Looking to Buy - Repowering MC-5Cs and other questions

[christopher]

hi
My 5c has a 6v92. The turbo sits on top of the engine. The previous owner raised the blower deck up a few inches.
good luck
chris

[Escape Velocity]

The most critical factors are #4 and #1 on your list. These far outweigh all others with respect to experiencing the lowest operating cost and highest reliability.

Thank you so much for all the advice!  We definitely agree #1 & #4 are vital.  However since we do plan to full time #2 and #3 are key to us as well.  We don't plan to keep a house when we go full time so this bus will be home 24/7.

The chassis must be rust free and have full functioning running gear.

Rust free?  Completely?  Is that actually possible in a 39 year old vehicle? (I know many are even older.)

...and have full functioning running gear.

What parts constitute the running gear besides the frame itself?

Move the '35 requirement down or less important. Many other factors take priority.

Thanks again...  We have considered this many, many times...  however we live in New England, expect to remain in the area for a while, and have family all up and down the East Coast from northern NC to northern MA.  The parks and campgrounds in New England where we'll spend the most time for the next several years are just not typically built for bigger rigs.  Many older parks have only a few pull thrus if any and the roads to get there are often narrow, windy, hilly, and full of low hanging things...  In short, not made for bigger rigs unless we planned to go pole to pole, which we don't like.  We've rented all sizes and found 24-28' is best compromise around here, but we just can't fit in that long term with 3 people (and 4 cats).  We prefer to driveway surf, boondock, when possible, and blacktop boondock.  So...  35' is our compromise point.  Maybe later we'll want bigger, but we're trying to live smaller.

[Escape Velocity]

I also have an MCI MC-5C Saudi Bus. With a 6V-71 and the Allison  MT644. Ya its slow up hills but will go 68 on the flats. We just got back from an 8,000 mile trip up the country with no problems. A few leaks but no big.

Thanks for the input Dave!  Did you tow on that trip?  If so what vehicle and what type of terrain?  What do you think of towing with that engine and transmission combination?  We'd love to know more about your experiences with it.

[eagle19952]

We'd love to know more about your experiences with it.

Partially chronicled here: http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?action=profile;u=4039;sa=showPosts

[lostagain]

I agree on the 35' being the right size. I drive 45 footers for work, and I wouldn't want that for a motor home. Although we can fit a 45 footer into surprisingly small spots...

Two separate bedrooms? Never seen that. It would use up half the bus. One solution would be to have the rear bedroom, and a bunk just forward of the bathroom. With a curtain and electrical outlets, wifi, TV, etc, your teenager would have his privacy. You could get an entertainer coach and remove the bunks you don't need, but most of them are 45', the older ones 40'.

Our 5C is rust free. It came from the South West.

A 6V71 will tow a car, albeit slowly, but you would get used to it.

Our 6V92TA tows the Jeep Wrangler as if it wasn't there.

Oil leaks, other than being messy, aren't a big deal. And the more you drive it, the less it leaks. Unless it is really bad, then you have to fix it.

Good luck.

JC 

[Dave5Cs]

I toed a 98 Jeep wrangler. Hook it up pull the key out leave in Neutral/ neutral and go. Don't even feel it back there. A 6V-71 is a little slower but not that much. Pull bakers grade at 30MPH and the Hump to pahrump at 21MPH. All kinds of terrain. No off roading but a lot of very steep mountains in New Mexico even Ohio had a lot of steep climbs. We are never in a hurry so have fun getting there and back. The Wife loves the automatic now but she used to drive Deuce and 1/2"s in the army and concrete mixers with Road rangers. But she like me don't want to shift anymore except in the Jeep.

[Dave5Cs]

35 foot right off the bat saves you about 1,400.00 when you buy tires because there are 2 less and in some cases 4 less on the rear. Less oil and antifreeze with a 6V71 also. Just sayin.
Dave

[chessie4905]

Most 4905's and some MCI's are two axle.

[Dave5Cs]

But MCI's are T drives and no left handed parts to find.

[RJ]

Deb -

Just some trivia for you: JC owns a '77, first year of 5C production. I own a '78, Dave's is a '79, and I also own an '80, the last year of production.  All three of us are basically west of the Rockies, thus real mountain experience with these things. And we all know each other, too!

As JC mentioned, his has a 6V92TA with an HT-740 Allison and a 3.36:1 rear axle.  350 hp with 1100 ft lbs of torque, 1600 rpm at 60 mph, a custom powertrain retrofit.

My '78 and Dave's '79 are both stock 6V71s mated to Allison MT-644s with 4.11:1 rear axles. 230 hp and 500 ft lbs of torque, 2100 rpm at 60 mph.

My '80 parts bus has a very rare 6V92NA (no turbo), an HT-740 and the 3.36:1 rear axle. 275 hp, 750 ft lbs of torque, 1600 rpm at 60 mph.  Coach will do 80 mph on the flat, per the previous owner, but bogs down climbing grades. (This engine is rated the same as the 8V71N that was the standard engine in 5Cs that came with the 4-spd manual, thus similar performance.) 1980 was the only year this engine was offered, and they were extremely rare then, even more so now.

As you can see, between the four buses, JC's is the "hot rod" with the ideal powertrain for both flatland running and climbing RockyTop. We call our '78 "Aesop's Tortoise" based on the fable, and Dave's '79 runs exactly the same.  When we went to the NW BusNuts rally in Skamania, WA, together last September, neither one could pass the other while pulling a grade, they're that identical.  Storming up the mountain at all of 26 mph, that is!

A 5C is going to be really cramped for three adults, they're ideally suited for two.  The extra five feet of a 40-footer makes a huge difference when you add that third person - especially if it's a wide-body (102 vs 96).  Also, far more engine options are available for the larger coach compared to the 5Cs.

Oh, and we tow a 2003 VW diesel Jetta wagon that weighs 3100 lbs, and don't even know it's back there, but that's because Tortoise is so slow to begin with!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[luvrbus]

I am doing Jake work on Tom and Gyspy's MCI 5 it has a 6v92TA side mounted turbo set @ 300 hp with a 645 Allison it is a nice set up ,dosen't produce a lot of heat, has power and runs clean

[chessie4905]

I wonder if anyone has heat rejection numbers for 8V-92 @ 350,380, or 400 hp

[luvrbus]

I wonder if anyone has heat rejection numbers for 8V-92 @ 350,380, or 400 hp

I posted it here a few months back  2250 to 2500 btu per min X each hp it gets up there

[Iceni John]

I posted it here a few months back  2250 to 2500 btu per min X each hp it gets up there

Per minute or per hour??   That's a lot of BTUs per minute!   I recollect someone here (maybe you?) saying that a 277HP 6V92 needs about 12,000 BTU/minute cooling:  2500 x 277 / 60 = 11,542, so that's in the ballpark.

John

[buswarrior]

And remember the auto tranny is a little furnace too...

Always sketchy adding HP and an auto to a cooling system that was intended to just cool the stock engine with manual tranny.

happy coaching!
buswarrior