Gambi80

I was wondering if there's a dot.com for accessories for a CH...something along the lines of an Iowa-80.com for every other make of truck but a Mack. I'm just looking for different odds and ends...shiny sun visor, different/additional lighting options...and the list goes on. I want to do it up somewhat...tastefully.

Ah ha...answers my questions then. I've got a 427 w/the in-line pump. I'd like to upgrade a couple years to the E7...preferabbly the 460...but it's not easy to find another truck set up identical to what I have now...

I knew it leaked because I could hear it. Every time I'd hit the gas it would sound like you pulled a valve core out of a tire. Since I have a boost gauge that showed only 22-25lbs(25 on a good day, that is) and knew it should be around 30+...figured something was amiss. Anyway, it sounded all along like the air was leaking behind the motor somewhere...the intake hose running from the intake manifold to the air compressor had about a half-3/4 inch diameter hole in it. I wasn't planning on getting one of those blixxton deals. I was just curious. I realize that most of the engine failures/problems result from someone just plugging it in and going...."woo hoo...look at that smoke!"

Someone will have to post a .com for this thing. So is this something you'd recommend to a guy who's got 630,000 un-touched miles on the motor? After fixing the charged-air leak the mileage upped noticably...going from 22-25lbs boost to 30-33 lbs. Got a personal best 7.65 mpg while working one night.

Funny how you mention that... The handful of trucks I've been around all had the intake to the compressor plumbed into the suction side of the turbo...until I bought my CH. I thought it was a bit weird, but now I understand. The hose running from the intake manifold to the compressor developed a nice size hole and produced a loss of 5-8 lbs of boost until I discovered and fixed it. Weird how a small cigar sized hole could lose that much air. Some spare hose and a couple clamps and it's good as new.

Oooorrrrrrr....sawzall the offending piece of the dash...

Just as another option since this won't be a road truck for you, try E-Bay for a compressor. My dad just picked up a reman for $150...versus the $500+ you'd pay for a rebuild or a new/reman one from a dealer. It's not a bad job to replace it. A few weeks ago, the accessory drive gear quit on my '97 CH. Replacing that involved dropping the oil pan, removing the power steering pump and also the air compressor. The compressor is pretty damn heavy, a two man job due to the ackwardness of the location, but it's do-able.

It costs anywhere from 12 large on up to rebuild anything nowadays. I was just wondering the good, the bad and the ugly points of this motor...brand loyalties aside. 565 horses, 18sp and 3.90 rears is a titilating thought.

Been thinking about an '01 Pete with a 565 ISX engine. Just wondering the pro's/con's to this motor. It's got 675k miles on it with relatively little work...new turbo. Any info would be appreciated.

I must've misunderstood...the 'john deere' start is normal then. My bad.

I don't want to hijack the topic, but could you elaborate on this econovance doodad? My truck does that.

Thought I was about the only one w/o age on here at 27...

I can't imagine shifting with my left hand, gas pedal with my left foot, clutch with the right foot. Every once in a while I'll give the clutch a shove with my right foot and it feels completely un-natural.

Coincidentaly, I too am in northern IL...LaSalle-Peru area and farm about the same amount. My dad is looking to retire and my brothers and I are trying to figure out who's going to take over. Might come down to a fierce game of paper-rock-scissors. If you have any more questions feel free.

Go to www.truckpaper.com and poke around to see what things are worth. Chances are you'll be able to find a truck cheaper than a trailer. A truck for what you want to do would be along the lines of 350-400hp, 9 or 10sp, air ride and wet kit. A little either way of 190" wheelbase should be good enough to keep you axled properly and short enough to maneuver. The rest is all in how fancy you want to get. With air ride you can have a gauge on it to tell how much you have on the axles which is pretty accurate. Make sure the 5th wheel can be blocked up and moved. How much, what and where do you farm...??

