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Thread Title:

Having Trouble with my International

Created On Tuesday November 11, 2008 17:35

bryanlynch

Posts: 1
Joined: Nov 2008

Tuesday November 11, 2008 17:35

I'm new to the diesel world, but a fairly good mechanic. I really need some advice!!!!!
I have an 1994 International School bus that I converted into a motorhome. It has an International chassis, Thomas School Bus body (Vista edition), the motor/bus only has 104,000 miles on it. It has been maintained well, filters etc.......
I am not sure which motor is in this, I was told a 7.3, but i am not too sure on this.

My problem is this: It will run and idle perfectly. I took it on a short trip.....maybe 65 miles, and it took me all day to get it back home!
Here is what it was doing. When I first took off for the trip, i drove it for about 55 miles.....no problem, then all of a sudden, i began to lose power! the bus would get slower and slower.....eventually, i would have to pull over. It would still be running. I turned around and stayed th night at a gas station parking lot. The next morning, started right up, took off for about 15 miles ran perfectly. Then started the exact same thing. so i turned around and headed for home. The entire way home, i could only drive maybe a mile or 2, it would bog down to barely pulling itself, i would sit for maybe 45 minutes, then start it and take off again. I did this all day until i got it home.

I did note a pattern, after i would pull over, i could just let it run and idle. I would have to let it "catch up" so to speak, and blow out all kinds of black smoke through the exhaust pipe, i dont know if it was flooding out or what. Once the black smoke was cleared out, then i could take off again. This would only last a mile or 2, then i would have to pull over and repeat until the black smke was cleared out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also: when it does start running again, it never seems like it has full power. I changed fuel filters, this was not the problem.

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stuey

Posts: 4
Joined: May 2009

Friday May 15, 2009 19:18

might have a vapuor lock try bleeding the injecter system somtime they will run good then when motor gets hot creates a vapour lock in fuel lines because of not properly bleeding the system also check your electrical had a old corn binder that used to shut down unexpectantly and found a inline fuse that intermitantly would cut out and totaly screw things up too much fuel and killed all power or would run but have problems when hauling heavy loads

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DieselSmellsLikePower

Posts: 10
Joined: Aug 2009

Saturday August 15, 2009 05:19
To help you out, need to know what engine it is for sure. DT inline6 or V8 7.3? turbo or non-turbo? It could be a easy fix if it's turbo....Its known as a "flapper" on the inside of the pressure side of the turbo pipping.... Is it useing up engine oil on every trip? Allways check ALL fluids for the engine for contamination!!!!

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s1edracer

Posts: 10
Joined: Sep 2009

Monday September 14, 2009 08:30
White smoke means too much fuel and black smoke means too little fuel on any diesel. So my suggestion is to go through the fuel system first and try blowing out all the lines and draining the fuel tank because if it sat for a while deisel will grow algae which can reap havock on your fuel system and injectors.

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s1edracer

Posts: 10
Joined: Sep 2009

Monday September 14, 2009 08:34
sorry, white smoke can also mean coolant in the cylinders but you can smell that. And also black smoke could be an indication of a bad turbo but from your description it won't be a bad turbo because if a turbo goes it will not be intermittent.