BC Mack

Hi Paul the term 'drom' is a contraction of the word 'dromedary' (camel) and in the truck world, well usa, it signifies a form of legal truck configuration where a large platform was installed behind the cabover on to which a container was affixed, fifth wheel was behind the drom. Mostly used by household effects moving companies for increasing cube where weight was lighter that regular freight, it increase the wheelbase of a tractor to the point where it had the turning radius of a Boeing 747. This project is not a show truck per se, but a good clean-up and corrosion control. I certainly can't afford new everything and I'm reusing as much as I can after removal, clean and paint. you know, even if I did have gobs of money, I would probably do it the same way... it says this truck still can work and is not some glittering fairy princess.. I don't need 9" stacks and chrome everywhere to tell people it's a Mack Truck... BC Mack

no... I pulled it photos in posting 49 of this thread... and it WAS stuck tight..!!! in the end I feel more secure knowing I did it this way.. BC Mack

ok... last page I have a chance to purchase this drom rack and need input.. I already have a headache rack with chain rack with doors, nice unit... but, I've seen these and was thinking..... when the truck heads out to shows where am I going to put all my crap?? this would be ideal, just add removable sides and some smaller tie-downs... it fits well and doesn't interfere with the drive tires. any thought?.... anyone using one right now?... pros or cons please that's all for now folks..!!!! BC Mack

As with the other fuel tank, it got a red scotchbrite overhaul and mounted, new crossfeed hose. A new cab height control valve was required... leaking?.. noooo, I broke the arm off the blasted thing... oh well. Front grille was due to come off, then I had one of those flashes, not hot, but figured if I take a lot more stuff off the front I will have a lot more work to do..!!!! I was finding pockets of fine white powder trapped in all sorts of places, like talcum but it was suggested it may be the crap they put of the roads so I figured, the water is coming on soon so I may as well take the opportunity to clean all this out as well as some compacted mud around the steering boxes, yes, both. As kids we all played with Meccanno sets, let me tell you, one of those kids must have designed the front of an MH... simple tools and mostly screws and it all came apart easily (except for a few rusted screws in their clipnuts) but I can now see how typical accident damage can be quickly repaired.... with the front panel off on the driver's side I can now make a really good check for rubbed wires and air lines, plus, get to clean the problematic multi pin plug. Engine mounts... as per photo look a bit "mushed" so I bought new ones from Mack, but they were smaller, so back to Mack and the parts person and I both look at the computer together... the ones he gave me are the correct part, was there an upgrade at sometime, I'll get photos of both and post as a new subject. I also saw the bottom rad hose rubbing so fixed that. another lot of photos BC Mack

Greetings Gentlemen... and others..!! thought it was about time to catch up with my journal so, plan has gone out the window, we've had an extremely hot summer with never before levels of water restrictions so power washing or even use of a hose is verboten..!!! a little modification to the order of events was needed and with a month to go I won't be able to take the dog for a walk, well, maybe a short one, we'll see. exhaust... pulled the mufflers off, the crossover piping needed work but managed to save the Y.. re-used what I could and shortened the stacks by 3".. I tried hi-temp enamel on the mufflers as an experiment, see how it fares. I am happy with the result. front brakes... what can I say, seized solid with rust and crap... didn't attempt to take off the back shields but it all cleaned up, add acid and enamel and seems to be good... will post another chapter as I have too many photos.... BC Mack

what happens if the tow truck breaks down..? well, bring another, and another, and another..!!! video explains it... I can't BC Mack http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b04_1440125132

R487 http://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/grande-prairie/for-sale:antique-r400-tandem-axle-mack-truck/1095825501?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Superliner http://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/edmonton/mack-superliner-c-w-walkin-sleeper-highboy-hayrack/1094328584?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true remember... km's not miles... and $$$ in Canadian Peso's not involved in either sale, just saw them while cruisin... left coast..!! BC Mack

this thread is going downhill fast........!!! EXCELLENT BC Mack

KSC I had a similar discussion with our engineers... same story, they are just waiting to see what falls out from this research. They see better batteries coming in 5 years, so, inductive top-up stations would make sense if they can reduce the atmospheric losses... the cost per mile/km for new overhead would be the killer, we have enough issues with accident or construction diversions in town where no overhead exists.. I would not be too happy if I had to swerve on a freeway and lost connection with the wires, may rip them down getting back into the lane at that speed... Cummins/Allison diesel "hybrid" is not seeing the gains envisaged so we've got to move onto something else, right now the buzz is on CNG/LNG because we got lots of the stuff here in BC... and a massive new hydro dam starting soon. BC Mack

