Articles – Page 33 – Mechanics Hub

The PacBrake Used On A School Bus

Exhaust Brake For Cummins ISC Since our bus fleet uses medium duty diesel engines around the 250 hp range engine exhaust brakes are not available. Exhaust brakes are the only retarder device we can use on the buses. They work more efficiently at higher rpm…..1,800 to 2,000 rpm is best. The throttle position has to… Continue reading The PacBrake Used On A School Bus

Two Ways To Regen A Diesel Engine

Two Exhaust Regens Are Better than One Getting all that nasty soot and exhaust contamination out of the exhaust system DPF (diesel particulate filter) takes time and heat to do a proper job. The first step to take is to do a ‘parked regen’ where the diagnostic software comes in handy to force it to… Continue reading Two Ways To Regen A Diesel Engine

C2 School Bus J1939 Wiring

Troubleshooting J1939 Multiplexing The J1939 is a twisted pair of wires in the multiplexing system between modules that communicates using inputs and outputs. Multiplexing can be compared to broadband cable supplying internet access, cable TV and telephone. It sends multiple electronic messages using the same signal path simultaneously with other signals. The J1939 also known… Continue reading C2 School Bus J1939 Wiring

Cummins ISL G Natural Gas Engine

The video below is one of the mechanics from the Kelowna school district giving us a tour of their natural gas infrastructure. They have 16 buses running on natural gas and so far they are happy with them. About Cummins Natural Gas Engines When we stopped in to the Kelowna school bus garage one… Continue reading Cummins ISL G Natural Gas Engine

School Bus Training Seminar Report

One Day Seminar Thomas Buses The day started off at 6 am with myself and 2 fellow Mechanics driving to Kelowna a couple of hours out of town. A quick stop at Tim Horton’s for a coffee and breakfast made the morning complete. We arrived just after 8 am and met up with one of… Continue reading School Bus Training Seminar Report

Thomas School Bus Training Seminar

Thomas School Bus Training Seminar Tomorrow three of us from the shop are going to attend a Thomas bus seminar which will cover navigation of the accessfreightliner website, servicelink and the thomasbusonline website. The accessfreightliner allows us to log in and enter the VIN of any one of our buses where we can find chassis… Continue reading Thomas School Bus Training Seminar

Air Operated Disc Brakes

Are Air Disc Brakes The Future Of School Bus Braking Systems? After looking at the pros and cons of both foundation drum brakes and air disc brakes I believe the latter will become more popular. How fast it becomes a mainstay when ordering school buses is hard to say mainly because of the cost. According… Continue reading Air Operated Disc Brakes

The First Electric School Bus Unleashed

Good News For Green Energy Advocates The first all electric school bus is running around right now in California. It’s going to be so sweet to be able to knock a block off of the fossil fuel industry wall of power. Even though it will only be one block at a time the fight will… Continue reading The First Electric School Bus Unleashed

School Bus Safety – Unloading Practices

School Bus Safety The 8 Light Warning System I can guarantee that every school district in North America has trouble with traffic passing a stopped school bus when the red lights are flashing. These red lights are the 8 light warning system that starts off with amber lights before the bus comes to a… Continue reading School Bus Safety – Unloading Practices

HDX School Bus Tips

Thomas HDX School Bus Tips and Advice I want to share some areas of the HDX Thomas school bus that our shop has experienced that you may have already dealt with or have not seen it happen yet. They are a very comfortable bus to drive mainly because of the engine weight in the back… Continue reading HDX School Bus Tips