8v92 powered fire truck

[belfert]

I found an article saying Russett Diesel Service is defunct.  It also mentioned the owners took out 401k money from paychecks but never actually put the money in the employees' 401k accounts.

[HB of CJ]

Probably even harder than transit or marine service.  Let's go through all the reasons why.  A fire apparatus may sit for DAYS without rolling a wheel (it happens) or it may have 20 emergency responses per 24 hours.  Depends upon the company and the department.

If the company runs slow (ours did) the engine temp had the time to cool way off, like down to 80-100 degrees.  If sitting for days, figure a very cold start.  The air compressors were speced and designed to fill some of the air tanks FAST, like in just a few seconds.

Then, it's absolutely full throttle (N90's) getting the heavy apparatus up to a safe road speed. (no more than 10-15 mph over the speed limit) Our governors were set at 2500 rpm full load and 2800 no load.  Fuller T-905M 5-speed trannys.  Top speed at 2500 rpm was 65 mph.  8V71N's and 671N's

Our engines (pumpers) used a amidships pump design, where there was a very short  driveshaft between the Fuller and the pump transmission, then another short driveshaft to the rear end.  The engines used only a fraction of the rated hp to pump, either from a plug,  the tank, or from draft.

But the rpm was high.  You had a choice (way back then) of either pumping in pressure or volume; kinda like a two speed water pump.  The water hp required varied on the individual fire, application, pressure, volume, hose stream type,  number, etc., but was very low.  Each pump job was different.

What killed the life (in hours or road miles) of fire apparatus power plants was the large amount of idle time.  Now I understand electronics has solved some of it.  Anyway, way back then (1975) the Detroits were changed out by the shops about every 25,000 miles.  We helped do it.  Fun.

I.S.O. Class 1 Fire Department.  Lots of tax dollars misspent fur sures.  Big budget for the size town then.  Bakersfield City Fire Department.  Everything as changed now, most of it for the better.  Anyway, used fire apparatus MIGHT have a brand new rebuilt power train.  HB of CJ (old coot now)

[brettpearson67]

Thought i'd reive this thread rather than start another.

I, too, am looking at fire truck power trains as a replacement/upgrade for my '85 MCI 96A36V92TA. Mine needs a rebuild and does not have jakes.
I can find a 400hp 6V92 in fire truck trim, or an 8V92. Both with jakes and very low mile trannys.
I suppose you could equate pump hrs with highway miles?
Any updated thoughts on this?

Thanks

[luvrbus]

You have your work cut out for you installing a truck engine in a MCI bus those are not plug and play by no means, buy a bus engine 

[Dave5Cs]

Fire truck spend a lot of their life idling also which is hard on them.

[buswarrior]

For rough calculating, fleet guys count a minute of run time is a mile of highway running.

The engine computers on new stuff record it all.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior