bbmyls2go

It's been a while so I am again visiting a couple of websites to update info on the Mack which basically is unchanged. While I moved it to Wildwood to my property two years ago (a Trenton, GA tow company allowed me to park it at their yard for a year), and made of point of at least firing the old girl up and idling the engine for a half hour or so per week, it one day inexplicably failed to start and I never got it running again. Has new batteries but given my forest location, this could be an electrical wire or fuel line chewed thru by hungry rodents (who have feasted as well on my minivan and pickup truck!). Anyway, no change in my financial status or ability to knuckle down and tow it off to SE Deisel to perform the engine work or ability to find a local mechanic. I finally posted the rig as for sale on SPAAMFAA last fall and made a similar announcement on my facebook page (hookerhosecompany) as well as FB pages for SPAAMFAA, Mack and C Model fans. Have had no takers at $3500 so have now decided its time to try and part it out. I am not a garage guy so am limited in my access to tools for parts, and limited in my knowlege of how to dismantle parts from the engine or pump. Anyone interested in mechanical parts would need to travel to the Mack and treat it as a 'you pull it" agreement. I have interested parties for emblems which I have been unable to remove do to the weld method used and difficult access. Also have people interested in the bumper, hand rail on the front of the hose bed, window glass, steering wheel... The Hookerhosecompany FB page has a photo folder of Mack Parts to show the condition of items such as the pitted chrome hand rails and gear rack, the air horns, lights, diamondplate, pump panel, mirrors, windshield, seats, etc. I also have the accessory items such as hoses, adapters, nozzles, extinguishers, vintage SCBA, aluminum ladder, wooden 10' pick pole, hard sleeve suction hoses and the strainer. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.678332655518449.1073741825.382116005140117&type=3

bogged down with restoration costs, I have begun to attempt some fund raising for the Hooker Hose Company to pay for repairs and new paint for the 1964 Mack C series pumper. Earlier this fall a friend who is a photographer organized a bikini contest at a local watering hole and several of the models he works with also posed for pictures with the Mack. We have put together a very nice, full color, 12 month wall calendar featuring several of those bikini models and are selling it via PayPal (go to their site and click on "Make Payment" and enter our email, HOOKERHOSECOMPANY@gmail.com . We are selling thru the end of November for $13 ($11 plus $2 s&h) and then the price will go up to $15. You can also visit us at our FB page ( www.facebook.com/HookerHoseCo ) to see other pics from the calendar and of course we WELCOME outright donations or suggestions for local business sponsorship. We hope to be a full fledged not-for-profit organization after the New Year so calendar costs or donations will be tax deductible! By a dozen and give them out to your F/F friends !

Update - still in limbo with the Mack - shop never able to find a carb kit and I finally had to move the truck back to Georgia or proceed with their repair plan of removing the head and looking more closely at the bad cylinder (a cost that they could only estimate between 2 and 4 thousand dollars depending on the extent of the repairs and amount of labor to machine unavailable parts). Have a local mechanic who took an initial look at it and made adjustments to the choke which helped some, but still waiting for him to make time to tackle the rest of the fuel line issues (thinking the previously replaced fuel pump may not be large enough). Anyway, poor thing is now pink from being out doors and with the economy I have added nothing to my savings account to be able to fund any major repairs such as consideration of engine replacement. In the meantime, a friend who is a professional photographer got several local models to pose with the Mack and we have put together a fundraising calendar - it came out nice and we are selling it for $11 via paypal with $2 more for shipping til the end of November. If you are interested, go to paypal and click "Make Payment" and input our email address : hookerhosecompany@gmail.com and approve a credit payment of $13 and I will get one (or more!) in the mail to you. Images from the calendar can be seen at our FB page : https://www.facebook.com/HookerHoseCo bruceb.

Name: Mack C95F (1964) Date Added: 03 February 2009 - 03:16 PM Owner: bruceb Short Description: origianally speced by the North Haledon (NJ) VFD it was retired in the 1980's when it was bought and driven to the<br />North Dade (GA) Fire Rescue. It has again been retired and purchased by Bruceb, a NDFR volunteer. View Vehicle

