quote:

GVW on this coach is 18000 lbs.

I'm probably wrong, but IIRC, the 32' Breakaways were typically 20,000 lbs. A like-kind engine swap is relatively simple, but it takes someone knowledgeable to do it. If it were my coach, it would get a Cummins/Allison swap, much more complex and expensive, however.

At least with a Barth, the coach isn't falling apart, so long-term investments are worthwhile. A Jasper rebuilt 6.5L TD is about $5K; expect labor to be around $2,500. A Kennedy 6.5L rebuilt ( a superb rebuild) is around $8K, and my AMG was around $10K in the crate. But even at 18,000 lbs., I still think the stock 6.5L just isn't "hoss" enough for the job. BTW, it's probably rated at 195 HP and around 380 lb. ft. torque @2,600RPM.

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
Rusty, you mentioned you had your 4L80E beefed up. I am facing that issue with our truck, and would prefer to deal with it at our liesure rather than on the road.

Could you share any tips, sites or references? My trannie guy is strictly race, boat and HD, and doesn't do computerized trannies.

This isn't the one in mine (the label has come off), but this is where I'd go if I need another. The stock 4L80E is rated at 450 lb-ft of torque.

quote:

I wouldn't buy this coach without driving it up Cajon Pass on a hot afternoon. It's close enough. That will tell the tale on power and cooling issues.

And I wouldn't consider it for a minute if it didn't have an EGT gage - if it does, the climb should be at LT 1150 deg F.

The sticker on the coach by the drivers seat stated 18000 lbs. Great minds think alike, as I was going to take the coach up the Cajon Pass, but the altenater was not charging so just went on a short trip. Engine and trans seemed just fine, but I did not pull a grade with it. Doing a $20000+ cummins/allison install on a coach worth $30000 after the install, makes about as much sence as buying this coach and replacing the engine with another 6.5 I asked Chet if there where as maintance records, and he could not find any, as I was wondering if, by chance, the engine/trans were rebuilt/replaced. As clean as the coach was, one would hope they did all the routine mainentance.

I see it's back on E Bay. More pictures. Price lowered.

"Item location: Orem, Ut, United States"

I guess if it really is in Utah now, the Baker Grade would have been a good hillclimb test.

quote:

The sticker on the coach by the drivers seat stated 18000 lbs.

My point was that they may have "derated" this coach because of the drivetrain.

Yeah, the grade would tell a lot - but I'm still fixated on the EGT issue - while the stock 6.5L TD has only a little boost (5-6 psi) and a waste-gated turbo, with that kind of load to push, an EGT is virtually mandatory, and if there isn't one, I'd bet that engine has been seriously overworked.

If it were I, and I could get the coach for <$15K, a Cummins/Allison swap would make sense. But not at $30K, or even $20K [his minimum). Sadly, the current owner got "took", if his story is to be believed. In any event, I'd not be comfortable with the original drivetrain.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
And I wouldn't consider it for a minute if it didn't have an EGT gage - if it does, the climb should be at LT 1150 deg F.

I guess even with a gage, one would not know how hot the previous owners let it get.

Lots of airplane indicators have exceedance needles, and lots of places on airplanes have temp tape, that indicates the hottest a part has ever gotten. Is there anything similar on diesel MHs? Do later ones log exceedances in the computer?

I don't know about later ones, but my Breakaway had neither a transmission temp gage nor EGT gage when I got it; certainly it has no "max XXX" recording. After adding the Mag Hy-Tech transmission pan, the tranny temp gage is installed, as is the EGT gage.

Overtemping the exhaust temp on the GM 6.5L TD (commonly called "The Rat" on a variety of websites) is easy enough to do without an EGT. While the wastegate works well enough if one floors a pickup towing nothing, that's not the case if there's a load over about 8,000 lbs. on that engine. It would be easy to do if one floored the throttle in an RV on a long grade without monitoring EGT.