Newbie bought 4103

[Archer]

Greetings-

I bought sight unseen a 4103 that has been stored in a barn since the owner quit driving it. My nine year old son and I are going to pick it up in late June and drive it back from Vermont to Utah. Was wondering if anyone could tell me who the first owner was? The current owner has had it since the 1970's, and did the motor home conversion on it.

S/N is 4103-349

Have quite a bit of experience with 6-71's as stationary generator and hydraulic power sources on fishing boats in Alaska, very minimal exposure as prime movers.

Any suggestions on starting one up after sitting for a decade and a half? I anticipate a day or two of poking around, changing oil, surveying tires, checking fuel for water, replacing batteries and the like.

Ideas on tires? I have been reading on the tire rotations per mile, and that a standard geared GM of this vintage was set up for 495 rotations per mile. Am thinking to go to 22.5 wheels, any suggestions for a suitable tire?

Thanks in advance...

[RJ]

Archer -

PD4103-349 was delivered new in May of 1951 as fleet number S-650 to Southwestern Greyhound Lines, HQ'd in Ft. Worth, TX.  Traditionally, Greyhound sold off their older equipment in the fall after 10 years of revenue service.  Thus this coach was most likely sold to a second-tier operator or a private party in the fall of 1961.  Greyhound's maintenance, at the time, was pretty good, but who knows after they sold it.  Also, seeing as to who the original owner was, it ran all over the dry southwestern US, not the NE Rust Belt.  So it may be pretty corrosion free.

Be aware that windshields for this coach are made from unobtainium, and have been for over 20 years.  If (and that's a big IF), you happen to find somebody who has a new one, prepare to pay over $1000 for it.

I'll let others chime in on the difference between a coach engine vs a stationary generator model.

DO NOT USE MULTI-WEIGHT OIL IN THIS ENGINE!  Straight 40wt CF-2 only.  Mobile Delvac 1240, Delo 100 and Shell Rotella T are the three most popular brands.  All three brands have dealer/distributor locators on their websites, use them to find someone in the area where the bus is located that can have it on hand for you.  (As a supplement to this, O'Reilly's can usually get you Delo 100 within 24-48 hours.  Order part number 100-40-1, and be sure to tell the counter jockey to put CHV in the vendor box.  You'll need about seven gallons, buy three cases which will give you two extra gallons.)  My personal preference is Delvac 1240, but it takes a little more sleuthing to find it.

11R22.5 is a common size used by many busnuts, but shop carefully, as the revs per mile for this size can vary considerably.  Try to keep as close to the 495 rpm number as possible for "factory" performance.  If you happen to get a good deal on some 24.5 rims, then 11R24.5 is a good size.  Be aware, too, that the trucking industry is finally starting to convert to metric sizing, similar to what autos have been using now for over 15 years.  So a 295/70R22.5 can be very similar to an 11R22.5 - but again, shop carefully.

See, you've got LOTS of homework to do before you go!

FWIW & HTH. . . 

[Oonrahnjay]

... Any suggestions on starting one up after sitting for a decade and a half? I anticipate a day or two of poking around, changing oil, surveying tires, checking fuel for water, replacing batteries and the like....

    You are SO much better off than most of us since you know these engines.  And you'll know how to be sure that injectors and "the rack" are free to move full range, go back to idle, and respond correctly (biggest problem is being stuck and "gummed up" by old fuel during long storage).
    No matter how good you are with an engine, you don't want to start out by having a runaway on your first day. 
    Good luck from North Carolina.

[eagle19952]

you do know that you will need tires before you get out of Vermont...

[PP]

This sounds like an adventure in the making. Welcome to the madness and have a safe trip. We look forward to you coming back here many more times in the future.
Will

[Geoff]

    You are SO much better off than most of us since you know these engines.  And you'll know how to be sure that injectors and "the rack" are free to move full range, go back to idle, and respond correctly (biggest problem is being stuck and "gummed up" by old fuel during long storage).
    No matter how good you are with an engine, you don't want to start out by having a runaway on your first day. 
    Good luck from North Carolina.

I'm not so sure about knowing "these engines".  I don't think fooling around with 6-71 generator set is preparation for a locked-up injector rack in the full fuel position at start up in a bus.

--Geoff

[eagle19952]

I'm not so sure about knowing "these engines".  I don't think fooling around with 6-71 generator set is preparation for a locked-up injector rack in the full fuel position at start up in a bus.

--Geoff

uhm.... Have quite a bit of experience with 6-71's as stationary generator and hydraulic power sources on fishing boats in Alaska.

that's a bit more than fooling around.

[Archer]

RJ-

Thank you for the bus history. The owner told me that he has had it under cover when not driving it since he bought it. His son told me the undercarriage is clean, and as rust free as could be on a vehicle of this vintage. They commented that the destination chart/roll had New Mexico towns on it, which confirms its South West early life.

I had planned to order some 40wt from a close to destination O'Reilly's a week before we fly out, and pick it up on the way. Could you elaborate a little more on the CHV? That is an acronym I don't know.

A local dealer has dozens of 24.5 Budd wheels for ten bucks each. I need to figure if putting them on a pallet and shipping them across the country to a local tire dealer in the North East would save me any money. At least I could bead blast and put paint on them if I started here.


And to all of you other commenters and well- wishers,

Thank you for you interest and suggestions.  Yes, it will have new tires before it gets very far. Crossing my fingers that the engine will start right up and settle down to a smooth idle. Hoping that mice haven't nested in the wiring and chewed insulation off in remote, hard to find spots. And hopefully only a minimum of the things that could possibly go wrong, will.

Will keep you all posted on the adventure with pics and narrative,

Very kind regards and thank yous,

Tony

[luvrbus]

The 4103 is sure a good looking GM bus,I have good friend that has been working on his for over 10 years now

[Oonrahnjay]

I'm not so sure about knowing "these engines".  I don't think fooling around with 6-71 generator set is preparation for a locked-up injector rack in the full fuel position at start up in a bus.

--Geoff

      At least he didn't reply "Ummm, what's a 'rack'?"      Yes, there is a learning curve for anybody with a new-to-them bus, but I think he's probably got quite a few steps ahead of the average newbie.  I hope so, if the condition of the bus is as he's described it, he's going to need it.

[B_K]

Tony "CHV" is short for Chevron.

Good luck on your adventure and keep us posted! (we are here to help if needed!)
  BK 

[Archer]

Do Detroit Diesel engines need any additives or special consideration when running the "new" low sulfur diesel?

[Jriddle]

Do Detroit Diesel engines need any additives or special consideration when running the "new" low sulfur diesel?

I would say no.

Keep in mind additives, oil and antifreeze have gotten some people ignored on this forum LOL.

John

[buswarrior]

Save your money for 40 wt oil.

No snake oil required in the fuel.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[daddysgirl]

WELCOME !
No additives  Like others said...save the money for straight 40...and make sure you inspect every inch of every coolant line on the coach.
If you worked boats in Alaska, you might have seen what water with a high sodium content can do to a coolant hose...ie it's corrosive to everything, etc.
You're fortunate to have a bit of DD engine experience. I would only caution that you might look at this bus, the way it's set up (engine with tranny with drivetrain)...and say WTF?? Been there. But never fear...we all figure it out eventually.
And bookmark this site. The folks here are hands down the best, and you'll usually get several valid opinions.