Speed

I installed a saddle tank from a '75 GMC pick up in the right side on my 1945 E model as an auxiliary tank. Well,now I have access to the other saddle tank,and all the fixin's,in good working condition. I'd like to use the wiring and tank sendig units from the '75 GMC with my Mack gas gauge,which is already 12 volt and works fine with the stock gas tank. What's the resistance value for these old truck gas gauges? If I remember right,the GM trucks are 30 ohm,but I haven't a clue on the . How do I check the compatability of the senders and the gauge without risk of letting the magic smoke out? I might use a hand operated tank valve so I can keep the cab tank connected;that'd give me 300 to 420 miles range,depending on load and road speed, (I'm not sure the word speed should even be used in this sentence. ) but still would like to use the stock gas gauge. Hope someone out there can help! Speed

Thanks Rob; The info on shifting answered the main question I had. It had seemed to me the gear spread on the aux. box would be too wide to shift that way,but I haven't messed with it enough to really check it out. On my aux. box the shift pattern puts low clear to the right and forward,direct to the left and forward,and over is straight back from direct,seems kinda awkward. It doesn't help that the shifter is mounted way over on the right side of the main box,so I heated the shifter and bent it over closer to me then up so it was easier to reach. If I pull all the linkage and the shifter to re-build it I'm going to look into re-locating it somewhere more to the left and un-bend my previous work. A guy I worked for had several trucks with Brown-Lipes and he had the shifters on all of them mounted behing the shifter for the main transmission. Is that a common set up? I also want to see if there's a way to invert the bracket the linkage pivots on at the crossmember(the bellcrank??),so the shift pattern will be low,to the left and back,direct-to the right and back,and over,right and forward. I'm sure I'll catch on once I get everything to shift smoothly. As far as shipping the brake shoes,that's what I had to do on my '51 Ford 1-1/2 ton when I did the brakes on it. Actually,I took them to a truck shop here and the parts man shipped 'em. My big concern is price,as gas prices and a 25% increase in my house payment has made the funds pretty tight for me. I know I'll have to pull the rear brakes apart and kit the wheel cylinders,and probably re-line the shoes;the front brakes seem yo work okay except for a sticking wheel cylinder on the R. F.,so I'll be kitting them too,after the rears are done. I havent had the drums off,so who knows what I'll find. Might do the wheel cylinders and run it a month or two while I get some money gathered to re-line the front shoes. I'll decide that once I have 'em apart for inspection. I still have to swap a couple of engines on my GMC's so I can move them and clear a space to work on the . Speed

Kelly; I'll let you know how the filter works as soon as I get one and install it;probably won't be for a couple of weeks,outta money until my check gets to the bank. Thanks again for scoping this out for me. Speed

And BTW-lower priced or mid grade will be fine-I doubt I'll be logging too many miles in this truck... Speed

Okay,Kelly-here we go;. I show 2 numbers per axle;first is listed as a shoe and bushing assy.-Front-3MW34P1,Rear-7QD23P2. Under those,I show Brake lining;Front-7MW216,Rear-3QD31P149. Hope you can make some sense of these,but don't feel bad if you can't-this beast is 63 years old,and still runs like a kid! Speed

firemack; If you don't mind me asking,what did it cost you to do the brakes on your ? I'm probably going to end up doing something like that,and wonder if it'll take a little saving or a liquidation of assets to pay for it. Speed

Kelly and Barry; Do either of you show a listing at all for shoes and wheel cylinders for my '45 EH? If it'll help I can go find the build sheet and possibly get some part numbers (1945 vintage ). Thanks! Speed

Rob,I've discovered the shifter and shift linkage on my 6031 is getting loose enough that it binds sometimes,so until I can bring it to the house to work it over I just run through the main box and once I'm in 5th I shift the brownie from direct to over,and reverse that to downshift. Of course I haven't pulled much of a load with it recently,due to iffy brakes. (next on my list of things to rebuild. Maybe I'll work the brownie shifter and linkage while I wait for my brake shoes to get re-lined.) If I could see you shifting the brownie & main box,I'd be better able to understand the shift sequence you usse;I got so tired of going under the truck to un-jam the linkage I 'bout quit using the brownie except,as I said,to go into overdrive and back. I believe once the brownie can shift easier,I'll use it more. Speed

