vanscottbuilders

Meado,

Rob is right on the money with his advice.

If you want - you could also contact Kevin All at All Macks.

Kevin has a couple of used and at least one brand new (NOS) Ross

steering box in stock.

It might be a little faster than waiting for a rebuild.

Paul Van Scott

Boy - I love those old A-cars.

Especially the ones with murals!!

Paul VS

Rob,

You might talk to Jimmy about your 12v71 sometime.

He had a brand new 1973 Kenworth 900A with a twin turbocharged Detroit

V-12 that was his lowboy tractor for probably ten years.

I think he knows that engine and all of it's variant set-ups inside and out.

That truck was the talk of the town around here for quite a while.

Just curious - Wouldn't the DM-8xx on e-Bay be a really good heavy haul

tractor with the V-12 and the Allison? Seems like a natural to me. Even though it

may not be original, I would think it would probably be pretty useful with the super

low rear ends as a slow, heavy load prime mover. Specifically - a building mover.

Anyway - have fun with your project.

Paul Van Scott

Rob,

In the event that the electric hybrid truck idea takes on any further interest -

We have a good running Caterpillar 3412 (twin turbo) with a 435kw genset

that is in need of a new home. It currently lives on one of Jimmy's flat trailers.

It may require some minor hood modifications in the R-700!

Every time I see this unit, I think what in the world was he thinking???

I know he saved from the scrapper's pile. We're the regional humane society for abandoned stuff.

Nothing like a nice little back up generator for the whole neighborhood.

PVS

Depending on your intended usage - the level that you take a brake job to may vary.

I probably go a little overboard - just because.

Getting the cast aluminum shoes relined is a little challenge.

Seems that fitting and bolting on new block type linings is almost a lost art.

With some patience, and some good coaching, and some more patience,

and a little beer, I now do my own. That came after three tries by a local shop.

The linings crack very easily!!! Practice first. Check the fit very carefully. The cracks are

hard to spot but they will definitely shorten the life of the brake job. Pitted or delaminated

shoes need to be replaced. (Contact Kevin All at AllMacks for original replacements)

All of the shoe bushings should be changed and the wear pads turned around or replaced.

The S-cam bushings should be checked and changed as required. Loosen all of the

eccentric adjustment bolts and apply Never-Seize before reassembling the eccentrics.

There are some felt dust seals in the rear brakes that should be changed.

The return springs need a good close examination, and replace as necessary.

The "nails and springs" that hold the shoe centered should be examined and the C-clips changed.

Be sure the retaining washers are adequate. They are a fender type washer. A regular 1/4" washer

will slip thru the shoe, and the shoe will chatter. Bad wear and poor braking are the result. Almost every

one I've had apart had this problem.

I like turning the drums for a good surface, but I think most are probably OK as is. Again, it's up to you.

New drums are always a good choice for heavier or more regular use.

Fitting the new shoes and linings to the drums is a bit of an art. Just read the service manual and follow directions.

From a detail stand point, I like to clean and paint all the parts before reassembly. I have found

that any of the common "rust-converter" coatings work pretty well for this purpose.

Use minimum grease on the contact points of the S-cams. Grease attracts dirt. Dirt leads to wear.

Try a dry lube or a motorcyle/bicycle chain lube that will not pick up dirt.

Clean, check and repack the wheel bearings as long as you are in there. New seals might be in order too.

I have found some difficulty in getting all of the parts from Mack, unless I was willing to buy whole bags of the obsolete stuff.

You might contact Matt Pfahl for these parts. I think he has a good selection, and he treats people very fairly.

On the old trucks, I like to change the brake cans, and, as you are doing, convert to Maxi brakes. I change the slack adjusters, too,

if they are the old original type. It might start a war here - but I do not care for auto-slack adjusters, so we use all manual type adjusters.

If you are not changing air lines from the old copper, be sure to check all the air plumbing over very carefully. I like to convert to all

plastic lines and new fittings for regular use. The brass thru-frame bulkhead fittings at the front axle are particularly fragile, and should

be examined for corrosion or any sign of failure.

These brake systems are pretty straight forward.

When you get the units apart - it will make a lot more sense.

