Speed

No replies? Okay,I guess I'll press on regardless. I HAVE finally accepted that if I DID get the EH roadworthy and put it to work,I'd have to be running it pretty much full days,every day,for 6 months per year just to cover the license and insurance for it,so it's gonna have to be just a hobby. I'll probably still use it when possible,but it won't be the primary wage earner. (Maybe later on,if something comes through and pays off in a huge way,I can re-think my plans.) Regardless of what I use my Mack for though,and regardle3ss where the financing comes from,the repairs I've listed will still have to get done. I would like some input regarding my choice of lube for the boxes though;if there's a reason I'm not aware of not to use the 50wt synthetic oil in the boxes,let me know before I ruin something expensive. As I understand it,a 50 wt synthetic oil,by the nature of synthetics, will function more like a 75 or 80 wt. gear oil in terms of friction and gear wear reduction,still a little lightweight,but should do well in anything less than a fully loaded truck and trailer. Speed

Hi all; I'm doing a "Step back and see where I am" thing regarding getting my EH roadworthy. I'm making a list of tasks I need to do to make the truck safe and reliable,hopefully in the order that I intend to complete them,with consideration of prices,time needed,relative necessity to use the truck. I'm asking for your input on these points;if you know of an easier way to do something,something I plan to do that won't work as I think it will,or a safety tip I'm missing,or a better plan overall,please tell me. 1-I have a full set of 10.00R-20's already on Dayton wheels I plan to use on my truck. My concerns are the spacing between the duals,and the fender clearance under the front fenders. 2-I plan to pull the rear brake drums and kit the cylinders,and depending on the condition of the shoes either re-line 'em or just reassemble and adjust the brakes. 3-I'm seriously considering installing one of those "Wheelskin" covers for the steering wheel;anyone have any experience with those? 4-I know the Brownie needs driveline yoke seals,at least the output seal,and the pinion seal leaks too. When I buy seals,I'm planning to look for seals that are compatible with 50 wt. synthetic motor oil,since everything I've read tells me that 50 wt is the viscosity I should be using,and mineral oil,as near as I can tell,is only needed because of the make up of the seals. (I've also heard that 50 wt synthetic is a good choice for the main box,less wear,easier shifting,etc.) I'd really like to go synthetic on all the fluids,but that's a pretty big investment. 5-I'm thinking of building an air system,just for operating an air wrench or inflating tires,etc,utilizing an A/C compressor and a couple of air tanks totalling about 50 gallon capacity. Mounting it under-hood would require installing a drive pulley and making a bracket,mounting it under the truck would be a similar amount of fabrication,and would require a drive pulley on the driveline between the main box and the Brownie. The down side of this would be I'd have to leave the truck running with the mail box in 5th gear and the Brownie in neutral to keep air up with the truck stationary. another option is to find a Mack with my engine and air brakes,and get all the components to install on my truck. (This would be way more acceptable with DOT,if it ever even came up.) 6-Glass-I plan to replace the windshield,and hope to find a regulator that will work on the stock windshield. I noticed the one for about 1946 era GM trucks looks a lot like mine,maybe Mack bought these from another manufacturer who also made 'em for GM. I also want/need to replace both door glass and regulators;on this I'm looking at getting the glass cut,replacing the window channels,and using an "EZ Power Windows" set up,about $145.00. 7-Wipers-I can get a chromed single speed wiper motor/arm/blade for about $30.00,and while not that fancy.it'll do what I need it to do. If I get real bux-up,maybe I'll get another one for the passenger side. 8-Bodywork-Here,my intention is to straighten the left side door frame and door where they appear to have been tagged with a loader bucket and were kinked inward slightly. My left door still has the artwork of the previous owner's company,but the right side has already been stripped off. I'm going to try to find someone good enough with special effects to duplicate the art on the right door and "age" it. I'll probably have to replace the striker plates and possibly the latches,but it looks like B parts may fit. Also on this list is fitting a good set of West Coast mirrors,if I can find brackets that'll fit my doors' contours. 9-Heater-I can get a used heater (very basic design) for free from a friend's school bus. 10-I've decided to remove the boom from the frame of the truck and fit it to the trailer I'm building to tow behind the Mack. with just a little luck I might end up with a PTO and a huge winch behind the cab,and a big hand-winch operated battery box between the frame rails back just ahead of the rear frame plate. I think that pretty well covers it. I believe I could put this truck to work with the tires,brake work,windshield and wiper motor,and re-sealing the axle and Brownie,but some of the other stuff might be considered necessary too,depending on some surrounding circumstances. I'm sure there's a couple hundred details I wouldn't think of until they reached "Emergency" status on the shoulder of SR-228 a hundred miles from anywhere..... Okay-help me get my priorities right. Speed

