vanscottbuilders

I need to repeat my request - Hasn't anyone ever taken one of these apart? And has anyone built brackets and installed tube type shocks on a B model front axle? Thanks, Paul VS

It's good to know that you are keeping your eyes open and seeing a lot of things. Now - about stealing my titles---- That's just not gonna work. And don't forget that I specialize in Italian food for a reason. You might want to take that camera to bed with you, and sleep with one eye open! PVS

This truck will be an absolute blast for you guys. I hope to be able to see the final version in person. BTW - have you considered an electric fan for the radiator? Might provide a little more useable power for the truck. Paul VS

Has anyone ever had one of the B model front axle hydraulic shock dampeners apart? I'm tempted to try rebuilding the ones on my B-67. One of them feels pretty raspy, and the other one is just flopping up and down. The raspy one bent the connecting rod before I took the truck apart, so I'm pretty sure it's not right. I've got new connecting rod assemblies made up, but reluctant to install them unless I know that the shock units are OK. I don't find blow-ups or descriptions of these in my B model Mack Service Manual. Is there a rebuild kit? Or is it better just to find some good original ones? Or could we fab up tube type shock mounts and be done with the problem? Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Taught myself some new swear words trying to disassemble and reassemble my B-67 tie rod ends. They are the adjustable and rebuildable type. But getting the nut out from inside the tube on each one after fifty years is a lot easier said than done! Used a four foot pipe on a long breaker bar with a 3/4 drive straight head socket and still had a lot of trouble. About a quart of penetrating oil and two cans of WD-40 later, I finally had them apart. But I had broken the socket in the process. I gathered all brand new replacement parts from Beam Mack and a friend of mine who had NOS rebuild kits. Now having a tool custom for the job after breaking another socket trying to reassemble the ends. The rest of the front axle has come together pretty nicely. New bearings, special sleeved seals, new kingpins, a little remedial machine work, and it's all reassembled. (Except for the g---***--ed tie rod!!) I'm actually excited about driving it. Should be pretty nice. Although the B model trucks were the first heavy duty trucks I drove, by the time I was driving them it was early in the 70's, the trucks were all pretty much used up. Most of them were in pretty rough shape, so I never drove a good one. Some advice for anyone wanting to rebuild those old adjustable tie-rod ends: Don't bother. Just change to the new replaceable style unit. You will be much happier in the long run.

Rob, Check in the older "for sale" forums. I have a couple photos of my 1966 R-600 instrument panel. If they aren't good enough - PM me and tell me what you want, and I'll get them to you ASAP. Paul VS

Meado, Rob is right on the money with his advice. If you want - you could also contact Kevin All at All Macks. Kevin has a couple of used and at least one brand new (NOS) Ross steering box in stock. It might be a little faster than waiting for a rebuild. Paul Van Scott

Boy - I love those old A-cars. Especially the ones with murals!! Paul VS

Rob, You might talk to Jimmy about your 12v71 sometime. He had a brand new 1973 Kenworth 900A with a twin turbocharged Detroit V-12 that was his lowboy tractor for probably ten years. I think he knows that engine and all of it's variant set-ups inside and out. That truck was the talk of the town around here for quite a while. Just curious - Wouldn't the DM-8xx on e-Bay be a really good heavy haul tractor with the V-12 and the Allison? Seems like a natural to me. Even though it may not be original, I would think it would probably be pretty useful with the super low rear ends as a slow, heavy load prime mover. Specifically - a building mover. Anyway - have fun with your project. Paul Van Scott

STILL SNOWING HERE!! MAYBE "SNOW PEAS" WERE INVENTED HERE. PVS

Pretty interesting list of really good characteristics. Those same qualities should apply to each one of us as American workers, too. Mack factory workers would be pretty proud if they could read your list! Paul Van Scott

Rob, In the event that the electric hybrid truck idea takes on any further interest - We have a good running Caterpillar 3412 (twin turbo) with a 435kw genset that is in need of a new home. It currently lives on one of Jimmy's flat trailers. It may require some minor hood modifications in the R-700! Every time I see this unit, I think what in the world was he thinking??? I know he saved from the scrapper's pile. We're the regional humane society for abandoned stuff. Nothing like a nice little back up generator for the whole neighborhood. PVS

