New to the forum, introduction and some questions! (warning: lots of pictures)

[wal1809]

I am on my I phone so I can't see the pic that well. It it looks like the rod is completely busted.  How Many miles does the motor have on it.

[OneLapper]

Oooh! Oooh! I know the answer!

It's a cracked crankshaft!  Look hard, the conrod end is intact, but crank journal has a half inch crack in it.

Hmmm....  so you need a running 8V92.  Or a crankshaft, some conrods, pistons and liners.  Or maybe a running, smoking, leaking core 8V92 that you can pull the crank out of, have the crank machined .010 under, and install in your engine with new .01 over bearings.  Someone out there must have a nearly dead 8v92 you can trade a couple cases of beer for!

I have a running, smoking, leaking 8V71 I'd let go for 6 cases of beer.  Too bad it's the wrong engine!

[robertglines1]

What year is your prevost? is that a 6v92;just noticed rod #5 stamped on end cap? my computer won't bring up a clear enough picture to say it is toast but don"t look good..:repair or used engine is a decision you have to make...good used engine is generally less dollars than rebuild,lot less..There are busnuts in area that can help you Nick Badame in NJ and many more.. There should be a date stamped on bearings (if detroit)that should give you some idea when it was installed.part of part number...Just suggest you start new topic on engine problems...just a bump in the road plenty of work to do before you need a motor..There is a letter before the last 5 or 6 numbers of your serial number...what is it ??

[wal1809]

Allrighty then.  I got to the office and sved the phototo photoshop CS3.  It looks to me the first response was correct.  Spun a bearing.  I do see some spots but cant tell what they are so I marked them with the red arrows.  I can't tell if they are cracks or what.  Either way that crank is coming out of there before your beuty gets to rolling under its own power.  Have faith it will come one day.

[wal1809]

BTW how did you get that pic.  Was the pan off when you picked it up or did you take it off looking for a problem?  Some bus nuts on here will be able to tell you if an inframe rebuild will work or not.  To me finding out the miles on the bus would be my decision.  If your on the verge of a total miles to be achieved on the motor then I would vote pull the whole hting and do a complete rebuild.  I would hate to do the lower end, only to have the rest of it cave in on you soon after.  You got some guts to take on a project like this. I commend your efforts.  Once it is done and your rolling down the highway with a destination unknown, it will be a grweat feeling.

My experience with a long project. When growing up I had a hand in my family's side business of buying super duper old trash houses and fixing them up.  One was a house just off of hwy 71 about 4 miles south of Columbus.  My mother told me she found a jewel of a house and wanted me to aid in its repair.  I asked where and she told me.  My reply is there is no house there.  She replied with it is covered in vines trees and bushes.  It was 30 yards off the road and could not be seen.

My belief was she lost her brain somewhere between the house and Columbus.  To save a long story she bought it for the cost of the property and started a bridal shop in the house.  It turned out to be a jewel.  1.5 years to rebuild the house but it was well over 100 years old with Wood trim 4 feet up the walls and transom windows over each door in the house.  It was sold for around $200,000.  I had a hand in several of these rebuilds.

So 4 years ago my wife and I found one.  They were asking $40,000 and we offered $20,000.  They took the offer.  Now I was alone on this project. I did not know where to begin other than remove the trash in the house and one nail at a time after that.  I reworked the electrical, installed central air and heat, plumbing, refinished the wood floors, insultated the walls attick and underneath ect.

I know it is a long story but it will fit your bill in a second.  About half way through I was at quit thirty.  I was working night shift as a street cop and 2 extra jobs a week.  I also had other duties to attempt to keep up with.  To say the least I was tired, beat up and felt alone and could not see the end.  I had to literally tell myself one more nail, one more nail.  I mean that, at times I said it out loud.

To make it worse my mother in law wanted to rent the house upon completion.  She gave up her lease at her current location in Odessa.  I did not reach the deadline and she had no place to go so she moved into my house until the repairs were completed on her house.  You talk about serious motivation to finish a project.

Well it was done 2 months after Mo in law moved in.  It is a neat little house on a half acre 1 mile from our house.  When I was done I looked back and was absolutely thrilled I did not quit it.  Besides the money value of the house now, it was a personal achievement.  I don't have quit in my toolbox and didn't want to start at this stage of my game in life.  So when you get down and you will somewhere between now and finished you just remember, one more nail.

[John316]

Yup, methinks it is the crankshaft, and that looks like an 8V92 to me . Am I at all close? Looks to me like she pulled the oil pan to get a good look at it.

But...what do I know .

God bless,

John

[OneLapper]

wal1809, you're so close!  Just above your far right arrow is the crack in the crankshaft!

[wal1809]

I think I see what your looking at.  It looked like a shadow to me.  Either way it is coming out of there before she is rolling again. DRT how many miles is on the motor?  Is it in fact an8V?  Have you located a a new crank yet?  Inquiring minds want to know.

[divinerightstrip]

Hello all,
Sorry I've been away from the forum for a few days. I am still in school and midterms are upon me. Study first, play later!

So, OneLapper guessed right
It's a broken crankshaft in my 8V92. I took the picture from below the bus with the oil pan removed.

This weekend was actually great weather for bus play, so I put my obligations aside, and a very dear bus friend came by to lend a hand and see where I was at with my project.
We had some lofty goals, but ended up spending most of our time trying to charge my lousy batteries and hook things up appropriately. Turns out, my batteries really are complete CRAP! Any advice on where to source some good bus batteries for cheap?? Heh yeah, right, I know...




