DT466 Diesel Engine Is The Best Performer In Cold Weather

The DT466 Diesel Engine is by far the most reliable mid range engine going. I'm sticking to this statement because of years of working around them and the dependability of these workhorses is excellent.

Not only can you rebuild them in frame for a fraction of the cost of a new diesel engine but the life expectancy of a well maintained DT466 is in the range of 300 to 400 thousand kilometers. This is mainly in school buses since the maintenance program is very strict in most districts.

That's not to go without saying that any highway or off road DT466 diesel engine can reach these numbers as well. It was a sad day when International stopped making these engines.

With the electronic age came the DT466E and I'm impressed with them as well but you have to treat them with a little more sensitivity when firing them up in cold weather.

You could have a can of diesel engine starting fluid commonly known as ether and give the intake a quick shot and before you can say "thank you lord Jesus" that puppy would be smoking away and ready to go to work like a loyal bird dog!

OK here is my last plug of the day.

If you're looking for a used school bus for sale then I highly recommend going for a bus that is equipped with a DT466 diesel engine.

Check out this video: A 1989 International S1800 with a DT466 diesel engine doing a cold start up in 10 to 15 degree (Fahrenheit) weather

Found a Used school bus For Sale ? What to Look For...

Finding a used school bus for sale online is not as easy as driving down to the local auction house and kicking the tires of a potential school bus that has caught your eye. There is however a huge market available online with thousands of school districts all over North America retiring twelve to fifteen year old buses with a lot of life left in them.

The one thing most online shoppers may be thinking is how honest is the seller and how much of a hassle will they have to go through to get a great deal. With the diversity of the Internet buyers and sellers can interact with pictures, descriptions and email to make a great deal with confidence.

The following are areas on a used school bus for sale that you should check out carefully.
Most school districts have a strict maintenance program and every action performed on their school buses will be documented either in a log book or on a computer. This information is the bible on the school bus you're interested in. You can see what has been replaced, how frequent the servicing occurred and if it was a lemon with frequent breakdowns.

The maintenance log will also give you the mileage and the in-service date, if the mileage is extremely high [over 250,000] then caution should be observed. Diesel engines are very durable but they do have limits with high hours on bearings, pistons and rings. The advantage of a preventative maintenance program is regular oil changes and in some cases the analyzing of oil samples. Any repairs required are performed immediately because of the obligation of each school district to provide safe transportation for school children.

A close inspection of the interior and exterior of a school bus will reveal any rust that has formed. School buses must be washed and disinfected on a regular basis and one drawback is the floor with a wood base can deteriorate over time. The underside should be closely inspected for rust especially at the body crossmembers, the severity depends on how much salt and chemicals are applied on the local highways during the winter season.

Running the engine and observing for excessive smoke and unusual noise is important to determine the mechanical condition of the school bus in question. A cold diesel engine will run rough at first until warm with extra white smoke out the tail pipe. Check transmission shifting, brake performance and determine what is not working properly with the accessories and operating systems. Everything for sale is negotiable, don't walk away from a great deal because of a few minor repairs that may be required.

I hope this over-view on shopping for a used school bus for sale
has helped you.

Used School Bus For Sale Review

Used School Bus For Sale-1993 Bluebird Pusher

Looking for a used school bus for sale can be a lot of work and when searching all over the country for a deal there's some reluctance in most people when they can't touch what there thinking of buying and not knowing the seller's credibility.

I've been using Ebay for years and it's the top "brand name" for buying and selling on the Internet. Sellers and buyers are held accountable with a feedback score from previous transactions that everyone can view, when you click on a product all the seller's history is located at the top right hand corner.

Ebay auctions usually run for 10 days at a time and you are notified by email if you've won the auction item or the it's come to an end.

So I'm going to write random reviews on a used school bus for sale on Ebay that I think meets all the requirements for price and condition.

Below I will make comments on the vehicle description [italicized with the * sign] to let you know what my opinions are either good or bad.

1993 Bluebird Vehicle Description

1993 72 Passenger TC2000 School Bus

6 Cylinder 5.9 Cummins Turbocharged diesel engine

*Cummins diesels are well suited for this application, I like the B Series Cummins even though it will lack that extra power when climbing a steep grade. A Very reliable engine that has a good track record and will serve it's owner well.

