Freightrain

I still have most of my Tonka trucks. I was not the type to destroy them, so they are used and a bit rusty, but still there. Some were Nylint also. I have the large twin boom wrecker, the hook/ladder fire truck, clam shell bucket, excavator, I have the 60's or 70's Ford dumptruck, plus a few others .Need to get them out and clean them up someday. A local pizza joint had a display out front that included a B model ladder truck! Couldn't get the owner to give it up though. It was his growing up(still really nice shape).

I have to laugh at some of the guys/kids at work. I show up in one of my numerous hotrods and such. They bitch and complain and then wonder why they don't have squat. Well, since you drink or smoke your paycheck away....it don't leave much else! My mom always complained when I was young about my habits(car related). She always gave up when I told her I could be drinking my money away and have nothing to show for it. Keep a clear head, find friends with similiar interests(or a club) and like said...get a hobby. Even if it's collecting truck pictures, it's a start. Work towards a goal! It will be much more satisfying then seeing if you can finish a 12 pack and still walk?

I can see him/wife going OUT to eat alot more often now.>LOL!! "No dear, thanks....let's go out to eat tonight" "Again?" "Ya, sure, why not"

If you put radials tires on your B, it will steer like a dream!! I changed over from bias ply and it can go lock-to-lock sitting still. Not with one finger, but can be done. With ol bias tires, it couldn't be moved without moving truck forward/backwards. I have thought about air set up, since I don't want to go thru the hassle of converting steering over. Don't want to spend the money either way actually LOL!! Guess I'll just keep with my portable exercise machine..LOL!!

Got that right!! LOL!! I've always heard the center of rears. Guess if you're asking someone, you need to clarify or you might end up with something completely different than you think.

Whew...it ain't me!! LOL!! Bummer about this one. I've had lots of good dealings with most people I've met thru the internet. Had guys send me stuff, tell me if that's what I need to send them some money. There is always a bad apple somewhere. Hope things work out in the end.

Just glad Jim T isn't around...............LOL!!!

Gets done alot with trucks. OTR trucks that are retired get converted to dumps all the time. No reason you can't take dump off and add fifth wheel. Some plumbing to add air lines and your ready.

I would bet the air flow thru an oil bath is not enough to produce the power in the bigger engines. Now that the engines are 900 ci, not 600 the amount of air needed, plus a turbo is probably way beyond the capabilities of an oil bath. It would proabably suck the oil right out of the pan!

You can still get a jacobs style brake. 'Bout 1500 bucks!! Barry looked into it a few years ago for me for my 673.

I am just in the process of converting my B back to a fifth plate again. I converted it back in the begining so I could pull my gooseneck trailer(with ball style hitch). I bought the insert from Putnam hitches and it slides in where the ball insert was. Now I can hook up to my plate. Much easier to deal with too!! No screwing around trying to line up on a ball anymore.

I think ALOT of water would have to be sucked thru to get thru the entire filter element and create any kind of trouble....or help. I think the moisture would drip thru the element, then drop out the weep hole in bottom of housing. If I remember right, most of the newer trucks have a rubber one way that allows water out, and keeps from sucking air in.

I found that GVW thing out a couple years ago. I had plated mine for 33K since I knewn I was at 27K and you could choose, 22, 33, 4?, etc. I then got Hist. Plates and I thought the GVW was null/void. WRONG. I got questioned once at a scales and was told that the rating was still there and it was to be followed. Whew! I don't have to really worry about going over it, but luckily I now know that. I had "chauffer license" way back in mid 80's. I let it laps when I quit driving for company I still work for. I wish I had kept it, since I then had to take the whole freak'n test over. The original test was just multiple guess! The CDL is not much harder, but you do have to drive for it now. As for what trailer you use in test. Not an issue, as long as truck has air brakes that is what is important. I was going to use my B, but I would have had to have someone that could drive it home with me(that also had a CDL). In Ohio, you can't drive a comm. vehicle UNTIL you get your printed license. If I drove my B, someone would have to drive it home(or at least out of site). Plus the twin stick routine...that would have been a trip getting them to let me two hand it LOL!! I know Stan took his test in his Pete. He was allowed some "latittude" with shifting and passed. Not sure how the lady would have taken it in my truck. Might have passed, might have failed me. That is why I used there little truck.

