Jump to content

vanscottbuilders

Pedigreed Bulldog
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    921

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by vanscottbuilders

  1. vanscottbuilders
    B-67 Update:
    The frame is leveled and squared upside down on stands in the middle of
    the shop floor.
    The front springs and axle are bolted in place.
    The rear air suspension cross member is in place, and the removeable parts are all
    sandblasted and epoxy primed to match the frame and axles.
    Rear spring hangers are going in, and the rear springs are next.
    The cab is almost back in one piece. The donor roof and back panel are all
    blasted and primed and fit in place. I should be welding tomorrow.
    I saw a color on the cover of "Classic Trucks" magazine this month. It's a street rod
    magazine. Anyway the color is a DuPont sage green on a late 40's Ford F-1. It might look real
    good on a B Mack. especially with a red frame and running gear.
    I'm having a little trouble with my original choice of red with black running gear (the factory original combo).
    Seems everybody has the red color.
    Red is the color of my company trucks, although lately my own work vehicles have been white or gray.
    So - I'm looking around.
    Pretty good week, all in all.
    PVS
  2. vanscottbuilders
    Another week gone by too fast. Seems to be a pattern.
    Anyway, we are reviewing all of our building options, including taking a long term lease on the
    new space available to us where we are currently located. There are some real advantages there - we get
    free use of the huge paint bay, the sand blast facility and whatever help we might need for
    assistance and specialized shop equipment. The complex is basically the home of Pooler Enterprises,
    which is a huge excavating and site development company.
    Their heavy equipment shop is right next door. The guys love our old trucks. (or they think we're really nuts!)
    And these guys are excellent mechanics, so it has worked out really well.
    The expanding business that wants our current space is a tenant of Pooler's in the complex.
    I am also doing all of my homework on what type of building would be best, and how would we
    configure the structure, if we were to go forward with building plans. I looked at several parcels
    of land this week. It's a good time to buy land here right now, with the depressed real estate market.
    The 2000 Peterbilt 379 that wouldn't leave finally did leave late last night. So my Mack can spread out again,
    all over the shop floor. I should be able to get some fresh photos this week. And I guess I need to change
    my avatar on the forums, as the truck in the picture no longer belongs to me.
    Like the man says - Nothing but Fun!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. vanscottbuilders
    Cab surgery doing quite well.
    Cut off the bottom 3" of the back panel that I am using and welded in new
    metal. rather than try to make the hundred or so rivet holes from the original look good.
    Pretty neat fix, if I do say so myself.
    Got both of the knee action shock absorbers working nice today, so I can rehang the
    front axle starting tomorrow. Then the radiator support frame, steering column and clutch linkage.
    Soon I'll be blowing black smoke all over Tom's Peterbilt when I scream past! (As long as he's asleep by
    the side of the road.)
  6. 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.
  7. vanscottbuilders
    I stopped in to the truck shop today. I was pretty well prepared to see the roof of my B-67 cab cut apart,
    having gotten a phone message from my welder/body man the other day.
    But - what I found was my old cab with no roof at all, no cab back panel and no windshield posts!
    Holy smokes - the shock set in big time.
    Even though I got a really good donor cab roof and concave back panel from Kevin All. And I've known this had to happen.
    I took some pictures for posting ASAP.
    Anyway, after my heart rate went back down a little, I looked it all over and thought about it.
    This was the right thing to do, if I wanted to correct the old jacknife damage and get rid of the rusty roof corner and
    back window opening. All of the cuts are at the factory seams, and should not show at all when we're done.
    The cuts are all done with Zip-wheels so they are real neat and straight. And the welder's work is excellent.
    It sure does look pretty serious when you look at it from behind with no back or roof. Just the doors, cowl and
    floorboards all bolted down to the rolling cart. By far the most serious body surgery I've ever been through on
    one of my projects. And I'm sure the end result will be fine. (I hope)
    I'm just way too old for this kind of excitement!
  8. vanscottbuilders

