1992 Bluebird TC2000 FE

shortbus4x4

shortbus4x4

Junk collector
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
1,146
Loc
Post Falls ID
Here's what I just picked up from a customer of mine. He used it for storage for his business for the last 13 years but got a new shop built this last year. It's a 1992 Bluebird TC2000 FE with a Cummins 12 valve p pump, Allison MT642 and air brakes. He gave it to me for a deal that I couldn't pass up. It took him a few months to mostly clean it out.

I drove it to my work Saturday with him following and then he gave me a ride back. It drives good, had it up to 55 but then the front-end started dancing from what feels like a tire that's been sitting too long, and school districts don't put good tires on buses they are going to surplus. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. It'd make a good crawler hauler with the rear chopped.
Sceep wanna go camping, mines bigger.:flipoff2::flipoff2:
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shortbus4x4 said:
Here's what I just picked up from a customer of mine. He used it for storage for his business for the last 13 years but got a new shop built this last year. It's a 1992 Bluebird TC2000 FE with a Cummins 12 valve p pump, Allison MT642 and air brakes. He gave it to me for a deal that I couldn't pass up. It took him a few months to mostly clean it out.

I drove it to my work Saturday with him following and then he gave me a ride back. It drives good, had it up to 55 but then the front-end started dancing from what feels like a tire that's been sitting too long, and school districts don't put good tires on buses they are going to surplus. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. It'd make a good crawler hauler with the rear chopped.
Sceep wanna go camping, mines bigger.:flipoff2::flipoff2:
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NICE! :smokin:

Hell yeah backhalf that thing!

I'm always down for non-romantic campouts with IBB folk! :laughing::beer:
 
Thought about making the whole thing a camper and towing a trailer behind it but she's long, must be close to a 40 footer.
I threw a tape on it this afternoon and I could have a 15' deck with 18' of living space. That would put the front of the flat bed just forward of the rear tires on the bus. The rear axle is rated for I think 19k and Bluebird says it's a 216" wheel base.
Some pictures of the interior and engine.
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Definitely going to get a driver's air ride seat. The steering is tilt and telescoping.
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First steps are to finish cleaning the interior out and then change all the filters and fluids. Also need some tires, the steers at the bare minimum but will see if I can get some good used rear traction tires too. Also need to take all the school bus stoppy signs, bars etc off.
 
I'm 78" and the roof height is 74" so a roof raise is probably going to happen when I build the living quarters, most likely 10-12". There's a company called skoolie.com that has pre-built hat channels and other parts to make roof raises easier.
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Want to be able to haul wife and youngest daughter camping, probably grandkids too.
 
Copy/Pasta from the other thread:
I drove the **** out of the TC2000s in the Army back in the day. Decent buses, but it all comes down to the specs. Most were AT525 Allisons, which bring the suck. If that's what you have, swapping to the MD3060 will do wonders for highway drivability. If its already the 3060, check to make sure 6th gear isn't locked out as a governor. Sometimes merely pressing the "MODE" button unlocks 6th, depends on the programming.

If it has a shift handle, its not the 3060.

Those mostly came with ISB210 5.9 12v P-pumped Cummins' under the hood. Standard P7100 power mods work the same as with the 2nd Gen Dodges, but you'll need a pyro before doing any of that.

They mostly had spring ride out back, so if you can, switch it out to air ride rears. Most of the springs will be worn out by now and the rear will sag badly with any weight in there (and they bounce like crazy with any bump).
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Now that's out of the way, I see it has the MT642 (should that not be MT643?). If the 643, its still a 4-speed and has a 1:1 final drive, compared to the 3060's 4th at 1:1, 5th at 0.75:1 and 6th at 0.65:1. This will bring your rpm down to earth at 70 mph, rather than pegging out somewhere between 55-65. The only improvement the 643 has over the 525 is the lockup converter, otherwise its just about the same thing.

Granted, I haven't messed with these buses in over 20 years, so my memory is a bit foggy.
 
shortbus4x4 said:
I'm 78" and the roof height is 74" so a roof raise is probably going to happen when I build the living quarters, most likely 10-12". There's a company called skoolie.com that has pre-built hat channels and other parts to make roof raises easier.
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Dang, I hadn't heard about that...

You thinking about just lobbing off the rear of the bus roof, or leave a 4' section as a porch/ buggy hood. @longbusrwd? :flipoff2:
 
bad zuki said:
Dang, I hadn't heard about that...

You thinking about just lobbing off the rear of the bus roof, or leave a 4' section as a porch/ buggy hood. @longbusrwd? :flipoff2:
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Not sure yet but if I do a hauler the flatbed will definitely double as a deck when we're at camp. Might have an awning or keep the roof?
 
DRTDEVL, I fat fingered the trans. No not that type of trans you sickos. It's a MT643.