Depending on your intended usage - the level that you take a brake job to may vary. I probably go a little overboard - just because. Getting the cast aluminum shoes relined is a little challenge. Seems that fitting and bolting on new block type linings is almost a lost art. With some patience, and some good coaching, and some more patience, and a little beer, I now do my own. That came after three tries by a local shop. The linings crack very easily!!! Practice first. Check the fit very carefully. The cracks are hard to spot but they will definitely shorten the life of the brake job. Pitted or delaminated shoes need to be replaced. (Contact Kevin All at AllMacks for original replacements) All of the shoe bushings should be changed and the wear pads turned around or replaced. The S-cam bushings should be checked and changed as required. Loosen all of the eccentric adjustment bolts and apply Never-Seize before reassembling the eccentrics. There are some felt dust seals in the rear brakes that should be changed. The return springs need a good close examination, and replace as necessary. The "nails and springs" that hold the shoe centered should be examined and the C-clips changed. Be sure the retaining washers are adequate. They are a fender type washer. A regular 1/4" washer will slip thru the shoe, and the shoe will chatter. Bad wear and poor braking are the result. Almost every one I've had apart had this problem. I like turning the drums for a good surface, but I think most are probably OK as is. Again, it's up to you. New drums are always a good choice for heavier or more regular use. Fitting the new shoes and linings to the drums is a bit of an art. Just read the service manual and follow directions. From a detail stand point, I like to clean and paint all the parts before reassembly. I have found that any of the common "rust-converter" coatings work pretty well for this purpose. Use minimum grease on the contact points of the S-cams. Grease attracts dirt. Dirt leads to wear. Try a dry lube or a motorcyle/bicycle chain lube that will not pick up dirt. Clean, check and repack the wheel bearings as long as you are in there. New seals might be in order too. I have found some difficulty in getting all of the parts from Mack, unless I was willing to buy whole bags of the obsolete stuff. You might contact Matt Pfahl for these parts. I think he has a good selection, and he treats people very fairly. On the old trucks, I like to change the brake cans, and, as you are doing, convert to Maxi brakes. I change the slack adjusters, too, if they are the old original type. It might start a war here - but I do not care for auto-slack adjusters, so we use all manual type adjusters. If you are not changing air lines from the old copper, be sure to check all the air plumbing over very carefully. I like to convert to all plastic lines and new fittings for regular use. The brass thru-frame bulkhead fittings at the front axle are particularly fragile, and should be examined for corrosion or any sign of failure. These brake systems are pretty straight forward. When you get the units apart - it will make a lot more sense. Good Luck, Paul Van Scott

Try contacting ACE in California. (American Carrier Equipment, I think) They sell a single axle air ride crossmember that they fabricate for exactly your purpose. It replaces your rear crossmember and rear spring hangers. You use your original springs and front hangers so there is no fabrication required. Some drilling is required for the mounting of the crossmember, but it is minimal. I am installing this system on one of my trucks and, so far, I've been real happy with the set-up. Pricing was very reasonable, I thought. Around $1,500.00 delivered to my door. That was a couple of years ago, so it is probably a bit more today. I don't know what you are running for tires, but a set of tubeless radials might make a big difference. Or - a good old fashioned heavy load will usually smooth out the ride, too. Sounds like a nice truck - Good Luck! Paul Van Scott

Rob, Are you going to leave the generator on? Could be a really interesting hybrid! Paul VS

These tires are definitely still available. Just recently one of our tire vendors had a set that he thought may work for my B-67. They required wider spacers and, potentially, longer wheel studs. As for pricing - I'm not certain how common the size really is, and they may command a premium price because of the scarcity.

Been a little quiet in the truck shop recently. But, for a good reason - I've been pretty busy putting together new work projects for our building business. It sure does feel a whole lot better now than it did six weeks ago. Anyway, I'm still working on my B-67 front axle. Gathering up the original B Mack parts is getting harder every day. But I've had pretty good success, and a lot of good help with finding the pieces I need. It will have new king pins and bushings, tie-rod end kits, new bearings, new sleeved-seals, new bushings in the brake shoes and everything else polished and checked over really well. The brake linings appear close to new, and the drums are in excellent shape as well. The little compression springs that hold the shoes away from the backing plates had to be made and the shoe mounting pins needed some attention. The hubs have a little wear from spinning bearing races, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. With the new kingpins, and all of the rest of the work - I'm hoping that I get a really nice steering front end. We found springs and diaphragms for the original brake cans and the brake operating shaft bushings are in great shape, as well as both adjusters. The drag link is excellent, and the tie rod looks like new. If you work on one of these projects long enough - it's funny what gets you excited. On to Spring. Kathy and I are leaving this week for a little sailing trip, and will be back in about three weeks. Spring should be in full progress when we return. I'm leaving it up to Other Dog Tom to see that this happens. Someone needs to check on him though.

