Rob

I had exceptional service from mine. It was an 89 CS-300 with a 210 horse engine. Six years of rollback wrecker usage and the only failed part was a throwout bearing. It would start at ten degrees without either, and without being plugged in. In my opinion, a truck could not have been more reliable than that one. As stated earlier, parts can be expensive. I found it no more expensive to own/operate than any other truck if taken care or and maintained. Rob

Great photo' s there Herb, thanks for posting them! Seen a lot of the newer stuff on automobiles of course, but never been into a large truck new enough for ABS brakes yet. The "reluctor", or tone ring is quite a bit larger than anything I've ever worked with. It is critical with a "Hall Effect" pickup, or transducer to be spaced correctly from the reluctor. Impact damage, (even slight) renders them useless. To far of an air gap and they do not pick up movement, or it is erratic in output. I'm surprised the specification calls for an air gap of only .005. That doesn't leave much room for brake dust, (metalic particles) until there could be problems in operation. Rob

I did not know someone was commercially producing these items. I built mine from a very large capacitor, (30 microfarad, 5000wvdc) and it works great. I've had it a lot of years but only use it when the batteries are "buried" such as in a Chrysler product. The 9 volt cell memory savers work well also for their intended purpose. Rob

I have a V8 Mack engine and transmission in the New Orleans area that needs to come a little closer to central Illinois. I'd rather support someone on the board before opening up for commercial freight hauling. Items are not crated, and set into a junk ruck tire and strapped would be fine for me. The shop where it is can load, and I can unload. Hope I can offset someone's cost of operation a bit. Thanks, Rob 309-219-2070

Hi there, I'm in Farmington, about 20 miles west of Peoria. I could use your engine for parts. You can call me at 309-219-2070 and we'll discuss. I agree with Red, just don't scrap it!! Rob

I've got this 77 R795 and it has an ENDT865 engine which smokes very heavy due to overfueling. I mean somebody's got the fuel delivery really turned up. The engine runs fair when cold, and very well when warmed up. It does pull strong with, and without a load, but needs to clean itself out on off idle acceleration. I've only pulled one loaded trailer with it and that was not really for any distance but I was impressed. I would like to make a little more power with this engine by shoving some more air down it's throat but not hurt it. It appears to have a reman turbocharger, (turbin housing is very lightly rusted) and the compressor side is A/R .55, (small). I have no idea to the turbin side as there is no stamping and I haven't found an ID tag yet. This fit is as factory so I assume it is a like replacement to the original. I have absolutely no V8 Mack engine experience so I'm asking for suggestions. Would I be out of line to try and acheive 425 horses, (reliable) out of this engine? That is 100 more that factory rated. I know it can be done, but at what cost to service life if driven responsibly? Thanks, Rob

I agree. I don't have a preference for a 5 speed trans behind a 237 engine, but it sure is a nice exhaust tone due to the amount of time between shift points. A well maintained 673, or 711 also has a very nice sound. Another nice sound, (and noisy) is a 238 Detroit in a hill with a load on. Rob

Hi Glenn, my 72 R model also has cast into the hot side "muffling device". The truck did have a muffler on it but baseball sized holes in the pipe prior to the muffler. It was not loud to drive. It was also 4 inch pipe and muffler. Rob

Adrian: Although it will be just a little bit louder, it will not be a ticket magnet due to noise. In the USA a muffler/spark arrester is required, (I believe) but most any turbocharged diesel engine is very quiet in operation through the exhaust compared to a natural aspirated model. Rob

Anything that has an ECM should also have the battery(s) disconnected also. Rob

"True" Volvo produced trucks, (not someone they merged with, or bought up) are not into their 30's yet in this country. They started by picking apart the White corporation's assets in the 70's along with GMC's heavy truck division. I do see a lot of Volvo produced trucks in salvage yards that are much younger than 10 years. In my opinion, you will not see many other brands of trucks able to perform viable work when they are 30 plus years of age without a bulldog on the hood. Most are long prior, "shaken apart", and used as donors until worth nothing more than scrap value. My personal preference is Mack of course. This preference is not based on my personal experience earning a living with a truck as I have never had a job driving, or purchasing one. It is based on my family's experiences. My side has a lot of truckers in the past. Mack trucks, and dealer support, (St. Louis area) was very good and reliable. In those days Mack dealerships were corporate owned. My wife's side also has a lot of trucking history and they prefered International Harvester products for many of the same reasons. Admittedly, part of that fault was the distance to a Mack dealer as there was little/limited support in their locale. I feel that Volvo is nothing more than a great consolidator. This is much the same as the White corporation did starting in the 1950's with their acquistions of many smaller corporations, ie Diamond T, Reo, Hercules Motors, etc. Their incessant need for growth, and profits to satisfy stockholders could be their ultimate downfall/demise just as it was for White. Ford and General Motors are in the same situation. Take a look at the losses many american corporations are experiencing due to being overextended. Overextension can certainly kill good intentions. I do hope the Mack brand name and in house engineering can survive through these times. Back to the original question of "Is Volvo Good or Bad for Mack Trucks?", not for the long haul would be my answer. I don't think a quality built product, well priced and represented will survive in today's market. There will always be something cheaper available in both quality and price. Many corporations do not look at the cost of long term operation. Trucks for example are not acquired, maintained, and ran till unfeasable to repair any longer. They typically are "turned over" at a certain mileage interval, or age to avoid downtime in an industry where a driver is a driver, a mechanic is a mechanic, a painter is a painter, with very little interaction between each other takes place. Oh well just some of my thoughts. Way off subject so I'll close. Interested thread to see other's input to this subject. Rob

