tree98 Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Hello everyone, I stumbled across a 1985 mack ultraliner magnum cabover with an E9 in it. My plan is to build a pulling truck out of it but I'm not sure what condition the engine is in. What would be the best way to asses the condition of the inside of this engine? Also does anyone know if cabovers make decent pulling trucks? Any advice on this subject is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmackattack Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 compression test is a good start Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377697 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 When I worked at the Cat dealer in Columbus, we had a chassis dyno which is a great way to put the engine under load and watch the temps, pressures, fuel flow, etc. Compared to the cost of an overhaul, it could be cheap insurance. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377710 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Build a poor man's manometer to tap into the oil dipstick. Find a clear piece of clear milk line that clamps over the dipstick, cut 14' feet of it. Make two vertical columns with a loop at the bottom with the top of one column hooked onto the oil dipstick and the other open to air then loosely U-staple the u-shaped line to a 3 foot piece of 2X6 board and mount it in the cab. Fill the loop half full with water and food coloring. Have your buddy measure the inch spread under load to check your blowby. Should be 6" spread or less for a tight motor. Pull tractor should have a loose engine anyway. Check with an oil sample instead to see base metal condition. Loose piston engines do well for pulling and modifying. The best pull tractors we have around here won't even start without ether during summer months. Pistons swell over per heat. When you atomize water and soluble oil solution into the intake for piston cooling it will tighten everything right up and compression goes through the roof. 1 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377711 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 If I was building a puller and running the engine(V8 or straight6) RPM/torque/HP way over stock.........I wouldn't be sitting over the engine heads in a cab over. You want all the engine heads pointing at God, he can handle it. Also assume your fire is going to occur in the engine compartment. You may want to be behind the fire rather than above it, things can get crazy with that kind of power. You envision the door flying open and a quick 10 foot leap to safety, in reality they may be trying to extract you from that height. In 2012 we had an older operator suffer a massive heart attack in the seat of a large front loader, the hardest part was getting enough mechanics and staff to manually lower him 10 feet safely to the ground for CPR. Dead before we could get him to the shop floor. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377713 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamsterGrrrl Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 First off, read the rule book... No point in spending thousands on a pulling truck only to find it doesn't meet and take advantage of the rules. Then, do some "engineering"... Are the length of pulls limited by traction or wheelstands? That will tell you if you need weight in front (cabover) or back (conventional). As for using a V8 or 6, will the V8 just spin the rear wheels more? Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377717 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Build a poor man's manometer to tap into the oil dipstick. Find a clear piece of clear milk line that clamps over the dipstick, cut 14' feet of it. Make two vertical columns with a loop at the bottom with the top of one column hooked onto the oil dipstick and the other open to air then loosely U-staple the u-shaped line to a 3 foot piece of 2X6 board and mount it in the cab. Fill the loop half full with water and food coloring. Have your buddy measure the inch spread under load to check your blowby. Should be 6" spread or less for a tight motor. Pull tractor should have a loose engine anyway. Check with an oil sample instead to see base metal condition. Loose piston engines do well for pulling and modifying. The best pull tractors we have around here won't even start without ether during summer months. Pistons swell over per heat. When you atomize water and soluble oil solution into the intake for piston cooling it will tighten everything right up and compression goes through the roof. Amazing ... any pics of this? Do you have to plug the breather for this? 1 Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377722 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Amazing ... any pics of this? Do you have to plug the breather for this? Seems quirky, but no, don't plug anything. Plugging would blow the water out. If you are drafting the engine back into intake remove and let hang to atmosphere......otherwise you are negative pressure. 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377727 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel2 Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Hello everyone, I stumbled across a 1985 mack ultraliner magnum cabover with an E9 in it. My plan is to build a pulling truck out of it but I'm not sure what condition the engine is in. What would be the best way to asses the condition of the inside of this engine? Also does anyone know if cabovers make decent pulling trucks? Any advice on this subject is greatly appreciated. An MH Magnum package Ultra-Liner is a rare truck. I'd rather see it sold to someone who will preserve it. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377728 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 You have to read at full govern and load. Have a partner in the cab interpreting. Our group expected Mack E7 to stay under 6" or we would be putting sleeves in. On the 80's engines you just look at the worm for your tach-out..LOL if you can't make the oil leak stop your crank is supercharged!!!! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377729 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbehindthebarn Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 You have to read at full govern and load. Have a partner in the cab interpreting. Our group expected Mack E7 to stay under 6" or we would be putting sleeves in. On the 80's engines you just look at the worm for your speed-o out..LOL if you can't make the oil leak stop your crank is supercharged!!!! I don't understand the last sentence, but the image is very helpful.... you are a welcome asset here.... I think I like this idea so well because it looks like something a farmer would do. 1 Quote Fun is what they fine you for!My name is Bob Buckman sir,. . . and I hate truckers. