Young Guy, Old Mack (B61 Dump Truck)

[Smoothy]

Can one of you more educated in the ways of quadruplex tell me where in the heck the "TRQ-????" marking is at on the transmission? I spent more than enough time this morning laying on the ground in 6* weather looking for it with no luck. I simply just want to know which of the six quadboxes I've got. 

[terry]

Right behind fill plug, should a flat spot with the stampings there. rub hard with a wire brush.   terry

[Smoothy]

3 minutes ago, terry said:

Right behind fill plug, should a flat spot with the stampings there. rub hard with a wire brush.   terry

terry, the fill plug is the area where it says MACK Tetrapoid Gears? That's just where I'd assume it is. I'm not seeing anything there, even on this trans. 

[terry]

I have messed with quads and triplexes for alot of years, that is where i always found them, either behind the fill plug or right above behind the mack stamping, wire brush it real good, might be a light stamping, there will be a 11KBA number with a TRQor TRT 72 or 7220 also a 7210 version, no 0 on the end is a direct in fron box and overdrive in back, a 0 on the back is overdrive in both boxes.   terry

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Here's one Mack image...

[MackSTL68]

Glad to see the old girl go to a good home I used to pass this truck every day after work on old 21 highway I almost bought it a time or two but instead I sold my 1976 Autocar A64b and quit restoring trucks due to my physical Health. Hope to see it at a truck show some day. I might have some pics of it when the guy would show it at the antique truck show at St. Louis Kenworth and when I was a kid around the 1980s  I would see this truck working around St. Louis. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by MackSTL68

[Smoothy]

On 3/21/2021 at 8:40 PM, MackSTL68 said:

Glad to see the old girl go to a good home I used to pass this truck every day after work on old 21 highway I almost bought it a time or two but instead I sold my 1976 Autocar A64b and quit restoring trucks due to my physical Health. Hope to see it at a truck show some day. I might have some pics of it when the guy would show it at the antique truck show at St. Louis Kenworth and when I was a kid around the 1980s  I would see this truck working around St. Louis. 

Wow! That's too cool. I would love to see any pictures you might be able to dig up! I always love finding out a little history and hearing stories of these old trucks, especially when this one is now mine. It would absolutely make my day to see some old photos. Interestingly enough it still has a plaque on the dash from one of those truck shows in STL. 

[Smoothy]

[MackSTL68]

That’s neat he was still showing it in 2001 that’s the first year I started showing my 1976 Autocar. I’ll try to find those pics or I know a guy who might. Here’s my old Autocar I’m sure your dad will recognize the paint scheme or you will 

Edited March 27, 2021 by MackSTL68

[Smoothy]

1 hour ago, MackSTL68 said:

That’s neat he was still showing it in 2001 that’s the first year I started showing my 1976 Autocar. I’ll try to find those pics or I know a guy who might. Here’s my old Autocar I’m sure your dad will recognize the paint scheme or you will 

I love that Autocar. If I didn't have a Mack, I'd be going after one of those. I'll keep a close eye on here for when you come across them. Are they still having truck shows pretty regularly in STL?

[MackSTL68]

3 hours ago, Smoothy said:

I love that Autocar. If I didn't have a Mack, I'd be going after one of those. I'll keep a close eye on here for when you come across them. Are they still having truck shows pretty regularly in STL?

I think they still have one in Troy Illinois at the Freightliner education center that’s the one I used to go to a lot it’s in September I can find out for you the show dates in St Louis. To bad you didn’t find my Autocar before I sold it I think you would have really liked that truck. 

[MackSTL68]

Here’s the last pics I took of your truck about a year before you bought it. I was in love with that truck but I knew with my severe arthritis I could never restore it like I did my Autocar. Glad you got it and it wasn’t scraped or parts out. 

[Smoothy]

13 hours ago, MackSTL68 said:

Here’s the last pics I took of your truck about a year before you bought it. I was in love with that truck but I knew with my severe arthritis I could never restore it like I did my Autocar. Glad you got it and it wasn’t scraped or parts out. 

Yup, that's exactly where it sat when I first saw it. It hadn't ran in years and when we went for a look we were supposed to try and get it running there. By the time we got there, the last owner had thrown some new batteries in and it was already running when Dad and I got there! It must have wanted to come home with me!

[MackSTL68]

That’s what I did when I sold mine. Got it Running. Glad you adopted that Puppy. Keep us posted 

[Smoothy]

Finally got to drive my truck for the first time yesterday, boy was it interesting. I'm a complete novice when it come to truck driving, this one is my intro. So the quadruplex was and will continue to be a big learning curve. I could shift from 1 Lo to 2 Lo and run the aux through second, but catching 3rd was evading me constantly. I only managed it once with a 2 Lo to 3 Lo shift. I was able to single clutch the 1 - 2 main box shift, but no matter how I tried 3rd main it didn't really want to go. I'm positive this was all my doing as I did manage to get it the one time although I was in such a frenzy I don't remember how I did it. 