4 Speed Allison Transmission (approx 10,000 miles on rebuild- 5/28/04 - 153573 miles)

*The Allison is great for a fleet school bus and is very dependable when maintained properly. It will probably be an electronic 3000 series which has minor glitches with wiring but no "lemon" problems from factory that I've ever experienced. It's had a recent rebuild adding to the value so regular maintenance will be you're only concern.

162,684 miles total

*Lots of life left since we've had buses up to 240,000 miles

Bus Condition

Paint is faded, has some surface rust, however no thru holes

*Easily repaired and obviously no major body rust

Undercarrigage is rusty

*Not uncommon for body crossmembers to show rust, this can be repaired but depending how bad the rust is most times does not interfere with the integrity of the bus structure.

Bus has been used as a fleet spare for the last two years

*typical for older buses to spend their final years as a spare. Very low mileage during this phase.

Has been replaced by a new bus in the fleet

*All School Bus Fleets must retire a bus at a pre-determined mileage and year

Tire Condition - Front 25-30% Rear 35 - 40%

*Above the tire wear bars, no reason to replace tires yet.

Inside of the bus is in good shape

*Looking at the advertisement photos everything looks good. During service years the seats and trim take a beating but have to be repaired on the spot. The floor gets washed a lot through the years and since there is a wood subfloor under the linoleum you might see some lumps.

Seller Comment: I am listing the bus for the school district that owned and operated this bus since new.

*School Districts generally have an extensive Preventive Maintenance Program. This bus should have the service records right from the day it went into service. When our shop sells a bus the log book goes with the bus. This will give you a detailed account of repairs and maintenance.

Email if you have additional questions or would like to view the bus prior to the end of the auction

*Ask your questions directly to the seller who is acting as a middleman for this transaction. There no limit to any inquiries you may have...

Conclusion:

Overall this is a very good used bus with no immediate attention required, the seller has bidding going on right now [just over 1000.00$ U.S.] with a Reserve amount in place. There is also a Buy It Now Price of $ 3500.00. Still a very fair amount...

If you've never used Ebay before registering is free..

You just need a user name & password to start bidding.

Used School Bus For Sale-1993 Bluebird Pusher

Note: Bidding ends Nov. 15/07 at 9:26 PST

View other used school buses for sale Here

just enter "school bus" into the search box

Stay Tuned for my next review on a Used School Bus For Sale

Found a Used School Bus For Sale? What You Should Know...

There are thousands of Used School Buses For Sale but you still need to use your due diligence when checking it out.

A visual checkover is the first thing to do when looking the bus over but internal information can help you make a more confident decision.

Looking at the past life of a School Bus will tell you the whole story and most of them will have a thorough record starting from the first day it turned a wheel.

What's the mileage? 2-300,000 KM is an average [We've had buses run over 400,000 km but that isn't a huge factor depending on the running gear and PM program.]

1. Was it on a Preventitive Maintenance Program from new?


2. Who owned it previously? A Private or Government facility? [Government preferred]


3. Is there a log book or maintenance records? [Any signs of a lemon?]


4. Is it Gas or Diesel? [Depending on the size of bus Choose Diesel]


5. Make and model? [I would choose a THOMAS over anything else]


6. Engine make and model? [Cummins C & Intn'l DT 466 very reliable!] Gas engines are usually big block GM on smaller units. Ok for light duty...


7. Make & Model of Transmission? Allison MT 643 & 3000 series electronic very good performers IF well maintained from new! Manual transmission OK, depends on who is driving. [auto trans. allows more focus on driving instead of shifting] also depends on the type of run, it wouldn't matter if you live on the prairies with 2 hour straight stretches.


8. Choose Budd wheels because of the strength and reliability, Dayton [spoked design] are acceptable and handy for changing tires yourself but I personally don't like the wedge design on them.


9. Generally when a Used School Bus comes up for sale it's maximized the accepted life expectancy according to Dep't Of Transportation Criteria. The one area that needs to be closely looked at is the overall condition of the BODY. Check the body crossmembers closely for rust. If you're transporting a group, the bus needs to be passed by an inspector [depending on D.O.T rules in your state or province]

That's the basics when looking at a Used School Bus For Sale. If you are not a Mechanic I strongly suggest taking it to a good shop that works on medium duty vehicles on a regular basis and get it evaluated.