Process of restoring a Mack Quantum in Australia plus need some advice

[Gorilla]

Hey Everybody,

Didnt post much as was way too busy.... but the Mack Quantum i got a few years ago is nearing completion.

Insane amount of work from respraying and re-aligning panels, doors etc all the way to rewiring internal multiple 24 to 12v converters into single one.... to  fully sound proofing her.... to custom made mirror brackets so both sides have a original looking convex mirror.... to wiring in a nice stereo with custom 6x9 in the back with amp and a nice android auto screen so ill get maps off the phone on a 12" screen    Everything was color coded including the door handles which i think looks mint, every deteriorated external plastic was repaired, and properly painted and they look like new (even if i say so myself) and i wont have to worry about the fkn oxidisation anymore.  Have a near new 5th wheel im about to fit as my ball race piece of garbage is just that and about to change the diff ratio to better suit long range driving (from 4.65 to 3.7).  Also all lights bar headlights and reading lights are led and all original rubber floor mat is in the tip and will be replaced with nice marine carpet after another layer of sound proofing.  Also bed modified so no longer has factory flaw of rubbing on the drivers seat while driving as i like my seat pushed back..... ah well its a little more narrow in the end but who cares.

Also sorted out wiring under the battery box which has all the converters etc (dont ask me how insanely bad it was fkd around with) and am stuck on how to connect the abs plug as its not straight forward and there are no manuals for the mack quantum (yay all hail the unholy union of 24v renault and a mack ch but in its defence its the later model with ch rails and rides sublime while being a truck mack ch in its driveline inc e7 470hp and Road Ranger 18 speed).  Back to the abs plug, 3 wires come of of it, one thick with a large hoop (as it would be ground or 12v/24v?) and two plug in square connectors........... what makes me scratch my head is the abs plug has 7 connectors on it and cannot for the life of me figure out why in fk only 3 wires coming out plus i dont think my truck has abs although i could be wrong but i dont think so.  Is this plug in some way designed to plug into the trailer and tell it to fk off your being towed by a non abs truck?   Still stuck why 1 thick wire and two thin ones....... the thick wire goes to to pins on the connector btw so really 4 pins are connected in theory.

 

Here are some pics of the girl, if you look at my past posts you will see what i started with........different truck

[Vladislav]

Cool job and interesting truck on my mind.

Sorry no help with ABS connections from my side.

[Vladislav]

BTW a question. Don't you know any Aussie Magnums (Renault Magnums) were assembled on CH chassis too? Or Renault rails only? 

[Gorilla]

On 2/14/2025 at 7:22 AM, Vladislav said:

BTW a question. Don't you know any Aussie Magnums (Renault Magnums) were assembled on CH chassis too? Or Renault rails only? 

Honestly dont know, but suspect they had the same situation that the quantums had i.e. early models were on renault chassis with e7 engines, later models were mack ch chassis with e7 engines and even later models were mack ch chassis with ISX engines........ i believe this has something to do with emission regulations and the e7 not being able to satisfy the masters (government) so they gave the truck AIDS (isx).  In a few years i plan on rebuilding a Magnum with the ch chassis and e7 engine as while rebuilding the Quantum it hit me i should have gone for the more spacious Magnum.  But still love the Quantum.....im nearing completion to sorting out the wiring, putting TPMS in, adding amp and custome 6x9 brackets for rear, modifying the radio controls on the stalk to also pick up and hang up phone, custom stereo etc etc.  Then i will be adding a pre-oiller (aircraft continous duty type), rebuilding the turbo and sorting the rear main seal out (but still have to make a jig to pull the transmission back to get to it. 

[Gorilla]

Here is a fun little fact, Mack in australia have gone full retard.......yep they have and this is why i say it:

As i was sorting out the wiring as morons who owned the truck previously really did a number on it i found the morons had connected the solenoid/relay from under the battery box and hot wired everything which is all sorts of stupid but ok.   Found the solenoid/relay was faulty (required excessive current to activate) so called Mack, only to not be even called back by first dealer after two days (yay for bad service) and second dealer gave me a price of $500 australian buckeroos!!!  WTF $500 bucks for a fkn solenoid/relay??   Are they smoking crack?  So i ordered  very nice one from a company that supplies the mining industry for $120 bucks delivered, went full overkill as Mack refused to tell me the amp rating .. this one is rated at 200amps continous duty with a 700amp surge rating which should suffice as the power wire looks to be rated at maybe 150 amps.  Seriously wtf $500 bucks? 

 

[Adkat]

Yep the volvtards over here really don't want you to buy anything from them, let alone sell you anything Mack. Dunno where your located, but most Truck line shops will be able to get 99% of what you need, even Renault bits and pieces. Way cheaper than Volmackud.

Be careful going too far with the rear gearing. Most, if not all E7 Mack's I've come across run 4.65 in b double or 4.3 for single work. They just don't have the low down pull that the 15L cats and Cummins have to be geared like that. Hell even kenworths only get to 3.9 with 620hp up front. Just sayin.

