Comments on: Automotive Window Motor for Power Bus Door?

By: Danika

Danika — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:42:53 +0000

Don’t know if you’re still working on this project, but I am using a retired school bus to transport pets to spay-neuter surgery (Photos on website)
I found out that there is what’s called a “vandal lock” that secures the front doors without motors or removing the original mechanism. It locks the doors and has a bar that attaches to the regular door opener. A company called TAC Bus Parts in Ohio sells them (about $50), if you have a Thomas or Bluebird. Unfortunately, I have a Carpenter, and I found your site while searching for someone who might know how to get one for my bus… Good luck on your project.

By: neufeld

neufeld — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:08:41 +0000

Matthew, I’ve chosen not to pursue a motorized door opener, but I have no reason to believe it wouldn’t work. It’s a matter of gear ratio and torque — remember that a window motor like this will close a car window on your arm hard enough to hurt.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:33:08 +0000

Whatever happened to this project? I am curios because I just recently bought a bus that uses a dc motor that looks damn near identical to your wind shield wiper motor. One of my concerns and disbelief is that this type of motor delivers enough torque (force) to push the door open…. considering gear ratio.

By: meagan

meagan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:46:20 +0000

hey, did you ever think about using a solenoid (these have been more popular in recent years for hot rods and custom cars that have shaved door handles) to pop open the door? youd have to use the remote dealy to open it, but maybe you could fashion some sort of emergency unlock on the inside for emergencies? theres prob tons of things that use solenoids that you could source from so you could save $$$. anyways, awesome bus!! someday i hope to get a school bus to convert and live in – thats the dream anyways.

By: neufeld

neufeld — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:20:12 +0000

Thomas, I’m leaning toward actually doing away with the traditional door-opening mechanism and refitting the door with a different kind of lock. I don’t have the details worked out yet, just some thoughts along those lines. The motivation is largely that doing anything with the existing mechanism is going to be somewhat Rube-Goldberg, that it occupies space and makes visual clutter at the front of the bus that it doesn’t need to, and that I don’t need to be able to open and close the passenger door while buckled in like a bus driver would.

So although your comments about the plunger button aren’t the direction I’m leaning any more, they’re still appreciated and match what I’ve seen elsewhere.

By: TLHarrell

TLHarrell — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:53:13 +0000

Many buses have a mechanical means to pop the handle out of it’s locked position, usually some sort of plunger button on the front of the bus. When pushed inward, it unlocks the handle mechanism. The door can then be forced open by hand. Generally the plunger would have a hole drilled through the shaft where it protrudes outside the bus shell where it can be secured by a standard combo or keyed lock. This mechanical system could also be actuated by a solenoid or your window motor as well while maintaining the ability to manually open it.

If you’re not sure of how this relates, shoot me an email and I’ll sketch something out.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:46:08 +0000

Consider the options carefully. You don’t really want the door unexpectedly popping open while you’re driving the bus.

Also, consider the force necessary to operate the handle/rod (and, consider what it would do to some fingers placed at an inappropriate spot!).

Also, consider emergency egress in the event of an accident! You don’t
want to wait several seconds for the door to open if the interior of the bus is on fire (I live not too many miles from the “Carrollton Bus Crash” site, and narrowly avoided being one of the emergency responders responding to that event.).

Also, since I’m thinking of that, you might want to check the location of the bus’s fuel tank, and ensure that it’s adequately protected in the event of a side impact crash. I seem to remember some recommended refits to gasoline powered buses to better protect the fuel tank.

Dave