Firemack

JDCMIx, It should be the 707A engine- which is listed as 225 horspower at 2500 rpm, 578 foot pounds torque. The truck should weigh about 14000 pounds, without water in the tank. Most were straight 5 speeds- however non synchormesh- so you will have to teach your wife how to double clutch if she doesn't know yet.the 2 speed rear should be easy enough to teach her how to use that. Firemack

Mack used Hale Pumps on the L models, they did not start to use Waterous pumps until after 1960 Firemack

Tree98, If it is overheating going up hills turn on the heater and see if that helps bring down the temp- that could be another indicator that the radiator is clogged. Also should check that the belt are tight and water pump impeller is still intact, either one can cause low flow and overheating. I think the truck should easily handle the 30K load with the chipper- just don't plan on going by any scales- or if here in PA getting pulled over for a weight check- that will really cost you here. Make sure you keep the brakes in good shape for the extra load you are carrying and the chipper- you need the braking handle the extra load. Also check trans fluid- you can add an oil cooler and trans cooler if everything else checks out. Firemack

I am going, Planning on meeting with Barry and Matt Pfahl for lunch at his booth. Always so many great trucks at Macungie- seems like there is never enough time to see them all and visit with friends. I expect there should be a lot more trucks this year since last year was a rain out and there are lots of "M" Macks in PA. I will be driving our B75 Pumper to the show, that is always a workout on the back roads in PA. I plan to leave early and get there early before it gets hot and pick a parking spot in the shade! Firemack

1965 C95, First thing is you have got a really cool girl- she definitely picked a good project for you. The C95 has a 707C gas engine. It should have a dual ignition system, a single Zenith carb and could have dual fuel pumps. Your Mack is positive ground, and should have dual 12 volt batteries (postive lead connects to the ground). If you send the serial number to the Mack museum (and a donation) they will send you back the original paperwork and copy of the service manual. Plenty of knowledge on this site to help you with most any questions. Good Luck, Firemack PS Thanks for your service and serving for 2 tours.

MB 400 Thanks for posting these pics, you can tell he really liked his Mack's, and had pictures with each of the trucks with his family. Hope you can find the picture with the B model. What year did he start driving and what was the last truck? Firemack

My son ran the serial number and thinks it is from WWII. Firemack

We bought my Mom a 1929 Ford Model A as that was the car she learned to drive on. While I was working on it I decided to clean out under the seats and found a .45 caliber pistol. The car came from Connecticut so I always wondered if it was used by the local mafia!

Mack 505 Here you go, if you need help opening or reading the file let me know Firemack

MB 400 Thanks for taking the Pics' I am glad to see it returned back to Red, it was always a nice truck and unfortunate that they painted it slime lime and then sold it, it should have been updated to maintain it in front line service without the slime lime. There is a similar truck in NJ that has been maintained with new 5" line etc, and can still go on a call. Firemack

Convoy Duel, The Carb most likely has some sediment in the jets etc, and should have been cleaned and rebuilt anyway to make it run right. I agree with 1958 FWD that the problem could be the fuel system. I had a similar problem with our B75- it would run out of fuel under load. I added a T in line between the fuel pump and carb and added a temporary fuel pressure gauge to watch the fuel pressure , and sure enough the pressure would drop and the fuel pump could not keep up when the truck was under load ,and would eventually run out of fuel, similar to your condition- however you have the electric pump by the tank which could be then getting the pressure back up to carb by the time you chacked it. I had the fuel pump rebuilt at Kanter Auto in NJ for $80 and $8 shipping. They do a nice job and the fuel pump looks like new- new internal parts, replated and new hardware (also takes about 1 month turnaround)- a little more original than using another electric fuel pump- but it depends on how original you want the truck to be- I did use a temporary electric fuel pump with a fuel pressure block to adjust the pressure to specs. I wanted this truck to look and run like original, so replaced that electric pump setup with the original rebuilt pump. Firemack

Convoy Duel, Have tested the ignition systems prior to this to see that both are working? It is more likely that you have bad points, rotor, or cap or coild wire than the coils. You should get it running and check to see if it will run on the left then the right then both. I run our B75 on both, but I check to see if it will run on the left and right on a regular basis, and last year found that one distributor seized up and was not working during my check. Once you can determine if both are working then, check to see you are getting fuel at the carb. sometimes the front fuel pump can be a problem and not providing a constant flow at the carb, or the carb may have a dirty filter, and will run until it clogs up again. Your truck should have 3 filters, 1 at the tank, 1 at the front fuel pump, and 1 at the carb, if these have not all been cleaned and checked, you are most likely looking at a fuel problem as the likelyhood of both igintion systems going at the same time is rare. If you need the coils they go used for around $100. Napa Coils (not original type) are around $20 Firemack

Vision 386 Great story, I remember those Old Hess tankers running up and down the NJ Turnpike and route 130 hitting all the Hess Stations- and I had one of those B model Hess tankers when I was kid! Glad to hear that your work on that truck made it worthwhile and got to learn on it and best of all it is still around, but the current owners should let you buy it (first) when they finally are ready to let it go! Firemack

Dan, By 1979 yours may be negative ground, however most Macks were postiive ground. Yours may have been converted. Firemack

I use the AC R45, and drive our B75 464 about 1000 miles per year, mostly local and a few 200 mile trips on the interstate so do get some highway miles. I have not had any foul out yet, so based on that I think the AC R45 is a good plug. I have used them for the last 8 years and have traveled about 8000 miles since getting the 464. The truck had 37000 when we got it back after 48 years of service- and now has about 44,500 after 56 years of service. Firemack

