Starting the bus in gear

Seangie · February 08, 2014, 11:31:58 AM

Today I went to start the bus and it wouldn't start up. Turn...turn...turn...no start. I went back in and realized that I had left the bus in drive (Allison 740 auto with a 6v92)

I did not realize I could try and start it while it was in gear. (I'm assuming there's supposed to be some saftey measure that is not in place on my bus)
My question is.. What kind of damage can this do to the engine?

Thanks!

-Sean

Fulltiming somewhere in the USA
1984 Eagle 10S
www.herdofturtles.org

akroyaleagle · February 08, 2014, 12:07:51 PM

There should be a neutral safety switch on the right side of the transmission.

Someone may have bypassed it. Look to see if the wires are taken off and just wired together.
If so, the switch may be faulty and they didn't replace it.

Probably wouldn't damage the engine.
More likely if it started and the parking brake is not strong, it could take off forward or reverse.

akroyaleagle · February 08, 2014, 12:23:05 PM

Look here,

http://www.wellertruck.com/lit/om/HT700_Owners_Manual_Sept_13.pdf

The lower red plug in the first photo is where the neutral safety switch should be.

Lin · February 08, 2014, 12:52:49 PM

Just to add something-- There should be a neutral safety switch. As mentioned above, there is a place for it on the transmission itself. However, it can also be in the transmission shifter. When we installed my Allison, we chose to have it on the transmission itself. For some reason, in my imagination, that seemed less likely to fail. I do not know that that is true though.

Wherever you have it, a simple continuity test will tell you if it is working. It should have continuity only in neutral. I would not be surprised either if someone installing an automatic on a bus would just ignore putting one in.

luvrbus · February 08, 2014, 01:40:51 PM

Joe, the neutral switch is on the passengers side next to the shift linkage coming from the transmission on a 740 the backup light switch which looks about the same is on the drivers side

If he has a Stone/Benett shifter all bets are off it's either wired wrong or a bad relay

Seangie · February 08, 2014, 07:51:08 PM

Thanks guys for all the info. I wish I had the Stone Bennett shifter. There are four or five wires hanging off the shifter that are no connected to anything. Im hoping those are signals for each ger on the shifter and I can wire something up there. Ill have to see if I can find the connection on the transmission. I know of at least one sender on the tranny but I thought it was for the tachometer.

My biggest concern was if it would kill the compression in the cylinders or something along that line as the bus didn't want to start up after I put it in neutral. I let it sit for about 10 min and it eventually started but it wasn't like it normally starts. It was in the 30s last night though and I haven't started the bus in over a month but usually it starts right up. Ill start it up again later this week and see what happens.

-Sean

Fulltiming somewhere in the USA
1984 Eagle 10S
www.herdofturtles.org

gus · February 09, 2014, 08:35:53 PM

My V730 wouldn't start in gear when I first got the bus, now it will? I did nothing that I know about?

I quickly found out how to go back and shift it into N with a large screwdriver when there is no air pressure.

akroyaleagle · February 09, 2014, 08:42:48 PM

Joe, the neutral switch is on the passengers side next to the shift linkage coming from the transmission on a 740 the backup light switch which looks about the same is on the drivers side

My mistake Clifford!

I tend to go with the side of the bus they're on, not the rear of the transmission.

The photo is backwards too.

Busn-Gramps · February 10, 2014, 04:23:00 AM

If the neutral switch is working the starter will not engage if the transmission is in gear.
Have a great day, Paul

tomhamrick · February 10, 2014, 06:34:10 AM

Sean, The neutral switch is on your transmission and not on the shift lever. I know that is used to work fine because I hunted for 30 minutes 1 day for the reason the engine would do nothing. Moved the lever to N and it fired right up. The switch could be out of adjustment as well. I remember one time I could not get the engine to turn over and I had to move the lever to R and back to N and then it would fire. If I remember correctly the wires you were talking about are for the shifter light and back up alarm. I put in a switch for a manual back up alarm.

luvrbus · February 10, 2014, 07:35:41 AM

Those switches just go bad over time from vibration some are bad in the closed position some in open position not much you can do but change it

TomC · February 10, 2014, 11:16:44 AM

When I first got my bus, I unknowedly left it in drive when I shut the engine off. When I went to start it, course nothing happened. I went to the back and tried to start it there and nothing either. So I did what any motor head would do and lifted the rear seat hatch and used a big screw driver to jump the starter. Shortly after the engine started, I felt the transmission bump into gear (luckily the parking brake was applied). It was then I realized what I did and promptly fisted my head and said duh. It happens. Good Luck, TomC