Detroit diesel engine paint color significance

[chessie4905]

   I purchased a mid 80's Roadway tractor several years ago from a big fleet used truck dealer. I found one there that had a reman 6v-92 in it. It still had an orange shipping invoice label stuck to it. It was painted black.

[AndyyCoulic]

Im just trying to figure out if the engine should have originally been alpine green. If so, was it rebuilt, or replaced at some point? I sadly have no information about things like such about my bus!
Where exactly is the blocks serial number? And will that code match up with anything on the bus to tell me if its the original motor?


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[bevans6]

A typical bus in highway service would have had three, four, maybe five different engines.  They were designed to be swapped out every 300K - 400K miles and a rebuilt one popped in, in a day.

Brian

[luvrbus]

It is easy enough to tell if it is the original engine or not if you have 2- 4 x 8 air box covers on each side with 2 bolts in each that is the original dry block 8v71 3 covers 2 inches wide rectilinear is a later block.

The serial number is on the starter side right between the 2 covers just below the head on the block on a 4106 on the original engine, good luck on reading it unless you remove the engine if you have the small air box covers it will be up front below the head stamped on the flat boss   

[Scott & Heather]

Mine is blue No kidding


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[sledhead]

When I had my 6v92ta rebuilt in 2010 at leids diesel they painted it a light grey so as I live in the north I repaint it each spring with a light grey
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/tremclad-rust-paint-1-qt-0489196p.html#.VDcVn_ldXTg

works great and easy to spray

dave

[bevans6]

I just painted the roof of my bus shed with a bright aluminium paint, looks like chrome with the light behind it...  How about a chrome plated 8V-71TA in the MC=5C...   Yes please!   

Brian

[Oonrahnjay]

      The engine in my bus is not a DD but it's a fine fairly light reddish, brown metallic -- ummm, I guess you could call it a rust -- colour!

[RJ]

I'm just trying to figure out if the engine should have originally been alpine green.

Yes, it would have been Alpine Green when the bus was newly delivered.

If so, was it rebuilt, or replaced at some point?

As Brian mentioned, it's not unusual to have had the original motor rebuilt and/or replaced during a coach's revenue service life.  Merle mentioned that Greyhound painted their rebuilds red, which is true.  I've seen it being done in the now-closed San Francisco shop.

I sadly have no information about things like such about my bus!

Don't feel bad, neither do many other busnuts!

And will that code match up with anything on the bus to tell me if its the original motor?

The only way to find out is to get a copy of the Final Vehicle Record for your coach.  They're available with a $25 donation to the Museum of Bus Transportation, attn: Mark.  The FVR will have the serial number of the engine, transmission and rear axle, along with other info about your coach.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[AndyyCoulic]

Thanks! Much appreciated!


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[luvrbus]

The Greyhound rebuilds in Dallas were painted blue makes no difference in the color if a Greyhound rebuilt the engine it will have a brass tag with date,location, liner bore size if done,rod and main size bearings I have a few of the Greyhound blank tags.

Trailways did the same thing painted the engine different colors for different rebuild locations except Trailways used their own serial and model numbers you needed a Trailways book to figure out the numbers 

They removed all numbers from DD and it was on a round brass tag on the lower right hand corner of the oil pump I saw that on both Eagles and GM from Trailways makes it interesting when DD ask for the model and serial numbers when ordering parts 

[Scott & Heather]

Mines a dd reliabilit whatever that means. My tag indicates a date of 2001.


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[luvrbus]

A factory re-manufactured not a rebuild Scott done in Utah sad now since Interstate/Bee has taken the plant over turning out nothing but pure junk 

[eagle19952]

A factory re-manufactured not a rebuild Scott done in Utah sad now since Interstate/Bee has taken the plant over turning out nothing but pure junk 

oh my... reliabilt was once upon a time the gold  standard ... i did not know it does not exist any more, sad sad day 

are the heads at least up to snuff ?

[wildbob24]

Andy,

RJ beat me to the punch, but his info is not quite correct.

The GM Final Vehicle records are available from the Ohio Museum of Transportation:

http://www.omot.org/buses.htm

He was correct about the $25 donation.

If you do this, (and I think you should, well worth the money) you will want to exercise patience. The museum indicate a delivery window of 2-4 weeks; mine took closer to 8 weeks. They are a non-profit volunteer organization so be prepared to cut them a little slack

Bob