While having work done at Michelangelo shop in Phoenix (see Wheel Bearing Maintance) we discovered some other problems. Would you believe the air dyer started dying while setting in there yard. That was replaced today, $225.00 not including labor. While changing the fluild in the Differential a hunk of metal fell out. Turns out it is or was part of a roller bearing. Looks like a will need a new Differential.
I need an education on rear ends before I talk to Michelangelo's on Monday. I know a lot depends on what's found when we open it up. But should I replace it, or repair it? If it's to be replaced, new or rebuild? How much should this cost me....?
Also looks like I need a new Slack Adjuster on the right side. This one as adjusted a few months ago and is no longer doing the job. Anyway to fix the one I have? Could it just need a good cleaning?
As always, thanks for the input.
Bill
there was a differential on the flea market with tires free. about the slack adjusters,take them aprt and clean them and look at them. Most of the time they have dried greas and the locking ring doesn;t work properly.
Gomer,
Flea Market????????
Bill
QuoteBut should I replace it, or repair it? If it's to be replaced, new or rebuild?
Whichever is the least expensive is what I would do. Even a good used take out would work for me. I have the opportunity to see a lot of rebuilt parts used and installed where I work. Those vehicles see hundreds of thousands of miles and that would be more than you would ever put on your conversion.
As for slack adjusters, I believe they are inexpensive. I am thinking in the range of about $30 give or take. I am sure someone else here will know for sure.
Good luck, keep us posted.
Laryn
Are you certain that the bearing is from your differential and not one that may have been left in by the previous rebuilder? Is your diff making noise? I would just overhaul what is wrong and not completely rebuild it-we don't put enough miles on the buses for that. Good Luck, TomC
I just replaced an adjuster on my truck, $22.00 Canadian; find a truck supply and repair shop [like your local Kenworth, Peterbilt, Volvo, International!
There are several types of slacks, 1 being the overall length, 2 the number of splines to slide onto the S cam, so if you are a do it yourselfer take the bad one off as a sample for the parts guy!
I say truck shop because I found my local Kenworth dealer a lot less expensive.
The replacements I got are riveted; so for the price it is not worth my time to clean an old one.
I been trukin for 38 years
Les R MC-9
Tom,
No noise, and no, I don't know the history. I stuck my finger in the drain hole and could feel a couple more bearing, or part of.....
Guess we won't know till we open it up...
Bill
I have to agree unless there is obvious damage to the gears, I'd replace the bearing (s) and run it like I stole it! Ooppps if I was drivin' yer coach, I woulda had to have stole it! LOL! JMHO
;D BK ;D
Bill, from the BNO board:
Quote4104 3rd member complete with tires FREE come and get it! Grants Pass,OR
ronlinda6067@msn.com
Richard
Quote from: Kwajdiver on July 14, 2007, 08:04:11 PM
Gomer,
Flea Market????????
Bill
Bill, If you ever wanted a different ratio now may be the time. If a bearing or bearings are bad and your gears are good have them changed ( the bearings ). You need to find someone who knows how to set them up and it maynot be where you are. The gears should show some wear where they are running a slightly different look or finish. No missing teeth or large chips or deep wear patterns. Hope this helps. Tom Y
Richard -
a 4104 rear axle won't work in an MCI - V-drive vs a T-drive.
Bill -
Caylor Supply in Rantoul KS, will probably have what you need.
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Actually- I believe a V drive and T drive axle housings are the same. The only difference being the differential housing-straight or V. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: TomC on July 15, 2007, 09:09:08 AM
Actually- I believe a V drive and T drive axle housings are the same. The only difference being the differential housing-straight or V. Good Luck, TomC
Tom while you are probably correct it still doesn't make sense for him to change out his housing just because of a bad bearing does it? IMWTK
;D BK ;D
All good information thanks guys,
Tom, gears, good thought. Guess we can tell what it has when we open it. What gears would I need for the best gas mileage? I have a 6vV92.
Thanks again for the information. However, no one has dare tell me what this could cost.... Anyone got a guess?
Bill
A 6v92 will not pull a real high gear it will just make fuel mileage worse a good ratio for a 8v92 is 3.36 so probably in the range of a 3.73 for a 6v92
Bill -
FYI, 3.73:1 is the stock ratio for the 8V71 and 6V92 powered MC-9s. The 8V92s had a 3.36:1 ratio available as an option. Wouldn't recommend that for your 9, even if you bumped your 6V to 350hp w/ larger injectors.
Sometimes it's hard to second-guess the factory. . .