Got all the filter numbers this evening and will start rounding them up. Did some more measuring today, it's a 40 footer. I can have a 15' deck and 17-18' living space inside. It's got 4.44 axle gears, 13,200 front axle and 19k rear for a grand total of 32,200 GVW. Here's some pictures.
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Need to gather filters, clean it out, change said filters and fluids, get some fresh diesel in it and weigh it. Will be working on it a bit in the evenings at the dealership on my way home.
 
back half it, but leave some roof overhang over the flat deck and support it with uprights. makes a nice little covered porch area.

that's how my buddy's is.
allegedly the bbq was used on the flat deck while traveling at 70 mph.....
 
Been 2 years since I got this, need to get on it. The last month I've started cleaning it out. At the beginning and then yesterday.
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Pulled it into the shop of the dealership I work for Friday at the end of the day, having it on ramps sure makes it easier. Changed the engine oil and filter, fuel filter, and water separator. The diesel is definitely old, I've had it two years and the customer I bought it from used it for storage for something like 14 years. I primed the fuel filters with ATF and fuel treatment, will need to add some to the tank too.
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Need to take the school bus stuff off too. Started with the front crossing guard on the front bumper. And the front looks less schoolish. Will need to do the stop paddle air line stuff too but that will be next weekend.
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This has the retro fitted crank case breather system which makes the fuel filter hard to access. I do believe it is going to fall off here soon and I'll run just the regular old draft tube. Funny thing is I have a dozen or more of the filters that one of my school district customers gave me, they're probably going to go to the dump.
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And after 2 hours this morning, 0630 to 0830 I pulled her out and went home to watch grandkids and stuff. Ordering some 8 way flasher light deletes, heater hose U and rear door lock from Skoolie.com this afternoon. Still need to service the trans, air dryer cartridge, air dryer purges every minute or 2 and grease the chassis. Wife is going to be gone next weekend so will get to spend some quality time with her.
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Still waiting on the spin on external trans filter so decided to start on the interior this morning. Spent a couple of hours so far. At the start, found a prybar helps too as a number of screws just spun in place without some help.
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Making progress.
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Ceiling panels will come off too and I started on them today.
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About 1.5 hours spent on it today and then it was time to go home. Got some piles of insulation and scrap. Will be back for more tomorrow.
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Pulled it into the shop yesterday at the end of the day. Stopped by the dumpster and scrap bin to empty the back so I was starting fresh today.
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Removed the stop paddle from the left side and put the bolts back in the holes. Will need to pull the air line and wires through and plug hole eventually.
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Changed the air dryer cartridge, old one was definitely all used up.
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Removed the crankcase filter set up, way easier to access the fuel filter now without that big red hose in the way. Just ordered a cap for air inlet side where I removed the hose.
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Drained the trans fluid and changed the spin on external filter, it was messy doing that as it had to be tipped on its side to snake it out. Pan doesn't look too bad for 207k miles.
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Ran my air hammer with a chisel bit and got all the roof panels up to the emergency side door off. Piled up the panels and insulation. It was hot noisy work.
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Need to remove the down pipe and wrap it with header wrap as quite a bit is missing, it will make the starter live longer and cut down on interior heat. Sure would like to make a 5" down pipe but that will probably wait.
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And that's all for today. Stopped by Ace and got some hose for the road draft tube and paint for the 8 way delete plates. Will put the trans back together tomorrow and pull it out of the shop.
 
Went in this morning for about 3 hours. I threw the trans pan in the hot parts washer yesterday so came back to a nice clean pan today. New filter and gasket going in.
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After the pan and dipstick tube were all attached I grabbed my Milwaukee 18 volt grease gun, I know actionfab would approve. :lmao:
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Been a day or two since it last saw grease, took well over a tube.
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Figured out how to open the fuse/electrical panel that is outside the driver's window, release latch is inside behind and to the left of the driver's seat.
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Installed the road draft tube, need a couple of p clamps to attach it along the trans pan so it vents right in front of the axle and not on the bellhousing.
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Removed the right rear window that was broken to keep it from making more of a mess, running the air chisel made it shed some glass pieces.
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My parts from skoolie.com, those will get installed at a later date.
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Loaded up the stuff I removed yesterday.
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Pulled it out and stopped at the dumpster and scrap bin to get rid of the piles of junk. And that's it for this weekend. Just got home watching Bluey with my 2 year old grandson.
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shortbus4x4 said:
Went in this morning for about 3 hours. I threw the trans pan in the hot parts washer yesterday so came back to a nice clean pan today. New filter and gasket going in.
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After the pan and dipstick tube were all attached I grabbed my Milwaukee 18 volt grease gun, I know actionfab would approve. :lmao:
20260517_071746.jpg


Been a day or two since it last saw grease, took well over a tube.
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Figured out how to open the fuse/electrical panel that is outside the driver's window, release latch is inside behind and to the left of the driver's seat.
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At least bluebird actually used different color wires.

**** you international and winnebago
 
Had a couple of hours free this afternoon so put the silicone cap on the air intake tube nipple where I removed the crankcase filter hose.
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After that I pulled it over to the wash area and gave it a spritz with the Hotsy.
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Then swept up the back of all the debris that's accumulated from the demo so far.
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Found the old service reminder from probably close to the turn of the century. Oops I did the service a little before the mileage said it was due.
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And that's it for now. Will be pulling it in the shop tomorrow afternoon and working on it some more this weekend.
 
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