Rob

I've seen a lot of folks use the nylon straps that are yellow. Cut the hooks off the strap and boil the strap in "RIT" black dye on the stove. Install into the straps with black rubber weatherstip adhesive, (as mentioned prior) and you'll never have a problem with it. Rob

Using a gladhand and air chuck to charge another truck's wet tank I do almost everytime I want to move something around here. This new R612 had no Schrader valve fittings anyplace on any tank. This is why I wanted to charge through the gladhands. There was no combination I could think of to make it work. If I could have released the brakes the truck would have rolled two feet and started. Rob

There are still some good ones around. I'm pretty loyal to my local CarQuest store as the personell are much the same as you would want. Parts for my own vehicles are less expensive there than the wholesale trade price. They were, and still are independent owned, leasing the name usage. Rob

Hi there, this truck showed up last evening with a dead shorted battery so it would not take a jump, and the truck was without air in the tanks. No air fitting anyplace. I have air fittings in all other trucks so I don't need to wait for them to air up and can move quickly. This one will get one also but I couldn't get it off the trailer. Cause the brakes could not be overpowered without breaking something. I grabbed fresh batteries from my "yella dog" and it started right up and released the brakes without problem. I've just been told you could charge from another truck through the gladhands so I figgered I was doing something wrong. Thanks, Rob

Here is a question that is real and not hypothetical: Let's say you have a tractor with low batteries and no jumper cables handy. There is also not enough air in the receivers to release the spring brakes so the truck could be push started. There is also no air fittings on the tanks to connect a shop air line to. I've been told you can charge the air through the glad hands but I've tried and could not get the truck to charge. I tried hooking lines service to service, emergency to service, floored the brake pedal with each event of the dead truck, then even tried holding the protection valve in to no avail. Am I missing something? Once I swapped batteries, and the truck started right up, it readily made air quickly. Rob

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=83250&nseq=175 Rob

Not quite as easy as the caption relates, but everybody survived. I remember this one on the local news. Rob http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=204715&nseq=294

At least it wouldn't be hard to get out of bed in the morning. We don't need no stinkin snooze button!! Rob

To the best of my knowlege there is not such a thing around here for trailers. Semi trailer plates however are inexpensive in Illinois. Rob

Small world we live in. Rob

Get a load of the caption at the bottom: Rob http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=194645&nseq=36

I'm going too! Hope to see you there. Rob

Thanks for the research. Really doesn't matter much as to year but there are minor differences throughout. I've seen holes that are factory punched for the heating and air conditioning in different places in the firewall and ancillary mountings differing in placement also. I have a cab that is from a 1978 R686, and another from a 1975 R685 that differ from each other. Then I have a cab from the mid 1980's that has many holes factory punched, with plastic plugs installed into unused holes that are painted over with cab color. Thanks, Rob

That's good. Now I don't feel bad feeling sorry for myself. It's so lonely on the bottom. Rob

A couple of the cabs are just cabs without doors. I can't remember seeing tags on two of them on the firewall(s). Glad to hear you agree the correct driver's side being the left. Rob

I have a few R model cabs and am wondering how to tell the year of manufacture? All have the serial numbers intact on the riveted tags in the left door jamb. Rob

I've got to call him to see if I'll need a truck. I'll keep you informed as I don't know an exact date yet. Rob

Call these guys. They'll have parts and expert advice for anything you would require. http://rebuildersenterprises.com/contact_us/contact_us.asp Rob

Yup, best I can tell they quite making real estate a long time ago. Maybe that's why is costs so much. This is why I've kept my building. When I cease to exist on mother earth, the balance of the family will be taken care of. This of course negates the million dollar insurance policy with double indemnity for accidental death my wife has on my dumb ass......... Rob

I'm certain you are correct. That is exactly why I'm repowering all my trucks with dialithium crystals with a five year mission to seek out new worlds and civilizations........ Don't need no stinkin diesel fuel that way. Rob

I'm coming back to Sheboygan in the future for more training of interfacing new control panels to existing equipment. Rob

Not quite as old nor a quadraplex transmission. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mack-Truck-1980-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem563fc85419QQitemZ370437280793QQptZMotorsQ5fATVQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories Rob

where ya been hiding Herb? Rob

No, it is as real as it gets. Rob

Yes, parts are getting scarce on these engines. I purchased a couple of complete engine gasket/seal sets because of this. Rob