I would prefer something that chases 'em out;that way,there wouldn't be dead mice up on the headliner,behind the glovebox and in the seat cushions. It's hard enough digging the nests out of a truck without some mice crawling into unreachable places to die. I'm thinking if I get this 1955 GMC 550 dump truck I'm looking at,I'm just going to flat tow it straight to a car wash,hire some day-laborers ,equip them with dust masks and rubber gloves and have 'em clear out as much as they can,then feed a $20.00 into the car wash and steam-clean the Hell outta everything I can get a shot at. Don't know any other way to get it clean enough to be safe for me to work on. Speed

Andy; If I'm remembering correctly,there's fairly large machined pad on the top right side of the pinion gear nose,facing up, that'll have the axle ratio on it;there might also be other numbers there too,but I don't recall seeing them. I remember looking down through the frame to read the ratio,hope it's not some other truck I'm remembering... On the subject of rust,the belt line across the back of the cab,where the floor meets the back wall,seems to rust out. Mine really didn't have any rust to speak of other than that and some rust in the floor of the tool box under the driver seat. You might also find rust around the windshield. For some reason,people tend to leave them slightly open,the weather gets inside and makes the frame and sill rust. Also,the cowl vent could rust if its drain has been plugged with dirt and leaves etc. Now,maybe you can answer a question for me. Regarding door latch and window riser parts,do you know if B model parts can me used on my EH? I see a lot of that is still available for the B,but when you mention E parts,they act like you're trying to buy parts for a Borgwaard. Hope the E works out for you! Speed

Hi Packer; I like the lines of that. It's even the right color! Nice find,VERY nice! Looking forward to more pictures... Speed

Was it known as a good engine? Was it really "rare"? I know all the guys who drove this truck seemed to really like it;the only complaint I remember hearing was "that damned air assist steering",which most of the drivers just left shut off unless they were in the yard moving trailers around. Speed

Hi all; Maybe you A-car guys can help me pin down some info on a truck I used to service when I worked for a paving contractor here about 30 years ago.I can remember some of it.It was a '71 conventional,day cab,twin screw,had a tilt glass front end,24.5's on steel wheels,it was a twin stick,a 5&4,and had a supercharged inline six (the roots style blower was on the side of the block like a Detroit,but it wasn't a Detroit.) that was the original engine. (I was told it was a rare engine.) I didn't get to drive it far,but I sure liked its sound and power,and how smooth it shifted. It used a gallon of oil per day all the time I serviced it,then started going through coolant and quit using oil. I told the boss about it but he said not to worry about it. I mentioned it again a couple of days later and he had me draw an oil sample and send it for testing. While we were waiting for the results,the truck was working in a town about 20 miles away;about a week after it started using coolant the driver called to tell the boss the truck froze up getting onto I-80. Well,the boss went out there and climbed in and hit the starter,and the truck fired right up. The driver got behind the wheel and started off down the road,and the boss turned around and went back to the shop. when he got there,a message was waiting-the truck froze up again. the boss sent the mechanic out with the service truck and had him tow it back in. They scuttled the rare engine rather than rebuild it,and installed a 6-71 Detroit. What a waste of a good engine.That was the year I quit out there. Sad memories... Speed

There was a set up like that on a 1960 GMC 370 I scrapped out a couple of years ago. Probably should have kept it,but I didn't have anything that needed a tag axle,and a couple of pulleys were missing. My Uncle used to use those a lot up on the farm. He got pretty good at throwing the belts on and removing 'em,the belts were kinda spendy and made the trucks use more gas going to town,so he didn't much like using them except in the fields where they were much needed. Speed

