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vanscottbuilders

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Blog Entries posted by vanscottbuilders

  1. vanscottbuilders
    We had a rude awakening this week about the high cost of
    acquiring old truck projects.
    Jimmy had an early 70's Brockway. High mount cab, long frame
    tandem axle. An old concrete block truck with no body.
    We had taken out the auxiliary transmission to keep for another
    project. Anyway, there wasn't much left of the old girl. It had been
    parked right next to the railroad tracks, and all the glass was gone,
    the hood was off for years before it came to us and it didn't run.
    The opportunity came along to sell it a while ago for $500.00 to a local
    guy with a few other old Brockways.
    The fellow never took the truck out of our yard. So Jimmy offered to
    haul the truck for scrap and split the money with the new owner.
    Now for the rest of the story -
    If that truck was really worth $500.00 is really questionable.
    But, it brought $2,700.00 as scrap!
    No wonder we are losing a lot of good restorable iron every day.
    So - How do we fix this problem?
    Makes me feel really good about asking $3,500.00 for my R-600.
    It runs and drives perfect. You could drive it home easily.
    But, using the same junk price, it would bring over $2,000.00
    as scrap. And no hassles.
    No, I'm not scrapping it, or anything else I own.
    But it does make you think. And, being the extremely
    kind and patient person that I am, I'm sure I'll exercise
    real diplomacy the next time someone tells me my
    price is too high.
    Cars have been being crushed for years. There are a lot more cars
    than heavy trucks, however. And the collectible cars are worth a lot
    more money as projects than as scrap. So the threat is minimized.
    With trucks it is really sad. The inventory is small, and the scrap value
    is at an all time high; and a lot of history is being lost as we speak.
    My own suggestion is to gather up any projects you might want,
    and hold onto them, at all cost. The good stuff is going to skyrocket
    in price very quickly as the inventory dries up.
    Just think - your wives and girlfriends might even thank you for making
    such a wise investment! And you'll have a toy that very few others can have.
    Case in point-
    A few weeks ago, we had a coal train derailment in Palmyra.
    About 22 loaded coal cars, almost all in "light rollover".
    (1,000,000 pounds of coal)
    The salvage company immediately banked up the coal for
    reloading. Then they cut all the trucks off of the rail cars,
    and proceeded to cut up the hoppers right onsite!
    According to their foreman, at today's prices, it is much more
    economical to scrap the cars rather than send them in for rebuilding!
    That's unbelievable to me.
    Anyway - that's this week's rant.
  2. vanscottbuilders
    OK we're about in the middle of summer, that is
    if we get the usual three or four weeks of good weather.
    Finished in Pennsylvania last week. Now back to the Mack shop.
    And - Tom, I did check out Beach Lake on Google Earth.
    You can see the farm perfectly. It's impressive -
    but, kind of scary actually.
    Checked in on the B-67 today. Looks like I will spend the next couple
    of weekends removing dents and grinding welds smooth in preparation
    for painting. After the trouble with getting any work out of the welder,
    the project finally looks really good.
    Everybody have a good week.
  3. vanscottbuilders

