Rob

Thanks and I'll try to do that tonight. Rob

Appreciate it. I've never had a semi trailer before and my camper 5th wheel had never stuck in any tractor. This one was a surprise. The king pin on the trailer is noticably worn as is the plate. I'm going to replace that next week. The plate I'll have made and I can weld the pin assembly in myself. $65.00 for a replacement pin is not too bad it seems. The jaws are not binding on the pin at all but the jaws do come together and touch each other when closed around the king pin. Should there be some "slack" between the two? Rob

Like, Wow, man.......

What model of RL? Is it on spokes F&R, or spokes all around? My 74 RL797LST is Budd hubs, (California truck) F&R. Finally acquired a p/s pump for a V8. Trent has the steering gear, linkage, and reservoir so I can put power steering on this one. I am a self proclaimed "wuss" as I get older. Actually my daughter wants to show this truck so it NEEDS power steering. It already has air conditioning, (really). Rob

Is that what the threaded stud protruding from the front of the platter with the locknut is for? This is to adjust clamping pressure on the king pin? I've never adjusted anything like this. Rob

It sounds like your welder was on the right track. The interior fishplate is good and bolted securely is good. I'm certain he used a good quality material when making the repair as far as filler. Citing that he "Vee" grooved the frame and made a root, then a finish pass about the only thing left that could have been done is to stress relieve the weld zone. This can be done with a torch and temperature indication crayons that turn color when the proper temperature is reached. There is a lot of induced stress in the area you mention with a lift axle. I've seen a lot of breakage and welded up a few. A fishplate is the best insurance against this happening again and this measure has been taken. Just use plenty of bolts to secure it. Rob

This thing has a lot of grease that is as hard as concrete. I was looking last evening when the truck was back in the shop and I think I'm going to pull the rocker pins and remove the 5th wheel leaving the mounts. This way I can steam clean the underside and see what if anything is worn out. When I pulled the trailer there did not appear to be any slack in the jaws and no banging. It also latched nice, just didn't want to let go!! I have a brand new plastic disk for the 5th wheel pin. My damned shop cats, (mouser 1, and mouser 2) like to sleep up there so don't want to use grease but that could change. I don't really like cats but these guys serve a good purpose with fields on three sides of the shop. Rob

I thought about that but not the case here. There was room both on top, and bottom of the area the jaws bite to lock the pin. I actually lifted the trailer via the landing gear till is was not placing top pressure on the jaws. This yielded no joy however. Both truck and trailer were level also. When I got the prybar against the handle and started easing pressure against it I could feel a severe bind where things should readily move. A little more force and she popped over center and latched open. I just takes a while to figger this stuff out when you've not been around it. Rob

Yes, pushing back with the tractor against the trailer brakes was tried first. This sucker was just stuck from lack of use. Didn't want to work with it this evening as it was dark. I will tomorrow cause I don't want to do this again!! Rob

Man was I glad it was warm tonight, and pissed at the same time. I spent over an hour getting the jaws to release the pin on my trailer. It is a "Holland" 5th wheel and didn't want to let go. I bent the handle you pull to unlock it cause it was stuck so hard. The adjustment stud that protrudes from the front of the platter would only move about 3/4" and stick fast. Finally after getting a 36" piece of hydraulic cylinder rod to use as a pry, and a two pound sledge to beat on the handle while prying, I got it to release. Suppose I need to take everything apart and lube it up good. This truck hasn't had a trailer attached for some time and there is no grease at all on the platter. Rob

Here ya go Mark. Can't remember if I showed this photo before. This is from an 1983 Overdrive Magazine writeup. Rob

Pretty certain the 36" sleeper was a "Rest Rite" out of Pennsylvania. This truck was the last RL755LST built but gone now. Mine is the second and sole remainder. Rob

Agree. Rob

Looks sorta like an "Oshkosh" setup with the cab but could be a purpose built truck also of some other vendor. Rob

I've heard and seen many people use different things to get a cold, or problematic engine started. I've never had a problem with ether but don't use a lot. It's always best to have the engine cranking prior to the injection of a starting aid and use just enough to do the job. The folks that like a 30 second squirt are begging for trouble, especially with a diesel. Rob

Thanks again for the bday wishes! I don't think I really want any more Mack trucks, (at least for now). I want to get something finished!! Rob

I have a buddy, (retired coworker) that has a 1969 "R" model BMW. That bike is rock solid dependable and goes many thousands of miles per year. Yes, most parts come from the BMW motorcycle dealer as do the lubricants, and filters. This bike always catches a second look from those who recognize what it is. I suspect it has well over 100,000 miles on the engine since it was rebuilt last by the BMW dealer. I know when the current owner purchased it in 1991, the odometer showed 91,000 miles and it still ran well. Can't tell you if it had ever been overhauled prior but it was and is a very clean well taken care of motorcycle. Parts as I know have never been a problem. There have been times when the original part has had to be sent in for rebuilding, but to the best of my knowlege he has never been stranded alongside the road. Rob

The OBDII standard is nearing the end of it's service life and is being replaced with the CAN protocol, (Central Area Network) I believe starting in the 2010 model year. I think all cars produced and sold in North America will need to comply with the new standard by the 2012 model year. It is "transparent" and any scanner that will read the CAN protocol is backwards compatible with the OBDII standard. Rob

No problem Larry, I'm beginning the backwards count starting with the next one!! Rob

I really like this 10 speed air shift Mack transmission in my RL797 truck. This thing is smooth with a good gear spread that works well behind the V8 engine. I like the 13 speed Fuller behind the E6-315 in the winch truck, (R612) also, but the Mack transmission takes less force on the stick to shift. I've not looked into the Fuller yet but think something is abnormal in the forks, or rails. Rob

I know my grandpa had a few drivers that did not like the power combination at first, but grew to like it with experience. I'll bet this was due to one's natural resistance to change. Grandpa had two B61 tractors with 237, and five speeds for evaluation in 1964, (I believe). Everything else was a 673, or 711 with a duplex. and either single drive, or tag axle. I know he didn't like them much at first also. Rob

Damn, that's where I left her!! Just think, If I still had my mind I'd have never replaced her with that bear!! Rob

That diesel does not need an electrical source to keep running. If it is stalling there is another problem. If the engine is stalling at a common time each time, change your fuel filters. I've seen them pull sludge and grime up from the tanks that plugs filters when running. When not running the heavier components of the "dirt" fall from the media and the fuel can flow once more. Rob

Why thank you colonel Randy. It has been a fine day. Been learing about air brakes on my new trailer. Rob

It prolly doesn't have a thermostat. I like cardboard in front of the radiator but you need to be careful and watch the temp. They seldom warm up at idle in the winter. You would need to load the engine down to generate heat into the cab. Rob