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377730 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddeere Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Seems like a great but simple idea. It has farmer engineering all over it. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377732 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 I know Tom runs a K100 with a KT600 and is very competitive with it from the videos on Youtube. Mack Tech brings a good point about being on top of the engine.......... 1 Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377733 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 will the V8 just spin the rear wheels more? From what I know wheel speed is EVERYTHING. Get the motor at max rpm, wheels spinning and go. Yes, the front end up so all the force is on the rear tires, but you want it spinning to get ground speed which will take you the farthest. 1 Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377735 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree98 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 If I was building a puller and running the engine(V8 or straight6) RPM/torque/HP way over stock.........I wouldn't be sitting over the engine heads in a cab over. You want all the engine heads pointing at God, he can handle it. Also assume your fire is going to occur in the engine compartment. You may want to be behind the fire rather than above it, things can get crazy with that kind of power. You envision the door flying open and a quick 10 foot leap to safety, in reality they may be trying to extract you from that height. In 2012 we had an older operator suffer a massive heart attack in the seat of a large front loader, the hardest part was getting enough mechanics and staff to manually lower him 10 feet safely to the ground for CPR. Dead before we could get him to the shop floor. You just crushed my dreams. Very good points I never thought of. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377737 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 I don't understand the last sentence, but the image is very helpful.... you are a welcome asset here.... I think I like this idea so well because it looks like something a farmer would do. Thanks for the encouragement! I always watched (and sometimes used) this sight, but never hopped on till the Log Dog came to town. Wanted to contribute something instead of just being a consumer of info. Good crew of folks really, all fights aside. On the E6 they didn't seal the tach drive gear. Operators with sloppy engines would come in complaining of a leak at that spot. The engine crank pressure would be driving motor oil out the tach drive and it was generally unfixable. A good indicator of trouble coming. Manometer blow was usually high on these units. Seems like a farm tool, but we had one at the shop that was made by a tool vendor. Was molded and had a steel center with ascending and descending increments. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377739 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 You just crushed my dreams. Very good points I never thought of. It's a noble experiment, I'm sure there are a lot of good trucks out there. Glad you picked a Mack! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377740 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyT Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 How bout' adapting the ejection seat from a fighter jet,lol! Don Garlits might have an opinion about being on top of the engine! I too would lean toward preserving the truck! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377741 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamsterGrrrl Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 An MH Magnum package Ultra-Liner is a rare truck. I'd rather see it sold to someone who will preserve it. Agreed! IMHO it'd be OK to keep it fairly stock and run it in amateur local pulls, but it'd be a sacrilege to hack it all up to be competitive as a pro puller on the circuit. Pretty expensive too... Building a top pulling semi truck will easily run into 6 figures! 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377742 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Technician Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Plenty of hood? Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377770 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back In Black Pulling Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrSNjPCv9lY&feature=share Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377783 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmackattack Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 on of my biggest fears when pulling with the old R600 was a flywheel or something coming thru the floor. I have seen what a runaway engine can do to a bell housing when a clutch/flywheel lets go. a cab over would be even worse. If it had big power a scatter shield of some sort would be a must. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377786 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxville Truck Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Got a superliner I'd sell for a puller... e-9 ambac pump 12 speed tranny.....i think 4.64s might be 4.17 on neway air suspension.....engine runs fine exhaust maniflods need some help and the pump could use a "going though"... 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377788 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Freightrain Posted August 18, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted August 18, 2017 Close as I'll get to pulling: I took it as far with my n/a 673 as friends 350 Small cam KW. It was just a fun run kinda thing...but I could really enjoy doing it more! I could just imagine if I had my 237 in there back then. 3 Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377800 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Blaylock Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Maxville how much for the Superliner Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50794-want-to-build-a-competition-pulling-truck/#findComment-377837 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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