Eagles International Forum

Anyone know roughly what a rebuild would cost on my 1975 Silver Eagle bus with a Detroit Turbo Diesel motor?

To begin with, a 1975 Eagle would not have had a Turbo Diesel originally, so you need to know what engine you have. Someone put something else in such as a 6V92, a military 8V71, or a 8V92. Costs depend on what engine, the level of rebuild (inframe vs out of frame), which components need overhaul, etc., all effect the price. It could be from $3000-5000, or over $20,000 in a professional shop that gives a guarantee. Depending on what you perceive is wrong with the engine, it might only need a repair, or something as simple as changing the fuel filters.

Great advice Walter. My bus has a Detroit 6v92 in it. The seller noticed that while driving it up the mountains toward his shop about 1.5 hours away, that the turbo didn't kick in like it should have. Once he got it to his place, he had his mechanic look into it while he called up the previous driver to ask if he noticed the lack of power. The driver said no and that it's not the turbo. Luck was on my side because the mechanic found areas related to air leaks which he meticulously went thru and fixed. Now she kicks in and runs like a boss!! Best part is that during the fluid changes, minor fixes and a good run to test things, oil did not fly. The cost was very low compared to what it could've been. As you mention, you just never know!

Fantastic that you did not have to do a rebuild.

Turbo boost can also be affected by clogged fuel and air filters. Also a clogged exhaust system. I always recommend a simple boost gauge installed on the dash to monitor turbo pressure. Should be in the 15-25 PSI range at full throttle and fairly high RPM as I recall (been a long time since I had a 6V92 in the bus)

As you have seen preached here many times, be very careful to keep the engine temperature below 200-205. If it were me, I would install a GOOD engine coolant temperature gauge in the back and then check it against your dash unit. Some folks have suggested using an infrared gauge and that is poor advice in my opinion, since it does not measure actual water temperature and relies on the "color" (emissivity) of the part you are shooting at. Most cheap guns do not have an emissivity adjustment.

Jim