Our new bus! 1964 PD4106

[Kevinmc5]

RJ
The Vin PD4106-2471 1964 GM. Some of you down south might know the bus the PO was Ben Polly. Thanks RJ will be looking forword to your info
Kevin

[RnMAdventures]

Congratulations on the bus, she is a beauty!

It has dash air like a car that runs off the engine. I really like that feature on it.

That is a superb feature, and I'd love to hear more about this.  We are looking for ways to improve the cooling of our 4106 interior, particularly while underway.  How is this dash air set up?  Where are the components located?

Thanks Chris, sorry I missed this post yesterday.
I will send you some pics and the information on the setup. I think he set it up in a day or two. I think he has the info posted on the internet.

[Kevinmc5]

Mike
I would like to see how your in dash air works. I was going to look into a defrost to. As mine does not have one.
Thanks Kevin

[travlinman]

Mike & Rosemarie

If possible could you post the info on your dash A/C here on the board? I to am interested in a way to supplement my roof air.

Thanks

TM

[RJ]

JLV -

Very well could be a Scenic dash, but we'll need a close-up pic of whatever that is centered above the steering wheel.  To me, it looks a bit like a clock.  Also, it looks like somebody went to the time/effort to restore the tell-tale text, most are unreadable at this point in time.  Smart move!

I thought that light came on when you unloaded the tag axle on a Scenic. . . Oh, wait, that's what you mean - the drive axle is LOADED because the tag axle is UNLOADED.  Duh, senior moment, thinking bassackward.

Kevin -

PD4106-2471 was delivered new in March of 1964 as fleet number O-441 to Oklahoma Transportation Company, based out of Oklahoma City, OK.  I believe OTC was a Trailways affiliate, JLV above would have a better idea, since it's in his neck of the woods.


Chris & Cherie, Travelinman, Kevin and others -

FYI, the 4903 & 4905 model Buffalos came with a dashboard driver HVAC that ran off the main system.  So there is an evaporator unit under the dash that will fit the 4106, since they're basically the same.  Uses the defroster vents, and on the 4905, there was a supplemental vent on the left side of the instrument cluster.

There are a couple of challenges to this swap.  One is that the squirrel cage blower motors are 24 volt.  It's been awhile, but I think the motor/squirrel cage mounting plate's bolt circle pattern is the same as just about any GM automobile's HVAC motor assembly from the same period.  If so, an easy swap to 12 volt.

The other challenge is actually something that a good HVAC technician shouldn't have any problem with, and that's sizing the condenser and compressor to the evaporator.  A little homework will be needed to come up with the cooling BTU specs for the dash HVAC, but they're out there.

Oh, and just a little bit of additional info: On a GM (and MCI, for that matter), when the HVAC is switched to A/C mode, the A/C unit runs full bore, and the temperature is regulated by adding heat from the heater core.  GM's been doing this for years in their automobiles, and I think a lot of folk will agree that A/C has always been one of their strong points, compared to Ford, Chrysler and others.  So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  Any good automotive HVAC technician will be familiar with this.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[roadrunnertex]

Oklahoma Transportation Company the home office and garage was located on Exchange almost in downtown Oklahoma City,OK.
The above place is no more it's a vacant lot now sad to say.
Oklahoma Transportation Company was bought by Jefferson Lines over 20 years ago.
Fred Rayman is the historian for Oklahoma Transportation Company.
Fred Lives in Oklahoma City,Oklahoma and can be found in the phone book.
MK&O Lines was the ones that pooled with Trailways RJ it was owned by the Allen Brothers in Tulsa,OK who also owned Oklahoma Transportation Company.
MK&O is no more as it's part of the Jefferson group.
jlv

[kingfa39]

Bus has a 4501 dash, the a/c has been talked about for yrs, it has two cooling units, one in the dash, one in the seat of the dinette, it works off a snko compresser and is driven from the engine. The bus also has a tilt steering and a smaller wheel from a 1950 transit bus. somewhere on here is a description, since i did this there have been at least 20 systems instlled that i know of. the btu , are 22500 and they do a nice job it is one of the best things i ever did to this bus.
  It was disheartning to see it go down the road with a new owner but i have health issues and cant keep up with it. yherefore instead of it sitting in my driveway and running down i decided to sell it and i did. i owned it for 25 yrs, conversion was done by me and took 4 yrs to complete. i didnt like the 4106 dash so i changed it for one i got from a 4501 owner who helped me a lot. bus has been all over the US and part of canada and has always come back home. thats about all i can say, im out of the bus business now and thats it, enjoyed the challenge and this board and all of the helpful people.
Frank Allen

[kingfa39]

one more thing, if i ever buy another bus it will be a 4106 as i beleive it is the best bus for what we do thats out there. it is powerful fast and as efficient as any of them and more than most.
Frank Allen

[RnMAdventures]

Thanks for chiming in Frank! I purchased the bus from Frank. I took some pics of the AC Frank installed on the bus. You can see some of the components that you can use for this setup here: http://www.danhard.com I'm sure there are others, but this is one I had saved. When I had my 4104 I could not keep a genset running it seemed. I spent a lot of hours driving it while frying in my own fat because it didn't have openable windows and the genset wasn't working.

[RnMAdventures]

More Pics

[kingfa39]

To add to the a/c question, the condeser is in front of radiator, it drives two ecaporators 22500 btu,s each one is mounted inthe dash where the original fire extinwshers were it is turned upright, the other is mounted in the rear dinette seat . if more info is needed let me know . this set up has been on the bus about 15 yrs or so , never had to touch it, rarely operate gen set on road but if you get a lot of people inside and the temp is triplle digiget you acn always start up the roof airs, ive only had to do this once when i had 6 adults and the temp got to 105, but only a little while. i do not want to depend on a gen set for colling, i dont think they are 100% safe, however ive never had a problem with this one.  and RJ the thing in the middle of the dash board is a clock i put in there and i restored the red warning lights that work all of them. 9i got a red piece of plexiglass and worked it out, lettering was done with white paint from a pencil type paint. took a while and a lot of trial and error, theres no where i know of to get these anymore
Frank  Allen

[RJ]

Frank -

Thanks for the update on the dashboard and a/c systems, very informative.

Also, excellent work on those tell-tale lights for the dash - agree that they've been out of production/availability for a long time!

Sent you a PM, too.

RJ

[travlinman]

Sweet, that is what I call a good follow up!

As I am figuring our this system it all looks very possible to me except for one thing. I am not clear on how the compressor is driven. I see a shaft but it is unclear to me how that gets driven off the engine?  What engine is in this '06?  Any more photos and explanation would be great. Also, is the compressor located in the small bay behind the rear axle driver side?

I just may add this to my winter project list!

Thanks

TM

[RJ]

TM -

Yes, the compressor is in the small bay behind the axle on the driver's side.  This is the same location as the OEM factory compressor was located, and driven by the same PTO shaft.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[RnMAdventures]

Attached is a diagram as I understand it. I will ask Frank to confirm it.