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Jarrell
Active Member
USA
15 Posts |
 Posted - 04/23/2004 : 07:55:00 AM
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| Why has Blue-Bird discontinued the TC/2000. Have they discontinued it because it isn't on they're website. Can you all help me out here? |
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Girardin_71
Top Member
Canada
626 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2004 : 08:33:08 AM
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| Blue-Bird had to discontinued the TC/2000 because the 5.9 Cummins was changed and it wouldn't fit the TC/2000. |
Girardin/Blue-Bird are my favorite school buses
http://www.g71bdpt.net |
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Buskid
Top Member
USA
3368 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2004 : 4:53:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Jarrell
Why has Blue-Bird discontinued the TC/2000. Have they discontinued it because it isn't on they're website. Can you all help me out here?
The Blue Bird TC/2000 FE didn't have a drop-frame chassis. Therefore, the only engine that would fit in those buses was the Cummins ISB (5.9 liters). Larger engines wouldn't fit in them as they would buses that utilized drop-frame chassis — such as the Blue Bird All American FE. So, basically, when Cummins had to modify the Cummins ISB in order to meet emmissions standards for 2004, the engine no longer fit in the bus. |
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TC3000
Senior Member
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 2:22:19 PM
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quote:
The Blue Bird TC/2000 FE didn't have a drop-frame chassis. Therefore, the only engine that would fit in those buses was the Cummins ISB (5.9 liters).
Has anyone tried to install a Caterpillar or Detroit Diesel engine in the TC2000 (or has seen a TC2000 with either engine)? Or how about gasoline engines other than the GM 427?
BTW-does anyone know of any other transit buses without drop-frame? |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 2:35:34 PM
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The only engine ever placed in the TC/2000, either FE, or RE, was the Cummins 5.9 ISB, and maybe a handful of natural gas 5.9s and Deeres.
Other front engines without drop frames included anything before the 90s basically, as well as all AmTran/IC FEs. IC FEs are currently the only FEs withpout a drop frame.
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baumannj
Senior Member
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 2:53:22 PM
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Our district has 3 1994 TC200s that are powered by GM 427 gasoline engines. I believe that the 427 gas and 5.9 diesel were the only 2 engine choices. You can see photos of 2 of these gasoline-powered TC2000s on my website - the second bus has a close-up photo of the engine.
Josh Baumann
Visit Josh's School Bus Gallery:
http://schoolbus.lunarpages.com |
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78fordwayne
Top Member
USA
2868 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 3:48:52 PM
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WOW now that is a very rare thing to find.
Looking at the pics it looks like the engine sits on top of the frame insted of in between. Notice the larger dog house like on the 92s and earlier.
Those arent engine swops either those buses did come with the 427.
If you look closely at the gauges you will see on the speedometer it says unleaded fuel only , and there is no place whare the engine stop lever would normaly be on the diesels.
Good find on that one! |
Robert B.
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Edited by - 78fordwayne on 12/07/2004 4:41:04 PM |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 5:08:57 PM
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GASOLINE POWERED?! Holy smokes! I've NEVER, EVER heard of a gasoline powered TC/2000 before. That's wild!
Do those buses drive any good? |
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eckbird
Active Member
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 7:49:02 PM
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| Rich my districts and several others (larger 80 cap buses) has 6.9L in their buses. 1997's and up. |
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SchoolBusFan
Top Member
USA
1769 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 7:54:25 PM
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| New stuff at School Bus Fleet Magazine's Forums, lol. I didin't know about the gas engine either. Can someone explain what a drop frame chassis is? |
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Isellbuses
Top Member
Canada
828 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2004 : 8:03:14 PM
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If you can see this in your minds eye. Here is what a drop chassis looks like;
--O-----O\__
LOL, but it really does. The C7 CAT is too high for the old TC and for the AAFE so they added a drop frame rail in front of the front axle. They show it in the old literature. It works very well and is easy when pulling the engine out the front. I have heard of no issues with the drop chassis what so ever. |
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baumannj
Senior Member
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2004 : 05:22:02 AM
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In response to your question Rich... YES, these buses drive very good overall.... but of course there are pros and cons:
Advantages:
- Excellent acceleration... They'll really get up and move!
- They have a short wheelbase and excellent turning radius, like all TC2000s I've driven
- The gas engine is very quiet, you can hardly hear it when idling
Disadvantages:
- POOR gas mileage! (I would assume <5 m.p.g.) And these buses have a small (45-gallon) tank, requiring that they be fueled every day.
- Engine throws a lot of heat - nice in the winter (hot air from the heaters within minutes of starting the engine), but bad most of the year in Texas!
- Doesn't perform as well as a diesel on highway trips - lower torque causes the engine to downshift frequently when pulling up hills. Not great when you're peacefully driving a busload of students down the interstate on a field trip, and you start going up a slight hill, and BUH-WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH... that 427 engine suddenly jumps up to about 3500 RPM!!!
These 3 1994 TC2000s, along with a 1994 BB/GMC conventional, are the only gasoline buses my district owns - I think they were originally purchased with the intention of conversion to propane or LNG, but that never happened and the following year they resumed purchasing diesels. I've also heard that these TC2000s were originally going to have air conditioning added, but the compressors would have to be mounted so low that they would be prone to road scraping damage.
Josh Baumann
Visit Josh's School Bus Gallery:
http://schoolbus.lunarpages.com |
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2001bluebird
Senior Member
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2004 : 3:58:23 PM
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| i don't like the TC2000 are load our 1995 are junk. THE ONLY THING I DO LIKE ABOUT THEM IS THE STEREO WORKS. Also they are doggy up hills. |
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Topic |
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Is this the end of the TC/2000
