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Yeah, but when you are at the bottom of a steep embankment on the side of I-95 with a truck screaming at about 5,000 rpm and the driver pinned in the cab you do what you hafta do.

You might try a shot of oil based WD-40 in place of the ether to see if it helps. If it starts with a shot of oil my bet is something is allowing the fuel to drain back out of the filters or the fuel pump.

Not sure it was ether; most of the time a can of oil based WD-40 is the fuel of choice to get a diesel primed. I've stopped a couple of runaways with either the emergency stop or a CO-2 extinguisher as well as placing my fire coat over the intake. My guess is most folks on the streets these days wouldn't have a clue about what to do.

What everyone else said plus make sure you use a "four point" tie down to meet DOT standards. One problem I have with my trailer is the weight of the truck sometimes keeps the ramps from lowering all the way down. I now carry a couple of sloped boards that I back the trailer onto in order to raise the rear end enough to get the ramps to drop all the way down. I also installed jacks on the rear to keep the ramps from kicking up as I load and unload.

Another good one is Automotive Manufacturers Inc., 2400 N Lombardy St, Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 321-6861. Great folks, reasonable pricing. Keeps all the customer info in a wire bound notebook and it reminds me of the kind of shops I used to go to with my Dad when he owned his garage in the fifties. Nondescript building surrounded by several old Allis-Chalmers tractors in various states of disrepair. Inside the "customer lounge" is a couch the Salvation Army would reject that uses the customer's parts awaiting rebuilding as the foot rest. Best shop I've been to in years!

Given some of the recent close calls and losses that members have suffered I thought it might be a good time to go over some things we can do ahead of time to either keep a loss from happening or to minimize it if a fire occurs. Most folks have no clue about how fast a fire spreads, and even some fire service members perpetuate the myth that a fire had to be burning a long time for it to have reached a large volume. This is not true; fires spread rapidly and will go out of control and become non-survivable events in less than five minutes. You must be prepared to act before the fire occurs and have a well thought out action plan. Here is a video that shows how quickly fire grows and spreads. These fires did not use any kind of flammable liquid, just ordinary combustibles. .Keep a properly sized fire extinguisher in your building and on your truck at all times and know how to use it. Check the extinguishers regularly to make sure the gauge is in the green area; than pick up the extinguisher and shake it to loosen the agent, re-hang it and make sure the gauge does not move. If it does re-charge or replace the extinguisher. Here is a video on how to properly use an extinguisher: .I keep three working extinguishers in my truck. One is a Halon type that will suppress a fire without causing added damage from the extinguishing agent and the other two are dry chemical extinguishers. Don't use the little 2 1/2 pound dry chem extinguishers meant for an automobile. Five pound is the minimum size and I would use a ten pounder if you have room for it. Plan ahead: If you detect a fire; stop the truck, kill the electrical system to stop any electric fuel pumps, set the brake, and chock the wheels before you use the extinguisher. If you live in a rural setting make sure you keep combustibles away from your property if at all possible. Even a thirty foot clear space around a building can make a big difference if a wild land fire occurs in your area. Here is a good link to help you prepare: http://www.firewise....Homeowners.aspx Finally, short of installing a complete fire sprinkler system I think the most important thing you can do to protect a valuable asset like an antique truck is to have a properly designed and functioning alarm system in place that is monitored by an alarm company at all times. Most of us keep our rigs in buildings that are separate from our residence, so a fire can start and grow without our knowledge making an alarm system a must. I prefer to use a heat detection type sensor as smoke detectors are not practical in a space where vehicles are running and welding or other fume producing work may take place. Talk to an alarm installer and let them recommend what they think will be the best system for your application. My garage is monitored by an alarm company as part of my house, so it doesn't cost any extra. For about $750.00 to install and $21.00 per month to monitor I have peace of mind that someone is watching out for fire even when I am not at home.

Good for you and your better half. Very generous.

I was wondering about that as well.

