Articles Archives

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

The Thomas Pusher Bus With 3116 Diesel Engine

The model of the school bus in the video is a 2007 pusher ER Saf T Liner. Thomas did good with the design of this one. It drives like a Cadillac and is nice and quiet up front for the operator. Most of the drivers liked these models for that reason. They handle very well… Continue reading The Thomas Pusher Bus With 3116 Diesel Engine

School Bus Photos and Rudolph Diesel

Here are some various photos on school buses I wanted to share with you. If you haven’t ever read up on Rudolph Diesel I would like to do a short Bio on him. Usually when you go to technical school for the truck trade you will most likely have gone through a class covering the… Continue reading School Bus Photos and Rudolph Diesel

School Bus Block Heater Not So Easy….

Here is a project we were working on involving a block heater replacement on a Thomas C2 conventional school bus. In this video you will be able to see the tight spot that you need to get in to accessing the block heater element. This is an MBE 900 Mercedes diesel which is inset under… Continue reading School Bus Block Heater Not So Easy….

Code 3500 Allison Transmissions

There’s one transmission code that has flashed up many times in our fleet with the Allison 3000 series transmissions…code #3500 which is a battery voltage interruption to the transmission ECU. What happens is the push button shift control does the fish eye thing and you lose shifting ability. The first place to go is (of… Continue reading Code 3500 Allison Transmissions

You’ve Got an Interview: Now What?

"Work smart and hard." That’s the phrase coined by Mike Rowe, former host of Discovery’s "Dirty Jobs" and the voice behind Ford truck commercials. When he’s not working in television, Rowe often speaks about the value of hard-working jobs involving trade skills and hands-on experience. On HBO’s "Real Time with Bill Maher," Rowe tells a… Continue reading You’ve Got an Interview: Now What?