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So I was taking the classic south for leid Diesel to perform pm work on the motor in PA. & Started the coach on a 45 degree day. Fluids were all good when i started her however she ran on 3 or 4 cylinders for 30 seconds then came into it. I idled her for about 20 minutes and shut her down. Went back yesterday and she wouldn't turn over. checked radiator sight and was low.....took 9 gallons/oil was contaminated....better in my driveway than on vacation I guess....
Need to tow her but she is nose in  how do I air up suspension and turn off brakes? 
Does the engine slide out on rails like a bus? (1983)
Leid can do a reman silvertop and it seems like a good time to move to a 6 speed allision which they have in stock....

Just need to find a shop who can do the swap in Nh or southern/Western Maine
Any suggestions welcome

[ccjohnson]

I have tapped into the 120V compressor discharge to air up system to raise mine on air bags to change pressure protection valve. When I have had coach towed, I have run an air hose from tow truck back to the air quick coupler in the engine bay on curb side. Sounds like you may have had a catastrophic failure of liner "O" rings.

[MPerry]

My 83 has a air port (female) in the engine bay(passenger side), using a male to male coupler can air up the system.

Some of the forum members who did repowers can better tell about removing the engine. It looks to me the engine sets in its own cradle and that cradle is bolted to the frame.

[Johnnyboy]

Just another idea, you speak of a 6 speed. Since you may be rebuilding engine. I would go with a 8.3L Cummins and 6 speed Allison. Bullet proof and better mileage. Now would be the time.

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Thanks all for the help! Yes Leid diesel thinks o rings went....so the question becomes 13k for a reman silver top or Repower? I would love an isl cummins however the cost of a shop re engineering and installing it all may be double that of adding the reman 6v92tA and Allision six speed? If I can find a shop to do it....New England is super low unemployment so everyones booked months out

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one mechanic asked if the engine was on rails...wanted to do an inframe however the rear of the engines leaking so I only want to do the labor once..

[Guy]

Go slow on this. First, no worries on the tow. Don't tow . A good transport company will put your classic on a special trailer just for such ocassions. We had to do it a year ago. They have on board compressors and are very familliar with putting air in the system and putting coaches on Landoll or tilt trailers.

A driveway diagnosis is not a good idea. I doubt that all nine gallons of coolant  could have gone into your crankcase. What is the level on the dipstick ? Did you notice any enigine problems before you parked your coach?  Are you thinking that your engine is locked up due to an overfull crankcase? How about having the oil drained out to see how many gallons of whatever is in there and then trying to bar over the engine. The fact that you were not able to fire up the engine is a good thing

A rebuilt engine and remove and install  comes in at 25 thousand plus.  

Good luck in whatever you do.

[Richard]

You may be able to pull the engine with a pallet jack and proper cribbing.

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Guy , You are completely correct. I am trying to find a shop within 120 miles to take it in. I drove it from the BC border in Wa. to NH. We had a tranny cooler coolant hose blow which I noticed right off in Minnesota. Coasted off highway w motor off to a parking lot got to about 215 Deg. F
Got the hose replaced and the block heater hose replaced. No coolant in oil or oil in coolant all the way to Maine. all levels held and oil consumption was half a gallon per thousand miles. Parked for 2 weeks then moved to my business parking lot where i have a hook up. Let sit for a month. Fired last week and all levels were good. Fired hard...ran on less than all cylinders for a bit then ran fine. Shut her down with the engine bay air blocker as the cellenoid kill switch works intermittently. came back four days later and wouldnt crank. Checked fluids and radiator was low and figured all the leaks may not have been solved by the service in MN so shockingly put 9 gallons in. Dipstick reads normal level on oil but gray death goo was present. Thinking t he damage was done in MN. and the cold start was the final straw? It was 40 degrees out and took quite a few minutes to get puffing. There was never Steam observed at any time and I was looking. I would love to do a Cummins ISC but need a shop. If I could get that done over the quoted 6v92ta reman at 13500 and Allison3000 six speed at 7k plus install for comparable cost I would do it in a heartbeat as I run in cold weather quite a bit here in Spring and Fall. 
again I appreciate the input just want it to be dead reliable. I work in the restaurant industry and my time off is rare and too valuable to be tinkering too much. I have had six rvs pusher/puller super c etc. I like the way the classic rides and handles so am long term on it. No glow plugs is a bit of a turn off. If i do go w a reman 6v I will have to see if I can get taller gearing or go allision3000 to get 70-75 cruise speeds

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Richard, I have thought about using my loader with forks and a cribbing built on a pallet but I lack some of the tools and its 12 degrees out. Pallet jack will not work where it is as its on grass

[Richard]

Couple of things. You sound pretty savvy, so don't take them as anything but something to think about.

Drain some oil into a clear container. Coolant will settle to the bottom overnite. Let's be sure you have a coolant into oil leak BEFORE calling the tow truck.

Definitely bar the engine by hand to see if any of the cylinders are hydrolocked.

I pulled the head off an Series 60 in a gravel lot with a cherry picker. I found a couple of sheets of plywood gave me something to roll the picker on.

[MrE]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I'm probably the best one on the forum to let you know what not to do.

I have an '86 with the factory mechanical 8V92 and HT740 4 speed Allison transmission. My 8V92 overheated and seized up. I had it towed from northern Nevada to my home in Idaho with the hopes of being able to un-seize it. Long story short, decided to go with a re-power. Bought a 2001 Denver transit bus with a Cummins ISM for the re-power. It was advertised as having an Allison world transmission. Flew to Denver to pick it up and found out it actually had a ZF transmission. Pulled the 8V92 and Allison out in the driveway. It was on rails, rails that were rusted to the frame. We were able to get it out with a come-along, but decided a forklift was the appropriate method. Called shops in the area to see what they would charge. Because it was a motorhome they wanted a higher rate and wouldn't give me an hour estimate, time and materials only. Had it towed to Missouri where there is a mechanic that specializes in powertrain swaps. That was 2015.

Right now, it's done all except the electrical. I've already paid a guy that said he could do it over $1,800 for wiring and it's still not working. Apparently an issue with the engine ECU and transmission ECU talking. I'll be loading up some tools in my Range Rover and drive to Missouri and see if I can't figure it out on my own. Nobody seems to know about ZF electronics in the area and online documentation isn't that helpful.