WOW-that's a nice one!! Looks like a runner,too!. Good find! Speed

Hi all; Well,not much to report. I borrowed a '76 Chevy one ton from a friend,and a car trailer from a different friend and finally caught the seller in the yard. I got the winch and the front clip from the bus. The sanders were too deeply installed to retrieve without unloading 12 tons of scrap,so we had to pass on them. I did get the winch,and a rats nest of cable I discovered later wasn't even part of the winch. The seller loaded everything heavy on the car trailer with his crane,and I put all the loose sheet metal and radiator etc. on the deck of the one ton,and hauled it to Pat's place in Ryndon,where I had a friend (Mike) from the other side of the valley bring his loader over and help me unload it. (It's heavy stuff!) I talked to Packer and we got a plan together. Once he got to town,he followed me out to Ryndon,I pulled the U-bolts and steering linkage loose and had Mike come over and lift up the frame off the axle,and I dragged the axle/wheels from under the frame clip,with my one ton. Packer backed his trailer down the slope to where I'd stored all the loose parts, the sheet metal and radiator,which we hand-loaded,then he pulled up onto the flats and Mike loaded the axle,with wheels.,and the winch. Quite a project. Really enjoyed Packer's visit,though it was way too short. I'll try to take a ride out his way soon-always wanted to do some exploring there anyway. I told Pat I'd drag the frame/engine/transmission down to my little storage area as soon as I could;not really sure how I'll do it. I think I'll hook onto it with the BronkWorth and see if it has enough muscle and ballast to drag it the 500 feet to where I want it. I know the Mack has the muscle,but I have a hard time getting enough weight on the drivers to drag anything,no matter how high up I attach the chain. I guess if all else fails I'll have Mike fire up his loader one more time...(I probably already owe him about a tank of Diesel for all the work he's done for me.) While I was in Physical therapy for my screwed up elbow the therapist told me she'd heard I had a knack for getting things done,and she has a 14X70 mobile home she wants pulled out of her backyard. she says if I'll move it,I can have it. Normally,I'd shy away from this kind of deal because of the permits etc. required to move it,but her place is in Southfork ,fairly close to where my own property is,so I could move the trailer without having to get on city streets or highways,and I DID plan to eventually put a mobile on my land,so it looks like the Mack's gonna have another fun job to do. Before I get into this job,though,I really want to bring the truck to the house (Southfork's about 26 miles from Ryndon,where the Mack is now,and my house and shop, in Elko,is just about the halfway point between Southfork and Ryndon.) and do some work on it. I still need to fix the rear brakes,replace a pinion seal and the output seal on the Brownie (and change it back to mineral oil,if I can find it around here),install a wiper motor,replace the windshield,install the 11.00R-22.5's (and find a way to create a bit more front fender clearance-I'm sure I'll need it.) and install some better mirrors. (I'm also going to drive it down to a friend's body shop,to se what he'd charge to fix my driver side door and doorjamb,so I can put new window channels and glass in and get the door glass operable again.) With these things done,I won't have any worries about driving it through town or on the highway. On another subject,when I started checking out the Mack bus,I saw on the bus's ID plate that it had an EN354 engine;I was a little surprised to see the same engine designation being used for the flathead six like my truck has,and the overhead valve six in the bus. Then I discovered the REO ReCon overhead motor was a transplant (not a very graceful one either-the forged steel front mounting crossmember was badly butchered for harmonic balancer clearance,and wasn't attached to the frame rails at the ends at all.).Now I'm not sure what size the engine really is. Any idea where I can find the original engine ID number on it? Next time I'm out there I'll try to get the numbers off the Rebuilder's plate on the right side of the block;maybe someone out there can tell me what I have;maybe the number the rebuilder put on it will tell me something. Speed

If I was doing it,I'd probably take it off and ship it to Reno Brake,in Reno Nv. and have it rebuilt. There's likely a place near you that does that work;I believe those have a huge,stiff spring in 'em that could cause a lot of damage to your hide if you took one apart,so better to play it safe and let the pro's do it. Worst case scenario,they'll probably have the parts you need if you can engineer a safe way to get it apart and back together. OR,maybe you can convert a more common booster to work in its place. Speed

Something else to consider is when you drill the holes,smooth the edges of the holes, counter-sink each oneslightly. This will keep stress cracks from starting from the holes,because it removes any irregularities for cracks to start from. (Don't ask me how I know this is true. ) Speed

Sorry to hear that; You and your family have my deepest condolences. When someone this young passes on,I have to think the Lord must have something greater planned for that little soul. Take care,my friends,you'll be in my prayers! Speed

Well-sorta;Packer and I are working together to see what we can do on this deal. I\\\'m having trouble getting the principal partners together on this. Couldn\\\'t contact the yard owner for quite a while,finally caught him,tried to get Packer on the phone so they could negotiate but Packer wasn\\\'t getting phone signal. Yard owner was on the road the next day,but Packer was available,etc.,etc..... I\\\'m going to take one more shot at coordinating this show Monday,then I\\\'m going to give each the other\\\'s phone number and let them hammer out a deal. Last I heard was the owner wants $500.00 for the complete front clip,with engine and trans.but I think he will negotiate a little. The rest of the bus is toast;they peeled the roof down one side and laid it open,and filled the body with scrap metal. Packer also wants the sanders,and I\\\'m hoping to snag the drivelines and whatever lights I can get. Once he and the owner reach an agreement,he\\\'ll contact me and I\\\'ll go get whatever\\\'s on the shopping list and stash it until he can pick it up. The owner also has a good sized PTO winch with half inch cable on it he wants $100.00 for,and he has a 15 foot flatbed I think would be a good fit on my EH,aluminum frame and wood deck,in good shape, for $125.00. I\\\'m really gonna try to get ahold of that! I think I remember this being an "EHM". I have some pics of it but can't post 'em. Speed ]