    New Possibility

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Driving home from an appointment this morning in Pultneyville
    I spotted a very straight and solid looking B-61 tandem axle flatbed
    parked in a row of the farm's fruit hauling trucks and old tractors.
    Occurred to me that I have seen it there for a number of years.
    Just never thought about it before, I guess.
    So - I'll have to go and introduce myself .................
    We'll see what happens.
    PVS
  9. vanscottbuilders
    Top that title Tom!
    Anyway, Joe asked how the B-67 was progressing.
    The answer is quite well, Thanks.
    We have the ACE air ride crossmember in hand. Nice piece of equipment.
    And we have the new springs back from the shop.
    The rear axle is completely rebuilt except for one pair of pesky brake shoes, which the relining
    company now is refusing to do, although I paid for them. So I'm doing those myself.
    The engine has to be looked over by a local retired master mechanic, along with the transmission
    of choice. I believe that both are good, healthy pieces of equipment.
    The frame, axles and suspension reassembly is underway. Should be rolling within 30 days.
    Then we will plumb and wire the chassis, before setting the engine & transmission in place.
    No progress on the cab surgery, although I now have a Plan A and a Plan B.
    So all in all things are moving along pretty well Joe.
    Thanks for asking. How are the kids?
    Paul VS
  10. 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
  11. vanscottbuilders

    More Parts

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Got a call from Yellow Freight today.
    My air ride crossmember is here from A.C.E. in California.
    Now I'm really getting excited.
    I got the springs back last week. The rear end is still waiting for one pair of relined brake shoes, then it's done.
    The frame, front axle, radiator supports, transmission and mounts, and fuel tanks, brackets and hangers are all sandblasted and epoxy primed.
    Still need to blast and prime the rear end.
    I'll reassemble, plumb and wire, and re-fit and align everything, then disassemble it all for final painting.
    When the frame is done and the engine and transmission are in place, I will start on the final cab work.
    Got a few ideas for noise and sound attenuation. Like spray-on ceramic insulation. (LizardSkin) Got the idea from the experimental airplane people.
    With the engine half in the cab - this B-67 needs all the help with noise and heat it can get.
    The bank account is getting worked over pretty good. So I've got to quit spending money and go to work on the old girl.
    So far I'm real happy with all of the parts and services I've gotten.
    (Except maybe that pair of brake shoes, which are on their third attempt at relining).
    Time to get Dirty!
  12. vanscottbuilders

    Update

    By vanscottbuilders,

    It's Tuesday night, snowy, cold and starting to look like winter - again.
    At least it feels right.
    We (my uncle & I) have been cooperating on trying to sell a late model (2000) Peterbilt 379EXHD
    tractor that the company owns. It's a big power tractor (C-16 Cat 600 hp) that Jim bought from one of the
    Owner/Operators with three trailers that he needed.
    So we have been listed on E-bay and now in the TruckPaper Online. It's amazing to me how many flakes
    there are out there. The number of calls we have gotten from people who claim to be sending a deposit, or
    "coming to New York to see the truck" is phenomenal. This truck was supposedly sold before I listed it on E-bay.
    That fell through for lack of financing. Then there was a bid on E-bay that we would have taken, and the buyer simply
    vanished! And the guy from Virginia, and the guy from Iowa, and the guy from New Jersey and on and on.....
    I guess that the world is really full of dreamers.
    So the decision was made to keep the truck - at least for now. It's a pretty nice one. And we know the entire history,
    it's a low mileage tractor and has a factory warranty on the engine. How bad can it be?
    Jim is pretty much retired, and has decided to offer his specialized heavy haul spec'd four axle Freightliner up for sale
    with a large (100t) jeep trailer and stinger assembly. That might seperate the real buyers from the wannabees.
    The people in that really specialized heavy haul business are a pretty small group, and they all know each other.
    Just figuring out how to put the whole thing together takes a pretty fair amount of experience. And maybe we won't show
    any photos of the whole rig hooked up. We'll just leave it decked up on the trailer in a pile. If you know what you're
    looking for, it won't be a problem for you to figure it out. If you don't - don't bother calling!
    Ah, I love winter - I get real sarcastic after being shut-in for a couple of days.
    Good Night All!
    Paul Van Scott
  13. vanscottbuilders

