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Bedford BP3 brakes

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11 years 10 months ago - 11 years 10 months ago #111503 by Slow Poke
Bedford BP3 brakes was created by Slow Poke
Just joined this forum after lurking for a little while, so this is my first post and hopefully you guys can set me on the right track here.

I have a Bedford BP3 bus/motorhome which previously had an engine transplant. This, I suspect, was out of an old ACCO and was a Perkins 6354, 5 speed Fuller crash box and a Dana joey box. The bus would originally have come with a petrol engine and no joey. Unfortunately it looks like I stuffed up somewhere and now need to either overhaul the Perkins or replace it. Replacement has a fair bit of attraction as it would mean I can get a little more hp as the 120 indicated for the Perkins have a fair few shetlands amongst them. I have come across an Isuzu 6BD1T with a 5 speed synchro box that I am considering. I would like to swap everything over, engine, gear box, axles etc as it gives me a 2 speed diff so the joey can be removed and solves the eternal Beddie problem of not wanting to stop. However, due to my lack of experience, tools etc I would need the job done by a mechanic and this takes it outside sensible economic areas so am now just looking at switching the engine/gear box, leaving the joey and Beddie axles. This raise a problem with the brakes. The existing brakes are of course vacuum over hydraulic and the Isuzu has an air compressor. When I was looking around for a motor, one of the guys I was talking to about a Cummins said that all I needed to do was to replace the vacuum servo with an air pac, simple. At first I couldn't find anything on this but have now come across what this is but am not really any the wiser.

What I want to know is, is this a viable changeover? Is it relatively simple or an expensive exercise or am I better off looking for a vacuum pump or removing the one on the Perkins and keeping the existing vacuum assisted brake setup? I understand that I will need air tanks etc and will have these as the engine is in a full truck and I will strip these out of it if needed.

The lure of going to air is strong as I suspect that this would give me a much more efficient brake setup then the non existent Beddie vacuums.

Look forward to any advise on this, I don't think it will be the last I need.
Last edit: 11 years 10 months ago by Slow Poke.

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11 years 10 months ago - 11 years 10 months ago #111504 by Chocs
Replied by Chocs on topic Re: Bedford BP3 brakes
Welcome to the forum Slow poke..

The earlier Isuzu SBR 6BB1 series were vacuum / hydraulic.
They had the vacuum pump fitted to the rear of the alternator. They were also 24 Volt.
The SCR / JCR was then Air over Hydraulic.

chocs 8-)

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11 years 10 months ago #111505 by IHScout
Replied by IHScout on topic Re: Bedford BP3 brakes
Slow P.,
Should be reasonably straight forward to turn it into an air over hydraulic system. It basically works the same way. This link takes you to some research I did on how the Inter air pak system works www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1327918313/9 look at reply no. 9. Somewhere else on the forum BigCam has detailed how the Dodge system works which is slightly different. Whatever you do, you should get your brake system checked out by a brake expert to ensure you've got it right. A big bus with no brakes is a lethal weapon. :o

Dennis

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11 years 10 months ago #111506 by mammoth
Replied by mammoth on topic Re: Bedford BP3 brakes
Firstly you need to contact the engineer who will be certifying the changes that you plan, otherwise she will be sitting on blocks unregistered and you won't need brakes anyway. The certification arrangements are different for each state so you need to say where you are.
Secondly, the SB Bedford is 1950's design and fitting new components in one area is likely to show up weakness in others.
You're not the first to have an old vehicle and complain about it being slow to go and stop - the common thing that is forgotten is the extra weight (tons of it !) of the fitout and appliances that is being lugged around.
At the end of the day if you want more performance than a 1950's bus gives you would be best advised to get something more modern, and probably japanese.

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