What an interesting article about the AEC Reliance owned by McCalls Coaches of Lockerbie [routeone/20 December] – it certainly brings back memories.
When the gear linkage was not set up properly or it was worn you could bang your hands on the dash when changing gear. The steering also had a tendency to wander and constantly required the driver’s attention, and the AH760 engine was a great performer.
Unfortunately it was prone to head gasket failure due to overheating on a long climb due to the driver not changing down to keep the water pump and the fan going, so the water temperature used to reach boiling point very quickly.
It was prudent to change the fuel lift pump every MoT as the diaphragm had a tendency to fail, allowing diesel fuel to enter the sump at a very high rate, which brought about low oil pressure and if not caught in time bearing failure.
For its time it was a great chassis, but never had the investment to make it even better and when the B58 came along the writing was on the wall.
Ian Ashman,
Proprietor A&J Coaches (retired),
Washington, Tyne & Wear