Also, the truck smoked quite a lot on the initial part of the drive, which lasted maybe 10 minutes, but it has seen a lot of sitting around idling and short fire ups without ever really getting hot. It cleared up pretty much completely clear on the way back, although I think I wasn't pressing as hard on the go pedal. 

My dad recorded a short video, I'll post it up here as soon as I can.  

[MackSTL68]

Can’t wait to see the video 

[Smoothy]

 

This will also allow me to address the question of what the heck is that "beeping" as the truck goes past. Anyone heard that before?  

Edited April 9, 2021 by Smoothy

[tjc transport]

try shifting without the clutch. slip it out of gear, and gently move the stick to the next higher gear. just barely hold it there, don't try to jam it in. when the rpm's are rite, it will suck into gear. 

i want to say the split between rpm's is 800, but it has been so long since i was in a quad i simply can't remember. 

 

[doubleclutchinweasel]

I have posted a couple of different Quad shifting patterns on here before.  That box can intimidate some people, but it really is not that complicated.

Whether using the clutch or not, getting the RPM right between shifts is key.  Once you learn how big the drops are between gears, you can hear it easier than you can watch the tach.  DON'T RUSH IT!  DON'T FORCE IT!  WAIT FOR IT!

I don't want to sound insulting, so please don't take this next part that way.  But, remember to let the RPM FALL when upshifting and RISE when downshifting.  I was trying to teach a guy about double-clutching and "floating" gears, and he kept trying to RAISE the RPM between upshifts.

I don't remember if you had the 18 or 20 speed.  But, in either case, there's not much need to shift the compound until you have the main in 4th gear.  At least if empty of lightly loaded.

Oh, and the LO-LO isn't really much use on the road.  Use LO-SPLIT to start off.  Shifting the main with the compound in LO-LO can be a little tricky, since the road speed is kinda low.

Try this (for the 18-speed version).

LO-SPLIT 1st

LO-SPLIT 2nd

LO-SPLIT 3rd

LO-SPLIT 4th

DIRECT 4th

HI-SPLIT 4th

HI-SPLIT 5th

If it is the 20-speed version, try using LO-SPLIT all the way into 5th, then DIRECT and HI-SPLIT 5th.

 

Oh, and another mistake I have seen a lot of folks make is letting the RPM drop TOO much during upshifts.  If you try to engage the next gear too soon, it will grind.  But, in that case, the grinding will get slower and slower until the gear drops in.  If you wait TOO long to try to engage the next gear, it will grind...but the grinding will get worse (faster) the longer you wait.  In that case, release the clutch and bump the RPM back up a tick and try again.

You'll get it.  It just takes a little practice.  And, once you master the Quad, you'll be able to claim something that not a lot of us can!

Edited April 9, 2021 by doubleclutchinweasel

[tjc transport]

^^^very well said.👍^^^

[Brocky]

As long as you are empty just play with the main at first, then play with the compound while in 3rd or 4th in the main..  After you get the feel of them then mix them together..

[Brocky]

Here is a short article I wrote about double clutching: On my computer when you click on the link it puts another box in the bottom left corner which you have to click on to open??

Double clutching.doc

Edited April 9, 2021 by Brocky

[mowerman]

  And yes it’s pretty hard to go through all the gears when it’s empty you could probably eliminate all the first gears also there are two gears through the pattern that you completely skip on the transmission that might be most of your problem.The faster you go the easier it is ......mastering a two stick  is not that easy to begin with take your time.... bob

[Smoothy]

Thanks for all the help! I won't take it for granted. Thinking back on it I probably wasn't letting the RPM drop enough from 2nd to 3rd. I finally lined up a truck to take my B class test in and am going to go practice in it this weekend. It's a KW W900 with a Super 10, should be fairly simple. I would have liked to use my B for the test, but I think they require interstate driving here and I'm not sure how the truck is geared. It came with 4.66 originally, but I don't know if my rear ends have ever been changed. Plus, I've only got until the end of May to test before my permit expires and I don't know if I'll have the truck 100% legal by then. 

[Brocky]

Good Luck on the CDL test.. I have heard that the hardest part is passing their pre-trip inspection.. Empty that Super 10 will be no problem..  Starting Loaded, especially on an upgrade, you have to drive it like an old Spicer 12 speed.. And that would blow the inspector's mind, TOTALLY!!!