[Peter]

I would just look for a Detroit shop (assuming older coach with series 60 etc). My local Detroit shop does a lot of work on seated coaches….and it is just an oil change…and agree on Speedco, probably avoid them.

[Lacey]

There is more to maintenance than just changing oil. If the Prevost schedule is followed you will be beneath the coach twice as often just to lube the fittings.

When you do change the oil, you will also change the oil filters. As a practice I change the fuel filters at the same time. Then there is the issue of draining and checking the pneumatic system, maybe replacing the dessicant cartridge, possibly changing coolant, possibly transmission fluid and filters, etc.

To properly do the above you need to get beneath the coach so you need supports and a hard surface capable of carrying the weight on the supports. You need the oil pan to collect about 10 gallons of oil or up to 24 gallons of coolant. Then you need containers to put that collected waste oil in so the oil can be disposed of. You will have to carry a collection of tools, not only the routine tools, but the tools you will need for the not so routine tasks like those needed to remove a stubborn filter.

The coach can be lubed with a hand held grease gun and a grease cartridge, but since I did the maintenance described above in a barn on the floor you will be looking at a day long job because the ideal way to do it is with the bus on a lift or over a pit.

Bottom line I would take it to a truck stop or service facility and put on my coveralls and shadow the guy doing the work to make sure he does it right. The good news is on a vintage you appear to focus on there is not much someone can screw up, unlike earlier vintages that overgreasing would damage.

Doing a full service makes a mess. Oil gets splashed and drips, globs of grease hit the floor, etc. so I’m not comfortable doing work on a coach where I cannot protect someone’s concrete floor. Accidents happen. I think you would be far better off and will have to carry less stuff if you have others do the work.

[Archived]

Looks like repair shops are the way to go, especially for the ‘messy’ & more complex jobs. Would still like to ‘learn’ the bus and be able to change/replace belts and carry other smaller jobs as well as being able to check & monitor other items that may require outside help. Looking forward to buying a bus with a Snap-On toolbox already included. Full of tools of course!

Thanks for the advice Gman & Jon.

[Peter]

An oil sample is a good thing as a snap shot of the engines current parameters, but the ideal information is a history of samples showing any trends over a period of time and mileage.

[Archived]

Ditto what Tom said. In spades.

Oil sampling has almost no value unless the specific sample you take has some off the charts material such as coolant or fuel, or an excessive element. Checking the dip stick tends to show that stuff if we are looking or using our nose.

Where the samples are valuable is to chart the elements and look for any out of the ordinary rates or increases. Where I see a problem with our uses of the coaches is we just aren’t driving them enough. Most of us don’t drive enough in one year to equal a month of commercial use so by the time we actually might have enough samples to see a trend we’ve traded for a new coach.