Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tire Myths Debunked

As one of the most commonly replaced parts on a car, vehicle tires represent a $23 billion industry, according to IbisWorld.com. Everyone seems to have some kind of advice about proper tire care and replacement, but it can be hard to separate the facts from fiction. Check out these four tire myths: Only Big Companies… Continue reading Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tire Myths Debunked

Cummins Diesel Aftertreatment System Video

I found this animated video of the Cummins Diesel Aftertreatment system commonly known as SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). I need to get familiar with this system since we have been buying International buses since 2010. Navistar was only using the EGR to reduce emissions to 2010 standards along with buying credits so they did not… Continue reading Cummins Diesel Aftertreatment System Video

Allison Automatic Transmission Checking Codes

The Allison MD 3000 electronic transmission is a regular component in a lot of fleets. We have been using them for many years and there have been some faults with them including wiring issues and clutch failures but for the past few years they have been bullet proof. I think one factor is the synthetic… Continue reading Allison Automatic Transmission Checking Codes

How The Vandalock Works On An International School Bus

In this video I go through the vandalock system in a conventional International school bus. The key switch is on the outside for a good reason. The operator can disable the bus from starting if he happens to either leave the bus with kids still on or has to park it over night or while… Continue reading How The Vandalock Works On An International School Bus

Hot Rods From The Fifties

Hot Rods started growing in popularity around 1950. After the second world war America was ready for some fun which included it’s love for the automobile. The fifties represented a generation of rebels like James Dean who starred in “Rebel Without A Cause”. The fifties also popularized drive-in movies, Coca Cola and jukeboxes. In the… Continue reading Hot Rods From The Fifties

Navistar Adding The Cummins ISB To Trucks and Buses

Great news!….the Cummins ISB engine will be available starting on September 3rd for Navistar IC CE series school buses. The medium duty engine is a perfect fit. I know this from experience because of the performance we have received from these engines. The 6.7 liter engines interface very well with the 2000 series Allison transmissions… Continue reading Navistar Adding The Cummins ISB To Trucks and Buses

Thomas HDX Rear Emergency Window Switch Improvisation

If you have Thomas HDX school buses in your fleet you might have been experiencing problems with the rear window alarm coming on unexpectedly. If moisture gets into the seal area the exposed ground wire in the window frame grounds out and sets off the alarm. The main problem with the design is the ground… Continue reading Thomas HDX Rear Emergency Window Switch Improvisation

Fuel Filter IC Maxxforce Diesel Engine

Here is a very short video on changing the fuel filter screen on a DT MaxxForce Diesel. This is the first filter from the tank so it’s important not to forget about servicing it every 43,000 km or 25,000 miles. We didn’t know about this filter until we attended a bus conference out of town.… Continue reading Fuel Filter IC Maxxforce Diesel Engine

Rebuilding Cat 3116 Diesel Engine Out Of A Pusher School Bus

The Cat 3116…this engine was introduced to our fleet starting in 2007 and the first thing that we had to do was get a hold of the tool kit required to make adjustments. Adjusting the valves is one thing that can be done easily on any diesel engine. But since the 3116 had a governor… Continue reading Rebuilding Cat 3116 Diesel Engine Out Of A Pusher School Bus

6 Must Have Apps for Beginner Automotive Mechanics

The popularity of NPR’s "Car Talk" illustrates a fact even beginner mechanics know: once you tell someone that you’re a mechanic, you’re expected to diagnose that weird sound the car makes every morning. These apps won’t get you out of those cocktail party jams, but they can help you diagnose car troubles quickly, accurately and… Continue reading 6 Must Have Apps for Beginner Automotive Mechanics