Transcooler 94PT

[Gregory OConnor]

I scheduled a radiator fluid flush and replace for my newly purchased
1994 Wonderlodge. In review of the transcooler failure on the Craig
bus I visited a neighbor who has 900+ used transit busses most with
Detroit 6v92 and about 250 8v92's. He told me that the used busses
he buys have regular maintenance and over 500,000 miles on each. The
busses from shops that kept a check on the ph and makeup of the
Cooling fluids and did not do chemical flushes have little problems
with the waterpumps and transcoolers. Shops that made chemical
flushing a maintainance event and did not keep up with ph had many
problems.( he noted that these coaches had rebuilt trans more often
than other shops busses) The harsh pre flush chemicles are designed
to dislodge the rust which is oxidized metal. The metal is oxidized
from the inside because the ph and rust inhibiters in the fluid were
not monitored and mixed His advice to me was this. Since I do not
know the truth about the maintenance of my bus and I see some sign of
rust in the puketank, Do a chemical flush then fluid replace and
check the ATF level( if too full Rfluid may have entered) and color (
rFluid turns the Tfluid milkey) every pretrip. I decided to replace
the transcooler even though he said it was somthing they only do when
there is evidence of mixing. The part was just under $1,500.00 but
less than 10% that of a new trans. The water pump is the next fail
item with rusty fluid.

Gregory O'Connor
94PT40
Romoland California