BlueBird FC Schoolbus 5.9L ---> 83 FC 35

[Thomas and Valeria Eastham]

Firstly I have some biases I should admit to. IMHO Caterpillar
engines are overpriced, medium quality product. Cummins engines are
some of the best engines around. DD's are as good or better but I'm
not going to try to put a DD next to the driver seat of a FC 35.

With that in mind I have been watching these BlueBird Schoolbuses come
up at auctions down here in Texas. They are usually 88-90 models
with FC style setup and 5.9L Cummins Turbo engines. Often the entire
bus can be bought for $3000, sometimes less.

I'm thinking... why can't I take the engine guts out of that
Schoolbus and put it in my 83 FC35? Should be an easy conversion as
the 5.9L Cummins is narrower than the 3208. Also the 5.9L will make
some serious power with a little tuning (Allison trans might be a
problem).

Has anybody done this or looked into it?

Have a nice holiday weekend!

Thomas Eastham
Houston, TX
83 FC35
84 FC33 Shell

[davidkerryedwards]

I think the 5.9 is a better engine than the 3208, but depending on the version,
they do
have their problems. I think the conversion should be doable. I know of a
couple of
Dodge Travcos where the original 440's were replaced with the Cummins 5.9. So
if they
can fit in the space of a 440, they should be able to fit inthe space of a 3208.
What is the power curve of the 5.9 compared to the 3208? Are there going to be
gearing
issues?

Kerry
82 FC 35
Denver-

-- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas and Valeria Eastham"
wrote:
>
> Firstly I have some biases I should admit to. IMHO Caterpillar
> engines are overpriced, medium quality product. Cummins engines are
> some of the best engines around. DD's are as good or better but I'm
> not going to try to put a DD next to the driver seat of a FC 35.
>
> With that in mind I have been watching these BlueBird Schoolbuses come
> up at auctions down here in Texas. They are usually 88-90 models
> with FC style setup and 5.9L Cummins Turbo engines. Often the entire
> bus can be bought for $3000, sometimes less.
>
> I'm thinking... why can't I take the engine guts out of that
> Schoolbus and put it in my 83 FC35? Should be an easy conversion as
> the 5.9L Cummins is narrower than the 3208. Also the 5.9L will make
> some serious power with a little tuning (Allison trans might be a
> problem).
>
> Has anybody done this or looked into it?
>
> Have a nice holiday weekend!
>
> Thomas Eastham
> Houston, TX
> 83 FC35
> 84 FC33 Shell
>