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Welllll, I ain't wanting to get nothing started here, buttttt we had an '85 102A3/6v92TA 5spd manual that had 3:36's in it, we also had a '85 96A3 6V92TA/740 AT that had 3:36's, and we still run an '86 102A3 6V92TA/740 AT with 3:36's and although a little sluggish/slow on the take off they roll on pretty good! Dad just came home from Wilmington, NC across I-40 and fully loaded with the "CIA"* & their music equipment he pulled Black Mountain just a little over 30 mph @ 190 degrees ! I think a 6V92 can pull them fine, especially in a conversion that I hear are usually lighter than a loaded to the MAX charter bus! JMHO FWIW! (* CIA = Christians In Action a group of performers who travel with us every summer going to churches, nursing homes, assisted living communities, children's home {orphanages} and perform in exchange for a meal or a place to stay for the night! KINDA KOOL I THINK)
Now Bill, it's been quite a while since I checked (about 5 yrs). But a new center section completely set up with new bearings & gears and 2 yrs warranty was around $3,000.00 - $3,500.00 from Drivetrain Specialist in Memphis, and they kept them in stock! I've also bought used take outs for $750.00 - $1,500.00. Of course that's not including labor! And after doing 8 rear ends in about 4 months (different coaches, 6 were other customers!) It got to where we could pull one and put one back in and have it on the road in an 8 hr shift max! (1st 2-3 took a little longer). Of course our low labor rate and 1 day out of service is why we kept getting so many to do! No more thank you! LOL! FWIW HTH !
;D BK ;D
BK -
Did you buy these coaches new, or did they provide revenue service for another company prior to joining your fleet?
TTBOMK, the 3.73:1 was the stock ratio, and the 3.36:1 was optional (no cost, IIRC)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Quote from: Russ
BK -
Did you buy these coaches new, or did they provide revenue service for another company prior to joining your fleet?
TTBOMK, the 3.73:1 was the stock ratio, and the 3.36:1 was optional (no cost, IIRC)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
New? Did you say did we buy these new? Ah well I'll tell ya Russ, we ain't never bought a coach new! And IF we buy out a friend's/competitor's company with 2 '05 Setra S417's that'll probably as close to owning a NEW coach as I'll ever get! (or ever wanna get for that matter! Let someone else take that huge depreciation loss! LOL!)
So yes Russ they were pretested in revenue service before we bought them! The '85 102A3 came from an Indian charter company on a MN reservation, an the 96A3 came from florida, and the current 102A3 came from Hotard in New Orleans! (I might add that they all originally had been hounds!) FWIW
;D BK ;D
Thanks for the info. Just for the record, I'm running an automatic.
Hope to talk to them today, and get the bus back to the shop in a couple days.
Bill
Bill, I also have the 3.36:1 gears in my bus. The 6v92 pulled that just fine *most* of the time. I had the HT754 and 1st gear was very low. I know if I didn't have that 1st gear (maxed out at about 18mph) 2nd would have been too high in the Colorado mountains and I would have been in situations where I wouldn't have been able to get it rolling. There was also one climb out of Denver that would have been impossible without 1st as I couldn't pull it in 2nd while towing my Jeep. So, in short, depending upon how low 1st is in the 740 the 3.36 gears are just fine on most highway hills if you can keep rolling.
NIMCO has MCI has rear end takeouts listed on their website for $2,000.00.
Might be the option if they had the exact ratio you wanted.
Chris
Hey Bill, what did you find out today? Any progress?
Hey Guys,
Haven't been to the shop yet. No word, should talk to them tomorrow.
Thanks Guys,
Bill
Guys,
Still waiting on the shop to call me back. I've put two calls in and no reply. Very funny, being I have not paid them for the day and half worth of work they have already performed.
How many times should you have to call someone inorder to pay THEM.....? ???
Bill
Phoenix
Bill
none though I'm sure they will have an invoice when you show up.
Please go down there in person and find out surprises are not fun!
Skip
Bill,
So where you at with the shop and your Differential?
Skip
Spoke with the shop this morning. They haven't got to my invoice yet.....
They say they have one rear end from a huge inventor of MCI-9 parts they bought. He will make me a good deal on it....(See if his good deal, is the same as my good deal) Nothing is going to happen for a week or so. I'm going in to have a little hernia repaired Tuesday. Guessing I won't be doing any bus stuff for a week or so.
Bill
Should be leaving Phoenix the first week of August.
I replaced the ring and pinion in my MCI. It was a rebuild from a truck shop and cost about $1400, 10 years ago. I did the labor. A friend had it done and it cost him about $2000.
I changed it because it was making noise and had been low on lubricant.
Ed Roelle
Flint, MI
Bill,
Maybe you can upgrade from the chincy mesh to S.S. then you could be one with your bus.......
Honestly please listen to the doc's when they say no heavy lifting that includes the bay doors and
you packing to leave in about a week and a half!