something unusual but interesting... I work on trolleybuses daily and know of some models that can switch from highway diesel to city overhead... but Scania seems to believe there is a use for this changeable propulsion in the trucking industry... with an all electric truck on the horizon. I know the cost of running a trolleybus is less than one third than that of a diesel... but new infrastructure is very costly. one bus system has in place 'charging stations' for all electric buses where the bus gets a top-up, inductive systems are the next development where nothing touches, you just park over or under the charging 'loop'... main charge is done overnight at the depot. you never know... no more egr problems..!!!! Mercedes/Siemens also have the system under development BC Mack http://newsroom.scania.com/en-group/2012/07/04/electric-truck-for-alternative-ore-transportation/ http://ecomento.com/2014/03/17/scania-testing-pure-electric-mega-trucks-charge-wirelessly/

So... I think I got this one fixed... take Sweden's number one export, ever, hire their PR manager and 'voila'.... (or 'volvo' ).. no more criticism. see, he took a small town singing group who could barely speak english and created a world phenomena... or maybe it was just we all like Swedish chicks..?? oh well, it seemed like a good idea BC Mack

actually... your gubbermint finally got off their asses and are building up the heavy airtanker fleet again.... private contractors operate the DC10s; some DC9's & Avro146's started up this year... but to add to the C130's of the National Guard with slip in tanks there is a fleet of up to 10 former Coast Guard C130's being converted to full airtankers, and I just read parts from the bankrupt Evergreen 747-100 will be used to build a newer 747-400 tanker... up north we just have the L188 Electras, Convair 580's and the Canadair CL415. someone figured out the fires are getting bigger and the floatplanes and choppers just can't put down the volume the heavy machines can... stay safe BC Mack

still pic taken from Tanker10 llc site... should be three flying by now, hell of an airtanker makes the old A26 I worked on look like a model kit..!!! and youtube of Chelan drop BC Mack

I just find and post, nothing more... LOL BC Mack according to TMZ.... "In February, Hugh Rowland was seriously injured in a pickup truck accident. The lawsuit obtained by TMZ, alleges that IRT producer, Will Morrison, was driving recklessly. He apparently lost control, veered off the road, and crashed into trees and bushes. Passenger Hugh Rowland was along with him at the time. Hugh claims he can’t return to trucking because of the severe and permanent injuries he sustained from the accident. He also alleges he can no longer have sex. However, it doesn’t end there. Hugh’s wife claims that because of the Hugh's injuries, she is deprived of love, companionship, and sex with her husband."

thanks Fred.... I did the ebay thing a few months ago, maybe I'll try again... founds lots of other styles mostly mirror mounts.... didn't there use to be a cb store on every corner.. LOL BC Mack

yes, and a spacer sleeve for the long one BC Mack

my Mack dealer wasn't able to pull this up for me so maybe it was dealer installed, can anyone identify the name brand of this mount and maybe where I can buy two... need one antenna too...vandals got it when stored with previous owner... took a look at ebay but the brand name would help.... out of my depth on this cb stuff any experts out there BC Mack

got me some goodies from SLC Lighting the other day.. was looking for new lenses locally from a Truck-Lite dealer but found that SLC had a good price on new lamps... http://www.slclighting.com/shop/truck/cab-marker-lights/Amber-Chrome-Bullet-Marker now, there are two similar units on their site at different prices and even the sales rep couldn't see the difference, so I bought the cheaper one at $13 ... they also have led. they have the shorter one that some may need. buying experience was aok... free freight over $70 but Canadians be warned, ups charges a heavy "brokerage fee" to collect peanuts in gst so maybe ask if they can post it or go across the line. not installed them yet, so can't comment on fit... they have KD516 cast on the top but no idea how good they are compared to the originals. anyone else bought from these guys?? BC Mack

