Rob

That is a nice photo to show exactly why I torch them off. These things are always encrusted in an ashalt and road grime mixture from wheel splash that does a good job of corroding the area. By the time the fasteners are corroded, and the parent base metal thinned and weakened by corrosion, it's much easier to eliminate them with the blue wrench. Here is what I typically do: After the panels are separated, I grind with a carbide burr removing the weak areas of the bolting flanges back to strong material. Then replacement material is butt welded in. Using a 5/16" drilled hole in your new bolting flange weldment, (centered where you need the slot), use the carbide burr to slot the holes back to near original size, and finish grind to fit and form with a 3" grinding wheel on a rt. angle grinder. I certainly don't mean the hijack the thread but I was working on a lot of these trucks, (body and paint) when they were 10 to 20 years old and routinely running the roads. Most of the fasteners would not readily remove without heat in that timeframe in this area, (midwest) so you can imagine the ravages of 30 or more years plus added to that. Rob

Forgot to add, should you get hungry, I have a receipe for baked chihuahua pie that is to die for. Rob

Mike, you have the newer style that is easy to remove in comparison to the older style. The older ones do not have the retaining fasteners under the radiator shutters. Those are a dead giveaway to the type in question. On the old ones I just get rid of the old crusty hardware with a rivet "washing head" on the torch backed up with an angled putty knife/scraper to keep from melting a trough into the sheet metal. No real sense in fighting 50+ year old hardware only to have a good portion of it break on you. To reassemble I spot weld stainless captive nuts to the inner structure and use stainless bolts so this problem doesn't come up again in my lifetime. Rob

In my opinion that is very easy to do. Strip the sleeper clean internally, remove the heads to the retaining rivets holding the rear corners to the sidewalls and remove the rear section complete. If flush mount rivets are used for smooth sides, center punch and drill through them. Plasma cut the sleeper sidewalls, floor, and roof to the length you require using a straight edge, drill your holes to align the panels, then buck it back together. Only takes bucking about 10 rivets to become good at it. Rob

This is a good carpenter. Rob SiDidieravaitunmarteau.wmv

Yes, but it was used to mix that "special sauce". Rob

Let me be the first to say welcome to the site and offer my admiration for your house. I like the cleanliness of the lines. Always glad to have more Mack affectionados around here and to live in one puts you near the top. I think that would be a lot of fun with a guaranteed income monthly, and plenty of free time to tool around, life could be less strenuous. With the low mileage and obvious care the truck has been given, "Mackie" should serve you for many, many years. Rob

Looks like you could go right to work with this one. http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1713691490.html Rob

I seen the R700 was a tandem dump truck but didn't you state you wanted to replace both the R700, and the F450 with a single truck? That is where I came up with the idea of converting the R700 to your needs. I'll bet she'd drive it with an automatic. You are not going to work the truck to it's capacity in your application, so an automatic would work fine. Lot less expensive to insure also being a bit older. Rob

In an recent interview, General Norman Schwarzkopf was asked if he thought there was room for forgiveness toward the people who have harbored and abetted the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks on America. His answer was classic Schwarzkopf. The General said, "I believe that forgiving them is God's function.... OUR job is to arrange the meeting."

Naw, I don't think you are nuts at all. You have a need, and are willing to do the research to find the equipment to fill the need. Good way to go. I don't know much about the newer stuff and some will tell you to shun anything in the years you are looking at due to downtime. If it were me, I'd look for an HT-740 Allison to stick in that R-700 you already have, (I'm partial to that style of truck with three in my shop) if the automatic is a necessity. A CH-612, or CX-612 is a single drive axle variant just as you pictured and there are a few out there for purchase. Call a VonMahr, (sp) clothing distribution center as they maintain their power units very well with regular service to find where they are auctioned off at. Not much I know and hopefully someone else will chime it to help you along. Rob

Hi Joe, I'm not familiar with an auction opening at $1.00. The auction I posted had an opening bid of $49.99 which received a sole and winning bid. I also noticed the gents willingness to plargiarize your efforts with the prints and origins of the beginnings to this box. Amazing what people will do no matter how great or small to further their own interests, (sounds familiar doesn't it). Also doesn't lend much credibility to his statement that he has a $200.00 offer prior to listing on ebay. Probably a normal way of life without much thought or regard to such. Most likely best to avoid this party as nothing good can come from it. Generally once a liar, always a liar. Rob

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test! Lot of truth here! If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn`t buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed. If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone. If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect. If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him. If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down. If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!) If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his. If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".

Bollweevil sent this photo asking to post for him. This looks like an enjoyable time to me in a piece of equipment. Rob James in excavator.bmp

If I didn't do the work myself that is exactly what I would do. Line mechanics are paid flat rate hours to do a job so the more the merrier. Mackpro, and FJH both support this site with helpful insight and advice, and it woud be commending to reciprocate when possible. Now if anybody needs my address for commision checks to be remitted to............ Rob

I've been told exactly that when I wear a wig at formal occasions!! Rob

On his death bed, Earl Woods gave Tiger the following advice: "Focus on golf. Fuck everything else."

Granddad was reminiscing about the good old days.... "When I were a boy, Momma would sent me down to t'corner store wi' a dollar, and I'd come back wi' five pounds o' potatoes, two loaves o' bread, three pints o' milk, a pound o' cheese, a packet o' tea, an' 'alf a dozen eggs. Ya' can't do that now. Too many dam security cameras."

Now that Health Care Reform is upon us, it was thought a new symbol representative of both the old, and new healthcare systems should be brought forth. The American Medical Association has therefore approved the following symbol:

So the owner bid on his own auction? Entertaining to see "greed before honor"; sounds like a politician. Wonder how it feels to be exposed for what you are when the facade comes down? Happiness can never be attained living in a world of false pretences. But then again, if he comes from a long line of horse traders, maybe his true last name is "gelded" and that would explain why his signature line was "Mike G". Most times a gelded horse is more valuable to even their temperment than their stallion counterpart. I doubt this guy is anything for stud service however. Rob

If anyone is that "thin skinned" to be offended, they surely don't need to be here. Rob

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size. This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

I took a Cadillac Escalade out for a test drive just to drive that sucker before they become extinct. The salesman sat in the back seat describing the car and all its wonderful options. The seats were of particular interest. He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat. I stated the car must be a Republican car. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it was a Republican car and I explained that if it were a Democratic car, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round. I had to walk back to the dealership but it was worth it...

I really didn't pay any attention to what was mounted in the console. I think something like that with a couple of cubbyholes could be very useful as there is so little room in a B series cab. Rob

Looks like a nice restoration not priced out of line for what it is. I like how the seller states that it will run 80mph but not comfortably. I also like the auxilary panel placed forward of the shifters in the usually wasted space of a small cab. I may have to plagiarize that for my own use. Rob