    New Day

    By vanscottbuilders,

    I realized today that I haven't posted in a while.
    Not much to report.
    Good progress on my B-67 frame. The rebuilt rear axle is
    mounted and lined up, with the new springs and maxi cans.
    The front axle is mounted and lined up, but still needs rebuilding,
    to include king pins, bearings, tie rod ends and seals.
    The clutch linkage is this week's job. New bushings thru the frame
    are probably going to have to be made. Mack doesn't have any, and
    the original shaft is pretty worn. So I thought I could true up the shaft,
    then have bushings machined to fit exactly.
    Not much money to spend on the cab right now, so work on the frame will continue,
    and the cab will have to wait for the building business to get back in gear, or some other
    source of funds becomes viable.
    Interesting times.
    I run a small 60 year old family owned building business with an outstanding reputation.
    We have never been out of work - until now. My pride has kept us afloat at times like these
    in the past, when a smart person would have filed for bankruptcy and just closed up.
    This time, however, pride isn't going to cut it, and we are in deep trouble.
    By mortgaging our homes, I think my brother and I can satisfy all of the debt,
    but we will probably have to close the doors. And that just plain sucks.
    And it means I'm in the job market for the first time in thirty years. Scary stuff.
    I have never collected unemployment or assistance of any kind, and do not intend to start.
    I am working on a bunch of ideas, and have a number of offers. Some better than others.
    Funny how fast things change.
    One of the ideas that has really just become an option is the buying and selling of used equipment
    and old trucks from our shop. I would really hate to lose the shop, and am ready to do anything
    necessary to make it pay for itself.
    I am ready to sell all of my Mack stuff, trucks and parts, except my B-67. I've got some pretty rare parts including
    diesel engines, transmissions, B model power steering unit, new engine brake kit for the 6 cylinder diesels, and a bunch
    of miscellaneous pieces.
    And we have a Caterpillar 3412 with a big generator that can go, along with a KW W900-A with a big Cummins
    KTA-525 in excellent running condition. Also have a Walters Sno-Fighter with about 32,000 original miles
    and a very rare supercharged Cummins Iron Lung diesel in it, and a big Michigan loader with a 318 Detroit,
    and some old tractors including an Oliver HG-42 in beautiful original condition.
    Lots of good stuff.
    I'll put the inventory together and post it ASAP.
    Kind of a sad time in a way - but looking ahead to something new and different.
  4. vanscottbuilders

