Finally bought a bus! and a few questions to get me started

[benherman1]

I figured I ought to finally post something after reading so many threads to help me get an idea what I've gotten myself into. I bought my 1964 MC5 at the beginning of February and drove it home (only 15 miles). I'm hoping to get a few things taken care of for safety, get the title worked out,  then do a few short trips before I start any major renovations. I'm 24 (a bit younger than most here from what I understand and based in Bloomington IN.

Here are my questions:
1: My engine is a bit on the crooked side (see pictures). Is this normal? The bracket for the door and the upper fan pulley matching its tilt leads me to believe yes but there are also marks in the doors where the fan pulley and oil fill tube have obviously been rubbing occasionally for a long while. If this isn't normal is it something I need to fix or should I be fine considering its been that way a long time.

2: I have an air leak on the drivers side rear. The bus has the original double convolute bags and the air frame seems to be in use. Is there any safe way for me to pressurize the system, and be under the bus to hunt down the leak? My plan is to block it up as best as I can but I don't like the idea of being under it unless it is firmly seated on the blocks. The noise seems to be coming from the front bag area. Do the bags leak often? Is it possibly the leveling valve?

Otherwise I'm extremely happy to finally add this project to my collection and look forward to lots of fun with it.

[buswarrior]

Yes, the engine has an angle, the driveshaft is aimed "over the shoulder" of the differential, a drop box on the front-of-the-bus side drives the differential.

This was to get the drive axle as far back on the chassis and get the drivetrain to stuff in there.

When fooling underneath, you block both under the axle, and over the axle, to keep from being squished.

A 4x4 hardwood block slips nicely into the space above the axle bump stops.

Follow your ears, soapy water in a spray bottle. Running an external compressor, on the other end of a long hose, around a corner, so you can hear, is valuable. Usually attached to the "drain daily" fitting inside the curb side engine access door, or via a suitable fitting put into the wet tank drain port.

Welcome to the disease, there's no cure...

Happy coaching
Buswarrior

[benherman1]

The external compressor idea sounds great to me. I should be able to hear at way lower pressure and don't necessarily have to get it aired up much to start poking around. Now the only problem to contend with is that my compressor is from the 30's and might take a long while to get the pressure up.

Also an unrelated question: One of the Windshield gaskets looks pretty bad (likely original to the bus). Can I get gaskets for this or am I going to be better off with something more generic? I assume an automotive glass shop should be the ones to actually swap it.

[DoubleEagle]

On the windshield gaskets, I think you will find that they will be more expensive than the windshields themselves. It's not as simple as getting a generic gasket. Not every glass place will take on an older bus. MCI owners will chime in, I trust. On the drop box, should it ever fail, and you have trouble finding one, the ones used on Eagle buses are the same. Yes, you may be one of the very youngest bus nuts out there. Don't get squashed under the bus, first rule.