The 39' frameless trailer would be perfect. Just make sure it has a plastic liner in it before you go haul anything other than grain! We bought a 39' Vantage frameless with 60" sides around the 1st of the year. It's worked perfectly for on the farm so far. I had to lobby my dad for quite a while when he wanted to replace his old hopper trailer with a newer one. Be prepared to spend $20,000 or better for a decent used one though. I guess you'll have to throw a price range out there for us to determine what to tell you to look for. I bought my truck in April '07 for $24,000. It's a 1997 CH 613 and it had 550k miles on it at the time. 427hp, 187" wheelbase, 2 line wet kit, air ride, 18sp, the 'premium' interior, all aluminum wheels, twice pipes and engine brake. Truck and trailer empty weight, with a full tank of fuel, teeters around 29,000. Gives you a 25 ton load with some room to work with and about a 920 bushel load of corn. So total investment...truck and frameless trailer was around $50,000. Trailer is a '98, by the way. I'll put a picture of my truck on here if I can figure it out.

Allegedly, Mack engines get their best mileage around 1550-1600 rpm. I always hear Macks are far from the lightest truck out there, but I see plenty in bulk tank service. I have an 18-sp with a 3:86 ratio and 22.5 tires....which puts me at 1475 rpm at 65 in top gear, 1500 plus a couple at 70 mph. I can't give you accurate mileage because I don't go on the same exact run every day like you're planning on doing, however it varies from 5.5-7.5.

Thanks for the reply. I'm 99% sure I have the VMAC II, if I read the book and tag on the valve cover right. My first order of bidness is to have the valves adjusted, the jake brake working right. Debating how much more I want to spend. $600+ on new exhaust parts, $12 for some trans. o-rings....crap adds up! Too bad there isn't a 'free downloads.com' type of website for this stuff. Find a cord/plug on EBay to hook to my laptop and fire away.

So...with my '97 427 how high could I go on the cheap?

Not a big fan of the Aussie air cleaner set-up...

The PR didn't click till now...Puerto Rico. Looking at those two pictures and the bunch that were posted previously on this site, there's some damn nice looking trucks down that way... Thinking I might honeymoon there. No passport B.S. to deal with.

Does anyone know what brand, where to find (a dot.com) and how much the fenders are on this truck...? Full fenders. Thanks! http://www.truckpaper.com/listings/detail....59BD5298DB273CD

April '07 I bought my used Mack...$24,000 for a '97 CH613 with an E7-427 (1560 tq), 18sp, 3:86 Mack rearends on air-ride, 187wb. I have 608k miles on it. So far I've had to put a(n): air compressor, radiator, coolant recovery tank...all due to the air compressor being bad. On the trans. I had to replace the 3 rubber o-rings on the splitter cylinder inside the trans. (the hi/low on the split was stuck in high). $12 o-rings and a real pain in the a$$ to get to. I use this truck 99% of the time on a dump trailer on either construction work or on the farm. It is set up ideally for what I do. Rides nice, handles well on and off-road. The rather long travel with the air-ride cab soaks up the bumps nicely. Easy to see out of. Can't complain on the power although you'll never hang with a big block Cummins or Cat. No replacement for displacement! Oh yea...I average 5.5-6 mpg. If its a mostly highway trip I make all day, I can stretch 7 out of it with no problem. There are a couple 400-ish hp N-14 powered trucks that I know of that I can push around all day though. With anything used, how it was maintained previously and how YOU maintain it is key. The truck I bought didn't live the easiest of lives, I'm sad to say. If you can get the seller to come up with maintenence records for work done, parts changed etc I'd try to do so. My biggest gripe with the Mack motor is all the damn filters! 6 of them! The truck I drove previously had 3 and they were simple to get to. But I digress, it uses no oil nor makes any funny noises and no leaks elsewhere. Anything else...feel free.

That's a lotta mouths to feed! I'll sell ya mine! Joking. Maybe.

I'd go against the sleeper for a couple reasons...one being if you don't really forsee the need for it, don't. Also, in my experience looking for a truck, trucks w/o a bunk *especially with a wet kit* hold their resale, sell quicker and sell for more money than a truck with a bunk with the same specs. Lastly, if you're going to hook a dump trailer to it, the truck is much more user friendly without 3-5 feet of bunk behind you. 400+hp should be enough. The 13 or 18 speeds should keep you in the right gear in any situation. An engine brake is also wise to save on the brake pedal. Personally, I'm a fan of the CH. Plenty of leg room...like driving a pickup truck...and the creature comforts.