Question on new to me 102a3

[N31569]

I am starting to prep my new to me 1987 MCI 102A3. It has a 6V92 and 4 speed automatic Allison transmission. I drove it 600 miles to bring it home and only had 1 issue about 75 miles in, with it stalling come up a incline at a stop sign. It took a minute of cranking but started back up and we never had a problem again. I have drove it another 50 miles since then with no issues. I am going to service it for our first big trip(2200 miles round trip). This is what I am planning on doing:

Change oil and filter
Replace 2 drive tires( uneven wear , causing vibrations, all other tires like new)
Replacing 3 worn radius rod bushings
Air filter is clean
OTR heat and ac is functioning and working, is there anything that needs to be done here?
Change fuel filter
Need to find one air leak on the front drivers side.
Grease any fittings.

I am new to owning a bus, what else should I be doing?

Thanks in advance,
Jason

[Lee Bradley]

Check all the brakes and adjusters, check and lube all the wheel bearings, I would remove the driveline and check the u-joints for freedom of movement and lube or replace.

[daddysgirl]

Can you hear air leaking from the front (there's a brake valve up there unless they moved it for the 102A3. It will "hiss" if it's leaking) or do you notice the bus going flat too soon after parking it? What does the air pressure do while going down the road?

You have the maintenance manual, I assume?

Sorry for the questions, but I've done the leaking air, brake valve dance...it's one of the things I know.

As for coach heat/ac, check the return vents and air channels for "dust" build up, if you haven't already.

Welcome to being a busnut !!

[N31569]

It maintains pressure , approx 120 psi while going down the road. It looses pressure pretty quickly, and settles down within 45 minutes of shut down. I can only hear a leak in the drivers side front wheel area.

Jason

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Make sure that you have a full fuel tank!   

[Tom Y]

I drove my bus from Az to Pa to find loose bolts on drive shaft flange. I was lucky it was still there. I do not think yours would have one, but look and check every little thing.  

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[buswarrior]

What Ed said!!!

How much fuel in the tank?

This isn't your car, the bottom of the tank is a big flat area, there needs to be a good 30 gallons AT LEAST in there to be safe...

A busnut who plays in the bottom half of the tank better know how to prime.... and not by Amazon!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[daddysgirl]

Jason,

There will be many more talented folks that will chime in here, but depending on your setup, it sounds like you need the brake valve that is under the drivers floor (on my bus) E-6?, and possibly a bag. My MC8 did the exact same thing, and that is what I had to replace.

If it maintains 120 while in operation, that's good. Mine will stay between 100-110, but won't allow me to release the emergency brake until it reaches 90.

Oh, and if it's cold on start up...hit the fast idle switch. DDs don't like to idle, and most of them prefer to be driven like you're really mad.

[N31569]

Tank has been kept full, and we refilled at 350 miles on our trip. Also using a fuel treatment. We are going to block it up on Monday and get the wheels off, and check for the leaks. I have a block heater and let that heat the engine for at least 6 hours before starting(located in CNY), I turn the fast idle on, but it takes a few minutes before it will kick on. is that normal?

Jason

[gumpy]

Tank has been kept full, and we refilled at 350 miles on our trip. Also using a fuel treatment. We are going to block it up on Monday and get the wheels off, and check for the leaks. I have a block heater and let that heat the engine for at least 6 hours before starting(located in CNY), I turn the fast idle on, but it takes a few minutes before it will kick on. is that normal?

Jason

yes. Fast idle won't kick on till air pressure is around 60 psi. Don't recall the exact number, but it's pressure related.

You said you drove 75 miles and then the engine stalled. Then you said you filled at 350 miles. Was the tank full at 75 miles when the engine stalled?

[N31569]

We started with a full tank, drove the 75 miles, and as we were coming to a stop coming off the off ramp going up hill to the stop sign it stalled. It took a minute of cranking , which might be because I didn't know you had to continue cranking for a few seconds to let oil pressure build, to get it started. I can't remember if we down shifted as we came to a stop, so it may have been from inexperience in driving. After restarting we continued on until we had a total of 350 miles and then stopped for fuel.

Should I replace the transmission filter while we are servicing it, if so should we change the fluid?

Jason

[daddysgirl]

If you drove it for 75 miles, you should have had oil pressure. I always understood that rule was for cold/first starts. And I know more about what can happen from over pushing the start button than I care to admit, but that lesson came with (read: cost me) a brand new starter (that I get to install when it warms up a little). Is there any way you stalled because you were stopping on the incline?  Sorry, I thought you had a manual tranny for a moment.
But try searching the board archives for warm engine starting problems. I've read a bit about that topic on this board.

[Oonrahnjay]

      Jason, anybody who can live with a Cherokee 6 can catch up with the intricacies of a bus quickly.  Just work through things, read the books, and ask questions.  You'll be fine.

[dickegler]

Maybe roadside service as well. Not that expensive.