School Bus Follies

[PToombs]

SR, just go take a pic of a nice 1st gen and claim it's yours. Or I could send you a pic of mine... ... ... . Oh, wait, I said a nice one huh? :-laf





Joe, we could always use a new breakroom!

 

[cerberusiam]

OK, maybe I'll pull into the Case dealer in Syracuse.

The old RV might just become a lawn ornament until I can convert it to burn gasified wood.

I think its high time to start cookin' my own bio.

 

[Greenleaf]

I think its high time to start cookin' my own bio.

Ah Huh. Untill you get caught with that stuff on the road.

 

[cerberusiam]

Ah Huh. Untill you get caught with that stuff on the road.

Shhhhhh!!!



I am hoping to slide by under the Cottage Industry guidelines and the "I have no idea" defense if questioned.

 

[JGrefenstette]

hey scott, this is just a thought... but since you mention the cyl head being cracked up. it seems to me, that most of these old ladies driving the busses, no matter how cold it is out, just get in, turn the key and put their foot in it. does it make and sense that these types of driving habits repeatadly would cause some serious head where, and not to mention shutting them down blazing hot after pushing a bunch a kids around for a few hours.



this is at least what ive notice around here. i work at a john deere dealer, and we moved from our origional location about 5 years ago, and the school bord took over the old lot and made our old shop into their bus repair shop, and the yard is where they park their fleet of probly 100+ full size thomas busses. some older international pullers, but mainly the huge thomas pushers. when ive been over there some times in the morning, i see them pull out... its painfull watchin them. here those poor Cat's crank crank crank crank, then full throttle they go...

 

[PToombs]

Oh lord! Please bring back spell check!





P. S. Make it automatic too, will ya? :-laf :-laf

 

[cerberusiam]

Oh lord! Please bring back spell check!

Bring it back??? Did it leave?

 

[Greenleaf]

I don't know... ... ... ... .



Our buses seem to idle for 1/2 hour to 45 min prior to departure. Your not supposed to but they do.



The first crack was on a 1989 and I replaced the head. Then the new head cracked. I don't know why. VE on steroids?





Doesn't seem our truck engines have a cracking condition, but then maybe our engines are not loaded as such every day out like the bus is... ... ... ... ... ... ????

 

[Jgolden]

hey scott, this is just a thought... but since you mention the cyl head being cracked up. it seems to me, that most of these old ladies driving the busses... ... .



Hey, JGrefenstette, one of theose old lady bus drivers heard me laugh when I read your post. Then she was reading over my shoulder.



Now she is talking to a group of lady drivers at another table... they have a worldwide network... stay alert it's a pretty rough crowd and they are on vacation soon.

 

[JGrefenstette]

Jgolden... hahha thats hilarious. dont get me wrong, i love these "old ladies", my mom drove a bus for a while, and her mom too. and i know plenty of other people that drive em. it just so happens that most of the ladies that drive the busses in the little town that i work in, are grandmas who pull up in the buicks and lincoln town cars, you know the type. great ladies, just a little more seasoned in the ways of life :-laf



yea ill watch my back, with as many pictures of my truck as i got on here, im affraid i might wake up some morning and find it painted school bus yellow, courtesey of the outrages "old ladies"... :-laf

 

[Jgolden]

I don't know... ... ... ... .



Our buses seem to idle for 1/2 hour to 45 min prior to departure. Your not supposed to but they do.



The first crack was on a 1989 and I replaced the head. Then the new head cracked. I don't know why. VE on steroids?





Doesn't seem our truck engines have a cracking condition, but then maybe our engines are not loaded as such every day out like the bus is... ... ... ... ... ... ????

Scott, where did/do the heads crack? larger injector holes? Mine is an 89 engine, and I keep a "worry list". Could upgrade but future use of the rig could get pretty limited with fuel cost.

Thanks any info.

 

[PToombs]

Bring it back??? Did it leave?

HA! I found it! I thought it was gone, just the format changed. I saw your post, then looked closer.

 

[cerberusiam]

HA! I found it! I thought it was gone, just the format changed. I saw your post, then looked closer.

LOL! Ya had me worried I missed something there. Case you hadn't noticed there are a few changes going on around here.

 

[Greenleaf]

The school bus engine is subject to higher heat loads due to the "load" imposed on the engine. I suspect that is why the larger holes crack. They crack between the injector hole and a valve. I replaced the head with a new unit with smaller holes. It split open at the #1 piston location along the right side near a head bolt hole.



That thing was way over fueled. It would do 65 fully loaded up a long hill on the four lane billowing smoke the entire way. Modified injection pump w/185 injectors. I still ran it with the cracked head. The transmission gave up, go figure. Allison 545.



The last bus to bust a head was way over fueled too. The exhaust manifold split apart. Then I replaced it w/new and then the head broke apart at the manifold flanges (on the head side)



That driver would travel 'rond blowing smoke for the fun of it. I unhooked the waste gate (tied full open) so it would really billow at low boost levels.

 

[Jgolden]

I guess by school bus standards my rig even at 6tons and pulling a car would still be "empty". Lucky for me I don't have the tech knowledge to upgrade much, and always watch the egt.

The kids must have loved that bus.

Thanks for the info.



"65 up hill" hmmmmmm. Hey Pete... ... .

 

[JLEONARD]

subject to higher heat loads due to the "load" imposed on the engine

They would call that having a higher duty cycle... . being under load for a higher percentage of time than one of our "commuters".



Ya know come to think of it, ever since about 2003 we can see this thin black cloud heading toward the east cost come Sept thru June... finally just put it together... that it's Geenleaf at work!!!:-laf:-laf

 

[PToombs]

Oh, all right Joe! Wrench day is in May, bring it down... ... ... .

:-laf:-laf

 

[Jgolden]

I'll be there in May, but it takes a pretty thin guy to work on my rig. Got a date picked out yet?

 

[JGrefenstette]

but it takes a pretty thin guy to work on my rig.

hmm, pete i think he may be hinting somthing there??? :-laf

 

[Jgolden]

Pete was pretty thin last time I saw him.

I meant I would have to stay out of it. On mine you have to remove a front wheel to work on most things. That fact alone helps my rig stay pretty stock. 450 lb torque wheeel nuts, long pipe etc.