Engine help

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ZekeSpeaks

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Joined
Dec 14, 2012
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I've decided to covert a bus for a huge cross country trip I am planning, mainly because I am looking for a highly personalized interior, and a bus seems like the best choice. After some research and searching I've found a 2002 Bluebird, Transit type with air brakes and front end engine placement. What are your thoughts on a Cummins 5.9L engine with an Allison-2000 tranny in this Bluebird? At the moment I don't know a whole lot about engines and transmissions, although I'd like to make this conversion a learning experience.

Here's a picture if it helps:
 

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Thanks for the quick reply! I've decided I'm going to try for it and throw caution to the wind.. Now all I need is some luck and things should turn out graceful enough. (Online auctions aren't my forte.)
 
The 5.9 is the engine Dodge has been putting in their diesel pickups for decades.  In the Dodge, the engine has to be dialed back to keep the torque from destroying  the car-type automatic transmission.  You should have no such trouble with the Allison.

Keep in mind a transit bus will be geared more for low and medium speed city driving than highway cruising.  Not that it can't get up to highway speeds, but that's not it's forte.
 
As long as it's comfortable cruising at around 55 mph for moderate amounts of time it should do me fine. I'm going to be jumping from major city to major city as I travel and stopping at some landmarks on the way, hopefully using routes that will give me a little more lay of the land than driving interstates. It'll be pretty slower going - highways are just too monotonous for my taste.
 

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