DEQ Testing & Buses

[Doug1968]

The county that I live in requires testing of vehicle emission systems every other year until the vehicle is 25 years old. I will be transferring the title of my new bus and the county requires that all newly registered vehicles require the emission testing.

I would like to hear from anyone that has to undergo this testing with their bus as to the process and possible problems getting the vehicle to pass.

I also own a flatbed truck with a diesel engine and I hate to put it through the required testing. They roll the vehicle into their bay and attach emission measuring instruments to the exhaust system. They then start the engine and run it up against the governor several times until the fellow watching the screen feels fullfilled.

I feel that running the engine up against the governor without a load cannot be good?

I look forward to hear others thoughts on this testing process.

Thanks,

Doug

[PP]

I've never had to DEQ my bus, but when I did my Powerstroke, they hooked everything up and then idled it until their dials quit fluctuating and then revved it up to 2200 RPM and held it for about 10 seconds, long enough for the dials to stabilize again. Of course, they also checked for exhaust leaks, etc. I can't imagine why they would run any engine up against the governor  What state are you in?

[Ednj]

Look up, diesel smoke opacity test.
i had my bus inspected, I think its a snap test?
no big deal .

[NJT 5573]

If you have an older mechanical engine I would make sure it was very well warmed up. I would use cardboard over the radiator and go in around 200 - 205 degrees water temp for the test.

[compedgemarine]

did you check with the county that they need to test it? in many areas that do emissions vehicles over certain weights are exempt. dont know if it is that way there but cant hurt to be sure.
steve

[Jeremy]

A few years ago there was a rash of diesel engine failures during the annual emissions test here - so much so that it was turned into a scandal by the newspapers. The bottom line is that it is the owner's responsibility to ensure his vehicle / engine is in a sound condition and able to survive the test - however I believe the emissions testing equipment has now improved somewhat, and most testing stations have equipment that can perform the test without running the engine against the limiter excessively, if at all.

On a car diesel engine the most common failure was that the cambelt would snap, which obviously led to internal damage to pistons, con rods etc. Testers are supposed to check (verbally) with the owner that the engine isn't overdue a cambelt change. Although having the engine up to temperature is a good thing for the emisions test itself it apparently isn't a cause of failures per se - but in any case the testing equipment includes a probe which goes down the dip-stick hole to measure the oil temperature, and won't start the test run until the oil has fully warmed up.

It used to be the case (and probably still is but I'm not 100% sure) that vehicles over a certain age only had to satisfy a visual smoke test - and so presumably fitting a particulate filter in the exhaust would then enable the dirtiest engine to pass. I may be wrong but I've always imagined that this would be the only solution for two-stroke diesels - rightly or wrongly I have always assumed that the modern testing equipment would just laugh in the face of an old Detroit.

Jeremy

[Dreamscape]

I think Doug is traveling today so I'll chime in on his location, Vancouver WA.

He asked me yesterday how to add that to his profile, probably hasn't had time to do that yet.

Good Luck,

Paul

[buswarrior]

If your engine is running well, doesn't smoke except when loaded in the high ground, burns a little oil...

You'll be fine, go get the test.

You won't know until you get the report anyway, so get on with it!

The limits for your year's 2 stroke won't be hard to meet if the engine is good.  The oldest local transit buses here (GM New Looks, 6V71, no after treatment) have no trouble far surpassing the opacity test on the test you describe, up to the governor a few times.

Look at it this way, if it fails, you want to do something about what's wrong anyway...smoke is unburned fuel, and that's spelled CA$H!!!!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Doug1968]

Well, I followed BusWarriors suggestion and after returning last night from a business trip to the midwest I ran my MCI thru the DEQ Emission Testing that is required when registering a vehicle in Clark County, Washington.

There was absolutely no problem with the test. As one of you described it was a snap test with four cycles of running the motor up to 1,800 rpm. There was absolutely no sign of smoke out the tail pipe. Opacity limit was 55% and the 8V92 tested 19%. The fellow completing the test told me that it passed with flying colors.

I've owned the bus almost 3 weeks and after completing the test i decided to take the bus for a ride. I want to get some time behind the wheel to get some time with the 5 speed. The more I drive the 5 speed the more I think that I will like driving it? The fellow that I bought the bus from told me that when he bought the bus he had a choice of two automatics or this 5 speed. After driving an automatic he decided to take the 5 speed. I think I will be fine with it until I get a little older and tired of shifting. I'm not sure if my wife will like driving the bus with the manual transmission?

How many wives take their turn behind the wheel of the bus? It would be good to know how many women drive these buses?