The B-21 was the Hall-Scott with a 1250 GPM pump. I don't think Mack ever made a B-71 fire truck, but I suppose some one could have put a fire body on a B-71 chassis. Looks more like a home made "upgrade" to me.

Here is another one; http://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/2939952651.html Supposedly a B-71 fire truck. I replied to the ad, but I never heard back from the seller. Makes you wonder how bad he wants to sell it.

I happened to be in Macungie this past week end and I noticed that the lot next to the rail road tracks where we put our trailers for the ATCA show is full of new Macks, I assume awaiting shipment. Is this normal or is the factory producing trucks faster than they can ship them out?

For all you guys that love the Detroit V-12's. There are two engines listed on GovDeals.com and they are being sold by the South Florida Water Management District in W. Palm Beach, FL. 1279 hours ENGINE,DETROIT DIESEL SERIES-71 V-12,GARRETT DUAL-TURBO w/INSULATED EXHAUST and ENGINE, DETROIT DIESEL SERIES-71 V-12, TWIN-DISC HYDRAULIC PTO http://www.govdeals....1006&acctid=297

The dome is an air chamber that dampens the pulsations of the piston pump. Air on one side of the diaphram and the pressurized water on the other. As the water enters the dome it compresses the air. The classic A-F piston pumpers are popular with collectors because they are so unique and extraordinarily beautiful with that big chrome dome on the front.

The A-F in restored condition would bring 80-100 K at an auction. They are definitely the most sought after fire apparatus by collectors.

I hope it works out. Maybe the insurance company will be a little more fair this time around.

It's been a tough couple of weeks in the American fire service. We had at least 11 line of duty deaths since March 30th. Considering we usually record around 100 per year that is a high total.

According to some research I did for an article I wrote about trailers the DOT puts tire life at 7 years. That is why the serial number has a date code in it.

Where is it? I'll be glad to do lunch with you and anyone else who wants to join.

Radials are used extensively on recreation vehicles, trailers and motor homes, which are the very definition of a lightly use vehicle for most folks. Trailers in particular seem to have a lot of reports of blow outs, but I think it is mostly related to overloading and tires which are beyond their service life. I know I went through a couple of blow outs on my fifth wheel before I changed the 15 inch wheels to 16's and upped the load range as well. No problems since. I'd check the urban myth meter on this one.

Anyone headed to the Spring Melt next weekend in Allentown, PA? I'll be there Saturday and Sunday this year.

It'll turn up at Jackson-Barrett or someplace similar. I bet we'll be shocked at how much it goes for. God bless the very rich who have to have all the toys!

I usually get torqued off when someone cuts a fire truck, but in this case I think he did very well. Sort of keeps the fire truck, but makes it a unique rod. I'd rather have someone do this than let the truck sit out in a field and rust away the way some "collectors" do. Besides, an E model if far from rare.

Can you post the link? I couldn't find it. Thanks

Very nice!

Every time. Approach at 45 degrees; knock it down; chock the wheels or flatten the tires by pulling the valve stems before you go to either end of the vehicle. Same as an extrication. I have had a couple "take off" by engaging the starter. They don't move fast, but if you are bent over the grill trying to get the hood open it will get your attention and it can pin you against anything in front of the car. The parking brake is activated by a steel cable that can fail rapidly as the steel softens under fire attack. I don't want to depend on the driver having the sense to put it in gear and set the brake when they are already flustered by the vehicle catching fire. Gravity will always prevail when humans fail to act. It's only a car and with any damage at all it's going to be totaled by the insurance company anyways. Take the time to be safe and do it right. Here is a link that would make a good "quick drill" for vehicle fires. http://www.firefighternation.com/article/firefighting-operations/fighting-vehicle-fires A quick drill for us was a ten to fifteen minute run down by the OIC at line-up on a particular subject of interest. A couple of examples of quick drills would be going over post-incident action reports from working events that had occured during the previous days at other companies or covering NFPA 704 as a refresher. Don't mean to preach, but It's hard to take off the instructor hat! Be safe!