Most miles before engine rebuild/replacement

[Pete Masterson]

What you're really asking is: How long will the engine in a Blue Bird
last?

The only rational answer is "It depends."

The key to a long lasting engine is proper preventative maintenance
and attentive operating control. Blue Birds use the same engines as
commercial trucks and busses. But many Wanderlodges seem to require a
rebuild many miles before similar engines in commercial service. The
key difference is maintenance and operational control.

I purchased a Bird with about 118,000 miles on it. So far as I know,
the engine has not been rebuilt. I've put nearly 20,000 miles on it
in the 18 months I've had it.

I noted (on my maiden trip) that it had an overheating problem. A
trip to a heavy-duty bus/truck radiator shop quickly found the reason
and I had a new radiator core installed. Excessive heat kills
engines, probably the quickest of any abuse an owner can give. I've
also added regular cleaning of the (external) radiator fins (which
were clogged with oily-dirt) to my maintenance list.

Obviously, regular oil changes are necessary. You can debate the
value of synthetic vs. regular oil. I note that oil temperatures can
get quite hot. The DD Series 60 manual states that the normal oil
temperature operating range is between 200 and 250!! degrees f. At
250 degrees, oil can break down fairly quickly. I've made it a
practice to start watching carefully when oil temperature gets to 220
degrees and to pull over for a cool-down when it reaches 230 degrees.
(This occurs only on steep grades.) I note that the oil temperature
will drop significantly in only 2 or 3 minutes at idle by the side of
the road -- but can take some time to cool off while going down a
grade after reaching a summit -- so I usually take advantage of
"brake check" pull-outs at many summits to cool things down. My only
observation about synthetic vs. regular oil is that synthetic oils
will degrade less quickly under high-heat, so if steep grades are an
expected regular part of your travels, that may be a consideration.
Synthetic oil, in a diesel application, do not extend the change
period significantly (as may be the case with some automobiles).
Currently I have regular oil in the engine. The previous owner used
synthetic.

While you're certainly right to be concerned about the longevity of
the engine -- Blue Bird Wanderlodges have used Cat 3208 (in various
NA and TA configurations), DD 6v92, DD 8v92, DD Series 60, and, in
the newest years, various Cummins models. Each of these engines have
various life-span parameters and have different maintenance needs.

The biggest unknown with the purchase of any Bird is what care and
attention the previous owner(s) have provided to the engine (and
other components). I was fortunate to get the maintenance records of
the immediate previous owner (two years worth) -- but I have no idea
what maintenance was done for the 9 years my coach was on the road
before the previous owner got the coach. So, there is simply a matter
of faith (hope) that earlier owners did not seriously abuse the engine.

The fact that some engines only last 60 or 80 thousand miles vs.
other engines that last 250 thousand miles is not going to tell you
that the coach you buy will have either experience. You simply don't
know (can't know) what abuse or neglected preventive maintenance may
have occurred with the engine in the coach you ultimately may buy.
And, it will provide no insight into how well _you_ may maintain the
engine...

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



On Dec 27, 2007, at 10:32 AM, johnjzmail wrote:

> This is a contest:
>
> Whoever can claim the greatest number of miles driven before having to
> rebuild/replace their motor gets
>
> Bragging Rights
> Authority to make other Birds listen to how they did it
> Envy of a maybe-buyer looking for something that lasts
>
> Contest rules: State the miles you've driven with no remorse,
> divulge what year/engine/tranny you drove to achieve this feat, and
> lay down the law about how to imitate you. (Sorry: Only over 150,000
> eligible)
> __________________
> John in Arizona
> Wannabe
>


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