thanks for these additional posts and suggestions - as I've said, I'm at the mercy of the shop as I am not a mechanic. The suggestions about the carb and fuel lines were taken in consideration initially by Mack of Chattanooga who then told me they didn't have anyone in the shop who could do a carb rebuild! I abandoned Mack as incompetent and brought it to SE Deisel - the have considered the options and did find the compression problem. We discussed it, I could spend several hundred dollars as they nickel and dime me at $90/hr to check fuel, lines, floats, pumps, etc and then find we still have the same symptoms being caused by the bad valve. As to the smoke, the pic can be deceiving, it is blue, not gray (just the strong sunrise coming over the ridge). My problem with the engine swap is two-fold, one, the newer engine would then be working with all old components possibly starting an eternal domino effect of parts going bad which I can't afford; second is the cost - I found an identical rig up in Michigan in excellent running shape with excellent paint for $8000. I can't see spending 10k on an engine swap when I could get a primo 64 Mack ready to roll. I hesitate to by another one though oonly because it is THIS Mack's history with our department that makes it special. If I were to buy a rig just to own a fire truck, I think I'd research and find something more appropriate to my tastes. Mackdaddy1911a1 - nice to 'meet' you! If I can't get SE Deisel to take the plunge and attempt the repair, I suspect I may just chug the old girl back around the mountain to Wildwood and store it. You would be more than welcome then to come by and treat it as your project while I reimburse you for parts and time - I simply don't have the mechanical apptitude to play with it and the lads at the fire hall are all body shop guys, not mechanics, LOL! IF, SE gave me a price on the valve job, I might give it a try and see if I can at least nurse the engine along for a few years. Once the cylinder is up and running, I could look to tackle all these other fuel related suggestions. I've just returned to work as an over the road driver so hope that by this spring I'll reach an agreement with SE Deisel about going for the repair or bring her home. Definitely feeling mellow that I've missed another parade season. thanks everyone, bruceb.

Thanks again, firemack - I did send off emails to both Pfahls in CT and to Kevin All of www.Allmacks.com in upstate NY yesterday (something I had assumed the shop would have already done but apparently they haven't). Kevin replied almost immediately that he has parts - so I will forward the list with him on top to SE Diesel and see if that might light a fire under them. Had a meeting with some guys at the firehouse as well as with a lawyer and I am going to consider incorporating as a non-profit so I can solicit donations for the restoration. Will have a webpage up shortly (got the domain www.hookerhosecompany.org) and will consider, if I can do any fundraising, going for the more expensive route of an engine swap. http://www.wix.com/bigb5560/hookerhosecompany

I'm down in Chattanooga, TN. I know there are several restorers to the north but was hoping I could keep this as economical as possible without having to tag an extra $2000 to the bill for trailering it to an out of state shop. Heck, the local tow company wants $220 just to bring it 20 miles around the mountain back to the firehouse! ($150 "hookup fee") I'm not in a huge hurry (would like it to be roadworthy/parade ready by its 50th birthday in 3 years) so will try to find a reliable source for parts that the repair shop here would be confident in using - failing that I'll need to consider going out of state to a place like Allmacks or Pfahls to do a rebuild or maybe even an engine swap. Would love to find an outfit here in the south, but most of these Macks stayed pretty close too home so the experts are all up north! thanks for that information about the Radnor FD.bb.

Unfortunately it is almost 3 months later and the Mack still sits fading in the sun - dont want to authorize repairs that the shop wont guarantee and the shop is still unable to locate the proper parts to correct the problem in cylinder #6. On the bright side, my department just retired our old brush truck which was utilizing one of the Macks 2 original hose reels, so I am left only seeking a single hose reel to bring the Mack back to its fully original condition. (with the exception of the mechanical problems of course). So, still hoping this request may reach someone who knows someone in the SE who might be interested in tackling this repair job!

I posted a request last month seeking someone who may know someone here in the SE (I'm in Chattanooga) who has knowlege and experience, and access to parts to help with the old Mack, but have had no replies - this is the letter I got from SE Diesel outlining the problems - they did full tests and found the engine in ok shape in regards to the carb, plugs, and timing, but found issue with compression in cylinder #6. They say they can do the repair using machined parts, but that any inexact fittings could lead to catostrophic failure of the engine and they would rather not do the repair unless the factory parts can be located. They have searched for months now, phone calls, emails, and linking to other shops but have had no luck. The Mack still sits, paint fading, on their lot. Many suggest an engine swap, but I cant afford or rationalize a $10,000 fix to a $4000 rig. From SE Diesel : Hello Bruce, The valves are not seating in the head. Problem could be valve, valve insert, or piston burnt in valve, or a number of other possible problems that caused the valve not to seat. By the valve not seating the engine cannot fire due to loss of compression. We have called our Suppliers and have not found the parts needed. No valves, valve inserts or head gasket. We put the valve cover back on engine and have pulled out of the shop. There is the possibility of removing the head and after measuring the valves and inserts if they are needed we can match them to get something that will work. But that will still leave us with the possibility f not getting a head set. If you have any availability for the head gasket set, head gasket, valves, valve guides, valve inserts, valve keepers and other components needed to remove head, rebuild and install head.

