Series 50 and B500 on Ebay

[Tom Y]

Just to let you guys that may be interested know. If the B500 was on there when I was looking it would be sold already. Hope I did not mess up anyone here.  I search under MCI.   Tom Y

[Songman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180315207946

Not a bad deal. Wrong side of the country for me though.

[Sojourner]

Songman's link is for the transmission only

Serie 50 DD Engine

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Gerald

[buswarrior]

Funny combination that..a S50 only needs a B400....

oh well, who knows?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Songman]

I wouldn't care anything about the 50, but I would love to have a B500.

[TomC]

To me, the Allison looks like a B400-which would make sense with a Series 50 since the B400 can take up to 400hp and 1200lb/ft of torque.  The B500 (HD4060; 4000 series) is a really large transmission.  Good luck, TomC

[mikelutestanski]

Hello:      Please check the official ratings of the B400R.   Allison lists it at 270HP net and 290HP gross  870 FT pounds if torque net;  970 gross.     GVW  = 45000 lbs.  Allison states that for transit bus use.  I have not seen any ratings for any other use listed.       Now One place I saw indicated 300hp  but that may be the newer version.   The retarder is good for 600 hp.
    When I asked Allison via email if I could up the HP on my Cummins to 325 they said not to do it..   The official line is no.
        The allison mechanic that checked my tranny and reprogrammed the ECU said he did not understand the rating because the internal parts were the same for b400 and b500.   GO figure.... 
     The L10 combo with the B400R that I installed in my mci 7 is rated at 270HP . The L10 is cpl 1994 which is a transit cpl certified by Cummins in the early 90s...
       I think that as the only driver I can probably boost the HP of the L10 up to at least 300 or even 325 without hurting the tranny but at the moment I hesitate to do that.  The bus is running fine.  A little slow on hills but she keeps moving .  Since hills are  less than 10% of my driving SO what.. 
       Regards and Happy bussin   mike

[TomC]

With Allison transmissions, you need to look at the service they are going to be doing.  The most severe is transit bus-hence the low horsepower and torque ratings to get maximum life out of them.  On the B series (Bus), the B300 is equal to the MD3060, the B400 is equal to the MD3066 & 3000 series, and the B500 is the big case equal to the HD4060 & 4000 series.  In the bus series the B300 is rated at 280hp & 735lb/ft torque; the B400 at 325hp & 925lb/ft torque; the B500 @ 550hp & 1770lb/ft torque.  A bit conservative for our low mileage use. 
Let's compare this to the motorhome ratings.  The 3000MH (like the B400) is rated at 450hp & 1250lb/ft torque (which I believe is behind the S50); and the 4000MH is 650hp & 1950lb/ft torque.  I would use these ratings as bench mark as to what you want your transmission to be putting out. I have talked many times to Allison, and they say that the transmissions are all made the same internally-just adjustments to their service cycles.  Good Luck, TomC

[mikelutestanski]

Hello   TomC    I would be interested in contacting the Allison people that you talked with to discuss the transmission capabilities.
     Regards and Happy busssin     mike