New Mack AB "project" Owner

[VintageMackGuy]

Greetings Guy's

I'm a retired phone company fleet mechanic with about 15 car projects. Flathead powered hot rods, Mustangs, Falcons and now two mack AB truck projects. Also a 1906 Autocar Truck chassis.

I hauled home a Mack AB Truck from a massive vintage "large truck" estate auction that was just about a half-an-hour from my house. I had known about this stash for years and years. I woke up one morning and went on my computer to a Vintage Ford Forum and somebody posted a message about the Bernie Long estate auction, and that it was happening that very same morning. I was dressed, out the door and had my bidding paddle in under an hour. Just in time to see the last truck auctioned off. One guy from India bought 60 of them. Some really neat pre-1920 trucks Some under sheds and some out in the open. The owner had been saving them from being scrapped since 1949. There were so many trucks they were on three different properties.  Not all of them sold.

I did not even know I wanted a Mack AB  until I saw this short wheel base "AB" under a shed with about ten other vehicles.  The cab does not even have a rust pit on it, maybe its been re-skinned but I don't think so?  I built that  yellow Monogram AC Bulldog model when I was a kid and have always loved those "C" cab trucks ever since.  I did not know a thing about AC Bulldogs and AB trucks. I usually buy stuff on an impulse and then do my research afterwards. I quickly found out this is not finding parts and info for old Fords. There is hardly any info out there on these trucks. No repro parts, no used parts and original manuals cost a small fortune. People had been going into these properties for years and stealing metal for scrap. Every part that had been removed from this truck was gone.  I was missing the steering box, hood, fenders, doors, radiator, fuel tank, one axle and who knows what else?  That night after doing some research I knew I was never going to find those parts for sale but there were still other tucks that had not sold. I made a deal to buy another one with all the parts I needed but when I went to get it, it was gone. Somebody else had bought it from another of the  guys running the auction. Nobody knew what was going on there in the frst couple of days. really nice bunch of guys but they had so much going on they couldn't keep track of it all.   That left me with buying what I think was once a heavy duty  "AB' wrecker. I bought it for $1500.00 just to get the gas tank, radiator and steering box.  I still need fenders, a hood and a door. I think they are going to need to be fabricated. I took some good photos measurements  of the doors on one of the trucks that was there. Thee is an "AB" being used as a decoration in front of a construction company here in town that I could probably  use the hood and fenders for patterns. The radiator was there one week and the next week it was gone. They stole it for the brass. There is a scrap metal recycling place right down the street from it.

 The chassis looks like it had been restored at one time and then it was left under a covered shed. I have a good feeling about this one. I think the engine is rebuilt but its stuck. I still need to pull the plugs and pour a little 50/50 mixture of acetones and marvel Mystery oil in there and let soak. Everybody seems to agree on that being the best method for unsticking it.  Its funny, the wrecker that looks like everything on it should be stuck turns over with good compression so does the engine in the 1906 Autocar Truck chassis AI hauled home from the auction.

 

I am going to have a lot of questions on this build???? I have not figured out exactly what years they are, The Wrecker is an early "AB". It was the early Mack truck emblem on the cab and the other one has the double reduction differential so its early 1920s? That chassis had a nice paint job on it at one time.

 

I'm sure I would be better off buying a finished truck but what fun is there in that. These were so close to home I couldn't resist.

 

 

ce there seems to be nowhere else to go.

 

I pulled the inspections covers and it looks brand new inside.

 

 

The trailer's 6000 lb. GVW I'm sure is just a suggestion. Most of that bow in the trailer came back out when the truck rolled off. I have a goos quality  Walker 2 1/2 ton floor jack and it will not pick up one side of that front axle.

In four' of weeds I found that gravity dump bed that everybody had missed. Brought it home for $100.00

 

 

 

I hauled aload home every day for two-weeks. This is a 1906 Autocar Truck chassis with a spare engine and trans

 

 

 

 

[Prowrench]

truly a project for someone with plenty of time available    Great find

[carlotpilot]

being where you are you won`t have to worry about rust so much until you can get them all back togther

[41chevy]

Nice finds. AC /AB stuff while some what rare is around. Look around old mining and logging sites around you. Steelman on here has made some very nice repro panels and may be of help. 

I would pull off the pair of inspection covers on the drivers side of the block and see if there is and bad stuff that found its way in, shoot some Marvel on the crank and rod journals to give it some help while the top end is soaking.