    New Year 2009

    By vanscottbuilders,

    So I'm sitting here thinking about what I can do to make 2009 a
    better that 2008 was.
    And I'm thinking of what the government and the new administration
    could do, realistically, to make the new year better than the old one.
    Can President Barack manage the "national attitude" and create some
    optimistic thinking in Americans? If so, then I think we can start to solve
    our own problems. We really don't want the government involved in fixing
    the problems anyway. When was the last time you saw the government, in
    any situation, do something that was efficient, effective and/or economical?
    Doesn't happen.
    Indeed, I just read that the government bean-counters have already lost control
    and lost accountability of the $700 billion dollars that the banking industry got!
    That didn't take long.
    I believe that we, as Americans, are the only ones who can solve our problems.
    Hopefully we can do that before the problems take over, and we are forced into
    very compromised lifestyles.
    We seem to be deaf, dumb and mute when it comes to controlling our own government.
    And just that issue has led to a series of unprecedented blunders by that government.
    We are not providing any oversight to our elected representatives. They just have free reign,
    as long as we let them. We sit back. Fat, Dumb and Happy.
    Our international position has plummeted, both socially and economically; we are fighting
    wars that we shouldn't be in; and the cost of government has skyrocketed as more and more
    "handouts" are made available to those in need (or not).
    More and more of our core industries, utilities and real estate are being bought by foreign interests,
    as we send more and more jobs away to cheaper producers. We are borrowing money from those
    countries that are now doing our jobs for us.
    And still our demands for energy and consumer goods keep spiraling upward.
    Seems like a one-way street to me.
    I think it's time for some really old-fashioned reasonable thinking.
    Simple things like "You can't spend more than you have, or more than you make" at any level,
    and you have to pay the debts, as quickly as possible.
    Stop trying to force our form of democracy on the world. It obviously doesn't work when we do.
    I think the quiet, tough kid on the block always gets the most respect. Be the quiet, tough kid, and mind your own business.
    When we can't hire a person because they make more on welfare than when they work, even though they are healthy
    and strong, something is wrong with that. Why can't there be a sliding scale for the amount of assistance you receive,
    based on the wage you make? If you could get more total income while working and collecting a fraction of the
    government's assistance, then why wouldn't you work? The government cost of welfare goes down, the people work,
    and can develop self-respect, and that puts the lower paying jobs back here in this country, where they belong.
    All good thoughts, and best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
    Paul Van Scott
  5. vanscottbuilders
    Well, I feel old this week.
    I fell down on the ice two weeks ago - a real classic, total surprise, feet straight in front of me, airborne crash.
    For a couple of days, I felt fine. Then all of a sudden, I became a cripple for about a week. Had to cancel my
    trip to Lake Placid this week (work) because a six hour car ride was definitely out of the question.
    It's getting better - but real slowly it seems.
    Anyway - because of the new found time in my schedule, I went searching for all of the seals and bushings
    for my B-67 rear axle and brakes. All of these parts are obsolete from Mack.
    What an education. And - surprise - total success!
    Found an excellent local Mack parts guy at the dealer, after a disappointing first meeting.
    And got some stuff from Barry at Watts. And FleetPride is in the mix too, for relining the brake shoes.
    Whatever parts the local dealer (Beam Mack) could not get, they supplied me with a list of dealers nationwide
    who showed that particular part in inventory. List was complete with contact names and phone numbers. Nice!
    So, by Monday we should be back in action with the rear end assembly.
    And, maybe I'll be able to move by then, too.
  6. vanscottbuilders
    So, I didn't mean to be all that sarcastic yesterday with my blog entry.
    If I offended anybody - I apologize, as long as you haven't called me about the Peterbilt and promisd to send a deposit!
    Anyway, I picked up my springs from the spring shop today for the B-67. Brand new rear springs and re-arched front springs. Pretty nice. Apparently the center bolt holes were all rotted out in the old back spring stacks, and several leaves were broken. Got new U-bolts and nuts too. At the age of my truck, new nuts are a good thing.
    Hope to have the air suspension cross member this week, and I can start to reassemble the frame and axles. Then it's on to the air system, fuel lines and wiring on the frame.
    The transmission is epoxy primed and ready for the covers to come off and get a good inspection. It was out of a working truck and wasn't making any weird noises or leaking, so I hope it's OK.
    The engine is all pressure washed and ready for the motor magician to give it a good once over. Same situation, I've had the engine running several times up to temperature. No leaks, no oil in the water, no water in the oil and no oil from the breather tube. Runs smooth with no knocks or noises, so I hope it's alright, too. Then it heads to the paint bay. Going to try epoxy primer at the recommendation of the paint rep.
    I'm going to need to do cab surgery soon. Been putting it off for a long time because it doesn't look like any fun. I need to replace the concave back cab panel or at least the rear window opening. Apparently the rear window seal has been leaking for years. And the right rear cab corner has been jacknifed some time in its life, and is pretty toasty. Got a perfect back panel and roof from Kevin All at AllMacks. Now I just need to get up the nerve to cut them.
    Another day.
    Paul Van Scott
  7. vanscottbuilders
    Spent today cleaning and polishing the interior of the 379 Peterbilt.
    Even though I think the truck is a little too gaudy for my tastes, if I was
    going to spend any amount of time on the road in a truck - it would be a good way to go.
    The big Ultracab bunk with the queen size fold down bed and the nice seating, refrigerator
    and TV are sure a lot nicer than any truck I've ever driven. It's got closet space and plenty of
