Correct. 6MPG for a Detroit Diesel. Especially going 70MPH.
What kind of bus is this and what is it's MPG?
- Thread starter Owen Lucas
- Start date
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Drove an old Mack with an 8V92 just to move it for some cash …
(owner had no drivers available and I had a CDL) …
They did sound unique …
(owner had no drivers available and I had a CDL) …
They did sound unique …
I was just going to post the same link, the Vermont DMV makes it easy to find that sort of thing.
Not to mention that given proper maintenance, that Detroit will likely still be running in another 50 years. It’s doubtful any EVs will ever see a 50 year lifespan.That bus has likely done more work than a thousand EVs, and likely has about the same total “pollution”.
Throw some of the dimpled pistons I linked a whitepaper to in a different thread, and it would likely be cleaner per unit of work.
The 62 Pete I had is still rocking its original nt280 b Cummins.
That’s exactly what it reminded me of; a Crown. I was a firefighter in the 70s and Crown also made fire trucks that were absolutely gorgeous.
My elementary/junior high school district ran Gillig buses (made in San Leandro, CA) back in the 60's and 70's. Until the school district made us find our own way to school. I have no idea what kind of engine was in the back. The later buses had what I'm assuming was some kind of semi automatic transmission. The shift quadrant had more than a few forward ranges. They were oddly marked like 1-4, 2-6, etc.
We have a good friend that works at Gillig (now in Livermore, CA). Yes, she works on the assembly line.
We have a good friend that works at Gillig (now in Livermore, CA). Yes, she works on the assembly line.
Some thoughts:
1. It is amazing that this was a bus sold in the very late eighties. One responder said it looked like a GM from the fifties. It was retro.
2. Don't like to do this, but please know that the plural of "bus" is "buses."
3. The schoolbuses I rode on in the seventies, mostly Thomases, sucked in comparison.
1. It is amazing that this was a bus sold in the very late eighties. One responder said it looked like a GM from the fifties. It was retro.
2. Don't like to do this, but please know that the plural of "bus" is "buses."
3. The schoolbuses I rode on in the seventies, mostly Thomases, sucked in comparison.
My dad was a firefighter for Los Angeles County through the 70s and 80s. His station 95 was one of the last to have their Crown Firecoach replaced. I have the 95 number plate on the wall here. In 1958 County had Crown custom build 2 short buses for crew transport. They had Hall-Scott 504 ci ohc gas 6 cylinder engines. My dad drove one with a load of trainees on occasion. One bus survives today beautifully restored, I have had the chance to wrench on it and drive it. The rumble of the Hall -Scott under the floor is amazing.
Your Gillig may have been Cat powered, most likely the 1160, a precursor to the 3208. Transmission was an old rough shifting Allison. We had a 69 Carpenter transit in the fleet with a Ford gasser up front, MT 42 cast Iron Allison trans. Giant turd of a bus but it looked cool with its compound curved windshields. We also had 5 Gillig Phantom transit buses in the fleet. De rated Detroit 6V 92 rear engine with the MT series Allison. Dogs to drive and crappy bodies. Those things leaked in the rain from new. Premature rusters too. Electrics for the heaters was undersized, I was constantly replacing that portion of the fuse block. Nice driving on the road with air suspension front and rear but nowhere near as stout as a Crown.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Yeah they have a pitch that carries - years ago there was a drilling rig behind us and had 12V’s just screaming away …
A few months ago a modern electric rig was behind us and you could barely hear the gens running …
Oh another thing. If that bus has the 2 stroke Detroit diesel it requires a sae 40 oil. Multi viscosity oils like 15w -40 are not recommended and can cause premature engine wear.
The oils for them are getting scarce. At least here. Chevron delo100 is one brand.
The oils for them are getting scarce. At least here. Chevron delo100 is one brand.
Looks good, but the ricer tailpipe.... 
If you've got an old coach RV conversion like that, you need to be able to work on it yourself. Bus Grease Monkey videos on YouTube will help somewhat if you're already mechanically inclined and have the tools. The good news about the older mechanical 2 strokes is that they are extremely simple, especially the 71 series. If you've ever rebuilt a domestic pushrod V8, you can work on a 2 stroke Detroit. No $10K injector replacements here, if you have a stuck injector it can usually be freed up with a can of penetrating oil and a hammer.
As for the coach itself I thought it was a GM 4104, but I guess you guys saying it's a Crown might be right. I would prefer an ex-Greyhound GMC coach to something like a Crown that was probably a school bus, the Greyhounds were built to run on the highway. If you want one that gets good mileage, there are some 1940s era GMC 3703s that came with 4-71's in them. They are dog arse slow and never met a hill that they liked, but on flat ground going 55-60 you can get 12-14 mpg with them.