After being in storage for 2 years, last year I found that my '64 Mack C series with the 707 Thermodyne gasoline engine (6 cyl) is running very rough, won't accelerate under power, and smokes and backfires when I try. I brought it to Mack of Chattanooga and after 3k and 4 months, got back a truck with the exact problems I brought it in with. At their recommendation, I tried SE Deisel of Chattanooga and now, after hundreds more, and another 4 months, they tell me that they suspect a valve/cylinder problem and have been unable to locate parts. HELP! Does anyone know of a shop, or a private mechanic, that has resources to either find or manufacture engine parts to get my Mack back on the road? Here is the email I just received from SE Deisel : "The valves are not seating in the head. Problem could be valve, valve insert, or piston burnt in valve, or a number of other possible problems that caused the valve not to seat. By the valve not seating the engine cannot fire due to loss of compression. We have called our Suppliers and have not found the parts needed. No valves, valve inserts or head gasket. We put the valve cover back on engine and have pulled out of the shop. There is the possibility of removing the head and after measuring the valves and inserts if they are needed we can match them to get something that will work. But that will still leave us with the possibility f not getting a head set. If you have any availability for the head gasket set, head gasket, valves, valve guides, valve inserts, valve keepers and other components needed to remove head, rebuild and install head." I am not a mechanic, nor do I have contacts that have been able to help me (these are the two shops that have done prior work on this Mack over the last 20 years). I'm very frustrated that TWO shops have been unable to make the repairs needed. Obviously I can, and have, researched on-line, but would much prefer to get some input from other collectors, preferably here in the south, who may have experience with such places that might help me get this work completed. I hate to think I have to tow this back to the yard and leave it to rust as a playground oddity. I can also be reached directly at my email acct of bbmyls2go@hotmail.com Please Help! thanks, bruceb.

Thanks, Bullhusk - I have mentioned these suggestions to the manager via email. They are a diesel shop but he seems intrigued to tackle this old gas guzzler! Firemack - for the next 2 months, you can probably see it on the backlot at the Chatt Mack/Volvo (on E 23rd off the 4th street exit of I-24). Because of this service failure, he is bending over backwards to help me. If work has begun, it will be a block away at S.E.Diesel.

Firemack - thanks very much for your ideas! The Mack dealer has an older mechanic who supposedly "loves" the old rigs and he and I have talked over the months that they have had the truck at the shop (some trouble getting parts). Most everything you mention was done with decent results, except, I suspect,the road test! I am upset that obviously they did NOT check the timing after replacing all the components per my work order. The carb was cleaned, filters changed and over the past 1 1/2 years I have idled it as much as possible - enough to require refueling on two different occasions. It idles well, runs flat ground great with quick acceleration to 40, but then loses power. On an upgrade, it loses power at 30 and starts to backfire shortly after being put under load climbing the hill - back to level, it's fine. The manager at Mack suggested a carb rebuild and spoke to one of his off duty mechanics about doing it on the side, but then he instead referred me to the shop next door, a diesel shop, to talk to their lead man. There I was told he had looked it over (to determine the type of engine that it was) and called a restoration shop in New York where they discussed the power under load - the builder seemed to lean towards it being a timing issue and I was adamant that I don't want it going back to the Mack people (they charge $20 more per hour for one thing!) to finish what they should have already done. The diesel shop manager feels it is better to complete the tune-up (timing check and possible repair) before going to the carb/ rebuild. I have joined spaamfaa and was hoping this might be the summer I could make a few of the SE area musters to start talking one on one with other collectors for advice and tips. Right now I'm stuck between a shop and a high place (the shop is in Chattanooga and my firehouse is around Lookout Mtn requiring climbing several modest grades) not knowing if I should tow it home and find an independent mechanic or give the pros one more chance. I'm crossing my fingers right now that the diesel shop will do the fix and not break my bank but I have to consider my options if I keep getting told "now there's one more thing that needs to be done ..." !

I bought a retired Mack C series with the EN707 Thermodyne gasoline powered engine (5 speed manual tranny). It had not been run in a couple of years other than very short distances. When I was ready to put it in the shop and have Mack give it an inspection and full tune-up, however, it was running very rough, wouldn't power up hills, and backfired and smoked alot. Mack cleaned it up, cleaned the carb, replaced all the plugs, points, distributor, etc and sent me on my way several thousand dollars poorer. Til I hit the first incline and it lost power, backfired, and smoked. Now they talk about a carb rebuild but they dont do it and suggested I talk to the local deisel shop - they are interested in doing it and can get the kit, but are suggesting it is a timing issue and that that should be addressed first after speaking to a New York collector who has worked on these. Question - I am assuming this is going to be a major repair as the engine is tucked forward against the cab - hours = $$$ and I am waiting for an estimate. I have no idea how far to go with these repairs. Is a rebuild a better idea? (I've read not). Is a replacement engine a possibility or would that cost be way too high? I'm stuck as I'm not a mechanic, and the boys at the fire hall while good intentioned, had no idea the engine developed such bad performance while in storage when I offered to buy it and make it roadworthy again. Would especially appreciate if anyone has any references I might be able to follow for others who have done this or who have access to parts. Will be needing a replacement windshield, need to find a pair of electric booster reels (originals were stripped off and used to create two brush units - a 4x4 and one atop a mini-tanker), and would love to find a full set of original aluminum marker lights as these have been replaced one at a time by cheap looking plastic ones from the local truckstop.