Thanks for posting the video. Never saw a 5 speed bus. Sure could have used that extra gear on Buffaloes taking kids to summer camp. All our MC9s were automatics.
Believe it or not some bus companies have Dana Spicer 4speed manual and Fuller 5speed manual Transmissions like Classic tours Joey's tours Starr tours of NJ Harran Coachways Capital Trailways Golden Ring travel and more of them bus companies
@@calvincrews3885 Another one was Empire Trailways of Rochester, NY. Their coaches from 1981 on back had the Spicer 4 speed and from 1982-1989 were the Fuller 5s. They went to the Allison HT740 beginning in 1990.
In the MC-9 operators manual it said to accelerate in each gear to the engine's full operating rpm and not to short shift and also cautioned to the harmful effects of lugging on the engine. These 2-stroke diesels should be kept at a higher rpm unlike the newer Series 60 engines.
@@MonsterMidi the 3 speed has 4 forward gears. First and third gears are up *forward towards front) and 2and and 4th are back. Reverse is in the 2and gear slot. To get in R, depress the clutch and shift into first. While keeping the clutch engaged, flip the solenoid switch and h (located on the driver's side panel), then shift into 2nd, then release solenoid switch.
@@mrAhollandjr I preferred the 4-speed too, less shifting and it got the job done. It was just easier and more relaxing to drive, the 5-speed you have to be more on your game and hit each gear perfectly, with the 4-speed you could almost feel your way into gear.
You need to watch the governor, at each shifting speed the governor maxes out that is where you shift up or down shift at. Once you get experienced with a particular Coach then you will be able to shift by sound this also is the same for speed shifting.
Just takes time to get the hang of it, you drive by listening to the engine, full rpm in each gear then you make your double clutch and all the while the rpms are falling and if you time it right it will go right in the next gear. To downshift you do the opposite except you raise the rpms to meet the engine speed of the lower gear.
Oh and there's no rpm gauge (tachometer) on these and the operator's manual said not to short shift and allow the engine to reach max governed rpm (usually 2100 rpm) in each gear before upshifting. The early speedometers before they went electronic in the mid 80's were also color coded where the speed range for each gear had a different color and that was very cool and helpful for those loud charter groups where you couldn't always hear the engine.
Dear sir....if you were doing a driver assessment,and I was overseeing that assessment I would have failed you before you got out of the service station.....a gear change inside the service centre...NO.