Paul

Edited April 13, 2020 by 41chevy

[VintageMackGuy]

Thanks for the advice. What oil should I use in this engine. Its clean inside like its never been started, except these is a lot of heavy dust in there.  I will need to flush it all out of there out. I have a solvent tank with 40 gallons of new solvent. I might just wheel it on over there and spray the solvent in there. Then re-oil everything. I could not believe they had roller lifters back then.  I really do think the guy got through most of the chassis restoration a long-long-time-ago.

Not a rut pit on this truck.

Not a rust pit on this truck

 

 

The only way to get that dust out of there will be to hose it out of there with solvent. No water ever got down in there.   As a former fleet mechanic I can say, that I wish all engines had inspection covers. I can't believe they had aluminum blocks that early.

 

Also how much oil does it take? How far above the dipper reservoirs should it be?

 

 

[j hancock]

Excellent project trucks!

SAE 30 or 40 non detergent oil is what you will want to use.  SAE 30 would work for most and the 40 would be for 90 degrees or higher extended outside temp.  Make sure the oil has ZDDP (zinc/phosphorus) as part of the oils recipe or get some ZDDP as an additive to use with the oil. 

ZDDP used to be in most oil but has been removed for emission reasons as it will kill catalytic converters.

Back in the day, these trucks would run 500-1000 miles and have the oil changed.

[steelman]

I agree with the 30 or 40 weight engine oil, but do not agree with non detergent.  When I started in the hobby 56 years ago  I was told detergent  oil would wipe out Babbitt bearings, etc. 56 years later, and a mechanical Engineering degree , I have used detergent oil, and it keeps everything cleaner, and have had no bearing break down.  No more sludge in the bottom of the sump, etc.  The additives I do agree with.  In the transmission/ rear end (shaft drive), I use 75w, 90w or 75w-90w oil.  Same for steering gear.  The magneto wants light weight oil like sewing machine oil (3in 1 oil), and the manual says about four drops.  Spring hangers and Clevis want engine oil, and chassis wants grease.  I have used marine waterproof grease for chassis as it doesn't want to melt away it seems.  Just my 2 cents worth. 

[VintageMackGuy]

Thank you for the advice. 30 Weight oil is what I will go with.   I remember back when engines had lots of sludge in them you were not suppose to use the detergent oil or it would dissolve the thick sludge and cause problems. But that was engines with oil pumps. 

I've been studying. I was reading up on Non-detergent oil versus detergent oils in splash lubrication engines. There are all kinds of forums and nobody can seem to  agree. Some say detergent oil will turn to foam in an engine with splash lubrication and non-detergent will not. One of the questions years ago on tan ASE test was an engine has zero oil pressure, what is the cause? The answer was an overfilled crankcase, the crankshaft was dipping into the oil and aerating it. If detergent oil does get frothy if its being whipped up maybe its not a good idea to use it in a splash lubricated engine?

They almost all agreed that detergent oil keeps the particles suspended in the oil where they can be filtered out by the oil filter. When there is no oil filter, its better that those particles  settle to the bottom of the oil pan. I know a lot of small engines with splash oiling say, "use detergent oil only". As many miles as this truck would ever get driven I don't think non-detergent would cause sludge in my Especially if I changed it every 500 miles.  I'm leaning towards a 30W non-detergent, if I can find one with the zinc in it. I might just need to add it to it. I'll do some more research on the subject, maybe see what the Model T & A Ford guys are using in their splash lubricated engines.

I found this about flathead Ford V8s. Its from one of the vintage Ford parts dealers. "Since the Flathead Ford V8 engine did not originally have an oil filtration system, it is highly recommended that you use a 30 weight non-detergent motor oil. Consult with your engine rebuilder".

Any idea how much oil this engine takes?  I don't see any thing for checking the level like a dipstick or sight glass. Pretty sad, I was a ASE vehicle and trucks Master mechanic with 17 certifications and 40 year experience and I can't figure out how to check the oil. I thought maybe you pulled a side inspection cover and measured  the oil level above the dipper reservoirs in the bottom of the pan.

 

 

[davehummell]

When i was running my 50 ford pickup i did a complete overhaul of the engine bored cylinders new lifters and valves and so on i filled the engine with 15/40 union 76 oil same as what went in all the trucks in the fleet at work that was 20 years ago and that truck is still running. I think you are over thinking this oil thing back in the day the owner had little choices for oil as long as you get something with molly in it for what your doing with the truck it should be ok. I read a web sight about can am spyders and if people were all in one place there would be a fistfight over what oil to run in their spyders same thing on the Harley Davidson sights. Just remember oil back then was not the oil we use today. At cat school i spent some time on oils for engines and hydraulics cat called for 10w. in the winter months and 30 w. in the summer months. Cleveland brothers used Drydene brand oils.