    interior lights. I was pretty impressed.
    Anyway, the prospective buyer is coming here on Monday from Oklahoma, hopefully to close the deal.
    The B-67 cab project is coming along. At least the pieces are being put together, rather than
    being cut apart. The donor cab parts are all in the sandblasting booth tonite. And, so far, I'm
    pretty happy with the results.
    It's March in western New York. Got about seven or eight inches of heavy, wet snow then
    a full day of freezing rain and now the wind is picking up and it's supposed to get quite a lot
    colder overnite. Should make for really nice icy, sloppy, greasy roads.
    Tomorrow looks about the same. So does Monday and Tuesday.
    Think I'm going to crawl back in my hole and hide for a few days.
  8. vanscottbuilders
    Must be the season - the weather is nice and the yard
    work and house chores need to be done.
    So nobody has any real new truck news.
    And besides, Other Dog is busy baiting the rabbits into the oven!
    I think my cab welding assistant has found new and more exciting projects.
    Rumor has it that he bought a parts truck so he could begin the rebuilding
    of his departed father's pick-up.
    I don't really mind - but why couldn't he say something to me?
    Now I'm weeks behind where I thought I would be with the B-67.
    So the answer, same as always, is: If I'm not happy, I need to try it myself.
    That's this week's project.
    The cab is still in two pieces. It looks like fitting it together shouldn't be too bad.
    The doors are hung and adjusted, and I have the old windshields and rubber.
    Hopefully I can make it into one piece again, and everything will fit.
    Most of the month of June I'll be out of town on a project in Beach Lake, Pa.
    So not too much will happen except on the weekends for the next few weeks.
    Driving this truck to Barry's show in September is in jeopardy.
    Maybe I should think about doing the quick rocker panel repairs on the R-600,
    and drive it with my lowboy instead.
    All things considered, it might be a better idea.
    The old R runs well, steers well and even stops well. And I like an R type cab.
    h'mm - I might be onto something.
  9. vanscottbuilders
    I've been working on a project in Honey Harbour,
    Ontario, Cananda (A couple hours north of Toronto),
    and I have driven back and forth a couple of times.
    Just some observations:
    Boy, do they ever use a lot of axles.
    And axle spreads of all different sizes.
    I'm guessing that is for the health of the highways.
    I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of Mack
    cement mixers and dump trucks.
    A lot of the mixers have tandem steering axles,
    again, I'm assuming for the per axle weight.
    The multiple trailer combinations intrigue me also.
    Nice to see new stuff.
  10. vanscottbuilders
    Some time ago I think I posted that I was getting some body hammers and dollies to work out some of the dents in my B-67 cab.
    Well after reading everything I could find on the subject, I started in on beating the s---- out of the poor old cab. Wrong.
    I have found this metal bumping, as the industry calls it, to be a tremendous therapeutic treatment for stress and anxiety.
    Started out wailing away on a dent with the new hammers and dollies - but that approach is useless. It's a little like a Japanese bonsai garden -
    careful, consistent hammering and really careful placement of the backing surface (dolly) actually makes the metal behave like butter.
    The Zen of Mack beating.
    It's not perfect yet, but the cab sure looks a lot better than when I started. And I shouldn't need any more than a very tiny amount of filler, if any.
    Way back, when I started in on these old trucks, Tom Gannaway told me that I shouldn't bother with body filler if I didn't change the springs to air ride because it would never stick. I took that to heart. So all of my repairs are welded metal, and now, reshaped original metal. Slow for sure, but I think it's a better way to do things.
    And Tom (Other Dog) - the key is the dollies. If you can get them to do the work for you, life is much better.
  11. vanscottbuilders
    Interesting week.
    Weather is getting steadily better. Snow's almost gone.
    I like these days - you can really feel the change coming, even though it's still only
    15 or 20 degrees at night. It gets to 40 or so during the day. And when the
    sun shines, it really seems to shine bright.
    Not much Mack truck news this week. But we did get paid for the 2000 379 Peterbilt,
    and got a pleasant surprise when a fellow from Indianopolis showed up, like he said he would,
    and paid for, and took, a road worn 379 Pete that we inherited with a bad engine last fall.
    I like it when guys show up with their own wrecker - it's a good sign!!
    Got some bad news this week, coupled with some not so bad news, and ended with pretty good news.
    1st - we learned that we are losing our truck shop space. Some of you know that we rent the space from a
    good friend on a month to month basis, with the understanding that the adjacent business may expand at some
    point in time. Well - I guess it's that time! That's the bad news.
    Hard to believe that I have been in that space for about three years.
    When I took it, I told Gary I needed it for maybe three months to restore the B-67. He laughed. He must have known better.
    Anyway - we are moving around to the back of the complex to a bigger and even better lit space, on the same temporary basis.
    Should give me plenty of time to finish my B-67 and get the lowboy sandblasted, redecked and painted.
    That's the not so bad news.
    And the good news is - This little truck hobby is pretty fun, and it's working out okay. So we (my Uncle Jim Schreiner and I) have
    decided to start the process of acquiring some land and building our own building.
    And it looks like we have several options. All of the land choices have direct access to a state highway and are within a couple of miles
    of a NYS Thruway exit, so the heavy haul equipment can go with us for economy's sake.
    Hope to get the back axle sandblasted and primed this week. And get the cab surgery moved along so I have just one cab to look at,
    rather than a couple of cut apart pieces.
    Onward and Upward.
  12. vanscottbuilders
    I'm leaving in the morning for the Spring Carlisle car show.
    The opportunity came up to go with a couple of friends,
    and I haven't been in ten years or so.
    Mostly looking for colors for the B-67, and just
    checking on current pricing of different older cars and pick-ups.
  13. vanscottbuilders