Do school busses count? I found an E school bus (or whats left of one) at the local auto wrecker,and might be able to broker a deal for the front group and possibly the drivetrain out of it,but can't arrange to move or store it myself right now.(long story) Thing is,it needs to happen in the next week,the body's already filled with scrap metal,ready to go to the crusher in SLC,Utah. It has a REO OHV engine,EN354,5 speed and single speed axle,fairly good radiator,front fenders and a chrome(?) grille and a decent bumper. The hood's a little rough but might be better than what somebody's trying to use. No paperwork,so it's parts only. Please let me know ASAP if you want to make an offer on it so I can get something in motion for you! I can go get you in touch with the owner and let you two hash it out. HURRY!! Speed (775)-934-4760 cell Elko,Nevada

Dude-you gotta quit bein' so selfish!! If doin' that stuff makes her happy,you should give her those little pleasures... Speed Besides-ya don't want her to be behind yer back,cleanin' and buyin' Mack motors fer some other guy!

And the doesn't eat anything when she's not working!!!

"Gotta Love Wyoming Woman!" Yeah-if you know what's good for you,you will... Speed

Yeah,as a very young driver I noticed it seemed like all the trucks and four wheel drives had chains hangin' off the frame or stacked in the truckbed. I never really developed that habit,of course I pretty much stayed close to town for highway driving,and as for offroading I just cultivated other means of getting un-stuck that didn't require chaining up,the best of which was being more aware of what I was getting into while there was still room for a re-think. On the highway there isn't that option,it becomes either you use the chains or park it and wait for the road to clear. My uncle used to be an O/O back in the '70's;he told me of running from Ga. to the coast once,crossing Nv. at about 85 mph,no problem,and getting to Donner,where it got very ugly very quick. He stopped to chain up and while waiting for his turn in line was BS'ing with the driver behind him. He leaned on the front corner of his trailer and his truck slid over about 5 feet on the ice. It blew him away that just minutes before he'd been rolling along at road speed on road that was damp but decent traction,and it had turned that slick in that short a time. (This is what he told me,nowdays I think he "beefed up" the truth a little,but the principle is true;It doesn't take much altitude change to bring about a big change in the road conditions.) Speed

those were great-I especially liked the first one. Thanks for the best laugh I've had in a week! Speed

Sounds like you made out like a bandit,Rob;I actually didn't get any truck related stuff for Christmas this year,since I've been acquiring trucks and truck parts all year long. My favorite gift is a big Harley coffee mug from a friend I went to Reno with,to drive a Chevy one ton truck she bought back to Elko. While there,Dutch gave me an 80 gallon shop compressor that needs a new motor;it's still in the back of the truck. (That'll be COOL when it's done!) It snowed most of the way,and the DOT hadn't yet sanded or plowed any of the westbound. There was only 3-4 inches on the road,but it was pretty slick.We got over Immigrant Summit about 5 minutes before they started requiring chains. The state cops were just getting set up when we rolled by. Lucky for me-there were no chains in the truck,and none available in my size at any of the shops I stopped at to look. Never slipped a wheel though. Didn't have enough power to break traction-454 with one dead cylinder and,I think,a plugged jet. Made it home with no problems though. The more I think about it,the more I think the fact that I made it home at all was a pretty good present... Speed

Hi Tinman and ol' dog; I'm having to re-shuffle my priorities,yet again,so I don't know what I'll be able to afford for the next couple of months,but if you can give me some prices to work with I'll try to pick up what I can,as I can. I looked closer at the striker plate,and I think the reason it's not working is partly because of a fairly serious whang in the door and door frame right about even with the handle, (Looks like somebody rolled into it lightly with a loader bucket)but even if I can get that straightened out,I'll probably still need the striker. That also probably explains why the doorglass,or what's left of it, won't slide up and down in the window channel very well. Anyway,let me know what you need to get for the parts I'm needing,as well as anything else you think might be useful,and I'll try to get this stuff moving.(A little at a time) Thanks for responding! Speed

Okay-now lets see her put it back together and install it on a truck. THEN I'll be impressed. Speed

When my best friend used to drive tanker out here between Salt Lake City and Reno,he used to say,"There's a lot of guys herding trucks up and down the road,but there's DAMNED FEW TRUCK DRIVERS anymore." For only being late twenties to early thirties,he sure had a lot of wisdom. Excellent driver,too;reliable,safe,took great care of his rigs,he had a real "old school" attitude towards driving truck. I guess it figures that a driver like that would quit driving to be a mechanic... Speed