8V-71 Owners - Info Needed

[travlinman]

Hey Guys,

One of the Eagles that I am looking at has an 8V-71 with a 10 speed road ranger in it. Considering the cost of an engine swap, I may just leave it in place. At least until it gives up the ghost. So, what are you guys seeing for fuel mileage, and do you think this set up will make it over mountain passes? Any other thoughts would be appreciated.

Steve

[beltguy]

Steve, almost all 8-71s are not turbocharged. That will cause you to loose a lot of power at altitude.

Having said that, the 8-71 was a work horse for a lot of years and made an unbelievable number of runs over the worst mountain highways.

If you choose this bus, you will be in good company. Lots of folks still have them in their bus.

With the 10 speed you will be in much better shape, since you can get the best gear for almost any situation.

You will not get up the hill in a hurry, but just sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery . The best way to drive the bus up the hill is to watch the exhaust in the mirror and back off the throttle and/or shift a gear when the black smoke starts blow.

Folks have put turbos on 8-71 and seem to love them. Don Fairchild has done at least one with an air to air cooler and that would make a sweet engine. However, you would need to make sure the cooling was top notch (I would recommend a new radiator with the latest fin technology).

There are two approaches to installing a turbo. One is to design it so that it only becomes effective at altitude (low boost design). That can probably be done without changing engine parts. The second approach is to do a complete rebuild with turbo parts and go for lots of boost.

Either of the turbo options are not cheap. Obviously, the low boost design is less expensive.

When you start thinking about putting that kind of money in the bus, you will probably drift towards thoughts of a four stroke engine (at least I would). If your 10 speed is an overdrive, the four stroke would be a very good consideration. It will not have cooling problems and an M11/ISM can be installed without raising the floor.

Jim

[Dreamscape]

Steve,

I have an 8V-71N and a four speed crash box in our 01. It's been good to us so far, but we haven't driven it much, always working on the darn thing! I have gotten around 8 mpg, but I watch my mirrors for the black stuff and let off when I need to.

You have a tranny that I would love to have in ours. The four speed has too tall a first and reverse gear, I don't like it one bit.

If you do plan to buy and do a repower, there are some guys here who have done a masterful job on the installation. Sonnie's Eagle is the only one I've had the pleasure of seeing with the Cat. He sure did one heck of a fine job. There are others, but I haven't been around long enough to know them yet.


Good Luck,

[Songman]

Steve,

I think I mentioned in your other thread that the 8V71 is my engine of choice. I will be pulling the 6V92 out of my Eagle and replacing it with an 8V71. As Jim said, it will have a turbo and an air-to-air cooler. Additionally, it will have a bypass blower to keep from using the blower in instances where it is not needed. This will help with fuel mileage. The hydraulic cooling fan will also help with performance and fuel mileage. As important as anything is the choice of turbo and the correct injectors. Match these items up with the right gearing and you can run alongside any engine swap in terms of fuel mileage and performance. A lot of people will disagree with that statement and that is fine. To each his own. I have seen Don do it so I know it works. The best thing for me is that I will be able to do it a lot quicker, plus I will still have a wad of cash in my pocket because I didn't have to completely redesign the rear of my bus to accept the new components.

If you buy an Eagle with an 8V71 that you intend to replace, contact me or Don. We are always looking for 2-strokes to buy.

[rusty]

Dale

I have an 8V71 in Colo. Don't know anything about this motor it was in my 05 when I bought it. The owner told me the blower gasket was out of it. Don't know if that is true I never tried to start it. It has been setting outside for 6 or 7 years. I thought about using it for a boat anchor but I thought it would scare the Walleye. You are welcome to it but you have to get it home.

[Songman]

Thanks Wayne. I'll start working on that. We need all the 2-stokes we can get. Not only for buses, but for business as well. We're really looking for 6-71s and 12V71s right now. But we are open to any of them. Thanks!