Freightrain

Ya, well let me tell you about "best workers". Sister was HR over the Ford Romeo Engine plant for a number of years before moving away. I heard and saw what kind of workers they are. Too many are useless and just drains on the company. They can't fire them, so they literally have to pay them to sit in the cafeteria all day because they can't be trusted to do their job properly without screwing too many things up. Can't get rid of them(union), so it's better to just pay them to sleep all day. Yup, sounds like better workers to me....

^^Yup, looks like my garage ceiling. Only my pipes are like 6" away from the ceiling so it is really sooty. I get rained on with pellets of soot when I crank mine up.

What's the hose clamp for? Typically there is a threaded sleeve at the bottom(below the hose clamp), knurled so you can grab it with your fingers and unscrew it from the transmission(which should have male threads like a garden hose on it). Then lift the whole thing up. It should look just like the end you removed the cable from. That adapter is just to adjust speedometer reading. Either speeds up or slows it down to match gear ratio/tire size.

Ummm, I'm not sure I want to download and look at those pictures................ At least without getting a fresh bottle of bleach for me eyes. I've made the mistake before and I've learned from my past.

Was that near Jerome? Gold King Ghost mine that was run by Don Robertson? I've had a couple trips to Mexico and try to get pics of the trucks running around down there. Of course I don't have the cat like reflexes of OD, so I usually miss the truck.

Yup, it's to the point I just don't turn on the news, unless it is the weather. There is just NOTHING I need to see/hear about. Jeezus, what freak'n poor losers.

The actual tie rod end is bent? Or the center tube? If the tie rod is bent, I would look at getting a replacement end. Depending on how bent, if you straighten it, there is a possibility of it breaking at some point. I suppose if you warm it up first it could be straightened, but there is the chance it could fracture and break at some later day. Just something to think about.

That is why I was looking at it. Priced right? $1300: https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/49895-mack-parts/ It shows two sticks laying on top? But has B on case?

Center pins aren't too big of deal. Just a piece of threaded rod with a large head to align in the axle hole. If you can't get it loose, then cut the nut off and the springs will fall apart. The replacement bolt will be long and you cut off the extra. The front springs should have clamps holding them together. A few years I pulled my left side out because the clamps had blown apart and the leafs were separating. I had the two top leafs remade and put back together and clamps rebuilt. I was really surprised how easy the spring came out of the truck. The rear pin came out with marginal fuss and the front clamp came apart without breaking any bolts. That assembled spring pack is HEAVY!!!!

136 in a truck...........that's get'n with it. My ol 673 would only get to 49 mph in the 1/4 mile.........LOL!!!!

Monday my clock clicks over to 51. Hope to have the farm(figure of speech) paid off in less then 10 yrs so that would leave me free and clear on major debt. Not that I wanna keep working, but I'm playing it by ear. Hope my current job is still around in 10 yrs. This is my 31st year. No pension, so it's all on me and my own retirement set up. Hope it's worth a damn by then?? If those damn Russians don't meddle with it.................

Heck, I don't have a two step on the wagon, surely don't need it on the truck. I just have to teach myself to "ease" out the clutch on the way home at night.

One for sale in the classifieds. Are they good? I suppose it is only for dual disc clutch and can't work without a bellhousing change in my B? Classified listed as twin stick but has "B" on the case and that is suppose to be air shift?

Yes, it is kinda strange, but they all have their "pluses". I do find it kinda hard to "ease" off the clutch in the truck on the way home from the track. After spending ALL DAY dumping it at 5000 rpm!

When I played with my 673, the more fuel the snappier the throttle response. When I went to turn it back, I forgot how far I moved it and went too far. It was lazzzyyyy as heck. I then just kept moving it a flat at a time til it got back to normal sounding when you snap the throttle. I left it that way. It was getting 4 mpg when turned up, with it back down it got 8 mpg.

I'm pretty sure the Comet has no previous history. At least I don't know of any. I don't have any pics of the funny car with body. I had one with the open body but Photobucket screwed everyone and I them F-O so I can't post a picture I had saved there. I googled his name but nothing but that article came up with any substance.

I have a race at Thompson Saturday or I might have gone up to look around. If the B models were all that cheap I would think about them, especially if the cabs were nice.

