vanscottbuilders

So let's get right to the important stuff - How was the pork loin? PVS

Someone here will know where to find the correct # on the block. The 711 has a different accesory drive thru the fuel pump and compressor, and will run a hydraulic power steering pump from the drive. I'm sure there is a better way to tell than just that however. The chassis VIN will only be good if the engine has never been changed. You may not know that for sure. As for fuel tanks, I have a set of box style tanks with integral steps and all of the fittings intact, if you need. They have been sandblasted and primed. They need a little attention to small weep leaks before they are put into service. You can buy one or both cheap. Send me a Personal Message on this site, if you are interested. Paul Van Scott

Doug, Sounds like you doing a little bit more each time you post. That's how it all starts - next thing you know you can't stop. Another Mack junkie is born! If you haven't already, it would do you good to contact the Mack Museum with your truck VIN and get the build sheet. They also have reprints of the manuals that are really handy. Most of the info you need for specs is in the service manual. Small donation is nice, and the service is tremendous. Glad to see you are making progress. Paul Van Scott

Nice to have you on the forums. And I wish all of our projects looked that nice before we started! Paul Van Scott

Joe, One of the things I haven't told anyone about is - I am driving home a second R model tractor tomorrow. A really nice 1969 single axle with a 237 Maxidyne and a direct 5 speed. Not sure yet how healthy everything is, but I know it starts, runs and drives. This has been a yard tractor for at least twenty years, and kept inside. There is no rust in the cab at all, that I have seen. And I'm driving it home. Very important detail. So, to answer your question, I'm not sure what I will do with the R models. I think I will probably sell them both to get a B73 with an L cab that I know of. The truck is available, it's close by and it keeps calling me. If I keep them, one of them might become a dump truck. Look at picture #32 (I think) in the Macungie 2008 photos that Barry posted in the Shows forum here, you will see an R cab done exactly the way I picture these done. I think a matched pair of trucks, one as a dump truck, would be pretty good looking. And the colors match the AC Mack being kept in our shop. The whole package would look pretty good going down the road. (You know - with the dump truck in the rear to pick up the parts that fall off the other two) But - I can't get too distracted from the B-67 project. Need to finish that first, before anything else gets started.

The Ford V8 guys are a great idea, or almost any antique vehicle people for that matter. I have used light hydraulic fluid, and it seems to work well, but who knows if it is really right. Contacting a racing suspension shop might yield good results, too. They would be building shocks. I would think that the fluid would be substantially compatible. I'm going to dig out my manual and research it a little. Paul VS

I will be needing a fifth wheel and mounting frame shipped from the Dallas, Tx. area to the Rochester, NY area. It's one of those parts that you might not think is worth trying to send that far because of the cost. I happen to have a good home for it. We have posted about the common carriers before - so this is really just a reminder: Yellow Freight quoted the job of moving one non-haz pallet of about 400# from Dallas to Rochester for just over $340.00. Pretty reasonable. And - they guarantee delivery time, so we're not waiting around the shop. I think we, as hobbyists, sometimes make assumptions that it's not worth buying parts from a distant vendor because of the cost. The reality is - You can't walk from Dallas to Rochester for 340. dollars! It doesn't get any cheaper. Fuel's high, labor is high, and everything's looking bad. But some services are still a really good value. Let's not forget the common carriers for our stuff.

Those of you who have seen the pictures of my 1966 R-600 know that the rocker panels and the rear cab corners are shot. Not too unusual with this cab style. The rest of the truck is pretty nice. I have brand new inner and outer rocker panels from Mack by way of Kevin All for the truck. But the cab corners have eluded me. And all of the parts trucks I have looked at have a little ridge in the cab corner that is not in the early trucks. So I needed a fix. And - low and behold, two fixes fell in my lap. I found a parts man at our local dealer who was willing to actually spend some time with the old books and microfiche, and found out that Mack still shows new sheet metal parts, including cab corners, for the early R cabs in stock. Then - to cap it all off - Kevin Heidrich found a parts R model in Texas that he wants the engine and transmission out of. I agreed to buy the adjustable fifth wheel, and he is going to cut the corners out of the cab and send them along on the pallet. How nice is that? Gotta love this truck stuff. BTW: Freight from Dallas, Tx. area to Rochester, NY area from Yellow Freight for one non-haz pallet of about 400# was just over $340.00. Not bad at all. You can't ride your bicycle from Dallas to Rochester for 340 dollars. Let's not forget about the common carriers for bringing home our parts.