(note: the PD4106 is going to the airlines, "Urge" says "Have a Nice Day" !!)

We ended up just hanging out, eating pizza, drinking beverages, and playing in the yard and around the buses. Good, lazy Sunday! Later on in the evening, when I was alone once more, just me and my bus, I ended up taking the other half of the flooring up and doing some more sanding and prep for the rust-inhibiting paint. I ended up cutting out a few bad beams. I still have a couple more to remove, and using a wire brush to remove all of the rust. I still have a little more to do, but it looks great!

Oh, and another good thing: I found the air leak in my bus! It is coming from this little box:

What is this?
Some sort of regulator, I am guessing? The green lines are my primary air lines. There is a little hole where the corrosion is, between the main box and what looks like a "cap" on the left hand side. Is it possible to rebuild/reseal these or do you just toss it and buy another one?!? Also, my air gauge leaks, too.

wal1809: thanks for the story, and also the lead on the engine. Unfortunately, the engine that I have is an 8V92, not a 71. I wish! Otherwise, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat!!!No worries, I am not discouraged at all. Just one step at a time.

[robertglines1]

The boxes are air valves to control a couple of different functions in rear including loading and unloading your tag axle.air bags etc...go to prevost web site under puematic digrams..if you last 3 or 4 # of your serial # won't unlock digram try 747...if this doesn't work pm me and i'll give you another # mabe 0747..try needle scaler like you use in welding to clean rust off parts...

[divinerightstrip]

What year is your prevost? is that a 6v92;just noticed rod #5 stamped on end cap? my computer won't bring up a clear enough picture to say it is toast but don"t look good..:repair or used engine is a decision you have to make...good used engine is generally less dollars than rebuild,lot less..There are busnuts in area that can help you Nick Badame in NJ and many more.. There should be a date stamped on bearings (if detroit)that should give you some idea when it was installed.part of part number...Just suggest you start new topic on engine problems...just a bump in the road plenty of work to do before you need a motor..There is a letter before the last 5 or 6 numbers of your serial number...what is it ??

Yeah, at this point, I am trying to find a used engine to just swap over. I don't have the tools (or the beginning of the know-how) to tear the thing apart and rebuild myself, and I'd really like to do as much of it myself, or me with friends, as possible.

I don't like to just "send things off" to go be fixed or rebuilt. When the time comes that it happens again, then once more I will be relying on someone else. That takes most of the spirit out of it for me. Half of the reason why the bus is such a wonderful thing in my mind is also the idea of the independence that it provides; the freedom. And, certainly there will be times when I am in over my head, I accept this. For most of it, though, I want to stick within the confines of my own ability and my own budget, wherever possible.

You asked me for the serial number, and I keep on forgetting to look at the bus, or my title.  duh! Will get on this, really!!

The boxes are air valves to control a couple of different functions in rear including loading and unloading your tag axle.air bags etc...go to prevost web site under puematic digrams..if you last 3 or 4 # of your serial # won't unlock digram try 747...if this doesn't work pm me and i'll give you another # maybe 0747..try needle scaler like you use in welding to clean rust off parts...

Again, I'll check my serial number. This is great help, thank you.
And yes, needle scaler would be *awesome* !! Where to find/borrow one of those.... hmm.

[Dreamscape]

The needle scapers aren't too bad, but you'll need a fair sized air compressort to keep up with the work load. Harbor Freight probably has them.

Paul

[zubzub]

Don't know nuffin about prevosts but do know that you might as well hold off on batteries until you are almost ready to roll, if the battery is just sitting there, it does it no good but get old and they have a limited shelf life.  YOu also  don't really want to leave an old bus with the batteries hooked up unattended, especially during construction,  because buses like to burn, and shorts start fires. More pleasurably earned  experience, 1 fire (mechanical)and 2 smoldering smoke almost fires (electrical) to date.

[divinerightstrip]

The needle scapers aren't too bad, but you'll need a fair sized air compressort to keep up with the work load. Harbor Freight probably has them.

Paul

I have a decent air compressor that I use regularly to air up the bus will check out HF thanks!

Don't know nuffin about prevosts but do know that you might as well hold off on batteries until you are almost ready to roll, if the battery is just sitting there, it does it no good but get old and they have a limited shelf life.  YOu also  don't really want to leave an old bus with the batteries hooked up unattended, especially during construction,  because buses like to burn, and shorts start fires. More pleasurably earned  experience, 1 fire (mechanical)and 2 smoldering smoke almost fires (electrical) to date.

At this point, I am trying to figure out some basic things that either do/dont work on my bus. There is much work that I can do before the engine goes in, before I can drive off down the street!
I keep the external switch off when I am not using anything, obviously!! But, I'd like to know where I am at in terms of indicator lights, dash stuff, etc. Just so that I can start piecing together my bus.







btw, when I took this picture, absolutely nothing happened. I flipped the switch and heard a little "click" from a relay or something, and then... nothing! After hooking up the other bus to mine, I got the radio to play, though! Hoorah!

Thanks for the words of caution, I will keep this in mind!

[zubzub]

Good to know you have a master switch (I don't) like I said don't know nuffin 'bout Prevost.
If you have a 12V bus you can use any old battery to check the systems, I have a wee little one that I use for working on the electrics, take it home and charge it up when the day is done.  Oh yeah, when it's time to hit the road I'llprobably pull some batts from recently scrapped buses in the yard where my bus lives.  If you have/know of anywhere like that, it's the cheapest way of getting batts.  I like transits as the city takes care of them with decent batts etc...til the day they die.