Good morning bus folk!
Was about to get my bus back when the shop noticed that the radiators weren't cooling - one of the units in particular was only cooling about 5 degrees. Turns out a lot of the fins were rotted off. Maybe due to so much time spent in Illinois - or just getting old - I did try to always clean the bus thoroughly after each use. :-\
Anyways - The only place the shop could get new radiators was a place that would build them new $$$$ - with a 4 week lead time. I tried my usual suspects, Luke, etc., but no go. I _think_ also MCI said they did not have them?
Has anyone had a good experience w/ a supplier of MCI/9 radiators, or am I looking at just used, and rodded out?
I'm working w/ Complete Coach Works (advertised in BCM) and so far they are very helpful with the used parts - they are checking availability. But if new is a possibility I'd like to at least know about it - compare the options, etc., If I do have options.
Thanks as always!
Find a commercial radiator shop and have the radiators recored with maximum thickness that the top and bottom tank will take. Not cheap, but neither is a burned up engine. Good Luck, TomC
Try general radiator, they're out east somewhere, warehouses all over the us. They can build you a corr, or a whole new radiator. Usually about a week from order to shipped. Reasonable prices too.
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Thanks gentlemen,
I am still working with Complete Coach Works and they're working hard to locate my smaller (6" ) radiators in their inventory. They think they have a couple but should find out tomorrow a.m. They have a lot of radiator & MCI experience for which I'm grateful.
I spoke w/ General Radiator and they would only re-core due to the age. But I'm keeping their number just in case. And Tom I'm going to request the re-core if something doesn't work out tomorrow. There has to be a good commercial shop in Phoenix - though my web searches aren't turning up a lot to this point.
Kind Regards, Phil
Phil re-core if your tanks are good is pretty much as new as you can get for a good price. New seals and core older tanks. New you can add rows or use the ripple fins etc but for a lot more money.... :D
Dave
I would suggest a re-core if tanks are good instead of an unknown used radiator.
I had cooling problems with my bus and sent my radiator to a local shop that does commercial radiators. They cleaned it and found problems. I ended up with a new core. The shop made out good on me because they had the core on the shelf for years and had bought it when copper prices were lower.
/sigh -
OK, well the shop feels that the tanks are not in very good shape and do not want to have those re-cored. Their preference is for me to supply the re-cores as it would take their supplier 4 weeks to build new. Soo, going to work w/ Complete Coach Works and get the used radiators and have them re-cored, then shipped out to Phoenix.
Not the best news but it does get me the re-cored radiators. On a positive note possibly it will be a little easier driving around in the desert w/ the re-cored radiators.
Thank you for all the excellent guidance, it's very helpful to have voices of experience coaching along the way.
Tom - I will pass along the request w/ regard to ".. have the radiators recored with maximum thickness that the top and bottom tank will take. ... "
Kind Regards, Phil
When I got my radiator recored last year I had Atlas Radiator in Santa Fe Springs CA make me a core with more tubes than before (73 per row instead of 57), the tubes now are dimpled, and the serpentine fins are much closer spaced than before. I could not go any wider or thicker because of the tanks, or specifically the space where the radiator sits, but I went almost 3" higher because I had some space above the top tank. I still have 6 rows because that's the most that a 4"-thick radiator can have. My radiator now has about 10% more surface area and about 28% more tubes than before. I had my radiator tanks and the coolant surge tank powder-coated, so no worries there about any future corrosion - if I had painted them myself, who knows if flecks of paint could eventually have come off their insides and blocked the tubes?
John
Hi John, what was the result of the re-cored radiator? Did you notice increased cooling capacity, lower temps? Or is it too soon to tell?
Thanks! Phil
Quote from: plyonsMC9 on July 19, 2017, 01:30:48 PM
Hi John, what was the result of the re-cored radiator? Did you notice increased cooling capacity, lower temps? Or is it too soon to tell?
Thanks! Phil
Definitely cooler (less hot?) temps than before, but that's not saying much! At least I can now climb 6% grades in hot weather without chronically overheating. However, I would still like my temps to be a few degrees cooler. At least I know I've done all that is humanly possible for my radiator - I'm now thinking about a second radiator, but before I go that way I need to know how much actual difference it will make.
John
Phil -
Did you try Sam Caylor's place? He's been scrapping MCIs for years. . . 785-878-3405
Also, I think it was Diesel Radiator in the Chicago area that was the OEM supplier to MCI. . . (Or maybe General Radiator?)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Thanks RJ! I did speak w/ General but they wanted the tanks. I did not know about Sam Caylor but will keep that name as a reference just in case. I have purchased 2 used & re-cored radiators from Complete Coach Works. Been working with Mando who seems to have a lot of experience w/ the MCI & other buses & their radiators. So far so good. They are currently processing the two radiators.
Kind Regards, Phil
Industrial radiator in Phoenix was good they did mine, but sad to say they went out of business.
ED
I have a set of used radiators for a MCI 5A that also fit a 7, don't know if they are the same for an 8 or not.....i kinda suspect not.
Phil, you can always put another radiator on the back of your bus on the outside if that doesn't work out for you like I saw somewhere. Not sure where. ;)
Does he have a complete truck inside there? If so, he's got the only bus that will do 70 MPH backwards.
That's what the back-up camera is for, ;)
Yes Iceni. From what I understand he backs his tractor trailer into his MCI bus and takes it with him to use as a Toad. ;D What is interesting is that he can drive it from either end. :D
5,000 comedians out of work and we have to be funny here. :D :) ;D
Kind Regards, Phil
Seriously though (?), does a rear-mounted radiator like in that picture (and like most pusher RVs have these days) suck in air from the outside, or blow air out from the engine compartment? I can see pros and cons for both ways. It could be easier for me to mount a second radiator at the back instead of on the right side. (OK, by easier I mean very slightly less difficult.)
Sorry for the thread drift here, but it's all part of our Sisyphean task to keep our engines cool by fair means or foul.
Thanks, John
It looks as he is blowing air from inside out,, as you can see from the side scoops.>>>Dan (either way its a bitch to keep a rear rad clean)
IIRC there are 4 electric fans in there and they blow out through the radiator as Ed Was telling me. Ed said the scoops were on there when he got the bus but they weren't doing much for that 8V-92 in there.
This is just a post to let all know how this radiator project turned out. It turns out the Complete Coach Works worked very well with the Taylor Coach mechanics who had our bus in their shop. I worked directly w/ Mando Aguirre (maguirre@completecoach.com). Mando has a great deal of experience in working w/ radiators. CCW located used MC9 radiators in their inventory and also did the recores. According to Taylor Coach, CCW quickly delivered used / recored radiators that were in very good condition and an exact fit. The two new / rebuilt radiators were installed and the seals replaced. And now our MC9 runs much cooler than it used to. ;D
Kudos to Taylor Coach in Phoenix and Complete Coach Works (1.800.bus.sale). CCW is a BCM advertiser.
I received no special discounts for this post - just wanted to share a good experience
Kind Regards, Phil
Do you have an intercooler? It could be your intercooler radiator needs attention.
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Thanks Zephod!
Actually the bus is running very very well, and much cooler. So I'm very pleased w/ this - it was a good outcome. ;D ;D ;D
Kind Regards, Phil
Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on July 20, 2017, 12:24:05 PM
I have a set of used radiators for a MCI 5A that also fit a 7, don't know if they are the same for an 8 or not.....i kinda suspect not.
Hi;
Will send you an email. Lost your number.
Merle.