Thread: Progress on the bus . . .

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Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Johnboy, as far as I know, the chevy gas engines had NV4500's in them up until 2007 in a light truck. The diesels had a ZF6 behind them. Are you stuck on a manual trans? An Allison 1000 series 6 speed would be a nice trans for you. GM had them behind 8.1's in some motorhomes but they were mainly behind duramxes. The gear splits are nice on it and would fit your bus pretty nice I bet.

Manual, for me, is pretty well mandatory...with a manual box you drive the machine.
With an automatic...you just go along for the ride.
Boring.
I'm a driver.

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

I also found out that ZF6's were put behind the 8.1's as well. The ZF6 has another gear between 3 and 4 with 5th being direct and 6th being OD. That 3-4 split on NV4500's is a big one on all the ones I've driven.

So what you're saying, is that even with the Gearvendors' NV4500 the third to fourth shift is still revs too high to revs too low?
Did I get this right?

Originally Posted by johnboy

The problem here is that if I fitted a new axle, I would also have to fit new (possibly larger,) rims.
That would require re-certification, as this vehicle, although only a Tonka toy of around three tons, is classified 'Heavy Goods Vehicle, (hgv) under NZTA rules, and any changes of that nature would require their involvement...and I don't want to get involved with those bastards ever again!

I did remember that you drove trucks and probably a 2 spd was in your history.. hence the desire to "split shifts". And getting "the MAN" involved again is certainly distatsteful! (Danged Elephants! )

SO, that brings us back the O.D. and Ryans suggestion. Or, just live with it as is!

John,
To clarify, the table you see on GearVendors is for one of their units hooked behind a NV4500. Before you go too far you need to be dead sure what tranny you've got or you may be a sad pup when it's all done.

The GV unit is going to almost split the difference you have now between 3rd & 4th, with a ratio around 1.30 to one. In the table I sent you by e-mail that will add shift point MPH values of 49, 59, 69, 78, 98 and 118 for each of the RPM values on the left for a new 3OD-4 shift point, so at 2500rpm you'd be at 37 in 3rd, 49 in the new 3OD, and 64 in 4th. Given your legal limit, you'd run through the gears up through your new 3OD, then as you shift into 4th you'd only accelerate to about 2200rpm and be at 55MPH, then drop down to 5th to maintain speed and drop your rpm's to just below 1600. You're still operating fairly low in your power band, but you seem to be OK with that. At 55mph you're at 1575 in 5th, 1675 in new 4OD, 2200 in 4th, 2800 in 3OD, 3650 in 3rd, but almost 6000 in the new 2OD. That says you can cruise easily in 3rd up to 5th. I'd say that's a lot of options, but I'd venture a guess that you won't use your new 5thOD (double OverDrive) much, as you'll be down at 1250rpm at 55mph.

BTW, your new 2OD to 3 shift point MPH will be 18, 27, 32, 37, 46 and 55 at the rpm's in the table, which helps split the wide gap there now.

Aha!
Suddenly it clicks!
You've got to remember that you're talking to one of the dumbest fellas on the planet here...a brain that's as thick as pig s##t, and with taste that's twice as nasty.
This weekend is Queen's Birthday weekend; so Monday is a National holiday.
I'll see if I can contact either Coxy or Dave Green (from whom I bought the motor and box,) to see if I can get identification on Tuesday.

Thanks for the tables Roger, and I think you're correct in the assumption about 5th gear high ratio...
I'd need to rename it Jefferson.
(As in airplane.)

I rang Coxy last night...no joy...he confirmed that I'd dealt directly with Dave Green over the purchase of the motor and box, so he has no paperwork for any of it.
Bugger!
Neither have I.
I paid all bills for the bus from my personal account; and all papers relevant to it were filed in a separate folder.
Then...I wonder...did I for some reason pay this account from our business account?
A quick flick through my diary said it would've been in the last quarter of 2011.
She Who Must Be Obeyed handles all the business accounts, so She dug out the relevant files...and there, on 21st December 2011 was an invoice and receipt for...NV4500 man. 5sp. trans.
Yeeha!
My account must've been running a bit low at that point for some reason, and we'd paid it out of another account.
But the mystery is solved.

So thanks for the input people; I think I can order that Gearvendor trans now!
And pay for it out of my personal account this time!

So do you expect that Coxy will get the task of installing the GearVendor unit behind the NV4500? I'd think he would be a good choice, but just wondering. It's also a bit of a hike over to his place from yours....

Coxy would be a good choice, actually, he'd be my preferred choice, because I know the quality of his work.
(And he's a bloody good bloke too...I like the man; but don't tell him I said that!)
But it's not really a major undertaking from what I've sussed from the Gearvendor's site; two to three hours work, and we do have competent engineers locally who would be perfectly capable of this sort of thing.
So I think we'll opt to get it done at Pete Moller's place in New Plymouth.

I'd agree with the two to three hours, other than having to get the driveshaft shortened and replacing the front yoke to fit. And then there's the electrical, powering the SV circuit, and routing and mounting the control button. Not a big job at all, and they make it very simple if one reads the directions. Just have to remember to change the fluid in the GV unit when you change the oil in the engine, for a long, trouble free life with a ten speed!

After a bit of mucking around (and a few phone calls; New Zealand is NOT Nigeria!) I finally got the Gear Vendors unit ordered, and it's on its way.
Whew!

jb, maybe we need to think about some more work on that bus? Shall I contact Coxy?

https://video-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hv...b3&oe=55F0C81D

You want me to do that to my beloved bus?
Crikey!

Well, okay; so here's the routine:

We stand facing each other with our right hands held in a firm grip and looking into each others eyes.
I intone: "Open your wallet and repeat after me: 'Help yourself'."

Originally Posted by johnboy

You want me to do that to my beloved bus?
Crikey!

Well, okay; so here's the routine:

We stand facing each other with our right hands held in a firm grip and looking into each others eyes.
I intone: "Open your wallet and repeat after me: 'Help yourself'."

But jb, you omitted the reciprocal action ,where you open your wallet at the same moment, and intone "Help yourself!" I seldom carry more than a few single dollars in my wallet, but I think it's a known fact that when your's opens a few moth's fly out from the stack of NZ$100's crammed in there!

Originally Posted by rspears

But jb, you omitted the reciprocal action ,where you open your wallet at the same moment, and intone "Help yourself!"

If you live to be 100 years old you will never witness me doing that. To get a dollar out of me would require surgery...I'm so tight I squeak when I walk.

Originally Posted by rspears

I seldom carry more than a few single dollars in my wallet, but I think it's a known fact that when your's opens a few moth's fly out from the stack of NZ$100's crammed in there!

Nah...my money's in the bank earning me interest...you don't get interest in your pocket.
(Told you I was mean!)

Originally Posted by johnboy

Nah...my money's in the bank earning me interest...you don't get interest in your pocket.
(Told you I was mean!)

And why do you think there's nothing but a couple of singles in my wallet???