Dieselman, We have a Zenith updraft on our B75 464 engine, it had similar problems and was caused by a bad accelerator pump (ball). We used a rebuilder that could also bench test the carb to make sure everything worked properly. Cost was about $400. I got it back and the truck actually runs better than when it was new, according to members in the company when is was delivered in 1954. I used Mark Buber Carb rebuilders in AZ. There is a list of suppliers and rebuilders on this site (from the Mack Museum) and Bubers contact info is on the list. I also changed the air filter to a K&N and works great. I called K&N and they recommended the filter based on dispacement, Horsepower and max rpm. I modified the original carb filter arrangement to use the K&N and kept the top of the Mack filter to looks like original. Good Luck Firemack

Phantom 309 Very Nice work, and your lettering guy does nice work also. Good luck with Mack and the Chevy this year. Firemack

David, You do not need to remove the fenders, just loosen the bolts where the fenders and headlight panels meet, the fenders actually have slots in them to allow them to slide out for the removal of the headlight panels and grill shell assembly at the same time. You will also need to remove the 4 machine screws on the top of the grill shell, 2 on the center hood hinge support and 2 near the back of the radiator where the grill support and fender meet, at that point you remove the entire assembly. On the attached picture the 4 bolts with large fender washers are slotted to slide and then will be removed as well as the 2 bolts (with regular washers)bolting the fender to the headlight panel. Good Luck, Firemack

Bullhusk, Good suggestion, the distrubutor advance should be checked also, as the timing and backfiring usually go together. Bruce, they should have checked this when they replaced the points, but it is always worthwhile to have them check it again, as it should not take long to pull the caps and check to see the advance is working, as I had that same problem on one of my distributors last year. Also make sure they check the fuel pump pressure as it could be running out of fuel, (or the carb float could be out of adjustment) and fuel pumps sometimes can be marginal and run on the level but not keep up with the fuel required to take it up a hill. I travel to Chattanoga about once a month, maybe I can stop and see the truck when I am in town. Firemack

Kentonis, There was a 1948 Mack Firetruck across the street from my college and always wanted to get it for my fraternity, but the guy never wanted to sell it, so it sat there for years and never got used, so it is great to hear that you have the project of getting the CF back in shape and will be using it. Great rush tool, put signs on it and invite the freshman to the rush parties! Matt gave you very good advice, either get the manuals from the original fire company or request them from the Mack Museum. Also don't forget to change the pump oil, as the drive train and transfer case is built into the pump. You should also change the fuel filters, if they have not been changed recently (make sure you fill them with fuel to not lose the prime), and will need to drain the air tanks and make sure there is not water in the tanks, so drain them regularly, you can change the drain to a quick drain with a pull cable for about $6, and then put the drain pull in a compartment where it is easy to reach and drain them often. Please post pictures and let us know if you have any other questions, there is lots of Mack knowledge on the site that can help you out, Firemack

EM6285, Very Nice Trucks, I like the RD Best! Firemack

Bruce, Your C model looks like it is in good condition. The 707 is a very basic engine and very reliable, who ever tuned it must not have completed the tuneup correctly, as once they replaced the ignition parts they should have set the timing on both distributors then set the carb, and given it a test ride (up hills). The fuel system could be causing the problem, and you could have problems with dirty fuel in the tank (from sitting), this will clog the filter, fuel pump and carburator. The engine has easy access, so that is not a problem. You should see if the mechanic that did the tuneup did a compression test. If not that is the first step- to perform a compression test on the engine to make sure the basic engine is in good condition. Let it warm up and also check the oil pressure which should be at 15-20 pounds at idle hot, and 50-60 pounds at road speed hot. Then pull the plugs and check the compression, and should be at least 100 pounds per cylinder and within 20% of each other. Once you have confirmed that these are not a problem, and you have a solid engine, you can then move forward with diagnosing the problem climbing hills. After sitting for several years you should change the fuel filter(s), check the fuel pump (to insure it is putting out enough pressure and fuel while going up a hill), and check that the filter on the carb is clean. The carb can be rebuilt, locally and will cost about $250, however there are carb shops that specialize in older carbs that can bench test the carb and rebuild it for about $400-450. You might want to try another test, if you drive on level road, and try for maximum acceleration, does it backfire then? If so the backfire and smoke could be caused by the timing but more likely is a problem with the accelerator pump not adding fuel and causing the engine to run lean for a short time and cause the backfire. The booster reels, windshield and marker lights are available, if you post a listing in the parts wanted area on this website you may find them here, or if not check on the SPAAMFAA website as there are other C models that have parted out and these should be available. Good Luck, Firemack

MB 400 Thanks for posting the pics at the Fire Museum, you should also check out the Black Diamond Spaamfaa Chapter Museum in Schuykill County, lots of great Mack fire apparatus. Firemack

MB 400 I like the CF the best looks like a great combination. Was the CF at the 2007 State Convention? Thanks for posting the pictures. Firemack

The truck actually doesn't look that bad, a new coat of paint and tires would help it keep on going. The 707 C was a strong engine for the fire service. Most are still working as collector trucks today, and as long as the oil is changed and the engine is still governed- it should work fine. Most troubles I know are from guys wanting to go a little faster on the way to parades and musters and then blow the engine because they weren't watching the tach. Keep us posted on prgoress if you buy the truck, Firemack