[Vladislav]

22 hours ago, Gorilla said:

Honestly dont know, but suspect they had the same situation that the quantums had i.e. early models were on renault chassis with e7 engines, later models were mack ch chassis with e7 engines and even later models were mack ch chassis with ISX engines........ i believe this has something to do with emission regulations and the e7 not being able to satisfy the masters (government) so they gave the truck AIDS (isx).  In a few years i plan on rebuilding a Magnum with the ch chassis and e7 engine as while rebuilding the Quantum it hit me i should have gone for the more spacious Magnum.  But still love the Quantum.....im nearing completion to sorting out the wiring, putting TPMS in, adding amp and custome 6x9 brackets for rear, modifying the radio controls on the stalk to also pick up and hang up phone, custom stereo etc etc.  Then i will be adding a pre-oiller (aircraft continous duty type), rebuilding the turbo and sorting the rear main seal out (but still have to make a jig to pull the transmission back to get to it. 

Intersting. Please post more if you put your hands on a Magnum some day. I like the look of those high towers with air suspended cab. Here we have many cruising the roads. Renault branded and usualy with variations of E7 - ASET or E-tech. Some older ones had inline-6 Renault engine and a few are still around with E9-520 mechanical or E9-560 V-mac (or so) with hydraulically controlled injection advance. But fewer and fewer every year, due to the costs of spares for a E9. From time to time a desire pops up in my mind to buy one of those but with amounts of iron I already have I stop myself from that. But those trucks are all Renault chassis and a single drive axle in 99% cases. Only once a V8-500 tractor was for sale with tandem drives but way more expensive than I would give for a hobby truck. And once I saw a similar one parked in the street. Even not sure if that was the same rig. Also dark blue in color.

[Joey Mack]

Vlad.... I always find youre posts to be great.  I get to see a side of Mack through you, that i can't see here in the States..  thank you.. Jojo

[Vladislav]

1 hour ago, Joey Mack said:

Vlad.... I always find youre posts to be great.  I get to see a side of Mack through you, that i can't see here in the States..  thank you.. Jojo

I'm glad to be of service, Jojo. Indeed, my position allows me to see and show things from different angles. So I do that when I can. At the same time I'm not in a centre of the Mack land. And see much less overall from where I'm sitting. But BMT is the perfect window to look through so I'm also thankful to folks who post on here.

[Joey Mack]

For me, because I want to know what the world thinks, in this forum, you are my teacher.. Our world is a great land, and you bring yours closer to me.. With great respect,  Jojo

[Gorilla]

On 2/16/2025 at 12:33 PM, Adkat said:

Yep the volvtards over here really don't want you to buy anything from them, let alone sell you anything Mack. Dunno where your located, but most Truck line shops will be able to get 99% of what you need, even Renault bits and pieces. Way cheaper than Volmackud.

Be careful going too far with the rear gearing. Most, if not all E7 Mack's I've come across run 4.65 in b double or 4.3 for single work. They just don't have the low down pull that the 15L cats and Cummins have to be geared like that. Hell even kenworths only get to 3.9 with 620hp up front. Just sayin.

Yeh Volmackud are scum of the earth, total filthbags..... i dont think i will contact them again if i can help it.

As for gearing i have done number crunching and this is how i see it:

*E7 develops peak torque from about 1400rpm and peak hp around 1600 with 90% peak hp around the 1470rpm (which is what im aiming at).

*On the freeway the motor is screaming at 100km/hr and i found myself looking for a another gear (or two) and this is not the first mack i drove.

*I will be towing singles long distance where this truck was built for heavy loads local, huge difference 300rpm makes in fuel consumption thus profit.

*If i approach a hill i can always split it to 17th gear and this gives me near identical rpm to what 18th was with the 4.65 gears

*I will be driving mostly level ground with some hills but nothing huge

Am i missing the point?  some say im crazy while others agree that if im happy to gear down in a steep hill then this will work to improve fuel efficiency.

Cheers,

Chris

[Gorilla]

14 hours ago, Vladislav said:

Intersting. Please post more if you put your hands on a Magnum some day. I like the look of those high towers with air suspended cab. Here we have many cruising the roads. Renault branded and usualy with variations of E7 - ASET or E-tech. Some older ones had inline-6 Renault engine and a few are still around with E9-520 mechanical or E9-560 V-mac (or so) with hydraulically controlled injection advance. But fewer and fewer every year, due to the costs of spares for a E9. From time to time a desire pops up in my mind to buy one of those but with amounts of iron I already have I stop myself from that. But those trucks are all Renault chassis and a single drive axle in 99% cases. Only once a V8-500 tractor was for sale with tandem drives but way more expensive than I would give for a hobby truck. And once I saw a similar one parked in the street. Even not sure if that was the same rig. Also dark blue in color.

Very cool that your in Russia, im Polish and seriously considering moving Russia or Belarus as Australia is insane in so many ways and getting worse.... as an example a few months ago i got a letter from the local council that if i dont remove my truck from my property they will tow it away and fine me 900 dollars on top of the towing costs !!!   WTF i  own the fkn house.   Anything stupid like that in Russia?     But thats not just it, it goes far far deeper and when i looked at returning to Poland i found it have become very left wing america and getting worse by the day so i thought what brotherly slavic country wont go this direction and thus Russia or Belarus.  Damn i love some of the new Russian trucks, wish we had the here.