Motor is very tired... (so am I)

[Lonnie time to go]

I am just trying to give you some options.
These series 50 engines are on ebay  buy it now price at  2K
should fit it great.  Many parts are available so you have no worries with that.
Hope this helps.

.                 www.atlanticdevelopmentcorp.com
Lonnie

.

[GM0406]

Well, One thing is for sure.  None of us will take these coaches with us.  So the very first thing you should do is check with the boss and see if there is enough money to do what needs to be done to this coach.  If there isn't, then you couldn't have chosen a better time to let it sit.  With fuel coming ever so slowly down from $5.00 per gallon, we should all just cancel trips and enjoy life at home, or travel lighter.  We just cancelled a coach trip and are taking the car instead.  We are not interested in any more money going to oil until it damn well gets down to the $2 range.  Meantime, there will be a certain attrition in all of this where the day will come sooner than later when it will be so prohibitively expensive to buy a stick and staple, that the price of the superior real coach will have to go up.  I may be wrong, and fuel might go up, and everything else along with it.  High fuel prices have basically destroyed the economy so far.  It is very simple.  Either these fuel prices come back down to the $2.00 range, or look for continued recession leading to depression.  Meantime why be in hurry to use your coach and buy still more expensive fuel and provide Arabs with Pullman 747's with showers?  In other words, relax and give the fuel bubble a little time to pop.  Bill T.

[jjrbus]

Sometimes with a family and job it might be better to just walk away. It was a fun interesting experience and maybe its over. Better to spend the time with family, move on to something else?
If you want to look for a two stroke mechanic, give Craigs list a shot. Some interesting finds on there. It would only take a few minutes of your time. I wold do a search and place an ad under skilled trades/craft.

   http://craigslist.org/

   

[Dallas]

Chaz,

I have to agree with just about everyone else here, $500/hole is way too much, even when buying from DD. Doing rings and bearings, depending on what the liners look like would be an easy fix.
I still feel like there is another problem considering what you've told us about the overheat problem.

If it helps, Cat and I are only about 75 miles from you. We could be talked into wandering down that way and giving you a second opinion.

Dallas

[Airbag]

8V71s can be repaired yourself cheaply. Inspect the rings, there must be some broken ones. 8V71 pistons and rods will drop out the bottom of the engine if you roll it just right. Drop the suspect pistons and hone the cylinder from below. Shove a new piston and rings in it and maybe some bearings.

Spending alot of money on that engine is a shame. The technology is obsolete.

I agree repair the engine by dealing with the low cylinder or cylinders. Your mechanic should compression check all the cylinders and that way you can make an intelligent decision based on that. Good luck

[blue_goose]

You have gotten lots of good info here about your engine. 
The one about the series 50 for $2,000 in not good.  They are natural gas engine's.  If you are not going to keep the bus and use it don't do anything to the engine.  YOu  won't get your money back when you sell.  If you are going to keep the bus, what ever you do don't patch the engine do it right.  You will save money in the long run. 
Jack

[tekebird]

1. I would suggest finging another Mechanic....perhaps one that does Green for a living

2. If you can find a good running takeout or a New Surplus engine but either way may or may not be cheaper than rebuilding.

3. if you rebuild, PLEASE have someone knowledgable do it.  To many guys spend money then have problems in relativley short time ( on engine) due to a shadetree detroit specialist rebuild becuase the owner opted to save 500.00

4. Don;t know anything about your bus or the conversion other than the little icon photo and that it had cooling issues.

5. although the cooling issue could have been the tired engine you cann't assume that was the only issue.  You could be looking for a 1200-1500 radiator as well

6. value of your unit is based on a few things as far as resale. Condition of the engine, condition of the bus, condition and quality of the conversion and the market at the time of sale.

Really, keeping or selling or scrapping is a personal issue, based on your needs, desires ( or lack of desire)and how big a hole you are in with it.  Pretty much all of them are holes.

it's a personal decision like deciding to get married/divorced or when to put down your old dog?

[makemineatwostroke]

Chaz if you do rebuild your engine if buying aftermarket parts to buy from a supplier like FP or Clevite (made in the USA) they have a 2 year warranty and will be around 2 grand

[Busted Knuckle]

Chaz,

I have to agree with just about everyone else here, $500/hole is way too much, even when buying from DD. Doing rings and bearings, depending on what the liners look like would be an easy fix.
I still feel like there is another problem considering what you've told us about the overheat problem.

If it helps, Cat and I are only about 75 miles from you. We could be talked into wandering down that way and giving you a second opinion.

Dallas

Now theres a suggestion! I know Dallas has the tools to do a "GOOD" compression check. He also can give you a realistic $ figure.

Again I'm not try'n to "slam" yer mechanic, but his price indicates to me he's used to either working at a dealership, or doing emergency roadside repairs for the "MEGA FLEETS" that have $ to drop like that. (trucking fleets that is.)
FWIW JMHO     BK   

[alltech]

I am not sure if it is the same with 2 stroke engines, but we had a big natural gas driver that had issues with over heating, turned out it was incorrectly timed

Just a thought

Ross

[skipn]

  Seems the compression is about 250 on the back cylinders (closest to bumper). ........
............. I guess they are supposed to be about twice that.  

 Sorry but the old mechanical diesels didn't run that high of compression........FWIW

something to consider.

  1. If everytime you go to start the bus and you hold your breath wondering what will be wrong this time.......cut your losses
  2. If everytime you walk by the bus and there is no pride or a gleam in your eyes(heart)..... cut your losses
  3. If you have no wish to defend your dream.....cut your losses
  4. If everytime you look at another conversion and it is ho hum .....cut your losses
  5. If your plate is over full get a bigger plate

  If you read those and got upset keep it!

  Hope this helps
Skip

[Busted Knuckle]

I am not sure if it is the same with 2 stroke engines, but we had a big natural gas driver that had issues with over heating, turned out it was incorrectly timed

Just a thought

Ross

Another good point! And again Dallas has the ability to discover that too! FWIW!  BK  

Disclaimer; please note I have no financial investments or am in any way connected to or stand to gain from: Dallas & Cat INC. But if ya want a good busnut opinion, they are great people. Dallas has the tools and knowledge to give you an honest opinion of the issue at hand.

[roadrunnertex]

Call Nimco in New Jersey ask for Nick Liberti. http://www.nimcobus.com/
He has good running take out 8V/71 left hand rotation engines for far less than you can rebuild your engine.
About a 3rd cheaper than the rebuild cost of your old engine.
FWIW.
jlv

[makemineatwostroke]

Skipn I don't know where you got the information about the compression on the engine but someone has missinformed you the average for a non turbo 2 stroke is 550# and the minimum is 500# at sea level FWIW 

Chaz I would question the guy on how he took the compression test the engine need to be running at 600 rpm for a accurate test and at 250# the engine would be hard to start and smoke terrible

[skipn]

Ok I stand corrected....................

Thanks
Skip



Sorry but I have never done a compression test with a engine at 600rpm.
Most of the diesel engines I have worked on had compression specs for a more static
test.....plus bleed down times etc...........still I stand corrected.

   Static tests usually do not run as high a numbers........fwiw and may not be as accurate.
   Usually looking for differences between cylinders. This may have been the method used.
   don't really know what methods were used.....

Skip