HK Trucking

Well, I'll be dipped!!!!!!!!!!!!! The things I can "learn" here! Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought you said it was a 237 Maxidyne? Is it, or isn't it?

An R611 would have originally been equipped with an ENDT673C Thermodyne @ 250H.P. The outward appearance of the ENDT673C is identical to the ENDT675 237 H.P. Maxidyne, except that the ENDT673C would have been a light greenish blue color, and the ENDT675 would have been Gold. (edit to add: Also look at the top of the valve covers, back then they were marked "Thermodyne" or "Maxidyne" on that flat area on top. That could tell you what it is, unless someone put different valve covers on it at some point)

A "TRXL107" is a 2 stick 6 speed, not a 5 speed.

With that rear end ratio it will not have enough reduction in low gear for off road work. It'll sure fly down the road though, I didn't do the math, but I'd suspect 80mph+ @ 2100 RPM.

You're right Glenn, I've seen B models set up with the 465 or Scania motors and the TRQ77/770 quad box, but they were B43, B45, B47 or B53 Never seen a B61 with one of those little motors.

How did that engine end up in a B61?

When it's not broke down!!!! Heh Heh......................

From what I've observed over the years, plastic air lines came on the scene around 1970, at least in Mack trucks anyhow.

That looks like a heat exchanger in the top radiator hose, and those copper lines look like water lines , could those be water lines from the fire pump or tank to give supplemental cooling when the engine is working hard pumping water at a fire scene?

While I'm not familiar with what you guys had for factory options in Australia, the ENDT 675 used in the R685 is a Maxidyne engine, designed for use with the 5 or 6 speed Maxitorque transmissions, and those were the only transmissions offered with that engine here in the States.

David said: Very good advice! We have a Milwaukee Mag drill, and it will also "come unglued" from the frame if you try to put too much pressure on the drill bit. I hook a safety chain to a cherrypicker when using it. Our Milwaukee is a heavy b*tch, I pulled a tendon in my left bicep a couple years ago lifting it!

Actually, the 10 & 12 speed transmissions would not have been factory options on a R685ST. .

Kinda like an extra set of headlights, eh Tom?

Yes, that is correct.

That was the early "lo hole" version, with direct in hi gear, no overdrive.

Its a TRDXL1070. That was the early 6 speed which instead of having a lo hole , it had overdrive when the compound is in hi. Reverse was on the main stick in those. Once you got into 5th direct, then you'd shift the compound into overdrive, kinda just the opposite of the later TRXL107 & TRXL1071 6 speeds.

That could have unintended "side effects". If you sucked on 'em, you'd start talkin' like Donald Duck.

Dammit! WTF am I gonna do now when I need silicone form a gasket?

Actually, it appears that Brazil has more silicone than the USA.

Shouldn't that have been spelled "anonymous"?

Yeah, I used mild steel (6013) for build up. I considered using hard surface, but I was concerned that if I did that, the end of the stick would survive longer, but it might wear the shift rails instead.

The compound shifter, Rob. Do you have a pic of that in your book? We used to have those jam up all the time on the B models & early DM's when I was out east. You'd get under the truck and pry the external compound shift rails back into neutral with a screwdriver or pry bar and be on your way again. Except for one time, when a guy was rounding a corner and tried to downshift from hi split to lo split and the worn stick jumped out of the hi split rail and got into the other rail and managed to get into lo split at the same time, locking up the transmission and blowing the compound section all to shit. I used to weld up the end of the stick, then grind it down so it was somewhat near the original dimensions and that kept it from happening (til it wore down again).

Thats what I used to do to solve that problem. BTW, when it gets hung up in gear like that, you can use a large screwdriver to pry the rails into neutral at those clevises, on the shift rails that run from the shift tower to the back box. No need to pull the shifter out of the hole to un jam it.

I thought that's pretty much what I just said.