I didn't say changing axles would be easy. Freightrain is a racer. They can make anything work! I agree - it's not totally original, but a little wider axle looks really good on a B model. Check out Jaime Samuell's B-85. The axle is from a fairly modern truck, Fr---tlin-r I think. It' sets the wheels out toward the outer edge of the fender and fills the wheelwells really nicely. More than that, though, it has modern brakes, Budd hubs and power steering. Makes the truck much more useable. Still, I believe that the rotary shocks are a good way to go, in the interest of economy and originality. It's nice to have options. Paul VS

I've never had one apart - but from the manual, the older rotary hydraulic shocks used on the B model appear to be fairly easily rebuildable. I intend to find out ASAP. In most cases the rod has failed or an end has broken, and the shock unit is still on the frame of the old trucks. I would check with the parts guys like Kevin All at All Mack, or a local vendor near you. The rotary shocks should be pretty easy to come by. And, contrary to popular belief, the rotary design is not bad at all. It does the same job as a tube type shock, but has far fewer options for jounce or rebound, so it is more fixed in its' intended use. The biggest failure for the rotary units is leakage, and the failure to refill the shocks. They don't work at all if they are empty. Now - for Freightrain - Fabbing up shock mounts should not be too difficult. The geometry of the front axle is fixed by the springs and the mounting shims. So as long as the shock doesn't bind at all, it should be fine. The shock set-up on the later R models probably is as simple as it gets. You might even try to salvage a set of upper and lower mounts for your use. Or - even try a front axle from the R model, with the lower mounts already in place. Experimentation - it's a big part of why we do this! Paul Van Scott

Monty, I would use the sound attenuation mats and foil insulation in addition to the Lizardskin. Lizardskin also has a sound deadening product - I have not used that. The heat insulating coating is quite effective. I'm pretty much convinced that the B cab was never made to be quiet or cool (at least not in summer). But, with the Dynamat or similar insulation applied over the ceramic coating, I think you will get close. It's worth the money to try the Lizardskin. Paul Van Scott

Matt Pfahl has the swivel ends that you need, and the rod is just U-bolt stock with the ends threaded - if you want to go with the original set-up. Paul Van Scott

Before I were to put the cab back together - I would try "Lizardskin" ceramic coating insulation on the firewall - both sides and the floorboards - both sides. In the doors, and inside the rest of the cab will help a lot too. Used it in a number of rod projects - and it works very well. Then I might consider some high heat foil backed high density foam heat & sound insulation under the rubber mats. Pretty commonly available stuff. Not original, but a lot more pleasant to drive than what it came with. Paul Van Scott

Rob, These were heated and re-arched by Thruway Spring in Rochester, NY. Glenn is right (as usual!), there are so many little cracks and stress cracks in most leafs that it isn't worth trying to save them. They are going to be unsafe. That is what the guys found with my rear springs. New stacks all bushed, bolted and re-pinned were very reasonable, I thought. The fronts of the B-67 were probably never really abused, and were in much better condition, hence the decision to re-arch them. Nice RL700 find, by the way! And - it was nice of that guy to give you that trailer. How long do you suppose it will be before he comes looking for it? Paul VS

Rob, I thought I would have my B67 springs re-arched. Turns out that the center bolt hols were all rusty on the rears, so new springs were a better alternative. The fronts, however, were re-arched to new specs and new pins and bushings were installed. The front rubbers were perfect, so no issue there. That frame is going together now, so the jury is still out on whether or not the re-arch was a good idea. I don't know why it wouldn't be. Paul Van Scott