    Friday

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Friday nite, and just leaving the office for home.
    I think I finally have most of the big pieces for the reassembly of my B-67 frame and axles.
    I did go with the ACE Superide air suspension crossmember. Thought about what Tom Gannaway told me
    about making my own, but I couldn't get comfortable with pulling a loaded trailer. And he agreed that his design would need some reworking for pulling a trailer.
    The springs are being re-arched and getting new center bolts and U-bolts. and a couple of new leafs in one stack.
    And, with any luck, I will get my brake shoes back tomorrow with the third set of new linings. Hopefully with no
    cracks this time.
    The front axle got sandblasted and epoxy primed this week. The brake cans on the front axle appear to be solid and in good working order. So I think I will just replace the diaphragms and the springs, and paint them up well for protection.
    Got tires and wheels ordered this week, too.
    Going with new Goodyear G-244's on the drive axle. 12.00 x 22.5 tubeless radials. It's the tallest 22.5 tire I could find that would fit the wheels. Will need to go with 4" spacers I think, if the wheel studs are long enough. Steers are also a Goodyear tire.
    Doing the math, at a 43.5" tire height, with my original 4.28 gear ratio and the overgear, the truck should be good for about 75 mph in high gear at 2100 headed downhill. Plenty for a comfortable 65 to 70 mph highway cruise speed at about 1850 or 1900 rpm. With the duplex nine speed, rather one of the triplexes, the truck will probably be suitable only for very light loads.
    And, I guess at 45 years old, that's okay.
  14. vanscottbuilders
    It's 50 degrees here tonite. Very weird.
    Although we usually get some sort of a mid-winter thaw - it never feels quite right.
    Then there's the mud and the gray, dull weather to deal with. It might be the only time of year
    that makes me think of going somewhere else.
    All the rest of the year the weather is pretty nice - even the severe cold and snow. At least that's
    what winter is supposed to be like. And, sick as it might be, we actually like it when it's cold and snowy.
    Making progress on the rear axle for the B-67. Still waiting for two brake shoes to get back from re-lining
    for the 3rd time. Apparently bolting on brake lining blocks is a lost art.
    The good news is that the rear end and differential appear to be in perfect shape. Bearings look real good. Put in all new seals.
    Should get the engine power washed this week, and prepped for a trip to the motor doctor to get a health check-up and a
    new gasket set installed. Might need new injectors. Wouldn't surprise me after 20 years of sitting, although it runs smooth.
    And I know the fuel pump will need to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned and checked out.
    Then I will paint it and detail it, put in a new clutch, pilot bearing and throw-out bearing, resurface the flywheel and
    pressure plate. The transmission I've decided to use is a 9 speed overdrive duplex. I'll sandblast the case and get it painted
    up before I take it to the transmission doctor (Same as the motor doctor) to have the cover removed and innards checked out.
    One of the best things I have done to date was to fab up a cart with heavy casters to carry the engine and transmission.
    Sure makes life a lot easier.
    Did the same thing with the cab. Now I can move them around, and on or off a trailer by myself.
    I am really excited about getting the B-67 done. I have high hopes for using it for a lot of little jobs.
    And we got the cab up on the H-63 this week. Took some Corona and creative thinking because the cab jack doesn't work.
    And you have to be smarter than the jack anyway. Who knew they put a locking release in the tool box below the sleeper?
    Boy, are we dumb!
    Paul VS
  15. vanscottbuilders
    Two of the axle seals that I got a couple of weeks ago at Mack are wrong. By a lot!
    That's what I get for cheating everybody out of their Christmas presents so I could buy truck parts.
    So I took one of the originals to FleetPride to match them up. In about five minutes I had the right parts.
    Good lesson learned. It's a 60 mile round trip at $3.30/gal. for the gas.
    Now I open all the boxes before I go home to be sure the parts at least look right.
    This old stuff is a little tricky - with different assemblies available when they were new, and new parts numbers
    replacing the old numbers, and parts guys who weren't even born when the trucks were new!
    Anyway, I got started on the front axle this week, and am continuing on the rear axle.
    Next step is to get the frame back on wheels!
    Looks like the trickiest part of the whole deal will be reassembling the darn clutch linkage. I have removed the entire pedal
    assembly and linkage from the frame - and do you think I can remember how it goes back together?
    Not a clue.
  16. vanscottbuilders
    Got a big scare this week - Food related. I take that very seriously.
    After buying my wife a new septic system for Christmas (when you need one, it's a very romantic gift), apparently the plumber needed to move my freezer in the basement in order to connect the new waste line. Anyway, the freezer did not survive the move. So, after discovering water running out the bottom of it, I needed to find some borrowed freezer room fast for an entire year's supply of beef, venison and a couple of turkeys. At least it was cold enough outside to box up some of it to store overnight. Glad the yard is fenced to slow down the meat eating varmints.
    Fortunately I didn't lose anyuthing.
    Spent some time this week working on a cedar strip canoe that I started building about nine years ago for my wife. She no longer believes me when I say that the best things in life are worth waiting for. So I better get it done. Besides I could use the shop space.
    I think I will build a temporary spray booth in that shop section to paint the B-67 cab and sheet metal.
