LONG, Sad story ~ HAPPY ENDING!

[Busted Knuckle]

 
Well @ 5:00 AM on Friday May 6th one of our drivers and I were rolling through Covington, TN with 2 bus loads of kids headed to 6 Flags in Eureka, MO. Well we'd only been on the road 30 mins and my phone rang, it was Bill "Boss..... we got a problem.......this thing is not pulling, it's like it's in neutral or something!"
So I did a quick look in the mirror and sure enough he's way back there sitting like in the middle of the right lane, just sitting there!
So I told stay right there I'll be right back as whooped up in an empty parking lot (he responded "well I sure don't think I'll be going anywhere!") duh!
So I go past him and pull another U ey in the middle of the 5 lane hwy and pull up behind him. As I step off my bus I tell my group leaders hang tight I'll be right back.
SO I go up to Bill an ask "OK just exactly what did what?" and he said "It just quit pulling, no noise, no feeling nothing!"
SO I thought fer a second and remembered that shortly after "Dino" (the 97' Dina that was leased onto us about a yr ago!) came to us it had jumped out of gear a couple times (just jumped into neutral even on the key pad. ) But we'd had it checked out and the fluid and filters changed. The Allison dealer said he didn't nothing wrong and that it could possibly have been a solenoid sticking a little and may have not been getting it all the way into gear. So we told all the drivers to turn of the fast idle, and hold the button on the key pad down until it showed a #5 & a #1 on the display before taking their finger off the button or rolling off. Well for over a yr it's not done it since so we really thought that it had been related to the old fluid and possible solenoid issue the dealer mentioned.
The driver said it still shows 5 & 5 so I told him to put it in neutral an then back in to D. It didn't make a difference except that it no showed do not shift!
SO I had him shut off everything and I went back and shut off all 3 power switches (we added one on the 12 V side and to the ground too!) and waited about 3 mins and then turned it back on I went to the front and told him ok start 'er up & try it again. I heard something but it didn't sound right and I told him try it again. And he did and said "Nothin!Nothing at all!"
SO I went back to the back and try to start it from the rear and got a strange sounding whirling, but nothing on the front of the engine moved.
It took my by surprise so I hit it again and once again I could hear the the back of the motor turning over but no pulleys or belts were turning! (CRAP ^%$@#!*#@^&#^+*&%$*^%$$#@ ! )
What now?
So I quickly thought an decided well it ain't nothing I can find or fix here in the middle of the road. So I quickly looked on both buses to see if I had a chain, and of course I didn't!
On of the teachers on the bus saw I was searching for something and asked if I needed something that she could call her husband and ask him if he had one (they lived up the street and around the corner)
I told her I needed a chain so I could use the other bus to pull it out of the road.
She called and he said yes he had one and he'd be right there with it.
So I removed the center section of the rear bumper of my Setra to access the pull pin and by the time I had those 6 13mm bolts out and the bumper in the luggage bay he was there with the chain. SO I hooked it up and told Bill get in my bus and pull me right up there in that empty lot! (afterwords I told him "THAT HAD BETTER be the only way I ever saw any of my buses following that close!")
Once out of the road I called my dad who was headed out on his own trip and told him "Dino's down and I think it's a broken crank!"
He said "yer kidding right?"
To which I replied "Sure dad, I really get my kicks calling you @ 5:30 AM and pulling your leg that a bus is broke and going to cost major $ to fix!"
SO he said he didn't mean it that way and what did I need him to do, even though he really needed to be on his way too!
So I told him transfer calls to Jeannie and have her call Jerry and see if he has a bus available and I'll call a couple people myself.
So with that I started calling people I had #'s for in my phone and waited to her from my sister.
OF course as par for the course my phone started to beep while we were talking letting me know I hadn't charged and & it was about to die! (stupid "GO-phone" that doesn't even come with a way to charge it in a car!)
SO I told Jeannie if I lose ya call me on Bill's phone.
Well we went down our whole contact list of anyone in the proximity of where I was to see if ANYONE had a bus and of course it was one of those days when every bus in a 4-5 state area was busy! SO I told the leaders I hated to do it but looked like I was going to have to cancel and refund their $ and make 2 trips back to the school with the one bus while waiting on the wrecker to tow the broken one into Clarke Power Services in Jackson, TN
Well they called the school and the principal and his secretary were the only ones who did not understand that mechanical items sometimes break and you just can't control it if you don't know it!
SO they go down the list of vendors on the Shelby County School Systems approved transportation list and start calling ALL of them looking for a bus (like we hadn't already done that!), but they did manage to call one he hadn't thought of.
US! Yup that's right Ring, ring...Hello?
"Uh this is so & so from Millington Middle School and we had 2 charter buses rented to take our kids to 6 flags, and 1 of them broke down...do you have a bus that you can send out to carry the kids to 6 Flags on?"
(I have to give my sister credit for keeping her cool, I would have busted out on them and asked them if I'd already told them the broke down bus was the last bus I had for the day how was I supposed to have another one now!)