Man, there is nothing like a computer to make you feel totally helpless. At least at my level of expertise. But it's even worse, I'd say, if someone is doing damage to his friend's equipment. And - he's probably laughing about it too! Sound like we ought to put out a warning - that we could be marching on Tennessee real soon! PVS

Rob, There are a couple of options that come to my mind. Matt Pfahl can probably help you out with original parts. Although you can find power steering units, both hydraulic, and air operated, at the swap meets and shows. That would be the more original method. The other option is to go to a local parts yard and measure some front axles in different trucks with power steering, with an eye toward changing the whole front axle. Downside #1 is that the replacement may not be rated as heavy, depending on your choice, as the original axle. I know this was Jaime Samuell's choice here on this forum. It has worked out very well for him, and allowed him to switch to Budd aluminum wheels too. A less expensive alternative might be a conversion to tubeless radial rubber. The radial tire may steer easier, and solve the issue. Anyway - just some suggestions to consider. Paul Van Scott

We've had several hard frosts already, so we had to get in our garden stuff a couple of weeks ago. Hoping to gather a bunch of different hot peppers on Saturday at the farmer's market - then it's off to the lab for experimentation. I'll keep you posted. Ugly pumpkin - by the way. Have a good week. PVS

One of the things about being older, under high stress and half nuts is that you never really know what things I might do! Just know that I might do something. Someday.

The new shop is finally ready for use. Just got in this morning and finished up some heavy duty pallet racks for my parts. Now we can unload the two flatbeds that are backed in the shop, and get a little organized. Should be fun getting the old B-67 set up for reassembly. Might change up my thinking a little - I had been thinking that the B-67 would be my restored driver with the mods to make it a little more useable, like the air suspension, Jake brake and Maxi brakes. Now I'm seeing that this probably isn't the truck for regular use. Just too uncomfortable inside. So - I'm finishing it as a very original truck, with all the new stuff like wiring, springs, air lines, plumbing etc., but no modifications except Maxi cans for safety. Even the bias ply rubber stays, unless I can reasonably buy radial tube-type tires for the original Dayton wheels. I'm going to put the mods on my R-600 because it is more comfortable, and it runs like a watch. Plus, if needed, one of my higher power Mack diesels will fit in it. Not so in the B-67. At least not with an engine brake that requires valve cover spacers. We moved the Dolomite AC Mack into its' place in the shop this week. Nice to have something finished inside. Changes your attitude about working on what seem like endless projects!

3000 miles makes for a pretty good week! And - that tire didn't look like it just went flat. What's up with that? PVS

I like the condom logo - non-partisan and really accurate. Thanks, Paul Van Scott

Congratulations Morgan! Paul VS

It's fun to joke about politics - but you can't ignore the mess - The real deal here is - YOU HAVE TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER - AND GET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO GO TOO and don't waste the vote for a pipe dream or someone with no chance. It's no joke. The choice isn't great, but there still is a choice. And it's going to be a dogfight I think. The poor economic situation and the loss of personal rights and the socialization of so many things that should be left to fair competition are all things to think about. How much do we want to give up? We are going to pay for the things that have happened in recent weeks for a long, long time. Let's not make it worse. Personally I don't need a government that does everything for me. It's OK, I can get along by myself, and so can everyone here. And I don't need to send them all of my money to pay for other people's mistakes and poor judgement. We don't need the government doling out a lot more regulations and limiting what we can do, any more than they already do. And - None of us needs any Bailout - that's just another word for Bull S---. It's all about accountability, and taking responsibility for your own actions. Our government, especially with the Democrat candidate at the wheel, really wants to fund the tremendous greed of our financial institutions who lent foolish money to unqualified buyers so they could increase their profits. Government can only fund that idea with more of our money. Or - borrow more money from China. Either way - we lose big. After a very expensive bailout, the government is getting into the banking business by forming partnerships with these same poorly managed institutions. Think for a minute - when was the last time you heard of the government doing anything well? Especially private venture? It's going to be ugly. Interesting Times - that's for sure. The loss of freedom is, in my mind, the most critical issue there is facing all of us as Americans today. VOTE IN NOVEMBER - IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT. Paul Van Scott