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Oil cooler rebuilt and hanging on the block. I won't torque it down until I get the water pump housing installed so I can line up the holes. Will get water pump cleaned up next and get housing put in block. The pile of parts is decreasing at a steady rate. Whew......

Good evening, so I bought this beautiful R model off of hicrop10 last September. The truck was shipped to me and it was everything that he said it was. I’ve put some new parts on it, rear fenders, new roof lights and horns, new mirrors, new steps/toolbox, front bumper and grill guard, muffler and stack, rear plate for brake lights and backup lights, mudflaps, and a few more things to do. But the purpose of this post is to say that my dad drove truck, he LOVED Mack trucks. Tonight I was installing the grill guard, I finished and took a picture like we all do. After I took the picture I looked at it and realized that in the reflection, was a picture of my dad, nephew, and I, along with a Mack sign that is hanging on the side of the bathroom wall in the barn. It wasn’t planned, it just happened that way. My dad passed away in 2018. I know he was here tonight while I was working on the truck. Just a cool story I wanted to share. I’m sure many of you have similar stories, I’d love to hear them. Have a great night guys!

I cleaned up the water pump housing and got it bolted on. The lower water hole was previously rusted out and a helicoil was installed. It seems ok and torqued down to 55ft/lb ok. I was concerned about my water pump and wanted to look at putting bearings in it. It didn't leak but when spun it had a looseness to it and you could hear a faint rumble from old bearings. The Mack manual shows how to rebuild it but takes a special puller to get vanes off the shaft. I played around but figured it would be better just to replace it. I googled and found a 673 version. The 300 is about 1/2" shorter shaft and no keyway for pulley. I am going to call on the reman version and have a known good pump. I'm taking crank hub to shop Sat to press it apart and machine it. Assemble the heads and get them home so I can get them set on. I made a list of silicone hoses to replace all the old lines that hook stuff together. Water manifold, intake, oil cooler, turbo. $100 at Summit racing. I did the same for the 237. Things should really come together this coming week.

It has been 8 days now and all is going very well. Only pain now is when I sneeze or cough and that is more an annoyance then pain. I go on Wednesday the 25th for post op doctor visit. I no longer "run out of gas" moving around the house. I have not ventured outside yet as weather has been uncooperative, either Temps in the teens, snowing, or raining. The warden is fattening me up, I am up 4 pounds since Friday morning to 184 pounds

Progress today .. Heads assembled, almost. I tried checking spring pressure but the outers are too tall for buddies checker without screwing with it and making him reset it for his daily work. I checked free height and they all were right about the same besides being a bit short of "spec". The inner spring I could check pressure and even being about .07 short it was within pressure. So I checked all heights and all but one outer was within same height. I left it apart and will being getting some spares from Mack buddy. I machined the crank hub. All is well. Only issue is one small spot where it is marked. A few pit marks and I am going to get a speedi sleeve for it. The rest is perfect condition so there is no need to leave a chance for seal to tear on those marks. I checked and marked my balancer for correct TDC. I'm using my old 673 and it has no factory marks. It has a timing mark on flywheel. I did TDC and up to 30* plus 120* each way. Taped it and used yellow highlighter. I will paint around them and then clear over timing marks. Far from perfect but will be nice when needed. The long stripe is TDC, the shorts are 5* increments. The keen eyes will see GOLD paint behind the balancer. I stopped and found another shade of gold and it looks good! So I will be getting more. Rust-Oleum metallic champagne gold.

Yeah, as above I'm thinking a carton of Marlboro and the bottles of Yukon Jack might be the go Oh and a full size model to keep you warm Tofu ???

Progress.... I put the "newer" valve spring on #5 intake, set head on and just snugged the bolts. Will torque after front head is installed. I received my reman 673 water pump and got it bolted on, along with torquing the oil filter housing once everything was lined up. I got the fan hub slipped on and nut tightened down. You can tell this is "new" as the bearings and seal make it snug to turn. Unlike my original one from who knows when?? My injectors are ready to pick up. They had to dig into their cores for a few parts to get them up to spec. I get them Thursday night. About $650 total. I still am working on getting copper seals out of front head. My round file isn't large enough to grab the copper. Will continue to tinker with that situation. I do need to come up with a plug for the puff limiter in the front of the pump. Limiter was broken off when I got motor. A question I will ask at pump shop. I did start to get the gold paint put on. Just quick coating over most of bottom end. Will need a couple more cans to actually finish it but first coat will be set. I need to determine what that hose is sticking out of top of water pump housing. My 673 didn't have that. Not sure if that heater connection? Mine has nipple that I put into new pump down by oil cooler neck. I can always swap it back for the plug that was in that hole. I think that pipe just had a cut off black hose and assume it might be heater. I know this 300 motor had water shut off on rear water manifold just like my 673/237. The 300 pump didn't have a hole down there by oil cooler like 673 pump. I did order new lock tabs for exhaust bolts. No sense in using old rusty ones. Speedi sleeve should be here Thursday for crank hub.

Thing I don't understand is why people worry about paying for tariffs, but when billions goes missing in fraud there's not even half the concern.

Speaking of finding things, way back in the early 80's I had delivered somewhere in North Carolina and called headquarters. They didn't have anything for me to pick up so the boss man said to come on to the shop. Then he said "if you don't mind, and I know it's a long shot, but a driver stopped at the little BP station on 29 north of Greensboro yesterday and he thinks he might have dropped his keys, he can't find them anywhere. Maybe somebody found them and turned them in to the fuel desk or something". That little BP station was exactly where the Sheetz is now, at the time there was just a tiny little dirt parking lot and a spot around back to park, so you could park maybe 4 trucks in there total. So I stopped, thinking I'd never find any keys, but I could get a drink and a honey bun and head on to the house. I pulled in and parked, got out of the truck and didn't take 2 steps and there they were, laying on the ground.

