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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
 Posted - 10/12/2010 : 09:23:40 AM
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| Is anyone else having trouble with IC buses loosing screws inside? I had a driver hand me a handfull of screws this morning. I found where about half of them went but the other ones are either factory floor sweep or in such a place to be obstructed from view. The last time I had this kind of trouble was with a Carpenter. If you are young enough that you don't have any experience with a Carpenter. Let me tell you, that's a slam! |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2010 : 12:18:48 PM
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| Come on now, the Carpenter had to rattle out its screws or else the sheet metal and framework would crack! |
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Kodie
Top Member
United States
2028 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2010 : 12:40:15 PM
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One of our 2011 RE's had a few screws fall out on the exterior. Most of them came from around the fuel door. I have yet to see one fall out on the interior of the bus. I've seen buses with riveted ceiling panels, and some with screws, ours are riveted so I'm not sure if that makes a difference in this case.
I have heard of a couple people having this problem. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 07:13:21 AM
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| I am not too happy with IC here lately. I just drove an 06 IC on a route this morning and it just about rattled my teeth out. The plastic dash is about to fall off and the air seat slames the bottom when going over a slight bump in the road. This is the same thing that the drivers have been telling me has been happening on their new buses (minus the dash part, at least not yet). Will be looking into getting a new shock for the seat on this one (still doesn't excuse the new ones from doing this). Thus the reason for calling it a Carpenter. I guess from the response here I am the only one having any trouble. I guess there are not many of us left that remember the Carpenters either. Everyone have a great day!! |
Bryan |
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Wolf0r
Top Member
USA
2181 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 08:05:35 AM
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| I have a 87 Chevy Carpenter in my back yard. Yes I remember them. |
“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson |
Edited by - Wolf0r on 10/14/2010 08:06:46 AM |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 11:42:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by bwest
I am not too happy with IC here lately. I just drove an 06 IC on a route this morning and it just about rattled my teeth out. The plastic dash is about to fall off and the air seat slames the bottom when going over a slight bump in the road. This is the same thing that the drivers have been telling me has been happening on their new buses (minus the dash part, at least not yet). Will be looking into getting a new shock for the seat on this one (still doesn't excuse the new ones from doing this). Thus the reason for calling it a Carpenter. I guess from the response here I am the only one having any trouble. I guess there are not many of us left that remember the Carpenters either. Everyone have a great day!!
On the air seat it sounds to me like you need more air in it to support your weight, if that puts the seat too high then cinch the straps down that limit the upward seat travel.
We don't have any 06s so don't know about the dash.
We find we can tighten the phillips screws in the ICs tighter by using a square bit rather than a Phillips bit as at least the screws on ours are made to use either driver. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
Edited by - Fastback on 10/14/2010 11:44:31 AM |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2010 : 2:50:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bwest
I guess there are not many of us left that remember the Carpenters either.
Ride into NE Ohio sometime...the number of those things you will see that are still in service will scare you. As old as 1985 on the road. Running. With kids on them. Yeah... |
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sambrutay
Advanced Member
United States
271 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 09:18:20 AM
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| having problems with rear shock bolts on our 2010 IC buses. |
Bruce |
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IBTMech
Top Member
USA
973 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 3:46:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sambrutay
having problems with rear shock bolts on our 2010 IC buses.
Air suspension? Common issue. Torque them down. |
If it doesn't fit, FORCE it.
If it breaks, well, it needed replacing anyway.
Pullin' wrenches for 45 years. |
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Tatum
Top Member
United States
606 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 4:20:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
quote:
Originally posted by bwest
I guess there are not many of us left that remember the Carpenters either.
Ride into NE Ohio sometime...the number of those things you will see that are still in service will scare you. As old as 1985 on the road. Running. With kids on them. Yeah...
If those Carpenters are safe enough to pass Ohio's strict school bus inspection what could be wrong with them? |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2010 : 5:08:44 PM
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Without giving out too much info on the particular operation, they are VERY poorly maintained and as a fleet, have an amazing record out-of-service violations issued, which are band-aided or ignored.
One guy up there still has a 1982 or 83 GMC/Carpenter on the road daily. It looks AMAZING and has been well kept BUT...
ANY Carpenter built in Mitchell (we are talking 15+ years ago mind you), features the roof structure that has potential for failure (just like any Superior would) and as such should not be in operation anymore if at all possible. Just my professional opinion. |
Edited by - Thomasbus24 on 10/18/2010 5:15:29 PM |
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willism
Advanced Member
United States
250 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2010 : 3:25:41 PM
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| Bwest I have the same issues with 07 ce300's the guy at the plant told the body shop that the issue is when the interior panels were installed at the factory that when they screwed the panels down they missed the rib. Well be that as it may the buses that Ive looked at have hit that rib and still are coming out. As far as Ive gotten is the normal line that im the only person in the country having this issue. So it must be the quality of air my buses operate in or possibly the air to cloud ratio in my district. But seriously had to bus up at the body shop for a month last winter and the fix was to tighten the screws back up and wait for them to fall out again which there doing one by one. Then we do the calling tree to work on it again. |
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Kodie
Top Member
United States
2028 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2010 : 5:16:09 PM
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| I have to wonder if the bit they're using to pre-drill for the screws is just too large. A self bucking rivet obviously is held in place by the two ends of it, but a screw doesn't have that. |
Edited by - Kodie on 10/20/2010 09:44:47 AM |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2010 : 6:03:58 PM
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| Makes me wonder if a recall is in order due to potential for joint seperating in a crash? |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 2:19:00 PM
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We have a procedure we use for dealing with loose or missing screws, works on all brands, all years.
1. Locate proper screwdriver bit.
2. Replace and/or tighten screw, if screw won't tighten or stay tight, go to next larger size screw.
Seriously, on our ICs the only issue we have really had with screws is the heads popping off on some exterior screws. That issue seems to have been corrected on our later units. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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08 Thomas EF
Top Member
533 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2010 : 3:24:35 PM
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As far as I can tell, the 2010 CE300 I ride hasn't lost any screws, inside or out. There is one loose screw in the ceiling that might fall out any day now. I told my driver about it, nothing's been done. Oh well.
Within the past few days, the dash has started to squeak quite a bit, and the driver's seat has creaked since it was new, and some seat bottoms were loose when it was new, and it had a very stiff parking brake knob. Other than that, it hasn't been OOS since it was new a year ago. Our CEs (including the '04 CE200 and '05 CE200s) are quite reliable. Just not built so well. |
Edited by - 08 Thomas EF on 10/20/2010 3:25:04 PM |
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IC loose bolts/ falling out
