doubleclutchinweasel

On that R I had, it seems like I replaced practically every single part in the air brake system. It was a pretty good education. Got to be real familiar with the Bendix catalog. Most of the parts are incredibly simple. The last thing I replaced before I sold the truck was the treadle valve. I used the one with the 2-stage spring, so the initial application was easier and got harder after that. One of my earliest memories of a Mack truck was being at the shop with my dad, waiting for them to put a treadle valve in a B model so he could get on the road with it. I was no more than 4 at the time. I literally grew up in the cab of one Mack or another!

That's how I learned pretty much everything I know. Take it apart and look. But, you are right on the money with the safety aspect. Always be wary of springs and things.

Can't remember the part number for the kit on mine. It was the 9K axle.

I actually pulled the hubs off to get in there. Looked like it might have been possible to do them without it, though. Easier than most light-duty pins I ever did back in my youth. Shame more designers don't understand the basic principle of the taper!

Dude! You continually amaze me with your knowledge of these things and your ability to help people work on them!

That's what mine had. I replaced them myself and they were very easy. That nut to adjust the thrust bearing was a really good idea. And, the tapered shanks made for easy removal of the pins.

You know, I've seen those models before, but never knew any of them tilted. I'll have to pay more attention now, for sure. Thanks for the education, High Binder.

That'd be okay too. I've been told worse by better!

Curiosity got the better of me. I emailed the seller and asked for more information about it. And, asked them for the VIN. Have not heard anything yet. Just want to know what that thing REALLY is. I get the feeling it's a compilation of parts. Not a bad-looking pile of parts, mind you. And, I'm with you guys. An R needs 1 big, round headlight.

Yes. Thanks for the follow up. Too many people use these guys’ advice and never follow up with the final solution. Glad you got it sorted out.

Thanks, 'Train. I learned something else today!

I guess what threw me on the engine is the lack of an oil cooler. I'm not used to seeing them like that. I think every one I was around had one.

I gave away almost all the ones I built through the years.

To you guys discussing the model kits... I used to build those all the time in the '60s-'70s. Had pretty much every one they made. Started getting duplicates and "kitbashing" them (mixing and matching parts from the kits). Did lots of aircraft and NASCAR stuff in the '80s-'90s. Don't really have the time, eyes, or hands for it much anymore. Really miss it. Still have a lot of stuff on the shelf. Maybe later...

According to Mack, RDs went all the way back to ‘71. The 3 is pretty close to the 6 on the number pad! The engine looked odd to me. like others said, I’d like to see the number on the frame.

Saw this on TruckPaper. I know sometimes they mess up the descriptions (fat-finger). But, this one has me scratching my head! I know Mack lists RDs as far back as '71, and the interior IS the old steel dash. But, weren't all RDs tandems? Never heard of an RD300. Probably a mis-print. What engine does that look like to you guys? Notice the square headlights? Didn't have those in '72. Interesting-looking truck. Lots of work apparently done. Just don't know EXACTLY what is is! Should spark some interesting discussion, at least! https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/200468519/1972-mack-rd300

JB, check with Dennis Meehan. He has a couple of ABs at his place right now. http://oldmacks.com/trucks/

I'm with you. My FIRST thought is to try the dealer. The older I get, the more valuable I consider my time. So, if I can get the right part the first time, I 'll do it. If they don't have it, then I'll start weaseling around trying to find alternatives. I can't tell you how many times I've used aftermarket parts, only to have them be bad out of the box and have to do it again.

First time I saw your name, I had an image of somebody laid up with a broken leg, bored out of their mind, and signing on here as a way to pass the time until they healed up and haired over.

I thought maybe you were "Retired. Extremely Dangerous"!

Exactly.

I think the key with pre-filling ANY filter is cleanliness. You want to be darned sure not to get any dirt, trash, or little slivers of the aluminum foil off the oil jugs in there. As long as the fluid is clean, I don't see an issue. I think the reason they say not to pre-fill the filters on that Cummins is how sensitive those new fuel systems are to contamination. Plus, it's not a big deal to purge them anyway. "When in doubt, read the instructions."

Hey, in my opinion, if it looks the way you want it to look, it IS the right color...whether it's original or not.

We always pre-filled the fuel filters on our old trucks with CLEAN diesel. I think clean is important! On my 6.7L Cummins, I do NOT pre-fill the fuel filters. That is because the book says not to. I think they are concerned about getting dirty fuel in them past the element (I think that is what Onyx is referencing). I do pre-fill the oil filter, because the book says to do so.

I'm with you on the steel dash trucks. To me, that's what an R is supposed to look like. Just really hard to find those without terminal body rot.