dave41855

Looks like it'd take just shy of 31 1/2 acres to turn this rig around!!! Well, ok, maybe 28 acres!!

Oh well AZB755V8, it was a thought!! Anyway, will stick to what the original is. Meanwhile, back in the oilpan, here's what greeted us after we dropped it!! Nice little mess isn't it! Once we get the pistons out of it and get it fully stripped, we'll be able to tell if the cylinder walls are scored or not and then we'll know just how bad this really is!

Well kids, we pulled the old girl into the shop and started the tear-down. Took off the hood and removed a lot of the small stuff off the motor and stopped there. Yesterday he drained the oil and dropped the pan. Inside the pan was quite a few little chunks of metal. Upon closer inspection, he found the #5 piston itself has begun to break apart and also the connecting rod bearings are toast. Haven't seen the chunks- yet but will today and get some photos. Glad I didn't just dive in whole hog. After we got the hood off and sat back enjoying a good hot cup of coffee, we both started to chuckle. He says "I know where there is a good ENDT866 that would fit in there real sweet like..:-) Would an 866 be capable to push 525hp out of it???

I also recall that White Mtn. Mack, when they were in Lancaster, DID have an RS700L custom ordered for a customer that had a "stock" 500HP V8 in it. I recall getting a chance to see it before it's owner picked it up. They had it on display for a bit there. Pretty sure it had a 36" Able Body sleeper attached to it, which for the period, was a sit-in bunk. That was also on display at the same time. It was painted orange and green and I think it went to Kelly Logging in Berlin NH. Wished I'd snapped some photos of it!

I think you've hit the nail on the head Brian. I agree that no Valueliner here ever had a V8 in it. But, I have been wrong before!! :-)

That's what I mean Vladislav. IF they existed here in America, they must have been really stuffed under the hood!! In doing some studying, yes the Australian version did have V8's, but, they were completely different than their American counterparts. There, their hoods were longer and higher to have the needed room. After looking at Australian photos and specs, there is a HUGE difference in the trucks. Here in America, now, I'd rather doubt any RS600's ever had a V* in it!

Thanks kscarbel2, I had come to think of the same thing. I've been doing a little research on them and there IS a considerable difference between them. That "E8" is what I had been mistakenly calling the 866 V8 motor. What started this all is that I had to build a model of a Valueliner for a customer. Here's a couple of photos of the model.

Yes you're right. The RS700L's were not Valueliners. They were a beast all to themselves. But, I was under the impression that Mack lengthened the frame of the RS700's so that they could stuff a V8 under the hood, and that's why I've wondered how they could stuff a V8 in an RS600 series Valueliner which is about a foot shorter. It must be a doggone tight fit under that hood!!

Question for all ya all......... I know the Valueliner was a good seller down under but didn't seem to be all that popular around here. Although I did drive one way back one summer as a dump truck for a guy back then in Monroe NH. That brings me to the question: most Valueliners had E6's in them and some had E7's and a FEW had E8's. Now I always thought that the RS700's were made longer to stuff an 865 or 866 under the hood. IF that is true, then how in heck could they stuff either an 865 or 866 in a Valueliner?? Anyone have any idea?? Photos maybe?? I'm talking the American version that would be sold here. Dave

Well kids, after a long afternoon of "sitting around the campfire", drinking several cups of coffee and just having a splendid afternoon swapping war stories, we came to a decision. He's not going to sell and I'm not going to buy. Yet anyway!! He's not sure what positively is making the engine knock. We both think it's a piston. If you hold a 4 foot screwdriver to your ear and against the block, it sounds like the #5 piston is the bad one. And, there is now coolant in the oil. So, he wants to do in in-frame and rebuild it and I'm all for that. If I help him to work on it through the winter, THEN we can make a deal come spring. He's going to keep the body, which is ok with me, and he'll rebuild that later. If I help him as I can through the winter, come spring, it'll be "ready" for me built as I want it. I have an old 5th wheel myself that will go on it. He still has the bracket that held the trailer brake air lines and electrical cable, I have a "pogo stick" or "tree" to hold them on and various other little things to return it back to a tractor. Probably once it's all done a new coat of paint will top it off! This is a deal I'm in no hurry to rush into. I want to make sure that the rebuild is done right and it's in as good shape as can be. It'll be the last truck I'll ever own so I want it right. My old lowboy had a new wood floor done 3 years back and it's in good shape "ready to work". God willing, come next year, I'll have myself a hole new playtoy to show off!!!

Daddy, will you buy me this for Christmas?? Huh?? Please??? Pretty please?? I promise I'll be good all next year............ Would something like this be just a blast to run around in?? Old Mack cab on an old Chevy/GMC pick-up chassis. Even has a diesel under the hood too! Wouldn't that look sweet to pull my 5th wheel camper with......

Looks like you did well!!! Yet another old Mack comes back to life!!! Enjoy it!!