    The New Shop

    By vanscottbuilders,

    The decision was made, and Jimmy and I are in the process of moving into our new space.
    In the end we took the adjacent rental space to our current shop for a couple of reasons.
    Not the least of which is that our crane will fit. And we are out of sight of anybody passing by.
    And we continue to have use of the onsite sandblasting and painting facilities.
    We measured the space yesterday; we have 58' x 70' x 24' high. Two overhead doors at one end.
    (one each 12' high and 14' high x 12' wide). Great lights. Eight large HID units at the ceiling,
    then a continuous row of flourescents about 12' up the wall all the way around the area.
    Bright white walls and foil reflective ceiling panels.
    It's really nice and bright. (Good for a half blind guy like me)
    Lots of wall outlets, three phase power, water and good floor drains.
    And we are surrounded on three sides by heated space, which should help our heat bills in the winter.
    We are in the process of making deals with a couple of our truck friends to store their hobby
    trucks inside to help with the rent.
    So the old truck past time looks pretty good for the next few years.
    If anybody is in the area - give me a call and stop by.
    I'm looking forward to getting more organized and getting some benches and racking set up
    to handle my parts. And I'm really excited about all three of my Macks inside next to each other.
    Actually, all five of the project trucks are going to be inside for the 1st time.
    Although Jimmy says he is going to finish the new radiator install in his W-900 and get the truck
    sold before it moves in. (late 70's KW W-900A long hood w/ fresh Cummins KTA-525, 15 spd. OD, 36" bunk and air ride).
    Nice truck, and I hate to see it go. I had hopes of acquiring it sometime. Ah well - So many toys - so little time.
    I know he really wants to get moving on Morgan's old Peterbilt 351, and we can't concentrate on more than one thing
    at a time. (Something about chewing gum and walking)
    All things considered - a pretty good week!
  14. vanscottbuilders