I got caught in one of those situations also. I was going to a campgrounds a couple years ago, driving the B with my 40ft trailer in tow. The road.......or mule trail as I called it was anything but flat/straight. I made up more gear ratio's that day then I ever had before LOL!! I just had pulled away from a stop and had to run around a very sharp cutback then up a very steep hill and around a bend. I used every bit of the road at a VERY slow pace!! Just no rushing 170 hp!!! I looked and saw a local barney fife had come up behind me. DOH!! He seemed to be in a hurry...and I was worried about how I was using all the road to get around. I quickly jerked the flashers on(that's what you're suppose to do, right?) I finally found a straight section and he blew past me. Whew! It had been a longggg trip and I was in no mood to be hassled. Luckily I have yet to get hassled bad in the truck.

A 5x4 would be pretty cool!!!

Oh, ah, ya...that's it!!! Thanks Terry.

The test facility that I used had truck for rent. I think it was $175 for the test. Little DT466 Binder/5 spd/40ft flatbed. Really easy to drive. Not all places give this option and I had to drive an hour or so to get to this place. I have a test place in town, but they don't rent trucks. I had enough time in my B, plus my pickup pulling my 40 ft trailer that I was pretty comfortable driving the rental unit.

Hey....extra turbo motor laying around? Hmmm, I could put it to GOOD use!!! What's a 676 rated at? 237 or 285?

I made my own permanent hitch for the back of my B. Bought a reciever tube, cut, welded and then covered in diamond plate. I know what you mean, something you could just throw on any truck to get it home. What I did is a bit overkill, but it's staying on the truck. I suppose you could mock up something pretty easily, use clamps or such to secure to rear of frame after hooking to fifthwheel. I'm familiar with the truck pull apparatus that Trent is speaking of. That is not far off from what he needs, just need to be able to lock it down in the rear.

Clutch? Huh?? Why would you need to use that Bob?? LOL!!

What Tom...no BIG turbo motor?? LOL!!! Come on...got to put some horse's to that widebody. If you got to do it, might as well do it good.

If you go find the twin stickin question,you'll find the video I made driving my B model. I was doing the "floating" gears routine(no clutch usage). You match the speed of motor to drivetrain speed and the gears just fall together without a click. I'm lucky...my old Mack tranny is more than loose....LOL!! It floats gears easily.

Ya, operating manuals are available either thru Mack museum(basically recopies of originals) or thru Ebay.

My B had roto chambers on it. They were mounted inboard enough that I put #30's on it and had no modifications to do. It was a simple install....cheap too!

Yup...I bought mine as a runner but sat alot. I've done maintenance/upgrades but basically just drive the wheels off it! I had no real experience with this stuff either so was a learn-as-I-go too. The internet was a godsend! With places like this I picked up quick and had fun doing it. I don't have facilities to do major work, but I did my own kingpins(really easy on a , changed to 12v start, compressor rebuild, etc. If you purchase a truck that has been sitting in a field, plan on alot of tinkering to get it roadworthy and dependable. Find something that has been on the road recently to at least have a good starting point. They all have their weakpoints, but a B model is a pretty stout piece and you won't wear it out anymore then it was when you bought it. Other than cab sheetmetal everything else is easy to replace/repair and available. I replaced rear spring bushings, brake chambers, air lines. Most can be done with basic hand tools don't cost too much in parts. The hardest part is getting a decent deal on the truck. Some price them as gold, but are junk. If you're lucky you'll find a nice truck at a decent price. That will give you some room to spend on it without mortgaging the house. Don't think you'll ever get all the money out of these trucks.....they are like boats(hole in water, surrounded by wood, into which one pours money! ). You just gotta love it to do it.