    We have used booths like this for years at work to finish large cabinets both in the shop and on jobsites. Nothing very revolutionary about this technology.
    We simply build four wall frames and a ceiling frame from 2x2 lumber and cover them with clear poly. Usually the room size is about 10 x 10 x 8' high. But it can be any size you need. In this case, I will probably make it 10' high and reuse it for the H-63 (Cherry Picker) cab.
    A plastic covered door frame goes in one wall for entry. A 16" x 24" air inlet is framed in one wall with a standard furnace filter cleaning the inbound air, and an exhaust fan drawing the fumes out of the opposite wall. Finally, we duct the fumes out a shop window, if we can. Taped together cardboard boxes can make a pretty good fume duct. We use an explosion proof shop fan unit, but I'm told that almost anything will work, if you filter the outbound air, too.
    I just don't like the prospect of a loud boom with me in the middle of it! Already lost enough hair, no need to burn off what's left.
    The wall panels are held together with old interior door hinges and hinge pins for easy assembly and disassembly, and we set the booth up around whatever is to be painted. The ceiling framing is strong enough to hang fenders and doors from, which makes painting them a lot easier.
    Usually a piece of poly serves as the floor, too.
    The booth cuts down on any dust, flies and bugs in the paint, and allows work to continue elsewhere in the shop while the painting is in progress. And the booth provides an ideal drying room, because it is sealed up pretty well. Just close the door and walk away. When the painting project is done, just take the panels apart and find a place to store them until needed again. (We usually hang ours flat from a tall shop ceiling, so they are out of the way)
    If you spend $20.00 on the booth, you spent too much. Just don't skimp on the fan.
    That's my contribution this week to "How To Restore Your Old Truck on a Shoestring" .
  17. vanscottbuilders
    Not to sound greedy or anything - but I picked up all of my seals and bushings, and my brake shoes with new linings on Friday.
    Before I did any Christmas shopping for anyone else. My own Christmas gift to myself. Pretty nice.
    If Kathy knew.... Oh boy I don't even want to think about that.
    Hopefully the rear axle will be ready to install by the end of the week.
    I do have to take two brake shoes back in for relining - they had several small cracks in the new linings.
    It shouldn't be any real issue. I just hope the mice haven't corroded the two shoes so badly that they can't be relined.
    Now I'm glad I didn't do them myself.
    Dennis, my friend and partner in the H-63 has been cleaning and rubbing the old cabover - it looks 100% better.
    He painted the front bumper, too. The thinking was too see what the old girl looked like under all of the mold and
    dirt. We're real happy.
    It will be a while before we bring that truck into the restoration shop - so we have it in Dennis' barn. While we are waiting for
    my B-67 to roll out, we can get a good idea of what parts we might need for the H-63, and work on finding them.
    The cab parts are what concern me. Not too many old H cabs to get parts from. Fortunately, this one is very complete.
    My New Year's goal is to get my B-67 done, and the H-63 rolling so it can go on a trailer and get them both to Watts Mack's event
    in September. Might even bring the old R-600, too.
    Actually I have been thinking seriously about putting the R model to work with a short drop deck flat trailer, and perhaps a 28' pup trailer.
    It runs like a sewing machine with only 196,000 original miles. With paint and some body work, it would look real nice.
    There appears to be a ready market for a cheap, small, local carrier in our area. Everyone seems to have forgotten single axle
    equipment. One less set of four tires, one less set of brakes, plus the efficiency of the old Mack diesel. Not to mention the maneuverability.
    And I have two more unfair advantages:
    #1) Retired truck drivers. We have numerous friends who drove for a living, and now want to work for fun. These guys are careful,
    professional and personable. And Cheap! And their wives want them out from under their feet. It should work well.
    #2) No truck payments. It's hard to beat no payment book!
    The business is probably in moving ATM machines for the banks, moving equipment for machine shops (lathes and milling machines etc.),
    perhaps moving tractors and small equipment for the dealers and rental companies, and moving cabinets and lumber for our own building business.
    There are numerous manufacturers and machine shops in our area, as well as shops that recondition milling equipment.
    I think it's worth a try.
    Even if the old girl could make enough to cover her costs, so that I had a free haul truck for my own stuff, it would be worth it to me.
    Anyway, enough rambling for one night.
    Merry Christmas everyone!
    Paul VS
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. vanscottbuilders
    I got to rambling on one of the BMT forums tonite - and it occurred to me that forum probably was not the place to ramble.
    I'm not a very active political rabble-rouser, but day by day I am becoming more concerned and more confused with where we are going as a country.
    Every single person in this country has to be committed to some small change in thinking. It's not even very drastic.
    Our total dependency on foreign oil, regardless of the price, is completely fixable. We have to reduce our oil consumption by about 50%.
    Some ideas: Think about your driving habits. Could you take more than one person to the same place? Could you combine the errands into one trip?
    Could the kids ride bicycles to school activities? etc, etc. It would be hard to believe that every person couldn't make some real savings without adversely affecting their lives. You have to come to grips with the fact that this is your problem. Blaming someone else does not make it go away. But working together makes the problem go away quite easily.
