Mercedes MBE 900 Diesel Engine Replacement

This is a 2008 Mercedes MBE 900 Diesel Engine that has been sitting for over a year now. It had a major issue with losing engine coolant every time the bus (Thomas HDX Pusher Bus) climbed a grade under load. The coolant would blow out of the coolant fill tank (surge tank) a gallon at… Continue reading Mercedes MBE 900 Diesel Engine Replacement

IC School Bus Interior and Exterior Tour

This is a tour of the various parts and components you might not usually see on an IC (International Corporation) school bus. There are many lettered signs with instructions how to exit or open doors and windows somewhat familiar to travelling on an aircraft. The body side of International school buses are quite reliable and… Continue reading IC School Bus Interior and Exterior Tour

Diesel Engine Cold Start in a School Bus

This diesel engine in this video started up quite nicely compared to other buses I’ve encountered during winter conditions. The batteries were in good shape and there were no mechanical issues with the fuel system. So what could cause a poor start on a diesel engine? First thing is block heaters or diesel coolant heaters.… Continue reading Diesel Engine Cold Start in a School Bus

School Bus Replacing Front Brakes

Front brakes on a school bus are significantly smaller than the rear drive axle mainly because there is much less weight to handle and you want a balanced stop while braking. Brakes are engineered to even out the stopping accuracy when the brake pedal is applied and give the operator the proper feel when driving… Continue reading School Bus Replacing Front Brakes

School Bus Garage Machining Brake Shoes

School buses are fussy sometimes so fine tuning is required once in a while. In this case the front brakes were grabbing and pulling the bus to one side at slow speeds. The best method to repair this problem is machining the brake shoes and brake drums. It’s not a unusual step to take in… Continue reading School Bus Garage Machining Brake Shoes

School Bus Electrical Troubleshooting

The First Step Troubleshooting Electrical Problems The last month has been unbelievable with waves of electrical problems. Several International and Thomas buses have been coding, not running and not starting on a steady basis. Corrosion is always the enemy and even though the bus manufacturers try their best to keep electrical harnesses and connections sealed… Continue reading School Bus Electrical Troubleshooting

International MaxxForce DT Diesel Engine Miss Repair

The video tells the story on the running condition of this MaxxForce DT diesel engine. International designed these engines to run on high pressure oil to hydraulically actuate each injector electronically by the on board computer which is separate from the fuel system which runs at 75 psi. This engine sounds like it’s running on… Continue reading International MaxxForce DT Diesel Engine Miss Repair

School Bus Garage January Highlights

School bus repairs is never boring because the variety never ends. I will go through each of the featured jobs in this video and do an over view including the solution which is the best part of any mechanical repair. The first part is an injector failure or I should say injector sealing washer failure… Continue reading School Bus Garage January Highlights

International DT MaxxForce Diesel Engine Rebuild Overview

I know this post has a rather long title but I wanted to attract International DT MaxxForce diesel engine users. This rebuild took a few weeks to complete due to waiting for parts and sending out components for repair and testing. The bill came out big in the end over 10,000 dollars. This is not… Continue reading International DT MaxxForce Diesel Engine Rebuild Overview

International School Bus Diesel Engine Road Test

Here I am….sitting and idling one of our MaxxForce DT diesel engines after a road test on the highway. It can be frustrating when a driver complains about the engine missing and not accelerating. As usual when the mechanic goes on a road test (more often than not) there is absolutely nothing wrong. There are… Continue reading International School Bus Diesel Engine Road Test