Most miles before engine rebuild/replacement

[Curt Sprenger]

Kurt,

My guess is your radiator is plugging up (internal). Drain out a few gallons of coolant...remove the radiator top hose...using a light and mirror look inside the top ...looking for plugged or partial plugged radiator tubes. Somewhere on this site are photos or our radiator prior to roding it out...UGLY.


Curt Sprenger
1987 PT38 8V92 "MacAttack Racing"
Anaheim Hills, CA

On Thu, Jan 1, 2009 at 1:35 PM, Kurt Horvath <"kguns@hughes.net"> wrote:

I had priced out radiator cores just before X-Mass for my coach PT 42

S-60 DD The core from Detroit Radiator was $2100.00 That was with the

dimpled tubes. Dan at Chicago Radiator said he could ship me a Core

the next day for $ 1495.00 Prolience is the Co who took over the G&O

Co. the was my coaches OEM Mfg. Old number for the Rad was G & O, X-

3190. I'm not sure but the new Prolience Number is X226894 for

$1890.22 It seems as the price of $3500.00 doesn't sound out of line.

When labor is thrown in. My core has a top and bottom tank 72 bolts

on each, there's a few hours labor just there. 7K does sound a bit

high, for me anyway. My coach will get hot if the Aux. Fan is off.

When on she runs 190 engine coolant 202 engine oil all day long. If I

switch it off she creeps up to 225 coolant and 250 oil temp. Then the

dreaded check engine lights up. Not real sure what my problem is,

Water pump, old coolant, radiator, just getting into it, any ideas?



Kurt Horvath

95 PT 42

10AC



--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Scott Forman"

<scottforman75@...> wrote:

>

> I had my rad done last summer. New core, fabrication of a new

bottom

> tank, and all new lines, hoses, etc. in that rea while the rad was

> out. The total bill came in at about $7,300.

>

> Scott Forman

> 86 PT38

> Memphis

>

> --- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Joyce and Richard Hayden"

> wrote:

> >

> > If I might jump in here with my experiences on this subject.

> Summer before last I found that our radiator needed to be

replaced.

> I had had good experiences with Performance Radiator in Everett, WA

> when our FC needed radiator attention. As I recall the new core,

> using the old tanks, cost around $3800 for the radiator work only.

I

> delivered to their shop and picked it up. I did the removal and

> installation myself in the "Birdhouse" which has a nice flat

floor.

> I point that out because the thing is very heavy and not something

I

> could have managed alone were it not for the nice floor. I used a

> ATV jack to do the heavy lifting. I just had to balance it.

> > While the radiator was out I replaced all of the 1 inch heater

> hoses in the engine room with silicone hose, removed and replaced

all

> of the insulation and cleaned and painted the surfaces that I

> couldn't get to when the radiator was in place. I don't remember

> what the total came to with all of the extra work and can't look it

> up just now since the bus is in Yuma and I'm at home.

> > The radiator was necessary and the hoses were to the point of

> needing replaced as they were getting hard and brittle due to the

> heat. As with most of our coaches the insulation was completely

shot

> and a mess and badly needed attention. The painting was not really

> necessary and involved mostly my time but it sure looks nice.

> > I believe Performance Radiator is a west coast operation and I've

> seen their ads in Yuma.

> >

> > Good luck Bob.

> >

> > Dick Hayden - '87 PT 38 - Lake Stevens, WA

> >

> > ----- Original Message -----

> > From: Pete Masterson

> > To:

> "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com"
> om>

> > Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2009 10:13 AM

> > Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Most miles before engine

> rebuild/replacement

> >

> >

> > Well, in that case, it seems a rather high. When I researched

the

> matter, there was a radiator core place (they manufactured

radiator

> cores, whom I no longer remember*) that referred me to several

> northern California radiator shops, including the one I eventually

> used.

