Scenicrusier 278 - engine cradle - part 2

DandM · January 01, 2017, 01:19:10 PM

Well I hope everyone has had some good holidays with family and friends.

I did find some time and relatively good temperatures to get to the bus and check a couple things that have been bothering me. Got my cardboard out and got underneath the rear/engine of my scenicrusier and got a good look and the bulkhead area, or lack of it, between the bottom of the engine and the transmission. It looked and felt like the bottom of the bulkhead had been torched out at sometime. I don't know if it was the shop I used in Denver when I had them install the 8V92/754 combo or not. All that matters now is, this is what I've got.

Not the Christmas I was really looking for. But, I think I could possibly fab up a sort of I-Beam like structure to replace what was cut and removed. Your Thoughts???

So, this will just add some more work/fabrication while constructing the new engine cradle.

In my first engine cradle post, it was said that the cradle rests on two pin like structures on the bulkhead and they are not symmetrically located. I think I may have found them. Now tell me if i'm right; one pin is located to the far left or drivers side of the coach with in a few(6-7) inches of the outside skin of the bus and the other pin is located just to the right of the transmission tunnel on the passenger side of the bus. Both pins(?) appear to be 7/8" bolts with large nuts. Right I really wish I could get some pics of this as it would help greatly as opposed to just words to describe.

Your help and understanding of this will be greatly appreciated.

Mike

chessie4905 · January 01, 2017, 03:20:19 PM

Since you don't list what state or area of North America you reside in........ Luke had a Scenicruiser in his shop the last I was there that you could check out if you are near New Jersey.

kyle4501 · January 01, 2017, 03:52:27 PM

Mike, you are in the right area fot the bulkhead mounting points. Your description was clear to me - maybe because I've been there & done that. I tossed out the T-shirt since it was so greasy . . .

If I can get the time to go over to where it is parked, I take a picture of the bulkhead in 011 - the cradle is long gone, so I should be able to get a good picture of the sockets.

Kyle

DandM · January 01, 2017, 04:50:37 PM

Chessie4905 - I thought I updated my profile when we moved from Denver. It's done now and we live close to the center of the US of A in Beloit, Kansas. Nowhere near New Jersey but thanks for the info.

Kyle4501 - I was kinda hoping you would see this post cause I was almost positive you could understand my ramblings. Thanks for the offer to take a pic of the bulkhead for me. Take your time and I really appreciate it. I just got this feeling that when I get the drivetrain out, i'm going to find other items that will require attention.

chessie4905 · January 01, 2017, 06:13:08 PM

Too bad you live that far away. Maybe some will respond that has one close to you that you could take a look see. Pictures from Kyle will be invaluable though.

Jeff Willard · January 02, 2017, 08:05:19 AM

I'm guessing the "Torched away" part is the tube structure on the engine side of the rear bulkhead at the bottom. I have one in my shop now that was butchered like that. I think it was done so the bottom of the transmission pan would clear the bulkhead. Idiots!!
Chance are the bottom half of the bulkhead is mangled, rusted and generally shot anyway. They usually are. It's steel and it's bolted and riveted to the upper portion that's aluminum. It's mostly made up of flat welded steel sheet and plate and the bent tube section that they cut out. There are two castings, one on either side, that the engine cradle sits on. Those are the "unobtainium" parts. The rest can be fabricated.
This is a VERY IMPORTANT part of a Scenicruiser. All of the rear suspension connects to this bulkhead. The rear drive wheels actually "Pull" the coach down the road using three attachment point on the bulkhead that some chucklehead took a torch to.
I don't know your time frame but, I'll be making some of these when I get to the back of this bus. Right now I've got the front end out of it and all apart. Then it's floor lowering and finally the back end. Since you're in Kansas, this isn't really the time of year for this kind of project, unless you have a big shop.

Call or message me and we can chat about it. 575-313-7464
Jeff

DandM · January 02, 2017, 01:33:01 PM

Chessie4905 - Thanks for thinking about my problem. NJ is just too far away, especially this time of year.

Jeff W - Thanks for posting that chassis/bulkhead pic. No, it was NOT the tube structure you mentioned that was cut out; It was the bottom of the actual bulkhead that was removed. Don't understand why it was removed, don't know when or for what reason, but it is gone. And from your comments and what the pic shows, I will need to reincorporate that tube assembly into the new engine cradle. Comments?
Thanks,
Mike

Jeff Willard · January 03, 2017, 06:20:36 AM

Mike,
It was good chatting with you yesterday. You certainly have a project on your hands but.... that's what Scenicruiser ownership is like.

Did you get the email I sent with the photo of the coach with the new bulkhead installed? I'll call him today and try to get the info on the guy that made that and I'll let you know.
Jeff

kyle4501 · January 24, 2017, 06:55:11 PM

Pictures of the rear bulkhead

Been sitting for a while . . . . .