Cheap Telma retarders... if you have a bus with a long driveline...

[boogiethecat]

But that's what's so c@@l about the telma. The hot rotors have gigantic fans cast into them and they simply make a whole lot of hot air (same stuff as I'm usually full of), and it just blows away under the coach. No red hot monsters, even going down that grade with the Telma fully on at 75mph!

[HB of CJ]

Gary..now I REALLY regret selling my Crown 10 wheeler.  AUGHH!  Oh well.  Did you mount your Telma right up next to the differencial housing or right behind your tranny?  You posted it once, but I have forgotten. Curious because Crowns have kinda short driveshafts.  How close did all the fires get? (again)  Crowns forever.  HB of CJ

[Jriddle]

I for one would not put a retarder on my bus. It looks like a lot of trouble and is extra weight that will need repaired someday. If I was using my bus to make a living and needed to go down hills like a rocket, because time is money I might consider installing one. I was taught by very safe truck driver to go down hills in a lower gear than it took to get up it. Most people who use there bus for traveling probably are not in that big of a hurry anyway. This is just my opinion but take your time and you may not need to have all the extras that will need repired someday. I travel over one large mountain pass and two smaller ones to go to work. I can't tell you how many brake fires I have seen and daily smell hot brakes on trucks. This can be avoided by slowing down and taking your time.

Just my view.
John

[TomC]

Personally from experience both driving a truck 1.3 million miles, and driving my Jake brake equipped bus.  Jakes work and they work well.  I had Don Fairchild adjust my jakes, and holy cow, what a difference.  Coming down the north bound I-5 grapevine (5 miles of 6%) I used to have to touch the brakes 4 or 5 times, now I have to switch it between 2 heads and 1 head to keep from slowing down to much-and this is with my car in tow weighing close to 35,000 pounds.  If you come west of I-25 into the western states, you should have a Jake brake to avoid possible disaster and to keep from holding up traffic from going down hills at 25mph without the Jake brake.  Good Luck, TomC

[Kenny]

Has anyone used the Telma focal retarder on an MCI9 or other MCI bus? What is the approx. cost to buy the unit?

Kenny

[belfert]

A good reason to have a Telma instead of a Jake is certain grades like I80 westbound into Salt Lake City that prohibit engine braking.  The two times I've been through there we just ran the Jakes anyhow.  I didn't want to end up like some of the big trucks where they were burning up their brakes.  There is some debate on whether use of safety devices such as engine brakes can legally be prohibited.

A Telma is way down on my list of things to add if I ever get through the rest of my list.  Dina offered the Telma as a factory option so it must fit somehow.

[rv_safetyman]

Brian, there have been several huge discussions, on this board and the other board, on ordnances that prohibit the use of Jakes in areas where they are needed.  The overwhelming consensus is that a judge would have a pretty hard time convicting you of using a safety device.  Sounds like you have the same opinion.  No matter what, if I NEED them, they go on.

The other side of the coin are ordinances that required mufflers.  I have seen a lot of those signs (don't recall total prohibition signs in recent times) and it make sense that a person could be ticketed for not having mufflers (lots of trucks don't).  I use an Aero muffler and it might as well not be there when the Jakes are on.  I try to be very careful and only use as much Jakes as absolutely necessary (2 cyl. when possible).  However, when I need them they go on.  Since I have a muffler, I am not sure what they would charge me with.

Jim 

[kyle4501]

  Since I have a muffler, I am not sure what they would charge me with.

Jim 

Around here, it would be a noise violation . . . .

Same thing they use for the boom boom boobs . . . 

[JohnEd]

Kenny,

Go to the site that "SOJOURNER" recommended.  It is superb and gives pricing data for the exact models.  I would find out what I needed and then resolve to search for a used one.  They are pretty much industructable.  There are a couple big bearings but no friction as the wheels are magnetically coupled and don't actually touch.  I think these are standard equip in Europe and they should be over here.

HTH,

John

[makemineatwostroke]

JohnEd, little bit of info for you the Telma is popular in Europe because Jake would not sell to Europen manufactures only American engine manufactures  they were made available to M- B just last year and when Volvo bought Mack they would not furnish Volvo with the Jake so Volvo developed their own system like the Jake that works sometime.Being around the Telma for years in Venezuela on the Volvo buses and trucks I will stick with the Jakes the Telmas are not trouble free, call Houston Metro and see what they think about the Telma      have a great evening

[JohnEd]

2stroke,

That is good info.  Not what I have been hearing, but good info.

Worked in Venezuela?  Did you pal around with Hugo?  Castro and the CEO of Russia liked him so I guess he can't be all bad....right?

John

[makemineatwostroke]

JohnEd; I don't pal around with him, they have been a good customer of ours for years and I deal with him time to time.I go back in Jan for a few weeks and hope the wars games he is playing now will be over with. The Venezuelan people are great but him ?   
have a great evening

[boogiethecat]

So the big question is, after 539 views of this thread, did anyone find the Telma on ebay a great deal and buy it?
Or did all my post do was start another argument about how wonderful, inapplicable , amazing, unreliable or worthless the things are?

[Lee Bradley]

Thanks for the post. I did not bid, even though I will probably get a Telma, as that model requires a heavy frame to mount it. Most buses don't have the frame required for that unit. 

[makemineatwostroke]

Lee; if you are looking for a Telma check with Industrial Transmission in Irving Texas 1-800-999-8726  they took over the line after we dropped it and will have takeouts and used from time to time at a good buy and I will check for a number for you on the guy that scraped the Houston Metro buses that were equipped with the Telma and post it here for you guys that want one      have a great day