B Model Cab Question

[2009ChallengerRT]

I'm a long time Mack lover but never really started to educate myself on them until now. I plan on building one shortly, out of two trucks, if possible. My question is this:

Are there any differences between a '58 B42 and '61 B61 in regards to the cab, nose and fenders? Neither were school buses, firetrucks or had sleepers.

I apologize in advance for the novice question. If there are differences you don't have to bother explaining them if you don't want to. A simple yes or no will suffice as to whether or not the the parts are interchangeable. I can't seem to find information on this.

Thanks.

[Rob]

I'm a long time Mack lover but never really started to educate myself on them until now. I plan on building one shortly, out of two trucks, if possible. My question is this:

Are there any differences between a '58 B42 and '61 B61 in regards to the cab, nose and fenders? Neither were school buses, firetrucks or had sleepers.

I apologize in advance for the novice question. If there are differences you don't have to bother explaining them if you don't want to. A simple yes or no will suffice as to whether or not the the parts are interchangeable. I can't seem to find information on this.

Thanks.

Hi there, the basic cab structure is virtually identical with minor differences. The main differences from the limited mental capacity I posses is the diesel powered trucks, (such as the B61 series) used an external mounted air cleaner where the gas powered trucks did not. There is a hole in the cowl panel, and the firewall for the ducting to pass through on the diesels. The gasoline powered trucks used an underhood mounted air cleaner and did not need this plumbing so there was no hole in the cowl panel, nor the firwall from what I've seen.

Other than that there were minor differences but not really significant such as no series/parallel switch through the floor on a gasoline powered truck and some of the lighter varients such as B20, B30 series used hydraulic brakes so there were some plumbing differences.

You could use a gasoline powered trucks cab on a diesel and vice versa with a little work. All the basic arrangements are near identical.

Rob

[Firemack]

Rob/ Challenger RT

I looked closely at both the Gas and Diesel B models, as we have the B75 Fire Pumper, and I also work on a 1960 B95 Pumper, 1955 B85 Aerial and 1965 B95 Pumper. I compared all of these firewalls, to the B61 Diesel Tractor at the Mack Museum and took pictures of the B61 to use a reference for restoring our B75. I found that the cab firewall on all had the same access holes for the external air cleaner, and also had access for the heater. These are not used on the B75, B95 and B85 as they have the air cleaner mounted under the hood, but since the access is there could use the external air cleaner- in the later 1965 B model (Gas powered) B95 they did use the external mounted air cleaner.

It appears that the cabs are interchangable, and the only items that changed were the floor pan and brake mounting (for hydraulic or air).

Firemack

[maxidyne237]

The larger gas engine equipped b models had external air cleaners. The side vent on the pass side also was eliminated in some external air cleaner models and repalced by an outside/underhood air selector. Some diesels had the side vent under the air cleaner bracket and was functional. Dont forget the b-75 and b80/b81 style cabs with the drop down drivers floor.

[Rob]

There are many variants to the basic cab structure. My 56 B62 had an EN-464 series engine and does not have the air plenum hole in either the firewall, nor the cowl panel and did use an underhood air cleaner assembly. The Rt. side vent panel is conventional as with an air scoop, (door) as the driver's side is. My diesel B61 series trucks use a functional door under the air cleaner bracket to let air in.

I don't have anything with hydraulic brakes and haven't looked close enough at a light duty, or fire apparatus truck to ascertain the difference in the floor pan.

Rob

[Mike]

I'm a long time Mack lover but never really started to educate myself on them until now. I plan on building one shortly, out of two trucks, if possible. My question is this:

Are there any differences between a '58 B42 and '61 B61 in regards to the cab, nose and fenders? Neither were school buses, firetrucks or had sleepers.

I apologize in advance for the novice question. If there are differences you don't have to bother explaining them if you don't want to. A simple yes or no will suffice as to whether or not the the parts are interchangeable. I can't seem to find information on this.

Thanks.

Hey RT,

Thats ok about tha education. I'm still trying to learn about em also. I am still trying to figure out what MACK stands for......lets see

M - MEN

A - ANGRY

C - Can't

K - KRAP

naw...naw.... I give up.....I might have to ask ROB. Now i'm angry...dag nab it.

mike

[2009ChallengerRT]

That answers that. Thanks for the help.