Redoing my mister system

luvrbus · August 30, 2019, 07:38:17 PM

Wow I drove my Eagle for 15 years in AZ (110 + degrees ) never had a misting system on my 8v92 never needed one

Scott & Heather · August 30, 2019, 07:43:02 PM

Cliff, was yours set to 500hp with smoke control turned off? My coach is 40,000 pounds plus my 7000 truck behind it. 47,000lbs and a 500hp 8v92 turbocharged is gonna make some heat.

luvrbus · August 30, 2019, 07:59:32 PM

Quote from: Scott & Heather on August 30, 2019, 07:43:02 PM
Cliff, was yours set to 500hp with smoke control turned off? My coach is 40,000 pounds plus my 7000 truck behind it. 47,000lbs and a 500hp 8v92 turbocharged is gonna make some heat.

Nope it was 525 hp with no smoke control lol my trailer and the Lexus weighed around 8,000 and bus was a tid bit over 40,000 lbs,it's not the engine it is the poor cooling system on the MCI with the side mounted radiators ,that system was never design for high HP .I thought you had solved the overheating with some type water wetter

chessie4905 · August 31, 2019, 03:51:51 AM

Wow, that could be pretty expensive for some.

Scott & Heather · August 31, 2019, 11:09:10 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on August 30, 2019, 07:59:32 PM

Nope it was 525 hp with no smoke control lol my trailer and the Lexus weighed around 8,000 and bus was a tid bit over 40,000 lbs,it's not the engine it is the poor cooling system on the MCI with the side mounted radiators ,that system was never design for high HP .I thought you had solved the overheating with some type water wetter

Ok you win lol. I can't even imagine even more horsepower and more weight stuck on the back. My coach runs cool all day long in the 70's and 80's. But once it hits the 90's or more, it just struggles a little. Add hills to the mix and I'm hitting the misters unless I want to drive 55mph all day long. I solved my major overheating issues by getting my turbo rebuilt. That fixed it for the most part. But she still runs warm on hot days for sure. Cliff, what's your temp limit on an 8v92 with a 500hp setting? How hot can they get without damage?

TomC · September 01, 2019, 08:20:20 AM

I had a Kenworth cabover with 8V-92TA 435hp mechanical that never had heating problems. But then again, had a 1350 radiator, and the advantage of front engine.
I have a 6 row radiator on my 8V-71T with air to air intercooling and still needs misters in over 90 degree heat.

buswarrior · September 01, 2019, 11:47:12 AM

If I had the Fires of Hades burning in the back of an older MCI...

And knowing the Devil was involved in coming up with that leaky twin radiator and fan door set-up... where air goes past, instead of thru...

And the fan compartment typically has corrosion issues...

I'd be wondering about carving all that out and grafting the D model style cooling system on the back, and a suitably huge radiator...

We need a Busnut Moses to lead us to the promised land...

I'll hold the trouble light?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

David Anderson · September 01, 2019, 11:59:08 AM

I used 1/8"NPT car wash nozzles on my mister system like what is in the gun barrel at a self serve carwash. I have mine turned up and out about 20 degrees, threaded into 1/2" pvc pipe. Very cheap and simple. Been in place 18 years. I only need it climbing Wolf Creek Pass eastbound, then only very little. Very little heating issues since I replaced my fan with a new one back in 2008.

David

Geoff · September 01, 2019, 12:39:00 PM

I use adjustable spray nozzles for garden drip systems. I have them set all the way open so 10-15 seconds on the toggle switch is all I need to soak the radiator and bring the engine temp down for a few minutes.

Since then I installed a second radiator 1' x 3', 3" thick with 3 fans and haven't had to use the water sprayers yet.

windtrader · September 01, 2019, 01:49:51 PM

Quote from: Geoff on September 01, 2019, 12:39:00 PM
Since then I installed a second radiator 1' x 3', 3" thick with 3 fans and haven't had to use the water sprayers yet.

That's a great alternative. A trip to the picknpull to grab the radiator/electric fan/housing from a newer car, mount inline with a simple on/off for the fans when needed.

Geoff · September 01, 2019, 02:02:52 PM

The only drawback to a second radiator is finding a cool place to mount it. My GMC RTS has a separate upper compartment above the engine so that is where my generator and second radiator is mounted. It draws cool air from the top of the roof and discharges the hot air out the back louvers.

Scott & Heather · September 02, 2019, 04:14:31 AM

Yeah I have no idea where I'd put another radiator. I have twin 8 row units that are relatively new. I do wish I had the d style radiator and fan setup. BW, I'm definitely not going to lead anyone to the promised land because Heather and I are already in the early planning stages of building a truck conversion. As much as I love my bus, there comes a time when the lightbulb flicks on when you're at the repair shop and the sign reads:

REPAIR RATES:
Trucks: $90 /hr
Buses: $150 /hr

And the cost of a bus slack adjuster is $200 and the cost of a truck slack adjuster is $75...

And your bus is overheating because the engine and radiators are slapped on the rear of it...

And you're about to rear end a semi truck who panic stopped in front of you and you're 6 inches from the windshield and hoping you stop in time to prevent your face from leaving a mark on the back of his trailer...

And your head and arms are jammed between the ceiling of your engine compartment and a turbocharger you're trying to replace....

And no matter how much spray foam, Sheetrock, rubber, and reflectix you laid on your bedroom floor, after a 9 hour driving day, your bedroom is hot....

And you get 5.5mpg no matter what you do...

And you think to yourself:
"I'm not a bus guy anymore. I'm a truck guy."

So someday, this is in our future:
The end.

buswarrior · September 02, 2019, 04:48:34 AM

Very good.

The trouble with busnuts, blinded by an emotional bond to a machine...

The forest becomes obscured by trees.

Most don't understand that your machine is supposed to be a supporting player. Many coaches spend all their time being the star, and many busnuts like it that way.

Spend some time paying attention to highway tractors. I have noticed many of those toterhome things have the cheapest spec truck under them... no surprise?

For the same reason we build our own coaches, i'd be looking to choose the chassis in the trim and options I want, and get a box put on it. Many, many regional outfitters put boxes on trucks and change the lengths of frame rails.

And the walls are square in the back...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

chessie4905 · September 02, 2019, 06:53:02 AM

Cut the horsepower back about 75 to 100. Sure you'll lose some speed on the hills, but the engine will last longer and you'll be done with heat issues

luvrbus · September 02, 2019, 05:38:58 PM

I don't understand the misting systems you guys build,here in the desert heat you cool the air and you get better evaporation and cooling with smaller holes and more pressure best I can tell you guys are just flooding the radiator ? not misting