Joseph Cummings

I had one Cat powered truck in my life, 3406E powered Louiville. Damn thing ran so nice until one day I stopped to clean some gunk off the windshield and popped the hood so I could climb up. Saw steam coming out of the dipstick, pulled the stick and the oil looked like cappuccino. Finished up the day and dropped the pan, pressurized the cooling system and it was leaking coolant down the side of #4 liner. Started tearing it down, and there were pits on the camshaft. So the next morning I started pricing parts. After hearing the numbers I said "F" this. And I went out and bought a nicer Louiville with a Cummins for like half the money that I was quoted for parts. It's still here up on the hill and I've been robbing it for parts

Yeah I read the book, but I'm talking real world where truck is broken and it's got to be running and under load in the morning. You can't use what you haven't got and downtime is expensive

My buddy bought a brand new 359 Pete that had both. He hauled out of G & R Cat and at first he worked right out of their yard. I drove the truck a couple times when it was older and he told me something was wrong with the brakesaver, so I didn't mess with it. I wasn't going far and the Jake was plenty

I 100% agree. Cab swaps don't work out like they do in youtube videos. And those video guys never show how much of their poorly engineered modifications break when they are actually driven. The only thing I have a different opinion on is, Leave the end673 in it. Put some fuel to it and even though it's a 9 millimeter pump, it will make all the power you'll ever need

You know when I started somewhere around 1980, we didn't really have Jake Brakes on anything. All the tractors were pretty bare bones ex Chemical Leaman and Matlack, 237, 5 speed, no power steering or AC. The dumps and roll off trucks were all DM600 227 6 speed, 55 rears and bare bones too. I really never had anything with a Jake until I was working as an O/O for McHugh Brothers and I had to move some stuff I needed their 4 axle Autocar for

I've really only run local. Before I moved to Hazleton, I ran mostly Philly, NJ, NYC and in the suburbs . It's all pretty flat, And I'm not running through Manhattan and Center City Philly Jakeing like an idiot

Thanks. I called them, they are supposed to call me back

It's a 1988. Cummins Big Cam IV that I built and put a bit of extra fuel to so I really can't give you a CPL or Horsepower, Fuller 12509, 38 rears on Hendrickson. The other one is this 1986 R686ST, all factory stock 125,000 miles. Endt676 engine (285), TRXL107 six speed, 38s on Mack Camelback

Yeah I never use my jake much either. I have a little hill in front of my shop, maybe 1000 feet long at most, guys jake down it with straight pipes all day long. Yeah it's a business district, but the speed limit is only 25. Me and the rest of the old timers here on the hill just shake our heads. They even jake down it empty. That being said, you can install a Jake on an END673, or even a Mack Dynatard if you change the cam

What do you pull with this tractor? A car trailer?

You know a 237 Maxidyne only needs 5 gears. Why not just put a TRL107 Maxitorque in it? Unless your rear is real low and you need an overdrive. 237 Maxidynes only came with either a 5 or a 6 speed from the factory

What engine are you using?

I had a float come apart on the steering axle of a boom truck on the Jersey Pike. It tore pretty much the whole right front fender off, ripped the brake hose, and it bent something I had to fix back at the shop, but I forget what. I wouldn't want to get hit by one Years later my buddy the same truck on the TP in Ohio and blew a float and he rolled the truck, Tore the Simon -RO 23.5 ton boom right off the truck. He had to kick the windshield out to escape. It was late at night and the first thing he does is call me with his adrenaline pumped through the roof, talking fast as hell in his Jamaican accent. Lots of Bloodclaat and pussyclaat lol

LTL9000 Ford, Big Cam Cummins. Yeah It's mine, Sitting in in my garage right now

Yeah I don't have much experience with locomotives other than some little 44 ton units, and were all HB600 Cummins or Detroit diesel powered. Truck engines really. My old employer had a thing for short lines. The "M" in SMS is for McHugh. I use to move a lot of MOW equipment and Car movers like trackmobiles with my Trail King trailer

Is that the one that has the turbo with a clutch to spin it up mechanically for starting?

No R686ST with six speed low hole, 38 rears, I think the blue one got a water tank mounted on it. It got left with the maxis released and roiled into a DM dump.

I'll have to check that out. I'd love to have it but I think it's going to be expensive. I did get this one, there were 3 all alike, but the others were kind of rough

I think the depths are the same , but I can't be positive about that. I haven't had a mack with a single plate clutch apart in like 40 years. Do you have the transmission you want to use yet? I've put roadrangers in macks that had double plate pull clutches like a spicer angle spring with the 2 inch input shaft. I know on one of them I got the parts from Tony DeSandro at Ace Auto Parts in Bensalem Pa. I know he knows what parts fit what. There is a guy Herman at US truck parts right outside of hazleton who is pretty good too, but english is his 2nd language so I do better just going to his place and talking in person. Both those guys are exporters so they deal with a lot of mack stuff

It was bought new by George Racho/South Tamaqua Coal Pockets with V8 mack power and being it was the early V8 they had problems with it. It went back to Craig Motors the Mack dealer across the street and somehow they agreed to repower it with a 1693 Cat. Sometime after George died, it got sold to Joe LaTona of Pittston. Joe passed a few years ago and the truck was sold again, but I don't know who bought it. The picture of it where it's red is actually in my back yard (I bought George's shop) the green picture is after Joe Latona restored it

Yeah for the CL50 clutch. The clutch brake was on the countershaft. You had to adjust that clutch by taking out shims when it wore down, then adjust the linkage, and then there was an adjustment bolt for the clutch brake. I had two like that that were 1960s One had a TRL107 trans and the other a TRXXL107 the two stick with the super low first. You found them in mixers a lot, they were great for doing curb pours. Both those clutches held up really well

Yeah I blew the picture up and it does look like fans. I'd love to see under the hood

Yeah, I seem to remember working on sixties stuff that were 3/8

Yeah they are. I used to stay in touch with Adelaide and her Husband Terry from Tulea, but I haven't heard from them in maybe 5 years. They always treated me really well. Tulea closed up, Terry said they had nobody to take it over, they must be well into their 70's now