The floor in the body is shot. He worked it under a crusher for 2 summers and the 3"- stone coming out didn't help it at all!! I think overall the truck has been cared for yes. Cab floor, doors, hinges, cab back, all of that is good and solid. Frame rails are single steel and haven't been cut or welded at all. Steering sector is tight as are ball joints and pinions. Tires are about 40-50% I'd say. The turbo has a loud howl to it when you're really pulling hard with it but it's the knocking in it that worries me. It's my intention to use it as both hobby truck and work truck. I have a drop deck lowboy for it, rated at 30 ton, that I intend to "play around" with. Another gent here in town has an old 57 B model he wants to take to parades and shows and that also is what I'd love to do with this one if I get it. Haul his on my trailer. It's time to enjoy life a little and driving an old Mack is how I'd like to do it!! I have to meet with him this coming week anyway so we'll talk turkey then in depth. When I find out more I'll post it here to let you all know what's happnin'!!

That's the one thing that bothers me about this whole deal, she may pop a piston. Reason I say that is I drove it for a load and she makes "weird" noises when worked hard. It's got a 300+ in it and speedo says it's got 148,000 on it motor wise. I don't have a ton of money and I'm at the age now that I can't do much work on it, nor do I have the shop to work on it, so my estimate for repairs is just about right. The other factor affecting my thoughts is why has this truck sat for so long.... does he know something I don't maybe??? Not telling me everything?? I don't know.... Anyway, I'm in no real hurry yet as winter is coming on and he'll be parking both truck soon. We're not done talking yet so if there are other issues I'll find out!

Not sure if it will happen, but, there is the possibility that I just might come out of retirement. The man who now owns my old Mack wants to sell his Superliner dump. It needs work. Cab mounts are shot, cab air bags need replacing, turbo is getting tired. The cab itself is quite solid as is the hood. Basic chassis is also in good shape. Dump body is rather sad shape, but that's ok by me as if I do buy it I'll put a 5th wheel on it anyway. I figure $5000 as she sits right now ain't bad, and, I'm thinking about $5000 more and it could be all rebuilt. What do you guys think?? Dave

Steve, what do you mean by either electronic or gear bound? Don't know what that means..... DAve

Man oh man, you struck paydirt there!!!!!! If the price was right, you stole it!! Nice score! Dave in VT

Well son-of-a-sea biscuit!!! I forgot all about them! Yup, you're right about McDevitt. Lancaster Mack folded years ago after the Fournier boys retired. Not sure when McDevitt took over but it must have awhile after Lancaster shut down as I remember the old lot was empty and bare for awhile. Guess I oughta make the pilgrimage over there and check them out!! Thanks logtruckman for jogging my memory! It's hell getting old!

Volvo's are one truck I've never really had any contact with. I know here in New England there are a few owner-operators do have them, but KW and IH seem to be the predominant trucks. There used to be a Mack dealer over in Lancaster NH but they went out of business years ago. Manchester Mack to this area is a long drive, Burlington VT is the closest. You mention 9+ mpg.... WOW!! I always thought that my ole MAck did quite well at 4!! When we all hauled pulp and logs, our trucks were all very heavy. My light weight was always 37,000 or a tad more. I had an overweight permit, only valid in VT, for 90,000 gross. Trouble is, VT would only allow about 1750 or so over that and if you pushed say 91,000, the fine dropped back to the 80,000 limit!! THAT got expensive VERY quickly!! 9+ mpg today, extremely light weight and aerodynamics are the name of the game.

Years ago my "brother" was hp crazy and each truck he bought was more hp than the last. When Cummins came out with the KTA-600 he just had to have it. KW had a dealer down in Manchester NH and they had several W900's with them in it. Well, he bought one. Yup, it was a nice truck, pretty, comfortable and the interior sure was sweet, but as time went on, he found out that 600 hp really was just to much. He'd wear out drive tires 2 to 1 faster than I would. Oh that truck sure would fly, yup, I know he had "more than one" speeding ticket with it. I knew one was for 104 mph out in Arizona on I-40!!! But we figured that the drive tires must have been spinning at high speed overcoming wind with a box trailer. After that truck, we downsized and returned to Mack and never again had any issues!!

Another photo, post bunk but pre-fix up! At this stage there was a LOT more to be done!! Here it does have the new bumper though!!

And down under while being flat it must STILL take some serious horsepower under the hood to get quads started and keep them rolling, right? Also in mph, what kind of average road speeds are we talking about here? 30-ish??

And by the way, I did get to see a lot of Australia on 2 US Army R&R tours. I fell in love with the country! I spent time in Perth, Sydney and the outback where there weren't any such thing as bombs, IED's and bullets!! God willing, I'll go back there someday before I die!!

I agree 100% with what you say, yes, but there are places in the mid-west and mid Canada that short triples could indeed be used. However, just out of curiosity, I wonder what the gross weight of the road train in the photo weighs in at?? Any guesses anyone?

Can you imagine if truckers here in America were allowed to pull trailers like this what the bulk of the population would say about it??? Wouldn't the NIMBY's have a field day with THIS!!!!