Scenic 8V71 not shutting off

[luvrbus]

RJ,I was speaking of the production run 2 years then no more 1001 unit the MCI 6 was the only other dog with less of a run,Greyhound parked some of those Scenic's for awhile the twin 4-71 with the fluid drive was to expensive to keep going.

I bought a tandem 4-71 in Hobbs NM for friend that has a Scenic he is hell bent on installing it in his scenic why I have no idea, just for reference I cannot find where GH in Dallas ever serviced a 4501 after 1971  

good luck    

[pd4501-771]

Luvrbus,

Could you provide me with your Scenic friend's contact info, or give him my info (below). I keep a registry of all surviving Scenics. I would like to see if I have his serial number and location on my list. Thanks, I apprecaite your help.

Tom McNally
Peoria, IL
PD4501-771
PD4501-1001
tbonemcnally@hotmail.com  (309)253-2169

[luvrbus]

Tom, I have asked him 3 times for you and he keeps saying he will send it to you I know it a low serial number he has worked on that bus for years he bought the bus in 1982 from GrayLine.
I have some service records from Dallas I was going to make copies of and send those to Jack and Kyle I also had a original Scenic lapel pin but gave it to my friend I found out later that wasn't a smart move on my part lol

good luck

[pd4501-771]

Thanks for your efforts. Please keep bugging him, maybe he'll get tired of being harrassed! He should contact me, as we as a group are now reproducing some of the difficult to locate parts for the Scenic....rubber window gaskets, all the impossible to find curved glass, rare body parts and castings. Your buddy may want to get in on some of these opportunities. Take care.

Tom

[RJ]

Clifford -

The last of the Scenics worked out of San Francisco, mostly on Div 4 commuter runs around the Bay Area.

Your comments that I responded to weren't clear to me as to what you were thinking when you wrote them.  Thus, the direction my reply took.

As far as a production run, yes, only 1001 was small, especially compared to the 5,000+ 4104s and 9,000 plus MC-9s pumped out.  (Even these numbers are not that large compared to transit production.) And trying to find parts for an MC-6 is more difficult than trying to find parts for a Loadside pickup.

The other odd fact about the Scenic was that it was also the "beginning of the end" of GL's relationship with GM.  You mentioned the crazy dual-4 powerpack - that plus some structural issues on the early models - created a lot of finger-pointing between the two, which eventually led to the rise of MCI as the coach of choice for the Dog. 

I remember reading somewhere, I think maybe in the late Bob Redden's IBC Scenic history, that the initial order was for 500 coaches.  Their popularity encouraged GL to option another 500.  But then the problems began, along with the finger-pointing.  This caused GL to cancel the third and fourth options, which would have been another 1000 vehicles.  By trying to bully GL, GMC ended up the loser.  Tom or JLVickers might have more details, all my Scenic stuff is carefully packed in storage.

I get a big kick out of the fact Tom has managed to save PD4501-1001 from the scrapper, thanks to Fred Rayman.  It not only is the "last" Scenicruiser, it is also the "first", as it was built as the prototype, with S/N EXP-321.  It's also the only Scenic built with the escape door similar to the 4104s.  Very unique piece of history!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[luvrbus]

I guess those with a tandem 4-71 had a 2 speed axle I read on the service report they replaced a lot of electric shift motors and switches doesn't look like the torque converters lasted long either

good luck

[roadrunnertex]

No two speed axle!
But the Scenicruisers did have a High & Low range Hydroshift 3 speed transmission worked somewhat like The PD-4104 Hydroshift 4 speed transmission.
I have ridden on those Scenicruisers with the old 2-4/71's and when they were set up right the old 4501's would do just fine.
After the change over to the 8V/71's and 4 speed transmission in the early 1960's Greyhound had a round trip that went from San Francisco,CA to Miami,Florida with no change of equipment in this pool there were Western Greyhound Lines equipment and Southern Greyhound Lines equipment used.
The Western Greyhound Lines Scenicruisers were known to be just a little faster than the Southern Greyhound Lines Scenicruisers.
The Miami,Florida Greyhound maintenance shop had standing orders do not change the governor setting on the Western Greyhound Lines Scenicruisers.Note! this information was from a retired Greyhound Mechanic who pulled wrenches on the Scenicruisers in the Greyhound shop in Miami,Florida.
The Greyhound drivers liked those Western Greyhound Lines Scenicruisers when you had one you could stay on time all of the time.
jlv

[gus]

Hydroshift was actually a two speed clutch, didn't affect the trans.

[roadrunnertex]

Gus you are 100% correct I had to find the PD4104 Maintenance Manual supplement X-5914 printed 4-1959 to refresh my memory about the Hydrashift.
The Hydrashift was quite a mechanical marvel in it's day.
Wonder how many PD4104's still have the Hydrashift instead of the 4 speed Spicer?
Thanks for the input.
jlv