What I'm up against with the restricted CDL is that it requires my blood glucose to be in good control for a year,and the inability to do that (along with Asthma and Emphysema) weighed heavily in my getting Social security Disability,so I don't think I can control it well enough to satisfy the DOT. I haven't had much trouble with my glucose levels while driving since I went Brittle Diabetic,but that won't be good enough for the pencil pushers. I think Charlie's probably on the right track;I'll keep the ol' E as it is,(except for removing the 5th wheel and adding a flatbed) and enjoy using it. With it set up as a flatbed, I think I can load it up,pull a car hauler trailer and still move real close to 15K gracefully,and legally. I'm figuring my weighs 7,800 now,with a flatbed I'm adding about 1,000 pounds,it has a 19,000 GVW;that leaves me with 10,200 for cargo. Add the trailer,which I'm figuring at about 2,000 pounds,and that leaves about 5,000 load capacity there,making a total of 26,000 pounds loaded.(These figures are subject to change.) Please let me know if you see any giant holes in my plan! Better I get educated now by you good people than to get educated later by the Justice system! Tell ya what,though;if they find a cure for Diabetes in the near future,I really would like to get a CDL;it'd sure simplify a lot of what I do,while complicating what I'd HAVE to do... Speed

there are a couple of reasoms I'm interested in this. First-the frame/running gear is available for reasonable,and Second,my truck has a 5 speed main with a 3 speed Brown Lipe,so I really wouldn't be gaining any gears;What I would be gaining is a transmission with two sticks that are designed to work together,unlike my current set up that's too mis-matched to shift properly. Make that # reasons-Third-I have a friend who just bought a one ton truck that turns out to have 4.56 gears and 16 inch tires; my figures show me about 3,750 rpms at 75 mph.and the overdrive in the Brownie would bring that down tojust under 3,000 rpm. I told him he could have the Brownie for his truck if this other deal works out. I think you might be right,Paul-the best way to go about this might be to swap my cab and doghouse onto the B frame. It'd mean changing to air brakes,and adding an axle,but it'd sure be cool! Now-how do I keep it under 26,000 pounds GVWR? That was the big benefit of my E to begin with-no CDL required. I don't see any way to keep the new set up legal for me. I was looking through the CDL test handbook a couple of nights ago,thinking maybe it'd be worthwhile for me to try for the conditional CDL they offer,only good in-state,no haz-mat,no passengers,and I think they would make me do the physical every year.Iit about made my brain explode,so much to learn. THIS is the reason I hoped to hang on to the stock E frame etc.,to hopefully keep it under the CDL weight rating.Oh-wellI'll figure something else out. Thanks for your input! Speed

Hi-it's me again; There's a Mack B-series frame and running gear on Craigslist-Reno for (I think) $750.00 complete;Maxidyne,Quad-box,tandem axles,steering gear...anyway,would the Quad fit my E model's gas engine,and if not,how tough would it be to get the Maxidune and Quadraplex into my truck? (Not real sure I want to go Diesel,but with the whole drivetrain to play with.. .) Speed