For me personally, if I was going to go with an old coach it would probably be a 70-90s Eagle or an MCI, which are really old in their own right, but not quite as old as the ones like in the OP. The GMCs with the transverse rear engines and the Crowns with the underbody engines make a repower (or a trans change) extremely difficult. Repowering an Eagle or MCI with a 4 stroke like a Detroit Series 60 and a 6 speed auto like an Allison B500 is straightforward due to the longitudinal engine mounting, and lots of other owners have gone there before you in doing so. In the case of the Eagle, the factory installed Series 60s in their last few years of production in the mid-late 90s, so the parts are out there.
As for the coach itself I thought it was a GM 4104, but I guess you guys saying it's a Crown might be right. I would prefer an ex-Greyhound GMC coach to something like a Crown that was probably a school bus, the Greyhounds were built to run on the highway. If you want one that gets good mileage, there are some 1940s era GMC 3703s that came with 4-71's in them. They are dog arse slow and never met a hill that they liked, but on flat ground going 55-60 you can get 12-14 mpg with them.
For me personally, if I was going to go with an old coach it would probably be a 70-90s Eagle or an MCI, which are really old in their own right, but not quite as old as the ones like in the OP. The GMCs with the transverse rear engines and the Crowns with the underbody engines make a repower (or a trans change) extremely difficult. Repowering an Eagle or MCI with a 4 stroke like a Detroit Series 60 and a 6 speed auto like an Allison B500 is straightforward due to the longitudinal engine mounting, and lots of other owners have gone there before you in doing so. In the case of the Eagle, the factory installed Series 60s in their last few years of production in the mid-late 90s, so the parts are out there.
Rotella T1 40 wt
Delo 400
Delvac 1240
...are all out there, you might have to go to the local oil company jobber to get them, but it's not that hard to get. The 2 strokes might not be as common as they were say in the 1970s, but, there's still many in service around the world. I don't think CF-2 straight 40 is going away anytime sooon, sure, you can't buy it at Walmart or Autozone, but it's out there.
The straight 40 vs 15w40 in light of, Detroit having had discountined these engines for OTR applications in 1995, would be an interesting side topic for BITOG discussion. I mean obviously Detroit is not updating recommendations for these engines at this point in time. The DD 2 strokes require low ash oil as to not foul up the airbox, but that's pretty common nowadays with the modern emissions controls. So what makes the straight 40s so much better with all the associated dire warnings? Perhaps it's the HTHS? I note that Delvac 1240 has an HTHS of 4.6, yes the PDS is still out there.
PdsDetailsPage
Mobil Delvac 1220, 1230, 1240, and 1250 are heavy duty, diesel engine oils formulated from high performancebase oils and a balanced additive system of ashless dispersants, metallic detergents, and inhibitors to control oxidation, wear, corrosion, and rust. They are used in a wide range of...
www.mobil.com
So what 15w40s are out there with an HTHS of 4.6 or above? I note that Amsoil ADP 15w40 has an HTHS of 4.7, sulfated ash of 1.0% , and is recommended for CF-2 applications.
Any other diesel oils with high HTHS out there? I noted HPL makes a 20w50 for diesel applications that has 5.3 hths.
Those engines were banned in my state 30+ years ago! We still have one at my work somehow. I cannot get the correct oil for it from anywhere.Rotella T1 40 wt
Delo 400
Delvac 1240
...are all out there, you might have to go to the local oil company jobber to get them, but it's not that hard to get. The 2 strokes might not be as common as they were say in the 1970s, but, there's still many in service around the world. I don't think CF-2 straight 40 is going away anytime sooon, sure, you can't buy it at Walmart or Autozone, but it's out there.
The straight 40 vs 15w40 in light of, Detroit having had discountined these engines for OTR applications in 1995, would be an interesting side topic for BITOG discussion. I mean obviously Detroit is not updating recommendations for these engines at this point in time. The DD 2 strokes require low ash oil as to not foul up the airbox, but that's pretty common nowadays with the modern emissions controls. So what makes the straight 40s so much better with all the associated dire warnings? Perhaps it's the HTHS? I note that Delvac 1240 has an HTHS of 4.6, yes the PDS is still out there.
PdsDetailsPage
Mobil Delvac 1220, 1230, 1240, and 1250 are heavy duty, diesel engine oils formulated from high performancebase oils and a balanced additive system of ashless dispersants, metallic detergents, and inhibitors to control oxidation, wear, corrosion, and rust. They are used in a wide range of...
So what 15w40s are out there with an HTHS of 4.6 or above? I note that Amsoil ADP 15w40 has an HTHS of 4.7, sulfated ash of 1.0% , and is recommended for CF-2 applications.
Any other diesel oils with high HTHS out there? I noted HPL makes a 20w50 for diesel applications that has 5.3 hths.
Just gave me chills! Stationed at Kunsan Air Base South Korea in the mid-90s and this looks exactly like the bus that took you to "A-town" to drink on the weekends! Worst running thing ever placed on a roadway, what little exhaust still hanging underneath poured the blackest smoke you ever saw. If it stopped to idle for less than a minute everyone aboard would die from smoke inhalation.
Oh man, what memories.
Oh man, what memories.
and fuel.A new diesel pusher is $150K and up. Money saved will buy a whole lot of parts.....and weed.
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