Anyway they finally agreed to cancel the trip and have me bring the kids back to the school one load at a time. Well before I made it back to pick up the second group off the broke down bus the principle had called me and reamed me about not having a "back up plan" and the secretary had called and done the same with my sister. And also when my sister sister told the secretary "I thought they mentioned to Bryce they were going to try & reschedule?" the secretary snapped back "WE ARE, BUT NOT WITH YOUR COMPANY!"
And also "SO WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THAT REFUND?"
So I drop off the kids from the broken bus and everybody is just as nice as can be (and have been through out the whole deal). I told them I'd be back one more time as I had to go back and meet the wrecker and get into the luggage bays (after the wrecker aired up the broken bus) to get their snacks and lunches out from under it.

In the mean time the main guy in charge of outside transportation vendors (Mr. so n so head of "risk management") has called my sister and told her that the school has called him and asked him to
remove us from the approved list "and to see what he could do to
expedite their refund!"
He was very nice, polite, and professional during it and went on to explain to her that our company was "one of the few" that had an OUTSTANDING rating with the Shelby County School System (*SCSS*) as they poll all users of outside venders and we had always had awesome reviews and that if we handled this refund in a timely manner and had it to the school with-in 2 weeks we would have no blemishes on our "PERFECT" record as far as he was concerned! (now this is the main guy who decides if your company is allowed to haul ANY kids from the whole *SCSS* or not, and personally he is the one I care to keep happy not 1 mouthy principal & his lippy secretary!)
SO after helping the wrecker driver hook up I took the luches and stuff back to the school.
As I'm getting back on the bus to leave I'm ambushed by about 3 ladies who tell me "Mr. Lowe (the principal) wants to see you!"
SO I called my sister and got the main guys' name so I'm ready to tell them he's the one I care about keeping happy and he said if I got them their refund in a timely manner he'd be happy!
Then I went into the office and waited while these ladies frantically searched for him. I was about to tell them here tell him to call me @ this # and leave when he finally came into the office telling me "WE want to reschedule for the 20th!" (now this is the guy who has raked me up one side and down the other for not having a back up plan, and demanded a refund and just about everything else short of cussing me! (same goes for his sharp tongued secretary w/my sister) Now wants to "reschedule!"
Well I was nice (yes really I was!) and told him "I'll have to look at our schedule when I get back to the office to check for availability , and also check with Mr. King to see if that is alright with him since he had told us "to send a refund within 2 weeks, to maintain our PERFECT record with his office!"
The principal asked "well when will that be? I have people and parents to answer too!"
To which I finally told him "look I feel terrible that this happened, I really do. But hey do you think this has been a picnic for me? First off I feel really bad for those kids day off school being ruined and there was no way at all I could find any other way to solve it. On top of that I just broke a crank shaft in the engine and that basically just cost me an engine & about a thousand $ wrecker bill. But regardless of the $ I feel worse for the kids than anything because, when yer in business things happen and it costs you $. But letting those kids down is more disappointing to me than the $ ever will be and it also hurts my reputation which until now has been very good with the *SCSS*, and that my friend hurts worse than any amount of $ this whole deal ends up costing from now until it's over!"
So he asked "so how long will it take them to fix the crankshaft or whatever?"
I told him "look the crank is the heart of the engine so it's like you going in for a heart transplant mega time and mega $. I said you know with the crank broken I'm just as well off to replace the whole engine @ about $20-25,000!"
To which his jaw dropped and almost hit the floor, and he said "well
just get back to me as soon as you can on availability of the 20th!"
SO I told him, if that is when ya'll wanna go, plan on going I'll make it happen one way or the other."

SO I left and I told my sister to contact Mr. King and make sure rescheduling was OK with him instead of a refund, because he was the one I cared about making happy! (well him & the kids!)

OK well on Monday I heard back from Mr. King all was good with rescheduling! And I heard from Clarke Power Service that it wasn't a broken crank as they had pulled the oil pan and it checked out OK!
They said they were pretty sure it was a broken flex plate, but it could be something else, but they wouldn't know unless they pulled the transmission.
I told them go ahead and pull it we gotta find out just what it is.