If your cab has, (or had) an air ride setup, it could be different. Most times if a cab has air ride, the cowl area where the hood rests against has rollers instead of landing pads for the closed hood to rest upon. My 72 R model uses the same cab mounting style that my 77, and 78 R models use; That is a round bushing surrounding a pin bracket that would let the cab rock fore and aft on the bushings if the rear cab mount was air cushioned. Rob

You're absolutely correct in the availability of parts James. Dealerships in the 70's used to have access to any part you would need for most any unit on the truck be it steering, transmission, rears, or the like. Now small parts are not obtainable a good portion of the time. I rebuilt steering boxes, A/C compressors, P/S pumps and even water pumps in my early days, all with parts that were readily available at the time. Those days are for the most part gone. There are still a lot of specialty parts vendors out there, but it takes some digging to find them. I have found a lot of steering rebuilders will sell you parts needed to reman your own and some will not citing liability issues. We live in todays economy where cheaper, (not always better) is what sells, and a reman unit in some cases is less expensive than doing the job yourself. I was always too "cheap" to pay for something I could do myself so I'm naturally biased. I've recently purchased a gasket and seal kit for a leaking Ross HF64 series steering gear for $49.00 due to a leak. Hard to justify $650.00 or better for a reman unit when there is nothing wrong internally with mine. I also trust my own work but admittedly ask a lot of questions to avoid mistakes. Atlanta Gear and Axle is a good, reliable vendor and I have used them in the past. I would recommend them if a gear needs replacement. Rob

1972 was the end of the smaller, or flat back cab. The 1973 model year trucks had three inches added to the rear cab panel. They also went from the small B series grab handle, to the longer grab handle on the part of the cab that wraps around to the cab rear. 1972 was also the last year for the metal dash. 1973 and newer cabs had the padded dash. Rob

If it is a Ross HF64 series, it does need poppet valves adjusted. If one "monkeys" with the poppet valve adjustments without knowlege, or proper tools, they will never be right and will provide the symptoms described. They must be adjusted equally to balance hydraulic steering pressure, (internal) from left to right. A blown, or partially blown "O" ring on either side of the power piston will give some of the same syptoms. Rob

Hey 77mackr, (Wayne Phipher). Why don't you send me the two PTO's that I paid you for and you did not provide when I purchased your truck????? These PTO's were paid for above the sale price of the truck. It is the one listed on your avatar. We do not need members that SCREW other people!! SEND the PTO's or REFUND THE MONEY PAID for them on March 16th, 2007. If you require any of our correspondence, or a copy of the cashier's check sent for the purchase I will provide them to you. Now that you have provided proof you still participate in this forum, I am prepared to reveal, (very publicly) the details of our transaction. Since you will not return my telephone calls, and I have no current mailing address, this is the only way to get through to you. Just in case you deleted my contact information: Rob Swallows, (Rob) 33545 N. IL RT. 78 Farmington, IL 61531 309-219-2070, (cell) Here is a link to the original "For Sale" section of BMT which was the medium for the transaction. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?showtopic=2083

Adrian, that is what HK is telling you. When you depress the clutch pedal, you are actually disengaging the clutch. With the clutch pedal pushed down, the clutch disc(s) and center plate are unloaded, (providing no clamping or driving force) and the center plate can rattle against the driving dogs in the flywheel. This happens as parts age and wear. If your throwout bearing is bad, or loose, you most likely will feel a grind through the pedal when depressed. Most times with a bad bearing, you do not need to fully depress the clutch pedal to feel a bad bearing. You should not feel the bearing working if it is sound. Rob

Hi Herb, great to hear from you. My 64 B61 has an FA522 under the front with the flat hub covers. It is on spokes. My B62, (parts only) is on Budd style hubs and has the convex type hub covers like your examples of the B80's. I've never looked under the truck for the axle type but I assume it is heavy. The rears are at least 44's. I destroyed my second digital camera so no pictures yet. Rob

I have the same setup on one of my B-61's as you, "Stemco" seals, oil, and chrome hubcaps. This tractor has spokes that I plan to keep. The other B-61 is on Budd wheels, is also a FA505 steer axle, but has the stamped steel "Mack" script center cap. These I had chromed and will paint the "Mack" script black, or red, (If I EVER make up my mind). I'm down around Peoria and get up your way quite often. We'll have to get together sometime to swap lies if nothing else! Rob

Congrats are in order!! Best to Joe, wife, and family. Rob

If you have the "B" style hubcaps, and have oil hubs, you probably have a FA505 steer axle. This is a light duty tractor axle. An FA522 uses a flat stamped cap with "Mack" script in the center. It is heavier and has larger bearings. The FA505 has a small center cap that looks like an oil filter from a small car that unscrews from the hub when used with wheel bearing grease. I don't know about a FA600 series front axle. Rob

Thanks for the research Jim. I have not removed the cover as of yet. Still "licking my wounds" so to speak. How's your "B" model project progressing? Rob

Hi Noid, the only difference is the "bung" that the electrical connector mounts through. I believe other than that they are the same. Thanks, Rob

Does anyone have an E6 valve cover with dynatard they can do without? I knocked my daughters engine over the other night moving her chassis around and an air conditioning bracket laying on the floor broke the fall. This was actually good fortune as the turbocharger would have smacked the floor and probably broken either it, or the manifold from the impact. The one I need is stamped steel, and the front if there is any difference. Thanks, Rob 309-219-2070

Hi Skip, what did the cooling passages look like in the head? I'll bet there was very limited service to this area. Rob