This last week I purchased a 7" GPS system for the bus. It has a camera input and I would like to install a rear view camera. Can anyone recommend a camera that works well?

Also, the MCI has an electrical panel at the front of the bus on the drivers side. I want to add some 12v components to the bus and was wondering if there happens to be 12v available in this panel. I believe that most all items on the bus are 24v? This is a 1986 MCI 102A3.

I received an MCI parts manual with the bus but I am not real impressed with the quality. I looked all through the manual to find a part number for the entry door seal and I can't find any information on the entry door?

While driving today I turned on the interior cabin heat only to find that the air coming out of the ducting never got warm. I remembered that the owner told me that there was a valve inside the front bay to shut off the water? I stopped, opened the valve and the heat started working. Why would one shut this valve off? In the summer does having the hot water run thru the heat system cause the bus interior to be too warm?

Something else I would like input on. What do those of you with alloy wheels recommend to keep the wheels in top shape? On my hot rods aluminum wheels I use Mothers paste. Does anyone have a better product that can be used?

I am enjoying this site very much. I am looking forward to getting started on my first bus project and I look forward to reading and learning from all the veterans. I enjoy reading about all of bus topics and I appreciate all the input.

Thanks,

Doug

[Dreamscape]

Hi Doug,

Glad to hear all went well at the DEQ!

I have used a product by Wicked, it's a metal polish. I first tried it last year when I purchased it from a fellow bus nut at TBR 2007. I applied it on the aluminum wheels, it still takes lots of elbow grease. I was amazed that when I put on a second coat this year the aluminum was pretty shiny, the additional coat really make them look good.

The other questions I will leave to the MCI experts.

Tell Lori Hi and take the bus to a large empty parking lot and have her get behind the wheel and give it a run through!   

Take Care,

Paul

[rv_safetyman]

Hi Doug

As you learn more about posting on the board, you will find that it is usually better to break out your questions into separate threads with titles that lets folks know exactly what you want to discuss and can be easily searched (the search feature for this board can really be your friend .  Right now, it is having some problems, and folks who help with the forum are working on a solution.  However, it still works well enough that you can do some basic searching.

You asked about backup cameras.  This has been discussed quite a bit in the past.  If you enter the word "camera" into the search box, you will see a bunch of threads.  Two that I was involved in (and have quite a bit of good discussion) are:

http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=8903.0
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=7295.15

In the latter, I talk about my latest camera.  It seemed to work pretty good (not very good in low light situations), but a couple of days ago, the system quit working.  The testing I have done so far suggests it is the camera.  If it is, I sure did not get many hours of use out of it.

Jim

An additional thought.  if this thread gets more detailed answers about BU cameras, you might want to add the term "back up cameras" to the title so that more folks will enter into the discussion (or benefit from the discussion).  Only the originator of the thread, or the moderators, can modify the title.

[luvrbus]

Doug,on the camera you know with electronics what you pay for is what you get compare the cameras buy a good high quality camera around $400.00  stay away from the wireless and cheap cameras www.rvcams.com is a good place to compare different cameras

for the wheels I use Blue Magic from any parts store the easiest I found to use   

For the wife driving part mine has driven every bus we have owned std and auto even today in the so called golden years of our life she will drive the bus to visit friends of hers in Sedona abut 250 miles by herself and on long trips to Texas I have no problems sleeping while she is driving   

good luck

[Dreamscape]

Clifford's post brings up good information on women driving buses.

But I have this problem, Becky is 5' 2", can't hardly reach the brake pedal let alone the fuel and clutch. I read her your comment and she said " The steering wheel is so big I would have to stand up to move it".

It would be much easier if we had one of several things, she was taller, or if I had an Auto and Power steering.

She really would like to drive it, in case I get sick or something, so for now I'm well and the bus is parked.

Lori should have no problem, at least you have power steering on your bus Doug!

Paul

[JackConrad]

     Paula occasionally drives the last 8 miles to the house when we are returning home.  She does not really care to drive the bus that much (which is a good thing because I do!). She does drive it enough that she could if something happened to me.  Jack

PS: Our coach is auotmatic with power steering. She refused to even try driving our 4106 which was a standard transmission.

[Cary and Don]

Don doesn't want me to drive the 4107.  Not because I couldn't but because of what might happen if a tire blew or something like that.  He is afraid that if the bus makes a sudden pull,  I will not have the strength to keep it straight.  We are planning on installing one of those shock absorber things on the steering to prevent the sudden pulling.  He got onto the gravel shoulder on a narrow road, at low speed, and he said it took all he had to keep it moving straight forward before it got back up on the pavement.  I would have been in the ditch.

Don and Cary
GMC4107
Neoplan AN340