You just keep getting handier with that camera. Good pictures! I hate losing stuff out of a toolbox, or whatever, like that. Probably not worth much to anybody who doesn't know what it is. But it takes a long time to gather up the stuff like that, that you need every day to make your living. And it very well could have been someone nosing into the box. You might want to keep a family of skunks in there for a while. Or a nice big rattlesnake or something along that line! Ah well - send in your request for some bailout money. The check should follow soon. PVS

Rob, Curtainsides indeed do haul a pretty wide variety of products. They tend to be a little hard to pull with all of the parasite drag of a relatively loose curtain. And the curtains frequently require attention. But, as mentioned, almost anything that goes on a flat trailer can go in a curtainside. And the ability to secure the load then lower and secure the curtain is a real benefit. In fact, a step deck with a curtain kit makes a pretty good antique truck hauler. We have used them to take delivery of all sorts of building products. We see them loaded with metal products and steel stock as well. All of our hardwood comes to us in soft-sides from people like Rex Lumber and Thruway Hardwoods. Siding products from Erie Materials often come on a curtainside with a truck mounted forklift on the tail. If you look around, I think there are a lot of soft-sided trailers on the road. They really are pretty handy. Paul VS

You guys are nuts!! There's three reasons I don't live in Florida - Sharks, Gators and Snakes. Now I'm adding Australia to the list of bad places. Paul Van Scott

You're right - neat video. I wonder who the first person was who decided to try the crossing?

I don't live in Florida for three reasons: Gators, Snakes and Sharks! Nice weather though. If you don't mind being lunch for some critter.

So - It's the end of February. Mud season has issued a warning to us that it's not too far away. The snow comes overnite and melts to mud during the day. But it feels good. The sun looks different and the light is better somehow. Spring is close. It's lighter earlier and later in the day. Everybody just plain feels better. And our building business has gotten a couple of shots in the arm. Work looks OK for the spring. Still a long way to go to get out of the woods, but I'm pretty optimistic after a really bad spell. The Mack hobby has almost taken on a life of it's own. I'm getting numerous calls for parts, and have sold a couple of trucks just recently. It's been great fun. The driveline choices have been made for the B-67. I'm using an NA-711 from my 1966 R Mack, which has 198,000 original miles and runs like a top, and a nine speed overdrive duplex TRD-720 with the original 4.28 rear gears on tall 22.5 rubber. It should be a pretty good combination for a comfortable 65 mph cruise speed at about 1800 rpm, yet have a little low end power for pulling a load. My 2nd choice is a turbocharged ENDT 673-C engine that I have acquired. But I don't know much about that engine yet. I'm not going to install the Jake brake or the air ride rear cross member until I see how I actually use the truck. Looking for all of the Bendix air valves and equipment needed to plumb a modern dual brake system in the truck. Finding some things used on E-Bay, and getting quotes on a whole list of valves that I have made up from a couple of vendors. (The Bendix Air Brake Manual is invaluable, if you have the copy that has the part numbers in it) The prices look more reasonable than I originally thought. That's nice for a change. So on that note - I'm signing off to go up to bed and contemplate just exactly how we, the 60% of us who actually pay taxes, are going to increase our government spending to new lofty heights, extend health and welfare benefits to illegal immigrants, lengthen the term for unemployment benefits, increase the unemployment benefits, offer unemployment to part time workers, reduce your taxes, give you some great stimulating checks, pay your mortgage for you if you want and reduce the federal deficit even though the budget actually increases the deficit by threefold. I've never been real good at math, so I will have to think this through very carefully! It must be the latest, cutting edge math. It looks a little like magic to me. Or voodoo. I've said before that I believe that, although Mr. Obama was not my choice, he is our President, and deserves our full support and respect. I hope that he and his administration don't make that too hard.

Looks like we've all been slacking off on the blogs a little. Must not be anything too awfully interesting going on. It's good that you are keeping at least somewhat busy. We're still struggling a little, although it does look somewhat promising for some future work. Other than the fact that they are tough to back up - if not impossible, why don't we see more long straight trucks with full trailers in the East? Is it a throw-back to the old East coast length laws? I used to get myself all crossed up trying to back up hay wagons as a kid. And I never did figure it out. Imagine what I could do with one of those truck and trailer combos!! Why I bet I could close down entire neighborhoods. PVS

Jim, Obviously you have a real eye for the right details. The tailights look great, the box looks great, and now the visor looks like it belongs too. The curved style fits the cab real well. Any info on making one would be appreciated. Thanks, Paul Van Scott