    Alternate fuels have a real future, particularly as fuel prices rise. Research and development costs become more feasable.
    Bio-diesel has some promise, as does ethanol. Both are good for the American farmer, too. Hydrogen has shown some real progress. The GM hydrogen vehicle research center is local to me, so I watch and read the local news on their progress.
    Just as important as the oil situation is the rampant buying of cheap Chinese junk. And it is almost all just cheap junk. Certainly not necessary to our everyday life. Yet we can't seem to get enough of it!
    Indeed, as a society, we seem caught up with buying the cheapest stuff we can find. I see it every day in our business. Hard to believe the things that people will do to achieve the "look of success" and cut all the important corners for a well built home. Their normal response to my question is "we are only going to be here for five years or less." I cannot get my arms around that attitude.
    Short story: I like to buy Filson outer wear. It's made in the USA, and very heavy duty. It's expensive, no question. Several years ago I had my first Filson work jacket. I'm hard on jackets and pants - real hard. Anyway after about two years the sleeves and bottom of the jacket began to fray and show wear.
    That wasn't right, so I took it back to the little store where I got it. Walk-in and surprise - the owner knows my name! Try that at WalMart. I explain the problem, he gets on the phone while I'm standing there, has a short conversation with Filson and hangs up the phone. He walks over to his rack, selects a new jacket just like mine and hands it to me. He says "Filson wants you to have this, no charge. Your jacket should not be showing wear yet, no matter how rough you are." Now - I challenge you - TRY THAT AT WALMART. Yes this is a $150.00 work jacket, but I only need one, and it will last longer than three cheap ones. In fact that replacement coat is now five years old, and going strong. Did I pay too much. I think not. And Americans worked to make the coat.
    Meanwhile we are concerned with the massive influx of Mexican and Central American illegal immigrants. Face it - why shouldn't they come here? We don't want to do the work that they do ourselves - we might get our lily white hands dirty. Or worse - we might not make a huge wage doing those menial jobs.
    And God forbid that perhaps someone collecting welfare might have a job opportunity. It's just easier to stay home on the couch.
    So we give the immigrants benefits, take in their children as citizens and make it easier and easier for those people to simply ignore the system. That's not right, and we have only ourselves to blame. Let's look at the system and figure out why these people choose to ignore it.
    Let's not forget, many of our own families all came from elsewhere to work here for a better life. The only thing different is that they did not ignore the rules. In fact they were proud to follow the rules. Seems like this is a fixable problem, without having to build a fence on a river!
    If we can all make an effort and a commitment to a change in our thinking, we can rebuild our country to greatness, and we can live very happy and free lives. If, however, we continue to simply blame others for our troubles, we will continue to get weaker and weaker.
    We will probably suffer through a recession over the next couple of years. I'm no economist and I don't really know what that means, but it doesn't have a real nice ring to it.
    The solution is with every one of us as a united country.
    How's that for rambling?
    Paul Van Scott
  21. vanscottbuilders
    Took delivery today of the H-63.
    Always nice to get a new toy!
    The only damper on this whole deal was that the engine turned out to have a bad rod bearing, and a pretty blued rod end.
    The transmission is questionable, but we are not too concerned. Kevin All (AllMacks) has been great to deal with, and he assures me that if the transmission is not good, he will exchange it for one of his other ones.
    Not too bad for a truck that was purchased "as is, where is".
    We do have a spare 673 in good running order out of Jaime Samuell's B-61 that was exchanged for bigger power.
    The rest of the truck is really solid and straight and very complete.
    We are still waiting for feedback from the Mack Museum. They apparently have a pretty good backlog, which is encouraging. Must be a lot of projects under way.
    Our ultimate goal for the truck is to go with a red cab and black fenders. Very similer to the Carolina Freight H-63 that you see on the various photo pages and East Coast shows.
  22. vanscottbuilders
    Well the holiday is past us.
    A little bit fatter, but I was able to take four days off. Nice.
    I also got my wiring harness for the B-67 this week, too.
    After all the discussion about just softening the spring stack up on the rear axle,
    I have been convinced to revisit the air ride idea for the B-67.
    I'm thinking of either building my own system, ala "Tom Gannaway", or buying an
    A.C.E. Superide pre-made crossmember and bags. In any case, the intent is to
    use the original rear end. Both of these air ride ideas use the original spring stack with the
    stock saddles and front hangers, so modification is kept to a minimum.
    And a new little twist - I am looking for an inexpensive step deck trailer. Cheap enough to be a toy.
    I would prefer something around 40 to 45' by 96" wide. Thinking that might help the price, because most active
    carriers are looking for 50' or longer, and 102" wide.
    Ideally it would have a flat deck over 17.5" rubber, to get the lowest possible deck height.
    It can be old and needing work. Just not completely rusted out.
    As the fleet of old and tired iron has grown, my little Eager Beaver lowboy has become a little too awkward to use regularly for moving trucks,
    what with climbing the ramps then going over the tandems and down into the well.
    And, best of all - I have a committed buyer for the lowboy at its' asking price!
    Please keep your eyes open.
    Thanks,
    Paul VS
  23. 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.
  24. vanscottbuilders