Good Luck,

Paul Van Scott

Try contacting ACE in California.

(American Carrier Equipment, I think)

They sell a single axle air ride crossmember that

they fabricate for exactly your purpose. It replaces

your rear crossmember and rear spring hangers.

You use your original springs and front hangers so

there is no fabrication required. Some drilling is required

for the mounting of the crossmember, but it is minimal.

I am installing this system on one of my trucks and, so far,

I've been real happy with the set-up.

Pricing was very reasonable, I thought. Around $1,500.00

delivered to my door. That was a couple of years ago, so

it is probably a bit more today.

I don't know what you are running for tires, but a set of tubeless

radials might make a big difference.

Or - a good old fashioned heavy load will usually smooth out the ride, too.

Sounds like a nice truck - Good Luck!

Paul Van Scott

Rob,

Are you going to leave the generator on?

Could be a really interesting hybrid!

Paul VS

Are they available still?Any good sources/price's?Thanks

These tires are definitely still available. Just recently one of our tire vendors had

a set that he thought may work for my B-67. They required wider spacers and, potentially,

longer wheel studs.

As for pricing - I'm not certain how common the size really is, and they may command

a premium price because of the scarcity.

Rob,

Curtainsides indeed do haul a pretty wide variety of products.

They tend to be a little hard to pull with all of the parasite drag

of a relatively loose curtain. And the curtains frequently require attention.

But, as mentioned, almost anything that goes on a flat trailer can

go in a curtainside. And the ability to secure the load then lower and

secure the curtain is a real benefit.

In fact, a step deck with a curtain kit makes a pretty good antique truck hauler.

We have used them to take delivery of all sorts of building products. We see them

loaded with metal products and steel stock as well.

All of our hardwood comes to us in soft-sides from people like Rex Lumber and

Thruway Hardwoods.

Siding products from Erie Materials often come on a curtainside with a truck mounted

forklift on the tail.

If you look around, I think there are a lot of soft-sided trailers on the road.

They really are pretty handy.

Paul VS

You guys are nuts!!

There's three reasons I don't live in Florida -

Sharks, Gators and Snakes.

Now I'm adding Australia to the list of bad places.

Paul Van Scott

You're right - neat video.

I wonder who the first person was who decided to try the crossing?

Jim,

Obviously you have a real eye for the right details.

The tailights look great, the box looks great, and now the

visor looks like it belongs too.

The curved style fits the cab real well.

Any info on making one would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul Van Scott

Willy,

This has been an ongoing discussion here for several years.

Look into the old forums, and you will find a lot of information

about retro-fitting a turbocharger to your NA 673.

The general consensus is that the engines were not set-up to

accept a retro-fit turbo, but in some instances there have been successful

installations. (There have been plenty of meltdowns too)

The early turbocharged 673 engines may not have had the oil cooled pistons,

and were also limited in their rated power (205 hp, I think).

The later units were rated up to 250 hp, and had the oil cooled pistons and

other modifications to handle the charge air pressure.

Regardless - the engine is not a good basis for a hot-rod motor.

If you can go back and buy the whole E-7 engine, it might be a better starting point!

Actually, by the time you are done with the retro-fit, if it's done properly you will have spent

a small pile of money and a big pile of time.

You might consider purchasing an early Maxidyne 237, 250 or 285 hp, and probably will be much better off.

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news - but the retro-fit turbo route is a tough path to be on.

Paul Van Scott

Jim,

Wouild consider building more sunvisors?

That one looks great.

Might provide a little revenue to supplement

your project.

I know I'd take one if they can be done reasonably.

Paul Van Scott

Tony,

I'll have to take a look at the exhaust manifolds.

I never noticed the difference between the H and B models.

Have both apart and visible in the shop.

The decision to start with the simple brake parts is smart.

As for the brake chamber - I usually rebuild mine, unless I'm updating

the truck to new spring brake chambers. So many new parts say

"Made in China" on them that I try to use old stuff whenever possible!

Paul Van Scott

Tony,

Just like the others have said - start by getting the drums off

and greasing up all of the moving parts.

That gives you a chance to check over the drums and linings too.

I would also take the activator chambers apart to look for broken springs.