Bro,that's mostly just stuff I need to do;it remains to be seen how much of it I'll actually be able to accomplish. I have to say,the price of gas has really kicked a lot of my pland into the weeds,but if I plan things right I think I can still get everything covered. Forgot to mention one thing that's pretty high up on my list of fun things to do is fixing a dysfunctional clutch in a Bronco II I was given,so I can use it for some of the smaaller hauling and towing jobs,as well as scouting salvage projects in the rough country where the Harley would be hard to take. I guess I should explain a little about why I'm putting a flatbed on my ;I've been trying to figure a way to put the ol' dawg to some gainful use,but I'm up against the CDL problem. If I hook an OTR sized trailer up to it,it looks like I won't be able to haul much of a load without getting into CDL territory,a waste of effort. As just a truck,my 7,800 pound is good to 19,000 pounds GVW;I figure a good flat bed will weight 2,000 pounds or so,add the weight of a little trailer,a pintle or bumper-pull car hauler for instance,which will weigh maybe 1,800 pounds, by my figures I can move about a total of 13,400 pounds. That's 9,200 on the truck,and 4,200 on the trailer. Does this sound about right to you guys,or am I missing (or mis-understanding) something? This isn't going to be run comercially,just to haul my own stuff around. While I'm on the weight subject,what size truck is my EH? A 5 ton? Driving it,it feels like a 2 ton,like my 66 Chevy 2 ton,which cost me the same to license and insure as my '57 GMC half ton. I was told at DMV the costs 5 times as much to license because it's considered a COMMERCIAL vehicle,regardless of how I use it. Well,isn't a '66 Chevy 2 ton a commercial vehicle too? I just don't get it.I feel like the folks down at DMV are having a good laugh at my expense. Oh well-press on regardless... Speed

I think,for $7.00 it's worth a try. I did a little research and this filter seems to be a Detroit Diesel filter,so should be pretty easy to find;it crosses to a bunch of different brands,too. Thanks again for the info! Speed

Thanks Kelly; The metal dome may not be a "built-it";I still have that part,so I can probably use it on the new filter. (I think it was there mainly to keep the end of the "sock" tucked in.) I'll try to look up that filter by number and see what it fits. Who knows-maybe I'll see my truck listed! today when I found the dome I measured it and it's actually about 4-3/4' outside diameter.not sure how much room there was between the dome and the housing. Seems like it was a pretty tight fit. I pried on the thing for a half hour trying to get the filter to lift,finally the dome popped off and flew into the dirt,but the filter itself came out in pieces. It was really stuck by the sludge and goo at the bottom of the housing. Thanks again for checking on this. Speed

This one was a sock type filter-it looked like a cartridge filter wrapped in a cloth sock,pulled tight. As near as I can remember,it was about 9 or 10 inches tall,and about 5 or so inches across,and had a "ventilated" metal dome over the top that looked like it was supposed to be permanently fixed to it. The original was so tight in the case I destroyed it getting it out,and since I thought I had the right replacement I never kept any of the oud one. I had NAPA look my filter up several times,at different stores,and the kept coming up with a1006,but it's just too small to fit,unless there's some parts missing to adapt it. I'd just change it over to a big remote filter but the housing is built onto the block and I don't see a graceful way to connect to the oil passages. Speed

Hey-I got a question for ya. Have any of you ever run across an alternator-triggered tachometer with a mounting cup,something that could be attached to the steering wheel? I could use one designed to fit in the dash,but 1-I don't have a lot of dash to spare,and 2-I really don't want to cut any more holes in it.There's no room under the dash for a tach,due to shifters,knee room,etc. Any ideas? Speed

I dunno-I thought I might try Golf,if they'll let me use my 1945 Mack golf cart...

...man-it just gets wierder and wierder... Speed

Hi all; Do any of you know what current oil filter part numbers will apply to my 1945 EN354 engine? I bought one at NAPA before I went to Reno to get the truck,tore up the original hetting it out,and the new one was all wrong. Took it to the Reno NAPA,they wouldn't refund on it because the filter and box was messed up with oil;I guess my temper got the better of me and I left the "new" filter there and left. I've been running it without a filter in the housing, and it isn't losing oil pressure or anything,but I really need to find a correct filter for it. Any info or help you can offer would be very much appreciated. Speed

Man of few words...