    Fall Turkey Season

    By vanscottbuilders,

    We are headed for Fall in Upstate New York.
    The leaves are beginning to change. Nights are
    getting a little cooler.
    The politicians are all dressed up and hurling barbs
    at each other.
    So Turkey hunting season can't be far away.
    I'm no sure why - but one always reminds me of the other.
  15. vanscottbuilders
    Those of you who have seen the pictures of my 1966 R-600
    know that the rocker panels and the rear cab corners are shot.
    Not too unusual with this cab style. The rest of the truck is pretty nice.
    I have brand new inner and outer rocker panels from Mack by way
    of Kevin All for the truck. But the cab corners have eluded me. And
    all of the parts trucks I have looked at have a little ridge in the cab corner that
    is not in the early trucks.
    So I needed a fix. And - low and behold, two fixes fell in my lap.
    I found a parts man at our local dealer who was willing to actually spend
    some time with the old books and microfiche, and found out that Mack still
    shows new sheet metal parts, including cab corners, for the early R cabs in stock.
    Then - to cap it all off - Kevin Heidrich found a parts R model in Texas that he
    wants the engine and transmission out of. I agreed to buy the adjustable fifth wheel,
    and he is going to cut the corners out of the cab and send them along on the pallet.
    How nice is that?
    Gotta love this truck stuff.
    BTW: Freight from Dallas, Tx. area to Rochester, NY area from Yellow Freight
    for one non-haz pallet of about 400# was just over $340.00. Not bad at all.
    You can't ride your bicycle from Dallas to Rochester for 340 dollars.
    Let's not forget about the common carriers for bringing home our parts.
  16. vanscottbuilders
    Just wanted to wish everyone here a Happy Thanksgiving.
    Thanksgiving is one of the "feel good" holidays.
    Our economy might be poor, and our concerns growing every day,
    but right now we don't have to think about any of it.
    Just eat, be thankful and be happy.
    And - it is turkey season - so Tom, you better lay low for a couple of days.
  17. vanscottbuilders
    Been an interesting past few days.
    For the 1st time ever, I am sharing a project with a friend. A friend new to trucks.
    Although his dad drove a Selden years ago delivering coal.
    It is surprising to me how many people are interested in these old trucks.
    And people from all walks of life. Kind of cool actually.
    I've got a top notch hot rod builder doing sheet metal work for my B-67. He's more excited
    about this truck than any rod in his shop!
    Those people who think these trucks are reserved for those of us with "background" or experience
    are very small-minded and will actually hurt the the hobby in the long run.
    Hopefully we have covered the bases well enough to avoid the pitfalls
    that can come from misunderstandings in a partnership.
    We bought Kevin All's H-63 with the intent of doing a complete restoration.
    Keep your eyes open on the BMT forums for Dennis "Cherry Picker" Christiano.
    I know he has tried to join, and may have had some difficulty getting in.
    Anyway, he'll be here soon.
    As I said before, we are looking for any information about originality,
    particularly with the interior detail.
    The exterior is complete with all moldings and emblems, so that should be pretty easy.
    There probably will be some concessions to usability; like maxi brakes and plastic air lines,
    but we would like to keep the original power train, wheels and exterior details,
    and keep the inside as it was new. (OK, maybe an air seat, but one that could be
    changed out quickly)
    Next on my list of "Mack wants" is something with an "L" cab and a small sleeper.
    Ideally an LT series truck. But a B series with the bigger L cab would do fine.
    I've seen a couple of possibilities, but the time is not quite right. Need to finish at least
    one before I bring home another one.
  18. vanscottbuilders

    Better Days

    By vanscottbuilders,

    So - Spring is upon us and it feels really good.
    Although I did stand on top of a six foot pile of old snow in
    Star Lake last week to photograph the roof of a building!
    Probably the last one of those for a while.
    Without counting any unhatched chickens - our building business is looking better by the day.
    We have done what we had to do to cut the expenses and get the ovehead down.
    And we have gotten very aggressive with finding new work, and leasing our unused properties
    to get some cash flowing.
    Interesting unexpected twist unfolding right now....
    A friend of mine called a couple of months ago inquiring for a friend of his, about buying an old Mack.
    (gotta love these "friend of a friend of a friend" stories)
    The buyer lives in Florida. I told him to look around Florida.
    There are several pretty nice B models that I know of in Florida. So I sent them searching.
    The story goes quiet for a couple of months.
    Anyway, my friend called last week to ask about buying my B-67 project as a completed truck.
    Now, I'm not usually speechless. But I was close there for a minute.
    Seems his Florida buddy wants a finished truck. (Smart Fella) And, he thinks he wants mine.
    Supposedly flying here on Sunday. We'll see..... could be a whole new venture.
    Ah the webs we weave.
  20. vanscottbuilders

