Hey there bus nuts,
I bought our lovely "Ruby," a 1998 MCI D last year, been getting her ready for a cross country move from Lost Angeles (pun intended) back to Georgia. My mechanic has been doing things to get her ready; lubed everything, adjusted brakes, etc.
While checking the Rockwell Drive Axel, he found some metal shavings on the magnetic Drain nut and some slop / play in the axel. He showed them to me - not a lot of shavings but a bit of slop. Bus drives and sounds great, though and was babied by its last owner. However, it was mostly sitting since Covid until I bought it so about 2 years of not much activity.
Should add the bus has 1.4 million on it BUT had an in-frame engine rebuild about 200k ago, so she's real clean and runs smooth.
Here's my Qs:
1) MCI says 80w/90. Most places I've checked with (like ABC Bus) use 85/140 GL5. I'm leaning towards 140 b/c I'll be full up with moving stuff and towing a Toyota - though probably not up to the 44k weight capacity of the bus. Plus, I'm traveling the Southern route to GA AND I won't be taking her out again until Spring Summer, likely South to Florida.
2) I'm leaning Conventional over Synthetic - b/c that's what some have recc.
3) I'm leaning towards paying a little more for something like Lucas over Master Pro or Magik or whatever, because I know the name and... well, how often do you do this oil change, after all.
What says you guys?
Ruby is: A 1998 MCI 102D.
Detroit 60, 12.7 liter, Allison 500 Trans.
1.4 mil with in-frame rebuilt 200k. ago.
I would use the synthetics and forget about the Lucas
Quote from: luvrbus on December 10, 2022, 09:04:56 AM
I would use the synthetics and forget about the Lucas
x2
as with syn you should never have to do it again
as a retired trucker and have owned several trucks over the years as well as having a bus conversion i would HIGHLY recommend synthetic oils in the hubs and drive kust sayin
oops fat finger....was supposed to be just sayin....my bad
Maybe you should check your wheel bearings could be the cause of shavings on the plug not sure if the wheel bearing are still grease packed in 1998. I use schaeffers 140 wt gear lube for what it's worth.
https://stores.buy1oils.com/schaeffer-0209a80-040-moly-universal-gear-lube-w-red-dye-sae-80-to-140-or-iso-150-to-680-40-lbs/
https://stores.buy1oils.com/schaeffer-0294140-040-supreme-gear-lube-sae-140-or-iso-320-40-lbs/