Hi all; Just wanted to let you know I'm back with the living. Back during the cold part of this winter I caught a cold that turned into pneumonia.Spent a week in the hospital,trying to organize a re-build of my house by cellphone. Seems there were a lot of things going on there that the Respiratory Therapists said wouldn't be suitable for me anymore. (40 year old carpet,some mold behind the tile in the shower,cat dander in my bedroom from my two cats,tobacco residue leeching from the walls and ceilings from my folks cigarettes for 40 years,dust,etc.) anyway,I called the bank and arranged for my little sister to handle the legwork for me to get a re-finance to rebuild of the house. It was a real bag-o-snake,but we got it done. The re-fi part-the rebuilding part started off great,got a plan,sis and the builder picked all the materrials and supplies,got 'em paid for,he started working on the house-then I got released from the hospital,but couldn't move into my house,too much dust and fumes flowing through it. My neighbor across the alley offered up a clean,quiet guest bedroom for me to use while the work was going on,and he went on vacation about a week later,leaving me use of the house. The builder pretty near finished my room so once I was feeling better I moved back to my own bedroom. as of now,I'm feeling pretty good,still have no stamina,gained some weight,(from 178 to 192!!),and need to hit the weight set for a while. right after I got out of the hospital,I bought another Harley (1979 ElectraGlide with a 93" stroker motor and a ton of new stuff),to replace the one I sold 10 years ago for what turned out to be stupid reasons. To get back up to working speed,I've been working on stuff around the house,built a shed,cleaned out my garage,hauled a big ol' truckload of stuff home to use on my house rebuild,and will have 4 trips to Reno to make,3 will be to trailer trucks down,offload,and trailer different trucks back,and one will be just to take an empty car trailer down to get rebuilt and bring back a utility trailer I traded to the man who's doing the work on my house. I have a Chevy truck I need to part out after the first trip,an engine to install in my truck,a front wheel drive car to install an engine in so my older sis can drive it while I arrange to have her S-10 fixed up and painted over in SLC,a front group to install on my '66 Catalina,an engine to swap in my '57 GMC pick up,install rod bearings in the old engine and install it in my '57 GMC 2 ton,then bring my '45 to the house and go through the brakes,do a little bodywork,install some glass,pull the radiator and have a bullet hole repaired on it,install a wiper motor (or two),and try to trade my way into a set of 10.00-22 wheels/tires I found. I still have 4 trailers to move with it,after which I plan to remove the 5th wheel plate and install a flatbed. I've figured up a plan to get a little more reach and strength on the boom my brother dutch built on it,so it'll be more useful for loading the truck. Then,AFTER breakfast.... Anyway,I've been without internet since the work started on my house,and today I cobbled it back together so I can get some stuff done. It snowed some more today-took a little tiny bit of the fun outta my bike ride.... Speed

Hi Tom; Welcome to the BMT Forum. I have a 1945 EH with a 354,but I don't remember if I got any decent pics of the exhaust side. The intake and exhaust are on the same side. Also,mine has an updraft intake-not sure if the exhaust is the same as with the downdraft. As rare as this old Mack stuff is,my inclination would be to scoop it up and worry about the details later;it won't depreciate in value. Speed

AAAAwwwww-listen to you guys fawning over all those "new" parts... Speed

I guess we can only hope the buyer's someone who posts on the BMT Forum.... Speed

Alas,Barry-that seems to be a major stumbling block for a LOT of deals regarding trucks and parts,especially out here in the wilds of the West. Seems an awesome deal on eBay ain't so awesome when you have to spend large money to get your purchase delivered to you. I could be making some serious money scrapping junk cars here in Northern Nv.,but the cost of transporting the metal to the nearest buyer(about 250-300 miles) eats up most of the money (currently about $105.00/ton ,give or take) I'd get for it. On the plus side,we're getting a rail port here,so,theoretically,it'll become more feasible to do things like this in the future. It looked like the parts were contained in a couple of trailers,and there were-what-3 or 4 trucks? 5 or 10 years ago,it wouldn't have been too tough to get some volunteers to throw in to help haul the stuff,but with the cost of fuel,tires,etc. now,it'd be a major expense just buying the consumables to transport it. I know there's a lot of guys even here on the forums,who'd probably be happy to help,but like you said,it'd be an expense most of us just couldn't cover. I wonder if there's a way to kinda "follow" the contents after the sale;maybe the buyer'd be willing to make some parts available to fellow enthusiasts. Speed