3ardner for National
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EYLAND BUS is bowing to iarket pressure, and will soon nnounce a Gardner-engined ersion of the 11.6m Leyland 'atonal 2. This follows the onversion of a Mark One Jational by National Bus and, flora significantly, a National 2 onversion by the Scottish Bus koup. NOEL MILLIER reports.
The Gardner option will probtbly add about £300 to the pur;hese price for the National 2, )ut the improved fuel consumpion figures being recorded by Eastern Scottish with its :onverted bus suggest that total ife cost will be lower than for he 680-engined standard pro Juct.
Eastern Scottish used a 6HLXB )ngine from its spare-part stock or its initial conversion. It was )riginally built to suit the Sedion Pennine 7, but a 6HLX Nould have been suitable too. A Jell housing adaptor and fluid Flywheel for a Seddon and a replacement ,GH 355/7 gearbox uvere also used along with rear rubber gearbox mountings, an A85 alternator, a Butec conversion kit 855349, an Eminox stainless steel exhaust system, and a Webasto electric water pump.
Other parts from stock included an engine anti-torque damper built for a Leyland Leopard, a Hoburn Eaton power steering pump from a Daimler Fleetline, and a Bristol RE compressor and sump bracket. The company specially manufactured engine mounting brackets as well as an assortment of fuel, oil and water pipes, and support and strengthening plates. The Eastern Scottish conversion involved moving the nearside subframe leg 254mm (10 in) to the nearside so that the engine would be slung between the frame legs rather than under them. The interior floor line was raised by the thickness of a layer of plywood to make it easier to enlarge the floor traps for improved access to engine and gearbox for maintenance. The seat frames of the last three nearside double seats were modified to give access to the traps.
The converted bus has now been in service at Eastern Scottish's Airdrie depot for about four weeks, and it is being evaluated alongside a standard 680-engined National 2, a Leyland 510-engined National, and a mid-engined Pennine 7 on the same route. The Gardnerpowered National, initially with its engine rated to produce 180 bhp but now derated by about ten per cent, has been returning steadily improving fuel consumption figures although it is not as economical as the similarly powered Seddon. I found that it was livelier and noticably quieter than the 680-engined models.
The conversion has been designed to be as quick and costeffective as possible. It makes full use of parts already held as operator stock, and as further vehicles are modified, should increase standardisation on Gardner engines. Experience from the first conversion is already being put to good use in a second conversion being carried out by Eastern Scottish on a National 2 for the Alexander (Fife) fleet.