Posts: 715
Threads: 49
Joined: Apr 2014
04-02-2015, 05:56 PM
Got everything lined up to repower the dog house. Found a donor bus with a Cummins ISM and Allison 6 speed tranny. Going to meet Keith Frerichs (Rellick) where it's located in a couple of weeks and we'll drive back to Boise together. He's going to stick around and get everything transferred off the donor and get the dog house back on the road again. Pictures upcoming.
Jon & Chris Everton
1986 40' Dog House #86
450 hp ISM 5 spd ZF Ecomat 2
2004 Range Rover L322 Toad
Posts: 13
Threads: 4
Joined: Nov 2012
That's a beautiful coach Jon! Looking forward to the repower adventure details and many pictures.
Good Luck!
Troy & Erica Tikalsky
Belle Plaine, MN
1985 Wanderlodge PT40
1986 Newell 40' (Sold)
Posts: 296
Threads: 21
Joined: Mar 2014
Looking forward to it Jon, should be a great adventure. Can't wait to take the doghouse for a drive with the new ism engine!!
Love old school
1976 Newell 8.3 cummins allison 6spd
1977 Newell 8.3 cummins allison 6spd
Posts: 123
Threads: 28
Joined: Nov 2013
Nice, that should really move with 500 hp.
Scott
1983 38' Classic #007
8.3 Cummins, Allison 6 spd.
"Any other Way"
Posts: 715
Threads: 49
Joined: Apr 2014
Yes, I'm looking forward to next weekend, meeting Keith (Retro) to pick up the donor vehicle and drive back to Boise.
Looking forward to dropping 500+ lbs and picking up 25hp with the swap, the kind of combination that I like! I know that the mileage will improve, just don't know what it will finally work out to but I'm hoping for some serious gains there.
Seeing as the 10.8L ISM has an ECM, looking at different options for using Android tablets for gauges instead of the typical analog gauges. Looks like SilverLeaf, makers of Glass Dash, have a new Android app/connection...
http://www.silverleafelectronics.com/taxonomy/term/1
Looking forward to posting pictures of the swap!
Jon & Chris Everton
1986 40' Dog House #86
450 hp ISM 5 spd ZF Ecomat 2
2004 Range Rover L322 Toad
Posts: 296
Threads: 21
Joined: Mar 2014
Jon, not sure if you checked into replacing your engine bay insulation but it would be the time to do it. Heres some material that might work well.
http://b-quiet.com/products-3/dynamat-xtreme/
There may be other ones out there as well,
I would find the best quality possible.
Love old school
1976 Newell 8.3 cummins allison 6spd
1977 Newell 8.3 cummins allison 6spd
Posts: 715
Threads: 49
Joined: Apr 2014
Definitely looking to replace the engine bay insulation, the original insulation has gone well past it’s useful life. Still don’t know if modifications will be needed to get the inline 6 in there with room for maintenance, won’t find that out until next week.
Jon & Chris Everton
1986 40' Dog House #86
450 hp ISM 5 spd ZF Ecomat 2
2004 Range Rover L322 Toad
Posts: 715
Threads: 49
Joined: Apr 2014
Met Keith in Denver Saturday morning, rented a car and headed out to look the donor bus over. Keith discovered that it had a ZF Ecomat 2 6 speed automatic instead of the advertised Allison B400R. Wasn't misrepresentation by the seller, I saw the documentation that he was provided prior to going to Denver.
Did some online research of the ZD, and felt that it wasn't a show stopper. Only has one overdrive of .83 instead of the Allison's two, but think that might actually be better for not having to change the differential once it's installed. Took it for a test run and everything was as good or better than expected. Was governed at 70mph, which was better than the donor bus Keith got that was governed at 50mph.
We planned on taking I70 into Utah, but the storm that hit there Thursday pretty much decided that one for us. Ran into some weather on I80 but did make it back to Boise.
The helper that I had arranged to be here to help Keith was a no show Monday morning, so he got stuck with me taking the 8v92 out. Great learning experience for me, discovered that what I thought was an adequately equipped shop wasn’t even close. Had to run around town picking up tools and still took all day just to get the motor out. Keith very politely explained what was necessary to prevent a 100 hour job from becoming a 500+ hour job, so I knew I had to make some adjustments to my expectations.
Looking for a shop now that can do the job, my wife has some pretty good business contacts and shouldn’t be a problem.
Was really nice to finally meet Keith in person, what a genuinely great guy. All my friends that came over thought he was the bomb, and my wife was sorry to see him leave. Won’t have any problem at all convincing her to go up to Canada and taking Keith up on his offer to take us fishing.
Once I find a shop, I’ll make sure to stop in and get some pictures of the swap.
Jon & Chris Everton
1986 40' Dog House #86
450 hp ISM 5 spd ZF Ecomat 2
2004 Range Rover L322 Toad
Posts: 715
Threads: 49
Joined: Apr 2014
Talked to Missouri Mike this morning. He's interested in doing the job, and has a friend that will tow it to his house for a reasonable fee. The tow guy will pick it up next week so that Mike can get started. I'll drive the donor bus over to his place after that and pickup an open ended round trip ticket home.
Talked to numerous shops locally, and the only ones that were even interested in doing the work wanted me to send their first born males to four year$ of college and then med $chool after that.
I'll leave a camera and extra batteries with Mike so that I can get some pictures of the swap to post, but it should be really clean installation and reduce the weight of the coach by well over a thousand pounds.
Jon & Chris Everton
1986 40' Dog House #86
450 hp ISM 5 spd ZF Ecomat 2
2004 Range Rover L322 Toad
Posts: 123
Threads: 28
Joined: Nov 2013
Mike is a great guy, I've been happy with mine.
Scott
1983 38' Classic #007
8.3 Cummins, Allison 6 spd.
"Any other Way"