    Still Moving

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Still packing and hauling stuff to the new shop.
    Spent today sorting and packing up hand tools.
    Most of the big pieces are all gone, except the steel
    benches and the steel sheets and pieces for fabricating.
    The crane's all down and loaded. The trucks are all moved.
    Time to re-organize and decide what goes where in the new space.
    I'm really looking forward to it. This should be a more permanent
    arrangement than we had, so we are planning to really set up a
    nice, workable shop, rather than treating it as a temporary area,
    like we have been doing.
    I've been thinking about my project list and the order for completion.
    The B-67 is first, then I'm thinking about my little Ford Golden Jubilee tractor,
    which shouldn't need too much except cosmetics. Then probably the R-600, just
    because it only needs some body work. Along with those things, I need to get my
    little lowboy trailer cleaned up and painted, and new tires installed.
    That pretty much accounts for the next year. Then we'll see what comes next.
    Probably the H-63. I just today was given a running END-673 which gives me
    more replacement options for the bad engine in that truck.
    I can only concentrate on one project at a time, but it's good to look ahead
    to gather the pieces required for the next project.
    Speaking of tires - Tom (Other Dog), have you used any of the take-off tires
    from your company before?
    I'm thinking that's a great idea for the R-600. It needs to switch to tubeless radials
    and won't get any real miles. It's not a show truck so new rubber isn't really
    necessary. Thought I'd ask around up here and see what I can scrounge up.
  21. vanscottbuilders

    Happy Easter

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Good News -
    Picked up my rebuilt rear axle yesterday and brought it in the shop.
    Then I organized all of the big pieces so I can begin reassembling the frame and suspension,
    and get this whole unit back on wheels.
    The snow's melting and it's warming up, which means that time's running out.
    Gotta get moving!
    Thought I was going to buy a new set of 12.00 x 22.5 drive tires - but now with all brand new stock
    length wheel studs, I'm not so sure. The additional height of the 12.00 tires would be nice,
    but with the overdrive duplex and the higher ratio rear end - it probably isn't necessary.
    To use the 12.00 rubber, I would need to use a longer wheel stud and a wider wheel spacer.
    If I do the math, with the gears, transmission and 11.00 (normal) size rubber, it's built for
    76 mph, which is faster than the old truck should go anyway. And a whole lot faster than the
    old driver should even think about.
    Got the brake linings straightened out, after a good amount of sanding on the cast brake shoes.
    Used a wide belt sanding machine with a flat platen and an adjustable tool stop, so I could hold a perfect
    90 degree angle and get the shoe truly flat. Worked good.
  22. vanscottbuilders

