Dougsr

Thanks guys. I did have a good day. But any day above ground is a good. Doug

The fuel tanks have been welded back together and brackets back on. New battery box built. We are going to try to blast them tomorrow. The air tanks has been painted remounted with new air lines. We just have a month to get it back together if we want to make our Fall Fest and tractor pull with it. www.latc.us Doug

We are fixing up an old B model to pull our sled and old tractors to the pulls and shows. www.latc.us for our club info.

Well the tanks are comming along. They are just about ready for him to pressure test. Then the blasting and painting. After they are mounted we will put the cab back on. Doug

Thanks Bob. It has been fun. We are trying to get it back together before October 20th. We want to haul the sled and tractors to our Fall Fest and tractor pull. The cab will not be painted but that will be ok. Doug

This weekend there was a lot of little things getting painted. All the tires on but one side on the back. Having to get a flat fixed. He is having to repair the fuel tanks. The bottoms was pretty bad. He has cut them out and that will be a good time to clean them out real good. That is no problem as old Bill is so good he can weld a tin can to a goats butt. Now that is good. Doug

Almost ready to put the engine back in the frame. All new fuel and oil lines. 12 volt starter. New oil and fuel filters. The cab may not get painted just yet. We are trying to get it back together so we can haul the antique tractors and pulling sled to our Fall Fest pull in October in Jena, La. If any of you want any info on the Fall Fest go to www.latc.us and look under upcoming events. There a lot of pictures on this site if you like old tractors. Go to the photo page. I am always looking for a photo of the week to use on the site. It can be almost anything as long as it is clean. My email address is on the home page where I ask for pictures for Photo of the week. If you want to send me one just put photo of the week on the subject line. Doug

I got a chance to go take a look at the frame after it was painted. It looks real good. Now he is going to start installing all new brake lines, valves and new brake cans. It will also have spring brakes. Go to www.latc.us go to photos page them Bill Melders album for new pictures. Doug

The frame is blasted and has a coat of paint on it just in time before the storm comes in. We are in the North Central part of the state of LA. I hope we just get a lot of rain. Doug

Thanks Bob.

The blasting got put on hold today. Bill was getting the last few things ready when he started to have chest pains. He went to the hospital and they put him for test. I hope it is not something serious. Doug

Today we rolled it out and steam cleaned the frame, rearend and both trans. If the wearher is good tomorrow we hope to blast and paint. Does anyone know if the steering wheel from an R model will work? Or does anyone have a good one for sale. If not where can you get one? I posted a couple more pictures today. www.latc.us Go to the photo page and look at Bill Melders album. Doug

In the last couple of afternoons the only thing that has been done is building the mounting frames for the 5th wheel. We hope this weekend we are able to do more cleaning on the frame Then blast and paint if the weather is good. Doug

The engine has been pulled out. The mock up is finished. The rear drive shaft should be ready tomorrow. The next step is to clean and blast the frame getting it ready to paint. Then start putting it back together. Doug

I went to a tractor pull today in Ruston,LA I am sure glad it was under a big shed. It rained all morning hard but the pull went on. You can go to this web site www.latc.us then click on the Photos page and look for the Ruston album. You can see a few of the pictures I have posted. This was a neighboring club that put this on. Doug

It is a good thing that mixer came along with his water hose.

A couple of post up it was asked if the duplex trans was a 9 speed overdrive or a 10 direct. It is a 10 direct. Even with the overdrive brown lipe it is going to be slow. The rear gear ratio is seven something. Doug

Well today he got the new front seal installed. He could not find the rubber for the motor mount. Mack said they did not have it anymore. He had a big thick belt that fit right in the mount. He had to take a block of wood to get the mount on the engine. It fit and looked good. He got the rubber mounts for the aux trans and got it all bolted up. Doug

I think it is a ten but not sure. It had the wrong shift tag in the doner truck. The rears was messed up so we could not drive it. I did not look at the tag on it to see what it said. I am sure it will have gear overlap. It will be fun anyway.

Thanks for that info. I will pass that number on. We was playing with the bronwnie and in low range I think it was two turns of the input shaft to one of the output shaft. It was put in to offset the speed loss going from gas to diesel. I don't know how much it will help. Doug

I went out and checked out the project today. He has the engine, Trans and brown lipe in place. He has the drive shaft in between the trans and brown lipe. The shifter for the brown lipe in in and works good. We pulled the front motor support off and the rubber in it is in bad shape. The front seal was leaking a little so that will also have to be replaced. I posted pictures today on our web site of the progress. If you want to go see them you can go to this link. http://www.latc.us and go to the Photos page and click on Bill Melders album. Doug

That would be good if you have the number. Bill works on Macks all time but they are the newer trucks. The company he works for has a lot of them. They move drilling rigs so they have the heavy duty stuff. Doug

Today he took the drive shaft that is going from the back of the trans to the brown lipe to the machine shop. When that is finished he can build the mounts for the brown lipe. Then he can have the rear shaft built. We found the front motor mount rubber is worn pretty bad. Who has those? Doug

The old fifth wheel is a Holland. It is a sliding fifth wheel. That will make it nice when he adds the removable goose neck ball. We can slide it up and put the ball where it should go. Doug

I just got a call with the news he has had a cast iron 5th wheel and a few other parts donated to him for the little B. Doug