doubleclutchinweasel

Mack trucks and Cat tractors. Takes me back...

New Bus Smell. Been a long time on that one, Bob.

Did you ever figure it out? Bad treadle valve or a stuck pedal hinge?

Good tip on the technique!

The R that I drove most of the time when I was young (and the world was too) was a '67. The interior was about that same color of pale green. Always reminded me of the inside of a school bus. The later ones we had were darker...more of an olive drab color...and more of a flat finish. I think the '70 I had was that darker green...before somebody painted it white. Apparently, the color changed sometime between '67 and '70. Looks like the throttle knob is missing. Sure hope he can find an original one to match the fuel shutoff. They look a lot better than the plastic replacements you see so often. Is that a pyrometer in the center panel? Really like the padded panels at the top of the doors. The paint always got rubbed off right in there. The diamond plate headlight panels are great, too. The look like a factory upgrade! Matching pieces on the door jambs look cool, too. Looks like it could use a long-eared dog! I changed many a filter in that old-style "oil clarifier" canister! I was surprised that I could still get the filter cartridge and the seal for mine when I had it. The check valves on it leaked down, though. Made it kinda tricky to check the oil level! He sure has a nice ride there. I'd like to see a lot more info and pictures for that one. Please pass on my appreciation (or it it jealousy?) to him. Looks like a lot of work/time/money invested. Kudos!

Older RD hood had same cowl shape as R. Newer RD had a square side, more like the Super Dog. Also remember that there were 2 different lengths or R-model hoods.

That red R-model makes me cry! Gorgeous. Steel dash. Quadruplex. Only thing wrong with it is that is isn't sitting in my driveway.

I have this one, too. It's actually pretty informative. Seems like I bought it off the discount table at a book store for $9.95. Of course, that was a loooooong time ago!

I found a brand new one on eBay a few years back. Seem to be several used ones out there, too. Wish I had swapped that new one out for an old one before I sold the truck, though!

Yeah, I wouldn’t use Quaker State either. Lots of folks did. But I took too many apart that were gummed up. I think it was okay if you got it hot regularly. But, around-town-mobiles seemed particularly bad to gum up with it.

A Yenko Nova with a 502...cool. Saw a flathead Ford in there with Offenhauser heads on it. The story of the actual Miller/Offenhauser engines is really cool. Fred miller was a character! Well worth reading sometime. Lots of websites out there with information on them, but the milleroffy.com site is a pretty good place to start.

I did not realize that JOT was an offshoot of ATHS. Very interesting...

If mine had been anywhere near that good, I probably never would have let it go.

Put a harder pull on it and see if it gets any louder! Might not be workin' it hard enough to get enough heat in the exhaust. My 611 didn't make much sound either...bobtailing. The 611 I used to work would get much louder when it was actually pulling.

Ahh. Cool.

Oh, and I once saw these types of wheels called "artillery" wheels. But, I don't know if that was an accurate use of that term.

I was something like 6 years old, and was walking in front of one I thought was empty. No muffler. Full air tank. Blew dust out from under the truck. Damnedest thing I had ever heard! Sounded like the truck was angry at the world! I figure that's what it would sound like if The Almighty took his impact wrench to the earth. But, it's something you never forget, after you heard it once. Before that, I'd never even heard of an air starter. I did, however, already know about pony motor starters on Caterpillar tractors. But, that's another story...

First time I ever heard somebody start a truck with an air starter on it, it scared the ever-loving s#!t out of me!

Car? What car? I don't see any car.

Yip. No point in crying over it on the side of the road!

I think the originals MAY have been made by Orscheln... https://orschelnproducts.com/product-category/park-brake-systems/ They might be able to steer you in some direction.

Wow! This always opens up a can of worms! Here are my thoughts. But, my thoughts aren't worth the paper they are printed on. LOL! Gear ratios needed? Torque capacity needed? Those, I think, are more important than the name on the box. Mack transmissions are good. RoadRanger transmissions are good. If either was truly "bad", they would go out of the transmission business. That being said, like some of the guys have said, one might be better in some respects than the other, and vice-versa. I have driven both. I have liked and disliked both...depending on the specific box. I will say they feel "different"...not better or worse...than each other. From a strictly engineering point of view, there's a lot to like about the triple-countershaft design. But, the RoadRangers have proven themselves for years. And, they ARE easier (and cheaper) to find parts for. There's a lot of good engineering in those boxes, too. Oh, and the MAINSHAFT gears on the RoadRangers are NOT pressed on...they float. The COUNTERSHAFT gears are pressed on. I've been in there. I don't think you can go wrong with either, IF you select the one with the gear rations and torque rating you need. Both have stories of running forever without issues. Both have stories of premature failure. There are probably certain models of both which are better and worse.

In my experience, putting a good high-detergent oil in, running the engine enough to get it hot, and changing the oil regularly WILL clean a great deal of gunk out...over time. Can't overemphasize how much heat helps. Around-town engines that never get good and hot tend to build up a lot more sludge. Ones that run long distances at higher temps tend to run cleaner. And, good oil is a must. Back when the world was young, and so was I, there were a couple of commonly-used oils which tended to gunk up more than others. Most oils today are far better than anything we had back then. Your results may vary...

See..

Lights on! Yay!