Going to Nashville Wednesday- need advise?

[Tully]

Ok, I am certain there is going to be a ton of stop and go traffic. I understand this Detroit Diesel of my does not like to get hot!

What do I do when I am sitting in traffic or worse yet moving at 3-5 mph for a hour or more?

Tully Lee Garrett
1990 Country Coch

[tdelorme]

So, Tully, your going to Nashville from where? If if are concerned about your 8V92 overheating in stop & go traffic for an hour or two, you have a problem in the coaches cooling system. We got caught in traffic in Dallas two weeks ago and inched along for over an hour and never got over 190 degrees. The low oil pressure on these engines at low RPM bothers me more than anything else. How about traveling late at night? That's about the only way to avoid the bumper to bumper nightmare.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Ted have you ever lit up the low oil pressure warning idling, in gear, in traffic, in the heat with the OTR A/C on?

We had that problem from time to time in 90+ temps. had to drive it with 2 feet.

I agree about the pitiful oil pressure at idle. Fresh oil doesn't help for very long either.

[tdelorme]

No, Joe, and I hope I never do. When I first bought this bus, I would hit neutral, set the brake and go to fast idle at traffic lights. These days I use your two foot method for long idle stops. I will sometimes turn the OTR air off, but I catch hell from Jan if she sees me. :)

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I have traveled all around Nashville and except for accidents affecting traffic there is almost never stop and go driving including rush hour.

The worst area is in the section of I 40 running about 3 or 4 miles on either side of mile marker 210. That is more congested than other areas but I have never had to do stop and go driving.

Briley Parkway (highway 155) is underutilized so if that can be a part of the route I would encourage its use.

As to stop and go driving affecting the coach the best thing you can do if you encounter it is to use neutral when stopped. The transmission will stay much cooler and the engine in turn will also be cooler. That transmission does not like to be in gear, stopped and idling.

[Jim_Scoggins]

Jon's comment about shifting into neutal are right on. However, do not be tempted to inch along downhill, for instance, in neutral. There are cautions in the older Allison manuals against doing so.