New to Old repower

[Kenny]

Out of curiosity has anyone thought of or done a repower from a newer four stroke to an older all mechanical two stroke? May lose some gas millage and performance, but the simplicity of a two stroke is hard to beat.
Kenny

Sent from my DROIDX

[Scott & Heather]

I love my 2 stroke...it runs on motor oil. 

[Melbo]

Why wouldn't you just buy a bus with the 2 stroke already in it -- gotta be easier than a repower

Why make more work --- I already have enough stuff to do

Melbo

[Hard Headed Ken]

I say, a classic case of 4 stroke envy. I can say this because I had it for almost 20 years, just recently got help. I'm better now. Reach out for help. Eventually you will overcome this.

Ken

[luvrbus]

That's a first lol if he wants simple I have a new 534 Ford V8 gas burner for him at a buy and it is a 4 stroke Ken

[HB of CJ]

Out with the new....in with the old.  What about vehicle inspection programs?....would the Bus Conversion be legal with the new old engine in and the old new engine out?

FWIW and off topic, the few remaining DD MUI fire engines may be the only EMP resistant apparatus left on the planet....except us with our aluminuminumm foil hats.  HB of CJ (old coot)

[TomC]

One of the many reasons for doing my truck conversion is because of the Caterpillar 3406B mechanical engine.  I have a 8V-71Turbo in my bus now, and while I like the performance, the 5-6 mpg is a lot lower then the 7-8 I anticipate getting with my truck.  Plus Cat still makes the 3406C-which is identical to the B-just updated.  Detroit doesn't make the 8V-71 for the public anymore (still made for the military).  Then also try to find a decent mechanic that can work on the 2 stroke Detroit.  Stay with the 4 stroke engine-what engine do you have?  Good Luck, TomC

[muldoonman]

Some ole fella told me to find a well service company that pulls oil and gas wells. Says there still a bunch out in the oil fields and mecanecks too.

[Oonrahnjay]

(snip)  Stay with the 4 stroke engine (snip)

      Yeah, I hear you.  What I'd give to have a modern 4-stroke engine.  (Yeah, I'll tell you what I'll have to give to have one ... a lot of $$$ but that's OK.)

[TomC]

If you don't like the electronic 4 stroke engines, the mechanical 4 stroke engines you could use are: Caterpillar 3306 (up to 350hp); 3406 (up to 425hp).  Cummins L10 (up to 330hp); NTC855 (up to 475hp). International DTA466 (up to 300hp).  Any of these engines will give decent performance with the NTC855 and 3406 giving excellent performance.  While they will give fuel mileage about 1mpg less then the electronic version, being mechanical engines, they are about as reliable as dirt.  Meaning-when a mechanical engine doesn't run, it usually means it isn't getting fuel (usually dirty fuel filters), or there has been a mechanical failure.  With an electronic engine, there could so many problems-I don't have room here to list them all.  And with an electronic engine-have one electronic failure (and it will happen), have your bus towed, and then pay to have the problem analyzed and repaired-you just lost all fuel savings for having an electronic engine.  Currently, at least in California, RV's are exempt from smog laws (which is ironic since California is the most strict state as far as smog laws go).  I have never had to have either my Diesel Mercedes, my Diesel bus, or Diesel Kenworth smog tested to get my registration.  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

Fwiw I have saw $60 sensors at truck dealers cost 1200 bucks by the time the dealer was through with you if you are going to own a electronic engine you better know the way they work like Jim and Ken and a few others here or those babies are expensive to have the work done.

I have friend here in Phoenix a proud owner of a Prevost with a 60 series with a 92,540 miles on the engine Smith Diesel in Salt Lake did some head work cost him over 7 grand last week and no they did not replace the head.

For me the 425 Cat mechanical was the best engine ever built they may not show it on paper but when they show up in person it is ready to work with any 500+ hp Cummins or series 60 Detroit the  425 will belch the puff of black smoke and I do mean black and the deal is on lol I love the 3406 425hp Cat only way to stop one is wear it out in 20,000 hrs

[Geoff]

I spent thousands of dollars on the new NEXIQ fault reader and diagnosis manuals for 2004 and newer truck engines.  The first time I got to use it along with the diagnostic procedures it all boiled down to a bad ECU.  But I told the customer that even though the diagnostics pointed at the ECU it would also be in the wiring harness, and after already cleaning and checking all the connections I could not guarantee which one it was.  The owner turned out to be a control freak and tried to make a deal that I do the labor for free if I got a rebuilt ECU and it didn't solve the problem (testing them is as much as replacing them and it could take weeks).  He was such I jerk I accepted a small payment for the work I did and got the hell out of there.

I think I've rebuilt about 10 MUI engines since then.  I have used the NEXIQ maybe 4-5 times for simple code readouts.

--Geoff
General Diesel Service
Prescott, AZ

[muldoonman]

How difficult is it to diagnose problems in the the 8V92TA with DDEC like in my (1991) bus and others like it. I haven't had any issues yet but just wondering? They say there are electronic but how advanced were they for that time frame?

glen 

[luvrbus]

Glen, the 1991 model should be a DDEC II not much to those only problems I run into is somebody hooking the ECM to 24volts trying to check for power they don't like it lol the DDEC III is a 12/24 volt

[muldoonman]

Thanks Cliff, OT but Do these ddec11's just control fuel flow to injectors or other stuff also. Not gonna work on this puppy myself but would like to know a little about system. There is a stewart and stevenson in san antone and they said they could handle all problems. Has  anybody heard of Alamo Repair in San Antone that advertizes they work on bus engines and components.