"those who fail to learn from history tend to repeat it".... if you want to read/google about British PM Chamberlain's trip to Munich in 1938 and see the similarities to what is happening with Obama and Iran it could get frightening... Chamberlain returned to Britain and acclaimed he had a written agreement with "Mr Hitler" for "Peace in our time"... all the while the invasion of Poland and the holocaust was being planned in Berlin. this era prior to 1939 was a very unstable period with countries being traded by the European superpowers of the day, France and Britain, Hitler had already made moves into Czech territory but everyone believed he wouldn't go any further... they had a signed agreement ..!!!! we all know what happen in '39. BC Mack

Paul Atkinson formed in 1907 as a steam engine repair company, by 1916 were manufacturing their own steam wagons but went bankrupt in 1930 and was reformed with a new owner to produce trucks which it did by 1935, the Big A logo was introduced at this time. Seddon bought Atkinson in late 1970 for 4.8 million Pounds, Leyland had held a 20% stake in Atkinson and swayed the lesser takeover bids from ERF and Foden to Seddon.... IH bought 'Seddon Atkinson' in 1974 which though some acquisitions came under Pegaso of Spain and then rolled into Iveco.. production ended in about 2004 and the marque disappeared a couple of years later... so, nearly 100 years..!!! BC Mack

On the other side of the planet, in the former colony of Canada... another bmt'er enjoys Weetabix too Cadbury's chocolate here taste like crap..... seems we've got to go to the corner store where "cultural import foods" can be sold where French is not required on the label or the FDA doesn't have an approval stamp... BC Mack

Ohhhhh.... where's my pills..!!!! the last one is interesting for me, the UK construction and uses regulations for petrol tankers (PetRegs) for that time required the exhaust to be placed under the front bumper, seems the Oz regs allowed for a spark arrester on the stackpipe... the rear window glass had to be armored with wire in the laminate and the back of the cab had to be metaled down to the bottom of the mudflap height.... and no sleeper allowed. Tim... you are going to find a lot of uk built or kitted "lorries" on NZ farms... we traded NZ lamb and butter for british rust until the EU/EEC came along... however, they do seem to have many tidy survivors. Paul probably at that time IH owned Sed/Ak hence the photos BC Mack

LOL the Transcon only made me seasick ..!!! It was certainly a surprise at the first roundabout....maybe I should add the US Ford CL9000 to my bucket list and see how it compares, never driven one of them, yet. Actually, it was the fixed cab engine overhauls that drove me to my pill bottle..!!!! thanks for putting this together, good information, definitely NOT built for the UK market at 32 tons and therefore not popular as high payload and light tractor trailer was key to success in that market for too many years... hence the Borderer was still into production in the mid 70's even as the 400 was being made... the tipper guys just wouldn't give up their 30 ton eight leggers.. I'm sure other companies built old and new models on the same line, didn't Mack produce F and WS at the same time?... sorry for a bit of thread drift here, but for KSC a pic of the Sed/Ak line. BC Mack

Vlad have you exchanged left/right axle shafts (half shafts)..?? this would be just to prove they were both straight, if the problem moved to the other side then the shaft or flange is bent... or, set it in vee blocks on a bench and spin with a dial gauge and then roll it across the bench looking for wobble.....hmmm, just thought, are left/right same length?.. if not just take same side off other axle. can't see the diff being twisted inside... is the hub running true...?? dial gauge the mating face of the hub and see if there is run out... if there is the 3-4 mm you saw then you may have a wheel bearing cup in offset... other than that... what Paul said, you probably got a bend on the axle tube... either impacted or stressed by overload. if you want to go single drive... take the rear diff and put it in the front axle... you will need to put the front diff into the rear as the opening needs to be supported from flexing. some guys would just add more gaskets and impact the axle in... but I know you want to do it right BC Mack

The tiptop was never seriously manufactured but became the F88 and F89, but with either 240 or 325hp it wasn't going to do too well over his side of the pond... it was the first of the era's mass produced trucks with a fully syncromesh gearbox, up to 16 speed, I found them very easy to drive and by 75/6 the 290hp UK special was in those days a "rocket ship" after an Atkinson Borderer with a Gardner...!!! Volvo was a keen participant in the "club cab" with their F6/7 and Renault/Mack it did make a big dent into the American market. S/A 400, and later varients, was in my opinion a well designed truck, not hard to fix, Motor Panels made a great cab, 335 Cummins was available but most settled for 250hp Cummins and a 9509A.. it made the boss money... the old discussion of the british motor industry could ensue, but everything was against the industry and the europeans won. BC Mack