big flat area, there needs to be a good 30 gallons AT LEAST in there to be safe...
A busnut who plays in the bottom half of the tank better know how to prime.... and not by Amazon!
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Jason,
There will be many more talented folks that will chime in here, but depending on your setup, it sounds like you need the brake valve that is under the drivers floor (on my bus) E-6?, and possibly a bag. My MC8 did the exact same thing, and that is what I had to replace.
If it maintains 120 while in operation, that's good. Mine will stay between 100-110, but won't allow me to release the emergency brake until it reaches 90.
Oh, and if it's cold on start up...hit the fast idle switch. DDs don't like to idle, and most of them prefer to be driven like you're really mad. :)
Tank has been kept full, and we refilled at 350 miles on our trip. Also using a fuel treatment. We are going to block it up on Monday and get the wheels off, and check for the leaks. I have a block heater and let that heat the engine for at least 6 hours before starting(located in CNY), I turn the fast idle on, but it takes a few minutes before it will kick on. is that normal?
Jason
Quote from: N31569 on January 05, 2017, 06:22:57 PM
Tank has been kept full, and we refilled at 350 miles on our trip. Also using a fuel treatment. We are going to block it up on Monday and get the wheels off, and check for the leaks. I have a block heater and let that heat the engine for at least 6 hours before starting(located in CNY), I turn the fast idle on, but it takes a few minutes before it will kick on. is that normal?
Jason
yes. Fast idle won't kick on till air pressure is around 60 psi. Don't recall the exact number, but it's pressure related.
You said you drove 75 miles and then the engine stalled. Then you said you filled at 350 miles. Was the tank full at 75 miles when the engine stalled?
We started with a full tank, drove the 75 miles, and as we were coming to a stop coming off the off ramp going up hill to the stop sign it stalled. It took a minute of cranking , which might be because I didn't know you had to continue cranking for a few seconds to let oil pressure build, to get it started. I can't remember if we down shifted as we came to a stop, so it may have been from inexperience in driving. After restarting we continued on until we had a total of 350 miles and then stopped for fuel.
Should I replace the transmission filter while we are servicing it, if so should we change the fluid?
Jason
If you drove it for 75 miles, you should have had oil pressure. I always understood that rule was for cold/first starts. And I know more about what can happen from over pushing the start button than I care to admit, but that lesson came with (read: cost me) a brand new starter (that I get to install when it warms up a little). Is there any way you stalled because you were stopping on the incline? Sorry, I thought you had a manual tranny for a moment.
But try searching the board archives for warm engine starting problems. I've read a bit about that topic on this board.
Jason, anybody who can live with a Cherokee 6 can catch up with the intricacies of a bus quickly. Just work through things, read the books, and ask questions. You'll be fine.
Maybe roadside service as well. Not that expensive.
You have Jake Brakes ?
No jakes, and I do have road side service. Yes, having a Cherokee Six, I am used to paying more for travel than what is necessary, I'm expecting the bus will be no different. ;D
Jason
Quote from: daddysgirl on January 06, 2017, 04:17:37 PM
If you drove it for 75 miles, you should have had oil pressure. I always understood that rule was for cold/first starts. And I know more about what can happen from over pushing the start button than I care to admit, but that lesson came with (read: cost me) a brand new starter (that I get to install when it warms up a little). Is there any way you stalled because you were stopping on the incline? Sorry, I thought you had a manual tranny for a moment.
But try searching the board archives for warm engine starting problems. I've read a bit about that topic on this board.
Your understanding is a bit off.
Brief explanation on oil pressure vs. starting. Whenever you start the bus, regardless if it's a cold start or hot start, you will not have oil pressure for a few seconds.
When you have air pressure built up, you need to hold the start button in until the oil pressure light goes out. The safety shutdown system will kick in on the initial low oil pressure signal and shut down the engine. Holding the start button in overrides the safety shutdown system. However, for this override to work, it's important to have a working fuel pressure switch on the safety shutdown system to cut off the starter or the starter will continue turning while the start button is pressed.
When there is no air pressure, the start button can be released as soon as the bus starts, even though the low oil pressure light is still lit. The reason is because air pressure is required to activate the shutdown solenoid. Keep in mind, though, that when you start your bus without air pressure, the only way to get it to shut down before air builds is to manually operate the shutoff lever on the engine. Turning off the master switch will not stop it. I always start my bus from the rear when it has not air so I can shut it down should oil pressure not be there.
As for the stall at 75 miles, there are a few possibilities. Your fuel pickup tube may be cracked partially down and turning the corner might have allowed air to be sucked in. Another possibility is the transmission was stuck in lockup, which would cause the engine to stall. I think it's unlikely it would happen only one time, but not impossible. I definitely would change the filter when you service it. I would have the mechanic evaluate the fluid to see if you should change the fluid.
I was planning on that, I have the filter already, and will be doing that Monday.
Thanks,
Jason
Jason -
Changing the engine oil?
Straight 40wt ONLY - do NOT use multi-weight!
Chevron Delo 100
Exxon/Mobile Delvac 1240
Shell Rotella T
These are the most popular brands that meet Detroit's specifications for the two-stroke engines. Generally not sitting on the shelf at your local store, most have to be ordered. All three brands have dealer/distributor locators on their websites, use it!
If you have an O'Reiley's nearby, they can usually have the Chevron product for you overnight or within 48 hours. Tell the parts guy to plug "100-40-1" in the part number box, and "CHV" in the vendor box, otherwise he'll look at you with a blank stare.
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
I got 10 gallons from my local oil supplier, gulf 40w with cf2 ratings, i will probably pick up another 10 gallons as I got it for $12 a gallon.
Jason
opps!.... :o ::)