pass or pursue?

[cyber_ballz]

50's early 60's bus

unknown engine/trans, i know it's a4speed something.

i have a 534 ford with a 5+2 with wet kit
i havea 460 ford 5+2 with wet kit

i do have a wset of cement truck axles for 4wd if it's a concern. i was hoping to stick with 2wd and use the wet kit with a hydraulic winch.

heavy 2" hitch to bumper pull current 1990 SRW k35 4x4 8ft w/350sbc 5sp nv4500 on my 2 axle trailer.

i have plenty of brass 3way valves to do heated floor after heater core? seems like a good idea before floor goes in.

other ideas?

[PastorCharlie]

I agree with Rick. Build your dream but do not wait to make lasting memories for your children. We RVed with our children since their birth and they now have grandchildren themselves.

Incorporate both your dream and their memories.

[Rick_Jay]

cyber_ballz,

Thanks for the more detailed, un-encrypted description! 🙂 It definitely helped understand what you're trying to do and why. Although with the help of some selective internet searching, I believe I eventually figured out your first post! 😉 LOL

Sorry for the loss of your dad. Believe me, I know how the loss of a loved one can cause us to refocus our lives. Although in a way completely differently from yours, a serious family medical situation brought us into RV'ing as well back in 2004, and I STILL think it's one of the best decisions I've made in my life. (Not that there are a LOT of them to choose from! LOL) At the time I did it, though, most of my friends and family said we were crazy. But after losing our 12 year old daughter to cancer 4 years later, they ALL saw the "genius" in our decisions. So, I understand about wanting to do this for & with your kids.)

That said, building a floorplan from scratch IS a lot of work (plumbing, 12V electric, 120V/240V electric, heating/AC, insulation, appliances, etc.) but it definitely sounds like you've got the resources & know-how to do it. The only impediment I see for you is "time". Kids grow quickly, so you have to weigh that into the equation as well. I'm wondering if you have considered picking up a gently used 25 year old Prevost bus conversion (or other high-end rig) and get started with the RV'ing right away. There are quite a few available, if you look hard enough. Yes, the initial $$$$ are greater, but it will afford you the additional time to make even more memories with your children.

Anyway, Good Luck and I'll be interested to see which direction you end up the fruits of your labor! 🙂

~Rick

[cyber_ballz]

JRscooby wrote:

cyber_ballz wrote:

I honestly don't know where I might be with weight yet. And I didn't mention 2sp rear end, because I didn't see any laying around in the backyard! Darn it!

And it is an 850 super duty. She's a beast. I think it was a good $450 purchase. Drove it home.

I'm surprised bus of the era you talk does not have 2 speed. 1 of the Super Duties I had came with a little 600 ftlb rated 10 speed Roadranger. Because of lack of the deep reduction in first gear it was limited for my use. But the guy I sold it to worked it stockpiling with no issue, likely grossing close to 100,000 when loaded

I'll investigate more on next visit. The mad scientist stuff takes place almost an hour and half drive away.

I suppose if it's not a 2speed rear end, I could stay gas, small block, and go through a xfer case. Smaller, handles the engine, and regardless if I use the other output yoke, I'll still have a low range to get out to pavement.

The engine and trans that's in the bus right now is questionable, but does turn over with wrench. At this point it's almost hands down to rip it out and go through, or put in something else.

Many ways to play this game.

[JRscooby]

cyber_ballz wrote:

I honestly don't know where I might be with weight yet. And I didn't mention 2sp rear end, because I didn't see any laying around in the backyard! Darn it!

And it is an 850 super duty. She's a beast. I think it was a good $450 purchase. Drove it home.

I'm surprised bus of the era you talk does not have 2 speed. 1 of the Super Duties I had came with a little 600 ftlb rated 10 speed Roadranger. Because of lack of the deep reduction in first gear it was limited for my use. But the guy I sold it to worked it stockpiling with no issue, likely grossing close to 100,000 when loaded

[cyber_ballz]

JRscooby wrote:

RedRollingRoadblock wrote:
Can you shift a 5&4?

I had a couple 534 5+4 from back in the day when Super Duty meant there would be a 850 in the VIN. IIRC, MT weight on the truck and trailer was about 27,000 lbs. When MT, mostly take off in 2nd and direct and only shifted aux to OD when in 5th. Even grossing over 100,000 low in the aux was never used when on pavement. How heavy will the bus be? Think a 2 speed rear end be better in that weight range.

BTW, my last 5+4 was behind a 1693 Cat. If I was someplace I needed 1+1, I would use right foot on the clutch pedal. If snot don't move at idle, you touch that throttle, something going to break. Hope it's driveshaft, going into the power divider on 56,000 hurts.

I honestly don't know where I might be with weight yet. And I didn't mention 2sp rear end, because I didn't see any laying around in the backyard! Darn it!

And it is an 850 super duty. She's a beast. I think it was a good $450 purchase. Drove it home.

[JRscooby]

RedRollingRoadblock wrote:
Can you shift a 5&4?

I had a couple 534 5+4 from back in the day when Super Duty meant there would be a 850 in the VIN. IIRC, MT weight on the truck and trailer was about 27,000 lbs. When MT, mostly take off in 2nd and direct and only shifted aux to OD when in 5th. Even grossing over 100,000 low in the aux was never used when on pavement. How heavy will the bus be? Think a 2 speed rear end be better in that weight range.

BTW, my last 5+4 was behind a 1693 Cat. If I was someplace I needed 1+1, I would use right foot on the clutch pedal. If snot don't move at idle, you touch that throttle, something going to break. Hope it's driveshaft, going into the power divider on 56,000 hurts.