SO I didn't hear back from them on Tuesday so I went by there on Wednesday after dropping off the ball team I'd been carrying. (since I was in the neighborhood)
When I walked in they told me I had to be the luckiest guy to walk in that shop today!
SO I asked why and he said well if the parts come it I'll have ya up and running by Friday!
I just looked at him and said "Huh?"
He said all 3 of the flex plates and the main plate had broken and parts was going to be about $300 so he just went ahead and ordered them!

Well he got 'er done Friday and called & told me that, just before another bus owner called and asked if I had a bus available on Monday as he had one just go down too!
SO I called and asked Brent what my bill was and he didn't have it all figured yet. But if I needed it come get it and we'd settle up Monday!

Well it was on the road making $ before I made by there this AM and was pleased that the bill was less than $2400!
So with an $850 tow it was just under $2500! WHICH MADE ME VERY HAPPY! (since it was about 10% of what I originally had feared!)

  BK 

[demodriver]

AAHHhhh the joys of being a bussiness owner!  glad all worked out good!

[eddiepotts]

That is awesome but the most amazing thing is your computer did not lock up before you got all that posted  Glad to read it all worked out for you.

[Busted Knuckle]

That is awesome but the most amazing thing is your computer did not lock up before you got all that posted  Glad to read it all worked out for you.

Ah yes the dreaded lock up! I learned how to beat that by "copy & pasting! LOL!
  BK 

[happycamperbrat]

Nice story BK!! Im glad it all worked out and the kids get to go now!! For a little bit I thought you were going to ask for a bus to buy in your area QUICK 

[LarryN 4106]

Bryce, I hope my adventure turns out as good. When Clarke get's my clutch done, I am hoping for a chatter free clutch for the first time in 6 years. And, btw, by 50 mile tow bill from Hall was $880.

AAA is going to go nuts on that one.

[babell2]

Just think the kids now get two days off school   I don't think the teachers had anything planned for the classes they were going to miss and they get another field trip on the 20th

Brice

[Busted Knuckle]

Teresa ~ Trust me I even thought of that and after the kids were back safely @ school my driver & I did make a 1/2 hr trip across the river to Bob Tucker Motors http://bobtuckermotors.com/HOMEPAGE.htm and looked at a couple buses he has on his lot!
He's really only got one that I'm all that interested in, but if there'd been a way to get one of them earlier that day I'd took ANYTHING!

Larry ~ I hope your adventure goes as well too!
Now as far as the tow being $880 that really doesn't surprise me either. Especially with them having to have a tire truck come out and remove the simulators to pull the axles. And even though it cost you more $ it really was in your best interest for them to pull the axles, to protect your bus from farther damage.

Brice ~ Yes the kids got to enjoy a great day out on the play grounds for the rest of the day. When I went back with the second load of them one of the coaches quickly stepped up on the bus and reminded them "Hey now, ya'll remember you forgot your books......OK?"
When we went back with the lunches and drinks they were having a field day (instead of a field trip!)

I just wanted to post this story to show that break downs are not always as bad as they seem!

Sometimes LIFE IS GOOD!
  BK 

[belfert]

I don't understand 100% how a Series 60 is constructed so answer a question for me.  How does a flex plate failure allow the starter to engage the flywheel, but not spin the engine at all?  I can understand how power wouldn't get to the transmission.

[babell2]

I don't understand 100% how a Series 60 is constructed so answer a question for me.  How does a flex plate failure allow the starter to engage the flywheel, but not spin the engine at all?  I can understand how power wouldn't get to the transmission.

Belfert
  In most applications the ring gear that the starter engages to is on the outside of the flywheel. The center of the ring gear can break out and leave the crankshaft in a disconnected status but the flywheel is still being supported by the torque converter on the transmission.  Except in a new VW beetle the ring gear is on the torque converter (not related but interesting)

Brice

[Busted Knuckle]

I don't understand 100% how a Series 60 is constructed so answer a question for me.  How does a flex plate failure allow the starter to engage the flywheel, but not spin the engine at all?  I can understand how power wouldn't get to the transmission.

Brian,
The flex plate(s) broke out in the center leaving the part that bolts to the crankshaft unconnected to the outer part of it so when the starter was cranking the "Flywheel" part (as most people call it) of the flex plate that is connected to the torque converter / transmission part was spinning over but not the engine.
 BK  

[Busted Knuckle]

I see "the other Brice" responded while I was typing
  BK 

[JackConrad]

Brian,
   If I remember correctly, on my Allison 740, the ring gear the the starter engages is actually part of the torque converter, connected to the crankshaft via the flexplate.  Jack

[Hi yo silver]

Good Grief, BK!! I'm a nervous wreck and I wasn't even drivin! LOL
Dennis

[Van]

  you must have one of these in the shop, lol!