1960 GMC 4104 I am looking with an older 1980's restoration from Oregon

irstaxhelp · August 27, 2009, 02:24:36 PM

How do I find out about any events in my area?

loosenut · August 27, 2009, 02:44:53 PM

Hi, welcome. I too am new to the busnut world. Looks like you got a great bus.

I believe the advice for putting your location in your signature was to help connect you with other busnuts rather than up coming events.

Busnuts are scattered around North America. On the board I've seen one other Lakeside person.

I live in the UTC area of SD. Perhaps I can help you with some business contacts. I've had both good and bad experiences. Other than that, I'm so new that I'm still trying figure out how oil jumps off the engine onto my clothes and learning how to get it out of my clothes.

I know of only one event coming up and I'm hoping to be ready. Every January there is a big get together in Quartzite AZ.

Mike

irstaxhelp · August 27, 2009, 02:47:28 PM

That is great. I am in Lakeside and I can't imagine where you store your bus in UTC!

Let's keep in touch and where can I find out more about the January meet?

Dreamscape · August 27, 2009, 03:44:26 PM

Articles of interest

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/12262/16204.html?1167073154

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/12262/16203.html?1167072614

Read and heed!

Paul

RJ · August 27, 2009, 06:26:15 PM

Quote from: Runcutter on August 27, 2009, 01:19:08 PM

Regarding the clutch & shifting, RJ Long wrote a great article on how to drive & shift, with a focus on dead throttle starts. . . .I have a few decades in the bus business, including time as a driving instructor on 4905's, and I never saw an explanation as good as RJ's.

Arthur -

Thank you for those kind words, they are appreciated.

Paul -

Thank you for posting the links to my articles. I'm sure John can and will find them helpful, along with other newbies.

FWIW & HTH. . .

Dreamscape · August 27, 2009, 07:05:32 PM

Those links should be a sticky in the Help Section. Or maybe RJ you can copy and paste them.

Very valuable information for anyone driving these beasts with a crash box. Now I know where that term came from!

Paul

Runcutter · August 28, 2009, 06:56:34 AM

I agree on making the links prominent in the Help section. That's where I went looking for them before I ran out of time. We might also consider referring any new participant to them, before he/she gets in the seat of their new bus for the first time. Even experienced gas-job stick shift drivers wouldn't know about dead-throttle starts ---- unless someone tells them.

Our first trip in the 4107 consisted of picking the coach up in New Hampshire, running back to Massachusetts to pick up the Mother in Law, taking her to far eastern New Brunswick, then coming back to Texas. Although I hadn't driven a deck in about 30 years, I still knew how - just had to polish the rust off my right arm and left foot. Without that knowledge, I could have easily done some damage to the clutch in that distance.

John, did you receive the door-adjusting information I faxed to you yesterday afternoon?

Arthur

irstaxhelp · August 28, 2009, 09:04:19 AM

I did Arthur. I plan on looking into it this weekend. Also the emergency brake does not stay in place when I pull it. So I have to issues to check into. Oh and not to mention that the bus drives great and very soft at that however it does not rise or go down after the engine is off for a while. I hear this little air noise every 45 seconds or so after shutting off. Any ideas? Like a pfffft ------- then again

niles500 · August 28, 2009, 10:56:17 AM

IRSTAXHELP (Interesting moniker) - sounds like (literally) you have an air dryer - and it is just 'spitting' (sounds like an AD-9) moisture each time the Air Governor cycles - HTH

johns4104s · August 29, 2009, 06:15:44 AM

Power steering is a major job and very expensive. Adding the original type hyd boost system would not be so hard or expensive if you can find one on an old bus. However, it is not true power steering and not a great improvement over manual except in tight maneuvering

Gus,
I have power assist on one 4104 and Shepard on another. You can not tell the diffrence they both steer very well.

Depending on the road conditions both have a slight wander.

John

zubzub · August 29, 2009, 08:26:59 AM

Good info on the differences between sheppard and older power assist.
re the pffft... from your pics doesn't look like you have an air dryer (cleanest engine bay I have seen on a bus that hasn't been redone though)
could be a few things, regulator perhaps.....localize where the sound come from that will help. Read up on buses in the archives that will help a lot. Chock your wheels and work out what's wrong with the hand brake (do you have spring brakes as well?)

irstaxhelp · August 29, 2009, 08:51:04 PM

Air Dryer?

zubzub · August 30, 2009, 04:27:08 AM

Removes moisture from the recently compressed air, usually sits just upstream of the compressor. More modern buses have it, it's the things that hisses and spits for no apparent reason.

irstaxhelp · August 30, 2009, 08:37:31 AM

So in my manual it say I have to drain them daily. is that because I don't have an air dryer? Sorry I am such a rookie!

zubzub · August 30, 2009, 08:52:05 AM

Daily if you are using the bus and lots of air. If you want to get up to speed on bus systems start here http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?board=1.11300
and read/scan everything tell you get back to this post at that point you will know all about air dryers, air brakes, tires, relays, generators..etc etc... interesting reading for a busnut. FWIW the biggest safety issue for me with a '04 is no spring brakes. I'm installing some on mine right now, fairly easy, and good for a lot of piece of mind. Without spring brakes an '04 with a ruptured main air line has to try and stop with just the hand brake, and I have already replaced some old copper main line, there was considerable pitting on the surface where it passed through a bulkhead, and that was with an intact protective sleeve