Could be air chamber. Try removing the service line down to each chamber and release brakes and see if air comes out of one.

I was concerned about my 237 originally when it was having issues last summer. I never did get the check valve apart as I wondered if it was leaking back too much. Though mine always starts quick. I did put a pressure gauge on the pump and mine idles maybe 15-20# and about 10# under load at WOT. Nothing spectacular. I did replace my lift pump as the original pump was only about 5# at idle and near nothing under load.......thus my lack of power. I've heard it should have more pressure, but I know I have new lines from tank to pump so there is no restrictions and new tanks so no issues there. I just tapped into pump line ran a 1/16" line out the passenger fender and zip tied the gauge to my air filter pipe. Still there, though I would like to get some kind of electrical sending unit and install the gauge in the dash. Not that I really need it, but it would tell you if a filter is getting clogged. The electrical units are pricey and just haven't wanted to buy it, yet. If the pressure is fine, have you ever adjusted the rack? I gave my 673 a few flats on the nut and it helped big time. Have to watch how many flats you give as fuel mileage will suffer severely(ask me how I know--though it ran like a scalded dog). I put a couple flats of the nut on the 237 and the pyro went from 900 to 1100 on a hard pull.

I know the main auction will be a Norwalk(Summit Equip Motorsport Park), as the back end of the spectator side was jammed full of cars and they announced that during the Blue Suede Cruise next weekend that the auction will be going on. They had local sheriff parked and it was a "No access" allowed area so you could not go look at any of it. I saw one of just about everything ever made just from looking across the track since I was pitted down that way last weekend. I'm guessing 150+ cars/pickups were lined up.

Don't know him. Only fellow around here with a 427 4 spd Fairlane wagon that ran stock class for years was Doug McDougal. Been likely 10 yrs since I've seen the car. Used to run at the Ford events around here.

If you know the name Kurt Neighbors? he ran a SOHC funny car back in the 80's. He still has the car but runs an open body on it now on a few occasions. Well, about 10 yrs ago I saw him down at National Trails at the Hot Rod Reunion. I looked in the cockpit and saw levers. He manually shifts the lenco in that thing!! I was blown away. I've raced with him for years, but even more now he runs with me in the UMTR. He has a variety of cars he can run in the stick group. http://www.dragracermag.com/kurt-neighbors-afx-mercury-comet-is-still-winning-races-in-nmca-today

Well even I have limits. I will not go see dragsters run, or "box"/electronic cars. What a waste and there is not much any driver input to race. Just let go of a button and let the car take over. BBBBOOOORRRRIIIINNNGGGG! Yes, watching slow cars is not really exciting, but at least that guy in the bug was out there trying. We have a group of bugs(some pretty fast ones actually) that run with our stick group on occasion. The group I run with, it's all the driver. No electronics. Just you and a shifter. I tell you what, since the group started in 2006, they have come a long way. I was bracket racing for years before the group started. Once the guys started running, they got much better and there aren't any slouches in our group.

The whole bracket thing helped get anyone racing. You didn't have to run a specific car/engine/class, whatever. Just show up, put a number on it, cut a light and run that number(without breaking out). Yes, there is a LOT to it, but once you get involved it really isn't that big of deal. Yes, there are many "old timers" that think it is a wasted effort. But it isn't cheap to run those "first to cross the line" type classes. Just look at Pro stock. Heck even stock/Super Stock. Those guys spend MILLIONS of dollars to be "fastest". I ain't got that kind of money. Paul, can't wait to see that time slip!! My wagon has a '73 428 service block in it, with a 4.25 crank which makes it a 462ci. The car never had a 427 in it, always ran a 428. If you look really close it says "plus 1" (which meant 428). As for the "other car", it has a supercharged(Paxton) 312 in it! Here is an action shot.....

A wet finger, yup, that's it. I have a small electronic weather station I use, but for nearly 20 yrs I used a little cheapo table top weather station with three dials on it. Won lots of races that way. The new electronic stuff works nice and have many more options of information. I don't have a predictor though, I didn't splurge for that. I have 22 yrs of information written in log books, so I can guess pretty close most times.