MCI 9 questions

[artvonne]

The ones I have been around in buses are

1st    7.16
2nd   3.88
3rd   2.11
4th   1.21
5th   1.00   

or close to those numbers

  Are there tags on the gearbox I could locate that would identify what it would have? Can the rear axle ratio be found without crawling under the Bus?

[Busted Knuckle]

  Are there tags on the gearbox I could locate that would identify what it would have? Can the rear axle ratio be found without crawling under the Bus?

I don't believe you'll be able to identify the trans or rear end just from looking with out getting under it. But I'd bet the rear ratio to be a 3.70:1 or 3.73:1 & the transmission to be exactly what Clifford posted.
I used to work on several 9's for my uncle back b4 dad & I started our company and he ran MCI 9's, 96A3's & 102A3's when I worked for him. (Before Eagle closed up he was ALL Eagle, wouldn't consider looking at any other bus on the market!)
The 9's (& 1 of the 102A3's & most of the Eagles too) he had were mostly 5 spds. His theory was if a driver could drive a stick, they could drive any bus he had! If they couldn't drive a stick, he didn't hire them! (later on he hired a couple that he shouldn't have because while they thought they could drive a stick, I replaced several differentials and transmissions because they couldn't!)
He had both 8V71's and 6V92's and hated 8V92's (said they had too much power for a bus and tore up too many things) Then when he went to work with us 5 yrs after he sold his company he fell in love with our 8V92 & 60 Series! (GO figure ~ I guess because it didn't come out of his pocket anymore!)
  BK 

Just curious where is the bus yer looking @? I may know something about it or it's former operator.

[artvonne]

Just curious where is the bus yer looking @? I may know something about it or it's former operator.

  Gentry Arkansas. The seller claims he bought it several years ago hoping to fix it up, just hasnt worked out.

  http://fayar.craigslist.org/cto/2126980120.html

  How were they tearing up diffs and gearboxes, jerky driving?? Thats about the only thing I can think would break a crank. Something else to consider perhaps?

[Busted Knuckle]

Gentry Arkansas. The seller claims he bought it several years ago hoping to fix it up, just hasnt worked out.
http://fayar.craigslist.org/cto/2126980120.html

OK can't help ya with that one. Doesn't look familiar, and it's been a LONG time since I was in that neck of the woods! (used to haul chicken out of Decatur, AR just N of it all the time!)

How were they tearing up diffs and gearboxes, jerky driving?? Thats about the only thing I can think would break a crank. Something else to consider perhaps?

Yes you could say "jerky driving" or just a jerk driving either one fits!
One driver (the main & worst culprit) left out of the office one day and as he went down the road I could literally hear the gears "BANGING & Clanging" as he RAMMED it into gear from 2-3 city blocks away.
I was working on something next door at my shop when he left and never paid attn. to who it was leaving out until I heard kawham,bang,cruch, bank clunka,clunka, grind, bang. And looked to see what I'd just heard. As I looked out down the street I saw the 102 jerking and lunging while hearing twice more. I called my uncle and asked "who's driving #160?" He said oh that's Ben.
I asked "WHO?" And he said "Oh he's a new guy I hired he drove for so & so."
I told him "you better get him turned around, & have him take an automatic, or we're gonna be replacing a transmission!"
He said "I can't the group paid extra specifically for 160. Besides Ben said he could drive a stick."
I told him "Yeah, right OK but don't say I didn't warn you. By the way where is going?"
He said "New Orleans" To which I replied well I just hope it makes it home without a wrecker!"

Well he brought it back late @ night on Sunday and it got cleaned up where it sat until Tuesday AM when I headed out to pick up a baseball team that I always carried. I made it about a block down the street and called my uncle and told him "sounds like we got missing teeth in the rear-end or transmission" And he said "well what can we do about it now?"
I told him I guessed nothing. But after a couple more miles when the gear lube warmed up enough that the "chunks" in the rear end would move and get it the gears every now and then instead of a roar I would get a big carunk-wham & then roaring again. I called my uncle back and told him better fire up 140 for me I'm bringing this one back to swap out! It'll never make it to Northern IL like it is!"
He said "NO WAY, yer kidding me, it can't be that bad! Besides 140 ain't been cleaned!"
I told him it's yer choice either fire up 140 & give it a lick & promise, or grab yer log book & jacket because I'm bringing 160 in & if it leaves again your driving it!"
Well he had 140 running, swept & was mopping it when I pulled up and was muttering something about me insisting on making things difficult!
Later that day  he called and told me "You were right Woody (the mechanic that worked for me) pulled the differential out of 160 and it's toast! Huge chunks are missing out of it!"

Same driver once kept the bus at home after getting in late in the AM from a trip. When we called and told him it had to be brought in sometime that evening because it had to go out early in the AM brought it in LATE at night and dropped it off thinking nobody would be around. My mechanic & I were next door in the shop working late and took a break to go clean it and found a side window smashed out and bad scrapes on three others. So I switched out the buses the driver was supposed to take in the AM and put that one out of service. The next AM my uncle called an asked Ben what happened to it. He said "How should I know, I didn't drive it last so & so took it out early this AM. Remember?" My uncle told him, "no he is still gone in the bus Bryce switched him too because he found this damage to this one minutes after you left!"
Like a true professional he denied it to the day my uncle sold out! (then admitted he'd done it to the guy he tried to blame it on when he went to work for the company that guy had just started!)


OK, OK I'm off my soap box now!
  BK 

[artvonne]

Yes you could say "jerky driving" or just a jerk driving either one fits!

  BK 

  Thanks for sharing, lol, now I really wonder.. I was going to say its amazing someone could tear up a big commercial Bus that fast, but you could probably destroy a heavy vehicle faster than you could a car just because of the mass of the parts involved.

  Is there a good website a guy could go to that would tell you how to check out a 92, things to look for, test, etc.. If they are as good as you guys swear they are, maybe I should listen better and go look for a runner. Also, I read something about having a motor dyno'ed at a shop to really check it out?