Here’s the thing. We have an 8v92 TA in our 102C3 with the 500hp setting on the ECM. And it’s been turned up a little beyond that too. So I’m runnig over 500hp and I can tell you that my coach goes...I’ve finally got it running right now and even though I’m almost 50,000lbs fully loaded gross including toad, I can keep up with traffic at stop lights etc. if you’re two stroke is kept up, it will work perfectly for you. My 6v92 in my last bus never overheated ever. It was mechanical and it just worked. The only way I’d recommend a repower is a few specific conditions:
1. Your engine is blown. If you are needing a $20,000 rebuild, that’s the time to consider a repower because you’re already into a rebuild 20k might as well explore other options
2. You have plenty of money and really just want to modify your bus out of sheer joy.
Repowering a coach with a 4 stroke when your two stroke is running good is just throwing money down a hole. People think it’s going to make their coach more reliable like a car or give them 20mpg. It’s just not like that. Sure, you’ll gain a few mpgs, and yes you might be able to get parts a little easier etc, but neither of those little conveniences will even come close to outweighing the mods you have to do and the money you’ll have to spend on a repower. Even though you’re getting this drive train for free, you have a ton of modifications to do to make this work. And fitting it into the engine bay is just one of the puzzle pieces. So again, if it’s a hobby and you’re enjoying the process and have the money and time, go for it. But I have seen these swap attempts go bad before with people losing interest half way through and struggling to get all the pieces to work and they end up with a Frankenbus that is just kind of a mess. I have a guy I know in Texas who did a Cummins swap into his MCI9. He never ever worked out all the kinks with th modified cooling system and other issues he was having and got cancer so his bus is just sitting now. It’s pretty, but it’s not a good solid runner.