Just finished shoveling the last storm off the tent garage to make room for the 2 plus feet of global warming coming tomorrow. Trying to ward off a collapse.

Bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.A. is bad when Mr. TRUMP travels the world to make big bussiness deals... Laundering millions through fake Somali bussiness' is just fine... My very basic statement is enough to prove that the left is buying votes... Its about Power!!! Not the good of the country and its CITIZENS... Too bad we cant just have a smooth system of swearing in New U.S. Citizens, instead of buying them for votes...

I agree with President Trump. if this ass does not want to represent the United States, he never should have joined the U.S.A. Olympic team.

Looking for Venezuela.....

We have to- I mean we get to go to Connecticut next month, one of Zina's friends from way back has a son who's getting married. She said she would go by herself and I could stay home and dog sit but I said she shouldn't have to drive that far by herself. I'll throw the shovel in the back and help you clear that driveway.

F@%# Ice Station Zebra indeed! Between 30 and 36 " in yard still snowing. Awful feeling when you break a snowblower shear pin and you can't remember if you have a new one.

This is what that looked like back in the day.

I would have, but I don't think lottery tickets had been invented yet 🤣 I went to the eye doctor in Lynchburg this morning and I was sitting there thinking "sure is a lot of old folks in here".

I had something sorta similar. 6 years ago I lost a special key ring with the key for the 2004 f350 on it. Looked all over the house, in the truck, and yard with a .metal detector. Nothing. Christmas eve, I sat at the computer desk and there was the key ring with 04 key sitting mext to the computer mouse....three years fter selling the truck. But I DID get my late father's key ring back.

Watta ya trying to do, kill me?🤣

Koda, joined our family in Jan at almost 5 years old. Lost my last one in November, and I need some time to grieve before opening my heart to another.

If it's too big of a job we'll just do the best we can for now, then if we go back to Connecticut in June I'll bring the shovel again to try and finish it.

Speaking of the Olympics-

made another go at the driveway cleaning. actually the wife's car under a car port ; with the wind bad as it is , the car still had 6 + inches snow . I even cleaned the car off and cut a path in front of it. she's scheduled for work tomorrow ; and I don't want any reason why she can't go LOL

Jack stands under the axle beam, then, unscrew the bottom nut. the one with the cross in it. then you can drive the king pin down and out. I made a tool years ago so that you have have a helper stand 3 feet away and hold a drift pin while you use the sledge hammer. I used a steel pipe and welded an old king pin to it. however in your case any 1'' round stock about 6-8'' long welded on the end will do. then your helper can hold the end of it while you swing the hammer.

We are counting down the days until the Kyabram Mack Muster! Put it in your calanders folks 21st and 22nd of March 2026!! Mack Fact for all you fans…. The Golden Era of the R Series! 🚛 The strong acceptance of the R model, with its large cab, new-fangled fibreglass and tough steel bonnet options, and tried-and-true drivetrain components was reflected in the sales statistics – nearly 280 in the first 18 months of R series production. At the same time, Mack Australia was still building the last of the B models – around 60 in the same period. The clear engine and transmission choice was the 211hp naturally aspirated END711 with the 18-spd Quad box – nearly 70% of these B & R models had this combo. To change this operator preference, something REALLY special would have to happen. The Golden Era of Mack Engines arrived in early 1968 – something special was about to happen! It was the MAXIDYNE concept – the gold-painted turbocharged 237hp Mack ENDT675 engine, with its industry-leading torque of 900 lb-ft. Mack boldly matched the engine with a 5-speed transmission to take full advantage of the incredible high torque for maximum fuel economy, reduced gear shifts and improved trip time. This drivetrain was revolutionary, and the Mack ads of the day highlighted the reduced driver effort – a big change from 18 gears and 2 sticks to one stick with 5 or 6 gears at most. Of course, a special identity came with the Maxidyne concept – a gold bonnet mascot. Now staring at a dog’s bum all day had a whole new look! The Golden (Maxidyne) era lasted 15 years – until 1981, when the air-to-air intercooled Econodyne engine series was introduced. Of the 13 different engines offered over the period, Maxidyne engines were fitted to nearly two-thirds of the almost 3,500 R models built. An amazing outcome that we all love! Paul

...and then there's this nonsense-

Well it's meant to rain here, well at the moment actually Any still is meant to be raining Pretty crappy amd muggy at the moment We have just clay soil here and if there's any more than a 1/4 of a inch of rain we can't move So loaded the Mack for another run Still a good old bucket of bolts Just got a message about another load today, Princess will not be happy ha ha ha don't get to lost in the snow there Paul

I've taken apart and overhauled/restored two water pumps - for Lanova and for E6-350. Provided all the works with basic shop tools. You take the assembly in halves than take the rotor off the shaft using a suitable puller than pull the shaft with both bearings to the outer side (front of the vehice). Than pull the bearings off the shaft and wash them refresh the grease or just renew them. The seals I dealt with were of different styles. Lanova had a carbon setup and my Dutch friend supplied me with NOS repair set. E6 had unified seal which was avalible from PAI and easy to replace. For some reason I've stocked up with a couple more PAI seals. To me it looked like you could upgrade an old pump to that unified seal applying some ingeunity and lathe work.

Well that's just great. I turned away 17 other potential buyers because I was holding it for you. Probably couldn't give the summich away now...kinda like the big green International that runs now 🤣

50? I thought it was closer to 70. Remember, I am older than dinosaur poop. 😁