    Catching Up

    By vanscottbuilders,

    Finally ordered my new wiring harness for the B-67.
    Working on my shopping list of plumbing and air valves for the brakes.
    Hopefully I will be underway with frame plumbing and wiring in the next week or so.
    Still waiting for my rear axle to come back with the higher gear ratio. That's what I get for telling
    the mechanic that "I'm not in any real hurry"!
    I guess that what I'm going to do is fit everything on the primed frame, then disassemble it for painting.
    Hopefully it will look pretty good that way.
    The concave back window opening is a pretty rusty and dog earred, and the cab corner where the exhaust bolts
    is pretty well shot from rust and the vibration. So, after more time thinking about, I have gotten a really nice concave
    cab back panel and a nice roof for a transplant. Given my lack of welding skills and the high visibility of the repair -
    I won't be doing this myself. I know better!
    Going with a frame mounted exhaust stack, so the cab corner will really show.
    Paul VS
  25. vanscottbuilders
    Had my old R-600 out for a ride yesterday.
    Nice old truck and runs so sweet.
    I just went to the gravel quarry where I keep the old girl to check the anti-freeze
    and I ended up starting and running the truck up to temperature, then driving it around for a while,
    then looking it all over for the hundredth time. Before I knew it, the afternoon was gone.
    Not a bad way to spend a day.
    My old lowboy trailer is loaded full with parts from the shop that I don't need right away, things like old wheels & tires,
    rear end and front axle, air suspension with frame cut-off etc.
    So I couldn't hook it up to take the tour around the pit. Too bad - it would have liked the ride too.
    On another note - I set the B-67 cab on the frame to check for fit, and to make me feel better about a little progress.
    Looks really nice sitting up there!
    Just ordered air line material and brake valves for it, and need to order a wiring harness ASAP.
    The rear end rebuild and ratio change is underway and all the springs are going to a spring shop for repairs
    and modifications. Real glad I cut the rear U-bolts - I found one stack almost completely broken. No sign of any
    damage while the stack was all together. Front springs look brand new. And the front spring rubbers - which look impossible
    to find, and expensive, just happen to look brand new too.
    Sheet metal work should be complete in the next couple of weeks and reassembly is in full swing.
    I have Picasa from Google on my computers for photo management. Does anyone know how to get the photos from there to BMT?
    I, being a computer illiterate person, have not been able to figure it out.
    Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out.

BigMackTrucks.com

BigMackTrucks.com is a support forum for antique, classic and modern Mack Trucks! The forum is owned and maintained by Watt's Truck Center, Inc. an independent, full service Mack dealer. The forums are not affiliated with Mack Trucks, Inc.

Our Vendors and Advertisers

Thank you for your support!

Mack Related Links

Popular links

BMT Forum Logo

HTML tutorial
×
×
  • Create New...