I hope shipping off the condenser didn't lead to your situation!
Skip
Bill, Skip gives good advice. I had triple hernia surgery a couple of years ago, it took about 10 days to really feel good. Just don't push it. Stop by on your way through if you come back this way.
Paul
Thanks guys for looking out for me. I've actually pack the bus yesterday, so that I would not have to do any lifing. Hadn't thought about the bay doors. I will have to plan ahead for that. Plan to take it real easy. Won't leave till the doctor releases me.
Hope to go to Gulfport, Miss. but not up to me. It's where every Raytheon sends me.
Paul, if I get near you, you can count on me stopping by.
Bill
Hey Guys,
The hernia was repaired yesterday. The Doc says it went well. Hyeyong, my girlfriend flew up Sunday from Tampa, so she would be here. Really glad she's here. I'm very sore, but haven't taken a pain pill today. Feel like my belly button was used for a punching bag. Glad it's not far between the sofa and the bed.
Bill
Okay,,,, Going in the shop Monday. They have a rear end if needed, for $1500.00 plus of course, labor. Not sure what the gearing is, they believe it is 3.37:1 but will check. I'm still praying only the bearing need replacing. :)
I feel this is a good price. The bill for a day and half in the shop, replaced both drive axles wheel seals, replace two lugs on one wheel, an air dyer, and one bearing kit. Total cost $933.55. Plus relubing the the rear end, I put gease in everything I could find under the bus. A new MCI front emblem, and a couple odds and ends I took off there three parts MCI-9's.
Sound fair to me. ;D
Comments,
Bill
Quote from: Kwajdiver on July 31, 2007, 02:51:47 PM
Okay,,,, Going in the shop Monday. They have a rear end if needed, for $1500.00 plus of course, labor. Not sure what the gearing is, they believe it is 3.37:1 but will check. I'm still praying only the bearing need replacing. :)
I feel this is a good price. The bill for a day and half in the shop, replaced both drive axles wheel seals, replace two lugs on one wheel, an air dyer, and one bearing kit. Total cost $933.55. Plus relubing the the rear end, I put gease in everything I could find under the bus. A new MCI front emblem, and a couple odds and ends I took off there three parts MCI-9's.
Sound fair to me. ;D
Comments,
Bill
Bill I think that the bill for all you listed is very fair! And I think the price for the rear end is fair! (as long as they don't try to charge you labor for taking it out
after selling it to you!) Also it's either gonna be a 3.73:1 (great all around gear!) or maybe a 3.33:1 (great highway gear!)! FWIW ~
;D BK ;D
BK,
What do you mean by (don't try to charge you labor for taking it out after selling it to you!) ???
Bill
Bill,
What do you mean by (don't try to charge you labor for taking it out after selling it to you!)
Charge to remove it from the donor bus.
Cliff
Bill, you got a pretty good deal there if they put a full 12 hours into your bus. Around the Minneapolis area, bus labor is nearly $100 an hour. The Detroit dealer recently went up to $105 an hour.
Cliff,
This is a new unit (I believe), part of a couple tracter trailer of parts they purchase.
Bill
Quote from: Kwajdiver
Cliff,
This is a new unit (I believe), part of a couple tracter trailer of parts they purchase.
Bill
Bill if that is the case then $1,500.00 is a great price! Grab a few extras and when you here of a fellow busnut in need sell 'm 1 for $2,000.00 he'll be happy to save some bucks and you'll make a few!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: FloridaCliff
Bill,
What do you mean by (don't try to charge you labor for taking it out after selling it to you!)
Charge to remove it from the donor bus.
Cliff
That is exactly what I meant! I have heard of some shops doing this! They quote you a price for a used part, then tack on labor to remove it from the donor!
In my ( & others) opinion, if they sell a part the removal labor is included! JMHO~FWIW!
;D BK ;D
Bus is in the shop, pulled the rear end today. Will need a rear end. As stated before, they have one in stock for $1500.00. Bus should be out of the shop tomorrow. Then I'll know the real damage...... :(
Bill
Hey Guys,
The rear end was in bad shape, just lucky it didn't break down on the road to nowhere. The guys did a great job on the bus. I will say, they do not get as much done as they say they will. What they do is great. With the new rear end I am now in Roswell, NM. Turning south after I spend the morning looking for UFO's. Making my way to Gulfport, Ms.
The total cost,,, $1,500 for parts, just under a grand for the labor. Plus I ask lots of questions about the bus.
The slack adjuster, having been shot with grease, is not perfect, but much better than it was.
The bus didn't like climbing hills and overheated with me once. See my other thread "Phoenix to Gulfport" for more on that.
On the road,
Bill