The only issue here is that you could inadvertantly damage a bladder

in the can. They'll be old and perhaps dried out, and easy to damage.

They are easy to get and to replace though.

The spring in the chamber is to help return the brake to an "off" position,

if it's broken or damaged it will cause a dragging brake.

One other little item to check is the quick release air valve. Take a look at

the Bendix Air Brake booklet, available at Bendix' web site. It has a simple

diagram of a typical tractor/trailer air system, and identifies the QR valve's

location in the system. The valve could be plugged or damaged, and will cause

the brakes to delay on release.

Hey man - at least it runs!! What else did you expect?

Paul Van Scott

Thanks for the suggestions everybody.

Steve - you are right, I think the "Red Baby" is the right cab style.

There was the exact right truck for sale in Wheels of Time a while ago,

and it wasn't a lot of money. Hindsight's 20/20!

I'll get out my old issues and try to find it. Seems like the photo showed it

sitting with the front end down on the ground and front wheels off.

Paul Van Scott

Here's a question for everyone out there -

I am looking for what I believe is an International Speed Truck,

or perhaps the next heavier truck from the early to mid 20's.

A "Six Speed" model might work, if it is early enough.

I have been all over the Internet and found nothing of any real

value. At least I haven't found any good information.

This has been a pet project of mine for some time. I have a small

collection of Buddy-L tin toy trucks from the 20's that were given to me

when I was very young. They are modeled from the IH truck, and they are

all in original, unrestored condition.

I would like to locate a full size truck to restore and display with the toy

trucks.

Any ideas or leads would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul Van Scott

The engine ID game was great.

I'll try the other games.

I've forgotted how nice the 409/348 Chevys looked.

Thanks Kevin.

Paul Van Scott

Good Morning,

Can you tell us where the trucks are located?

And a description of each.

Photos might help too.

We're loaded with opinions and free advice - and glad to help!

Welcome to our site.

Paul Van Scott

This is pretty good!

Thanks,

PVS

Don't forget that you don't have an overabundance

of horsepower to work with.

Raising the final drive ratio will take away from the

low end pulling power.

A fifth wheel camper is normally not too heavy,

but a ratio with a numerical value less than about

4.11:1 is just asking for trouble.

For road speed, a ratio of about 4.28 with an overdrive

transmission would be a good choice. The truck would

still have reasonable low end power, and road speed

that would at least keep you out of everyone's way.

These trucks were not hot rods.

No matter what you do, modifying the gear ratio to

raise the top end speed will take precious pulling power

out of the bottom end. For that reason, and for keeping the

driveshaft speed down to a dull roar, an overdrive transmission

is a great choice.

An overdrive Allison should be available. Not cheap - but available.

It is really nice if you can make about 65 mph at about 1,600 to 1,800 rpm.

Don't worry about the top end, as you probably won't want to twist the engine

that high for hours on end anyway. Especially if you're buying the go juice.

To do the calculations quickly, there a number of final drive gear ratio

calculators available on the internet.

Keep us posted.

Paul Van Scott

If you have the build sheet for the truck, the process is

fairly simple at any Mack dealer to track down the

required spindle from the arrangement number.

There are probably several spindles that were used

in the 20,000# axle assemblies that were available from Mack.

And there was indeed more than one.

The truck is new enough, that if you do not have the info -

Mack may have it in their records. They should be able to

track the information with the truck serial number.

If not - the museum will have everything you need,

but you will have to wait for the information.

Trying to get parts like this from an outside source without the

part number or the arrangement number is a little risky in that

you may not get what you need. And, as with most used parts,

once you buy it - you own it!

Hope this helps.

Paul Van Scott

Danny,

Great video. And a beautiful old A-Car.

What is your association to Malbro's?

I'm just curious. It's a great way to gain experience

when you can start young and see it all first-hand.

I was a resident pest to my Uncle who is also in the specialized

heavy haul business. Now I'm a lot older - and an expert pest!!

They still don't let me play with sharp tools.

Welcome to our site.

Paul Van Scott

Tony,

As soon as you can, get together a list of the really good

restaurants in your neighborhood.

They make really good "spousal peacemakers".

You will need them from time to time throughout this

project!!

Paul Van Scott