Gillig 501 questions???

RV and bus conversion info since 1996.

Share Your Feedback

PRINT PAGE

RV Classifieds

		1998 Wanderer by Thor Ind M-36 - $10,500
		1985 Monaco Crown Royale - $56,000
		1999 Sunnybrook 30 RLFS Lite Aluminum Superstructure - $13,500
		1998 Sierra Forest River - $13,500
		2005 Coachmen Sportscoach Elite 401 TS - $174,000
		VIEW ALL
		Search RV Classifieds
		Classifieds Policies
		Benefits for Dealers
		Sell Your RV
		Dealer Signup

Useful Links

RV Community

		Discussion Groups
		RV Articles
		RV FAQs
		RV Classified Ads
		Virtual RV Park
		Shop at our Store
		RV Lifestyle Books
		Rate Your RV
		AllThingsRV.com
		MyRVGuide.com
		RVMechanic.com
		Advertise With Us

BECOME A MEMBER

RV Resources

		e RV Loans
		Sculptures for your RV
		Visit Rio Rancho, NM for Winter
		RV Dealers
		RV Manufacturers
		RV Rentals
		RV Glossary
		RV Types
		RV Ratings

Gillig 501 questions???

Home > Discussion Forum > Bus Conversions - School

email Ron Detullio

reply to message

post new message

search forums

hidden layer

ATTENTION: All Postings that advertise items for sale will be deleted from the Discussion Forum. You may post sale items for free in the Classifieds section. Sign up now.

All Messages in Thread	Author	Date
Gillig 501 questions???	Ron Detullio	3-26-02
67 501 turns 2500 rpm governor speed @50 mph.what is the normal gov.speed? what gears do i need to cruise at 65-70? who sells used gears for my rockwell diff?eventually converting to a dt466 . does this motor have a similar red line? thanx ron
Re: gillig 501 questions???	Ken	3-26-02
What kinda gas milage do you get with your IH 501??? Does it still have to old time down draft carb, or has it been refited and updated with a newer style carb?
Re: gillig 501 questions???	R on detullio	3-26-02
What kinda gas milage do you get with your IH 501??? Does it still have to old time down draft carb, or has it been refited and updated with a newer style carb? my 501 has a huge 2 barrel holley i always assumed it was stock. with mountain gears she gets about 6 mpg. should improve a lot with better gearing.
Re: gillig 501 questions???	Mark O.	3-30-02
2500-2600 RPM is about all you ever want to turn a IHC 501. They will go all day at that speed but don't ask it to go any faster. I doubt you will have enough HP to turn a faster gear set. Or rather if it would be worth your time and effort changing. We had a Gillig with a IHC 501 that would go 55 MPH on the flat but any kind of hill and you were dropping gears. Also, as I remember, our 501 never got better than 4 MPG. A DT466 is a natural swap because the engine redlines at 2650 RPM and it is virtually the same length. You may even luck out and be able to use the same bellhousing to your transmission. A DT466 in a Gillig should be able to turn 4.10 gears for great highway speed or 4.56 gears for pretty good highway speed and pretty good hill climbing. Good luck and happy trails. Mark O.
Re: gillig 501 questions???	Ron Detullio	3-30-02
Mark some good advise here. but does a dt 466 make that much more power than a 501 to pull such tall gears?the 501 is rated 210 hp i believe. anyone have a dt466 and some gears for a rockwell 4 sale? Ron . A DT466 is a natural swap because the engine redlines at 2650 RPM and it is virtually the same length. You may even luck out and be able to use the same bellhousing to your transmission. A DT466 in a Gillig should be able to turn 4.10 gears for great highway speed or 4.56 gears for pretty good highway speed and pretty good hill climbing. Good luck and happy trails. Mark O.
Re: gillig 501 questions???	Mark O.	4-1-02
The HP may be rated similarly but the torque figures are nothing the same. Remember it takes torque to get you going and HP to keep you going. With the 501, as the RPM falls off you lose HP very quickly on an uphill grade which means the torque goes down and you slow down. With the DT, the turbo helps to keep the RPM from falling off on an upgrade. Keeping the R's up means you keep the HP and torque up which translates to keeping your speed up. Most schoolies with the DT around here are geared for a top speed of about 58 MPH. Regardless of the size of the load, the bus will maintain that speed up hill and down dale all day long without ever slowing down. The same cannot be said of a 501. All other discussion aside, parts and pieces for the DT are available anywhere very reasonably. The 501 was a great engine in it's day but that day was a long time ago. Parts and pieces are getting farther and farther apart which translates into $$$$. All other considerations aside, the 501 will use about twice as much fuel per mile as the DT. At that rate it won't take very long to pay for the conversion. Good luck and happy trails. Mark O.
Re: gillig 501 questions???	Ron Detullio	4-1-02
Will i need more radiator?it is just adequate for the 501 Keeping the R's up means you keep the HP and torque up which translates to keeping your speed up. Most schoolies with the DT around here are geared for a top speed of about 58 MPH. Regardless of the size of the load, the bus will maintain that speed up hill and down dale all day long without ever slowing down. The same cannot be said of a 501. All other discussion aside, parts and pieces for the DT are available anywhere very reasonably. The 501 was a great engine in it's day but that day was a long time ago. Parts and pieces are getting farther and farther apart which translates into $$$$. All other considerations aside, the 501 will use about twice as much fuel per mile as the DT. At that rate it won't take very long to pay for the conversion. Good luck and happy trails. Mark O.