Bringing my MC5 home (out west)

Dreadnought · April 10, 2023, 01:41:59 PM

The interior work for my MC5 is basically complete.
The bus is still in Indiana. I've since moved out west to Nevada/Arizona.

I'd like to get some other mechanical work done on the bus now.

The plan is to get some of the 'crusty frame' above the engine refurbished- I have some good amish folks in mind to do that near where the bus is located right now.

Then I was going to fit the later integrated steering (rather than the older 'ram' style) onto my MC5. My plan was to stop over in Rantoul Kansas and see Sam Caylor to get that done. That and also get some later MC9 style radiators (6G-1-9) 8 row bigger radiators. This will involve lowering the rad floors/ledges and re-routing some of the pipe work.
And then finally fit the larger 12 inch squirrel cage fans (in liu of the current 10 inch), and make the aperture in the floor of the fans bigger (14 inch x 14 inches rather than the current 14 x7). Unfortunately Sam said he's not in a position to support such work right now.

So I'll need to find someone else who is reputable and that I trust.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

It needs to be between Nappanee Indiana and here in Southern California/Nevada/Arizona (en route).

Does anyone have any suggestions of someone to entrust the work to?

I've heard Clifford/Luvrbus is near here.

Luvrbus- are you near Las Vegas/So Cal?

Let me know

Markus

luvrbus · April 10, 2023, 03:17:17 PM

I live North of Needles Ca and South of Laughlin NV, there is now way this summer I could help you,call Gary Bennett ( B&B Coach ) in LV @702-592-6746 he may can help or put you in touch with Gilbert that my could help,both are good bus shops

Dreadnought · April 10, 2023, 10:02:47 PM

Thank you! Sam mentioned Gary too. Ill contact him tommorow!

windtrader · April 13, 2023, 07:33:10 PM

If a detour through Sacramento is possible for you, there is a bus mechanic shop here. Ted Campbell is not much farther.

lvmci · April 13, 2023, 09:04:41 PM

Gilbert of G&S Coach is the process of moving to a large lot that was a bus and truck depot, in paperwork process right now. He is currently at a lot somewhere near Nellis A.F. Base. If you call him he may be able to help, before he moves, lvmci...

Dreadnought · April 17, 2023, 12:58:20 PM

Quote from: windtrader on April 13, 2023, 07:33:10 PM
If a detour through Sacramento is possible for you, there is a bus mechanic shop here. Ted Campbell is not much farther.

Teds a cool guy, If he's the Ted out of Williams. Yeah he rails on MCIs alot but he really cares. When I had issues with my clutch because a reputable HD diesel place in Indiana screwed it up, he was the one who talked me through what to do over the phone!

He's not that far, about 400 miles north of me. I left him a message last week

Dreadnought · April 17, 2023, 01:55:27 PM

Quote from: lvmci on April 13, 2023, 09:04:41 PM
Gilbert of G&S Coach is the process of moving to a large lot that was a bus and truck depot, in paperwork process right now. He is currently at a lot somewhere near Nellis A.F. Base. If you call him he may be able to help, before he moves, lvmci...

I can't seem to find Gilbert of G & S coach. I've searched online and all I get is football coaches- ugh!

Do you have contact details for this Gilbert fellow?

Thanks

lvmci · April 17, 2023, 03:01:29 PM

Try these numbers for Gilberto G&R Coach
702 736-0757 that was the main number
702-575-5939

RJ · April 22, 2023, 04:41:42 AM

Quote from: Dreadnought on April 10, 2023, 01:41:59 PM
The plan is to get some of the 'crusty frame' above the engine refurbished- I have some good Amish folks in mind to do that near where the bus is located right now.

Markus -

Why don't you talk to your Amish folk about opening up the blower compartment floor? If they're going to be in there anyway working on the "crusty frame" it wouldn't be that much more difficult. Heck, they probably could also lower the floor sufficiently to fit the 12" squirrel-cage blowers at the same time. . .

Almost any MC-9 with the 6V92 engine will have the 12" blowers - ask Sam Caylor if he's got any.

If you want to stuff a 8V92TA in your 5A, both your cooling system (even with the bigger radiators) and your drop box won't like you. MCI maxed out 8V92TAs at 400 hp when the 8V92 was ordered originally - even they couldn't keep it cool at anything over that rating - and they never installed that engine in a coach with a drop box, either.

With a careful running of the rack on the 8V71 that's in the 5A, that bus is easily capable of exceeding the speed rating of the tires, and still return decent fuel mileage (for a bus) when driven normally.

(Note from real world experience: Back in the day, at the charter outfit I worked for, we had a couple of MCI 102A3s with the 8V92 engine, and a whole bunch of MC-9s with the 6V92. On a grad nite run from Fresno to Disneyland, there was only five minutes difference in arrival times between the 102s and the -9s, but the 102s burned 15% more fuel. On a run to Vegas from Fresno, the 102s shaved 20 minutes off the travel time, but again burned 15% more fuel in the process.)

FWIW & HTH. . .

lostagain · April 22, 2023, 06:48:08 AM

A Detroit Series 50 would be a good swap into a MC5.

Dreadnought · April 23, 2023, 09:51:40 PM

RJ thanks for the useful info. I have thought about getting the Amish folks to at least open up the floor of the mc5. I'm currently talking to Sam, cliff and Luke regarding getting the right bits.

An engine conversion isn't on the cards for a while. I'll probably just refresh the 8v71 and maybe go from the current c60 injectors to 7e65s (that's don't need the timing adjust as they have it incorporated in the body). I thought about 7e70s but I will be driving up at high altitude and don't need it to smoke.