> >

> >

> >

> > * I _think_ I got the name from one of the Blue Bird lists, way

> back when... I don't see any references in my saved files, though.

> >

> >

> >

> > A price of $800 plus shipping comes to mind for what my core

> cost. Even with the considerable increase in some materials prices,

a

> 400+ percent increase doesn't seem reasonable.

> >

> >

> > You might discuss what core manufacturer they're using and it

> might be worth searching the Internet for radiator cores for

busses.

> I found these:

> >

>

<http://www.completeradiators.com/radiatorcores.asp<http://www.complet

> eradiators.com/radiatorcores.asp>> with a specific mention of the

DD

> Series 60...

> > and

>

<http://radiatorgroup.com/238559bluebirdbusradiator.aspx<http://radiat

> orgroup.com/238559bluebirdbusradiator.aspx>> but this one looks

more

> like what you'd put in an FC...

> >

> >

> > This link has Blue Bird "truck" radiators:

> >

>

<http://detroitradiatorcorp.com/11_2_1.htm<http://detroitradiatorcorp.

> com/11_2_1.htm>>

> >

> >

> > This outfit has a radiator assembly (rebuilt and used) for 6v92:

> >

>

<http://www.capbusparts.com/Sec06/s6p4a.html<http://www.capbusparts.co

> m/Sec06/s6p4a.html>>

> >

> >

> > I'm wondering if the price differential might be in part due to

> the 6v92 being so long out of production...?

> >

> >

> >

> > Pete Masterson

> > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42 (For Sale)

> >

>

<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.html<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.

> html>>

> > El Sobrante CA

> > aeonix1@

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > On Dec 31, 2008, at 7:32 PM, Bob Lawrence wrote:

> >

> >

> > Hi Pete,

> > No, the price of $3,500 was just for the rad. No labor.

Altho,

> > Richard, who did mine works for $35 per hour. Can't beat that!

> > Bob Lawrence

> > 84 PT36

> > Padre Island,Tex

> >

> >

> > It's been 2-1/2 years since I had to work done, so my

> recollection

> > is

> > a bit sketchy. (I have the receipt somewhere, but I really

> don't

> > want

> > to look for it.)

> >

> >

> > The bill ended up costing about $4600 -- with $1000 being

> work on

> > the

> > AC system (that wasn't related to the R&R of the radiator).

> Most

> > of

> > the cost was labor (at SF Bay Area rates) and I believe

that

> the

> > new

> > core was about $1000 with about $2600 labor to remove and

> replace

> > all

> > the stuff -- the air charge radiator had to come out as

it's

> part

> > of

> > the same assembly.

> >

> >

> > I expect that a core might be a lot more expensive now

> (aluminum?

> > brass?) -- and I'd think that labor in Corpus Christi is a

> bit

> > lower

> > than here. I think the S-60 radiator is a little larger

(but

> big

> > is

> > big) -- and other costs of the R&R might be different in an

S-

> 60

> > vs.

> > an 8v92.

> >

> >

> > So, if the $3,500 includes R&R plus the new radiator core --



> it's

> > probably a fair price.

> >

> >

> > Pete Masterson

> > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42 (For Sale)

> >

>

<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.html<http://www.aeonix.biz/BBforsale.

> html>>

> > El Sobrante CA

> > aeonix1@

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > On Dec 30, 2008, at 2:44 PM, Bob Lawrence wrote:

> >

> >

> > Pete,

> > How much did you pay for the radiator?

> > I'm trying to get an answer for a Powell Brown and his 88

> 8v92.

> > He is

> > new to this and needs to replace his rad.

> > He has been quoted $3,500 for one in Corpus Christi.

> > Is this out of line?

> > Bob Lawrence

> > 84 PT36

> > Padre Island, Tx.

> >

> >

> > 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.

> >

> >

> > Pete Masterson

> > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

> > El Sobrante CA

> > aeonix1@

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

> > Yahoo! Groups Links

> >

>