[cyber_ballz]

Rick Jay wrote:
cyber_ballz,

Welcome to the Forums! I'm hoping you'll get some good input on your ideas.

I have to ask, though....Is there some sort of "translator" available for your jargon filled post? LOL

It's rare that I'm at a loss to at least know a little about what a poster is trying to convey. But your first post is almost like reading a coded message! LOL I think I understand your second post a bit better!

I guess I'm just getting old!


Anyway, again, Welcome and Good Luck on what you're trying to do...whatever that is. Something about a bus? 😉

~Rick

My dad passed away, and I've been fortune to be handed down alot of property, heavy equipment, full blown shop and all the amenities, hoist, with floor pit, and lots of spare parts to mock something together.

I do have a set of cement truck axles if I wanted to go 4wd on the bus,but I'm pondering to stay 2wd for fuel mileage and drag a smaller 4x4 with me, and keeping a wet kit will allow using a man style winch instead of a girly electric winch. I'd imagine a bus mired down in some gooey soft spots might pull hard. Having a smaller 4x4 with an over cab camper will allow me to park the mess somewhere and pony into places where longer vehicles are not permitted, or sometimes can't go because of terrain.


My current setup is a regular cab 1990 1ton srw on 8bolt 4.10s. Nv4500 with a np205 cast iron gear drive, no chain and aluminum case junk. It had a 454, but I swapped in a high compress flat top piston mid 60s 350 small block, and was so nice I decided to go 383 stroker. It's got grunt, and cruises down the road nicely in overdrive. It's short, but cramped for longer drives with 2 young kids.

I have lots of small block Chevy for engines, cutting an adapter to fit truck gearboxes against odd engines is nothing new to me. At that point probably go smaller drive train to match the power plant. Another appealing approach to a small block gasser, is honestly with a cherry picker and some hsbd tools, few bolts comes right out easy peasy. With such large vehicle one could easily store a ready to run extra engine, along side the 50 gallons of water. At this point weight is not a big deal.

The 534 gasser Ford sounds appealing, only 3000miles on the rebuild, with mating drivetrain, but not the fuel mileage. I also do have little weiner 5.9 12v out of a dodge, a larger "C" block Cummins, an a big block 855 Cummins that needs to be rebuilt, sadly no drive train against that dude, and finally an old school IHI 444 not boosted, with a zf5, but that engine needs to be gone through, it does run, but has burned valve I believe. Right now it's a power plant running 4 air compressors. I had a thing sand blasting semi flat beds for a while until neighbors got grumpy. So if i used that engine guess I'll need to sandblast the bus before using the engine? Lol. Awesome.

One reason to stay away from diesel is cold weather starting. Besides getting creative, there's no easy way to heat the engine if cold weather did get in the way. Maybe some hoses, a hand pump and a metal box sitting in a fire pit, whatever is needed to get the coolant warm....

Or handful of spark plugs and a spare HEI distributor? /me shrugs


A 383 stroker built with low rpm torque in mind with alot of gear splits might not pull down the road all that bad.

Ive built houses, so starting on a truck frame instead of cement is nothing different really. I also am a full time welder for an undisclosed company. I help build very expensive boxes for companties to test their weapons to kill... Yeah... So I have trades and experience across the paper sort to speak.


I'd like to put something together that simple yet serious and honestly probably be more useful and versatile then some of these motor coaches.

So, with such resources at hand, this truly is a free style direction.

I want to travel with the boys, check out the country, and let my rental properties keep filling my fuel tank so they can see what I couldn't when I was younger.

Oh, can I drive a 5 and a 4? Probably. Have I? No. This summer I managed that 5+3 10yard truck without brakes as I reconstructed my backyard. So I'm last worry, if at all, is if I can drive a 5&4. Haha.

[cyber_ballz]

i'll apply as needed.

RedRollingRoadblock wrote:
Can you shift a 5&4?

drove many miles on 5sp primaries, with and without worn out syncros.

this sumnmer when gas was $1/gal i bought 800 gallons and modified my backyard with an A/C tl12 with a 318 chrysler in place of the hercules. one day while passing the fridge i jumped off to grab a beer and something went goofy in the pump and it blew itself apart freewheeling...!!

i moved 2200 yard of sand and a few of topsoil with a ford f750 with a 5 and a 3. don't throw both in neutral, ususally results in a stop and restart.

i can manage two unders or two overs, or 3 unders with a direct, or od, I'll feel it out, however they're geared upon discovery 🙂

[RedRollingRoadb]

Can you shift a 5&4?

[Rick_Jay]

cyber_ballz,

Welcome to the Forums! I'm hoping you'll get some good input on your ideas.

I have to ask, though....Is there some sort of "translator" available for your jargon filled post? LOL

It's rare that I'm at a loss to at least know a little about what a poster is trying to convey. But your first post is almost like reading a coded message! LOL I think I understand your second post a bit better!

I guess I'm just getting old!

Anyway, again, Welcome and Good Luck on what you're trying to do...whatever that is. Something about a bus? 😉

~Rick

[cyber_ballz]

well, i was thinking for food and thought.

534 is freshly rebuilt, and it's a 5+4, (:D). and it's all i got for that engine family.


i have plenty of 350 sbc, and a very grunty 383 stroker. i have plenty of rental income to feed the tank. i just need somethign to take the boys around the country side in. some places won't allow buses because of size, reason i'm pondering trailing a 1ton behind the bus.

i'm staying away from torq converters for obvious reasons.

[BurbMan]

534/wet kit all day long, go for it if offset will handle the pull. Heated floor great idea, all fancy buses have that now