    New Find

    By vanscottbuilders,

    A freshly overhauled Mack 285 hp Maxidyne engine was
    offered to me this week, and I bought it.
    The company that owns the motor no longer uses the DM's
    and R models that the engine was spec'd for.
    The overhaul was done by Mack, and the engine
    is on a test stand complete with a radiator and starter.
    I bought the test stand and everything.
    Hopefully I'll be able to test my old 673's and 711's, too.
    Heck it's the closest thing to a running truck I've got!
    Maybe I'll just bolt on a transmission and rear axle and
    go for a drive.
    Going to need to find a new project though, because this
    engine won't fit in the B-67, and I would like to use my Jake
    brake on it.
    Guess I'll have to apply a little pressure on Kevin All.
  23. vanscottbuilders
    Spent today taking apart my wood pallet racking.
    Some ideas just don't work out. This was one of them.
    Got some used heavy duty steel pallet racking, and plan
    to spend tomorrow putting it together and getting it loaded up.
    Other than my failed attempt at building the racks,
    I am really happy with the way this shop is coming together.
    Once all of the pallets are up off of the floor, there will be plenty
    of room to work on two or three trucks at once, without getting
    in each other's way. And room to store a couple more, with
    room in one bay for a tractor & trailer combination, for trailer
    service, or for crane unloading of a trailer.
    It's been snowing here off and on for a week or so. Cold too.
    Just a reminder of what's coming in the next few weeks.
    For what it's worth - I actually hope that we can have a nice
    cold and snowy winter. Sure beats that icy, slushy, rainy crap.
    And a white Christmas really sets the Holiday tone.
    Plugging away on the B-67 frame and running gear.
    Looks pretty good. About ready to final paint the frame.
    Then we can start the plumbing and wiring.
    This has been a fairly expensive project - I may have to
    apply for a federal bail-out. I'm sending for the forms ASAP.
    Hope everybody has a good week.
  24. vanscottbuilders
    Learning all about kingpins and front axles this week.
    Took my B-67 front axle apart to see what I need.
    Going to put in new kingpins, bushings, tie rod ends,
    bearings and seals. But - the good news is that I don't
    need to put on new brake linings. The old ones look new.
    They should be - it's obvious that the front brakes haven't
    worked in a long time. The shoes are rusted on the pins solid,
    and neither brake can was working.
    Our W-900A is sold. It's going back to the person we got it from,
    albeit in good running condition. We got what we needed out of it,
    and everybody is happy.
    That's how it should be the week before Christmas.
    And Jimmy bought himself a new toy for Christmas ---
    He's a big fat guy and looks like Santa Claus anyway.
    He found a really nicely restored W-900A (See a pattern here?)
    with a Cat 3408 and an 18 speed overdrive transmission.
    So he's like a little kid who just can't wait any longer for the gift.
    As for the building business -
    We have landed two contracts that will keep cash flowing for now.
    So the huge scare is reduced to a more manageable level.
    Something will need to happen, and soon.
    But I think we can be rational about looking at all of our options.
    Best wishes to everyone here for a safe and happy Holiday season!!
  25. vanscottbuilders
    My old R Mack is covered with snow and ice. Probably won't go for another ride until spring.
    It's the only one thaty had to stay outside this winter, and I feel bad about it.
    I'll pull the batteries out of her this week for charging and store them in the shop. so they don't freeze.
    Just another case of the PreChristmas Blahs.
    On a Brighter Note:
    We got the H-63 inside Dennis' heated barn, so it's good until spring. We did get all of the Mack Museum
    info on the truck, along with a shop manual reprint. That's always such a cool service from the Museum.
    Turns out that the truck was sold new in Tennessee to a Mack dealer as part of a ten truck "stock" order.
    Apparently early in its life, it went to Georgia, where it remained until this past summer. We have the name
    of the most recent Georgia owner, and will try to track the ownership history back one step at a time.
    The B-67 should go under the knife next week for the cab roof and back panel transplant. Then it's on with
    the reassembly. I'm getting anxious to put that together. Right now, my cab is on a wheeled wood frame, so
    you can move it around the shop and on or off a trailer with just one person. The rear end should be finished
    next week, and the front axle should be sandblasted and primed in a few days. Just need to take the springs
    out to a shop for some normal work and replacement of several broken leaves in one of the rear stacks.
    I do think I will use the Superide air suspension crossmember, which lets me use the original springs and rear end housing.
    I'll rebuild the front axle and brakes on the truck - I just want the truck back in one piece as soon as possible.
    It looks like my Eager Beaver 25t lowboy is sold and leaving right after Christmas. So I am seriously on the hunt for
    an affordable drop deck flat bed. Apparently there just aren't any cheap, decent lowboy trailers around, and this is a good one.
    So it sold to the first person who came to look at it.
    Interesting that I just got a good line on a B-61T from a local freight company who used Macks for years. The truck
    is complete and was running within the past few years. It's another single axle diesel tractor. If I can get it to answer
    to a whistle, I'll see if it can come home with me.
    And Tom - After cooking up a fresh turkey last Friday, I tried my own version of Turkey Hash.
    Onions, celery, potatoes and carrots with the broth from boiling the bones and scraps for two nights.
    Used some of the broth to make stuffing which I put in the hash along with a couple pounds of chunked up turkey meat.
    So it wasn't very soupy, but really moist and tasty.
    Fantastic! Thanks for the idea.

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