Engine switch for National
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IF THE Leyland 500 engine is to be phased out as predicted (CM page 25) this would have far reaching repercussions for bus operators.
The only bus relying solely on the 500 unit is the Leyland National, as the 500 fitted to the Bristol VRT could easily be replaced by a Leyland 680 or Gardner unit.
The volume of National production could never support the the retention of the 500 for the National alone.
The 500 has never been a popular unit for bus applications and many operators would be very happy if it were to be removed from National.
One NBC company has already engineered such a change.
By far the biggest remaining problem in the engine swap is that of ground clearance.
Already if the suspension air pressure falls the National can rest on its exhaust system, and with a larger engine like the 680 the ground clearance could become a critical but not insoluble problem.