vanscottbuilders

Dave, This is an excellent article, Thank You. And the link works fine. This article confirms most of the information that I have found in bits and pieces over the past couple of years. Interesting to me that the biodiesel in a fairly low percentage mix may provide the upper cylinder and fuel system lubricity for our older diesels. However, in higher percentage mixes, it could cause rubber seal failures in the older fuel systems. There is some real concern about the use of ULSD fuel with regard to the "dry" characteristics of the blend, and the resultant lack of lubricating ability. I think it's worth more research and actual testing of bio-fuel. I'm going on the hunt to find some locally. There are at least a handful of companies here in Rochester using at least some blend of biodiesel now. YOU HEARD IT HERE AMERICA - EAT MORE FRENCH FRIES !! Paul Van Scott

GO WILLY !! Personally I think he'd make a great president. Anyway - I have heard a lot of pros and cons about biodiesel. It is probably becoming more of a practical reality as the technology for production improves. And supporting our own ag-industry is a lot healthier than buying oil from people who want to kill us. Does anyone have any good information about the use of bio-fuel with regard to seals and gaskets? Any info about performance and cold weather care would be good. (Vegetable oils gel at a fairly high temperature) Is a percentage mix like B-20 or B-50 better, or can 100% bio-fuel be used? If not - why not? There seem to be a lot of rumors and stories floating about the use of a new fuel. And while we are on the subject - how about information as to proper additives for today's low-sulpher diesel in our antique engines? Does anyone have a recommendation? I think this is important stuff for all of us to hear. Barry - we might cnsider morphing this topic into a separate forum. Thanks in advance. Paul Van Scott

I looked at this ad myself, and thought it looked pretty good. In general I agree with the question "what is it worth to you?" Although there are still cheap or "free" trucks out there - complete basket cases are worth $2,000 or more, and they usually don't run. And this is no basket case, according to the photos. Depending on how you would use the truck, you might be able to leave it "as is". If you will be satisfied with the truck the way that it is - then it may be a good buy. And you can probably have a lot of fun with it, without a lot of financial risk. If this is a good solid, straight and healthy B61, I would think that $6,000.00 might be a fair price. Especially if you are close to Boston. Getting it home, if you are a long ways away, can be expensive. Good Luck, Paul Van Scott

Spent today on a new John Deere 650 bulldozer. Anybody who knows me also knows that I am not allowed near equipment or sharp tools. So it was the first time in over 30 years that I have been on a bulldozer. Evolution is a great thing. Just two little hand controls. Amazing! The last machine I spent time on you steered with two big levers and used your third and fourth hands to change direction and run the blade. Then you had the foot controls to keep your feet busy. And after about an hour you were exhausted. Anyway - I can't carry a grade any better today than I could then, but it was great fun.

Some things never change: One step forward - Two steps back! When I took my B67 apart, the only two things that broke were the swivel fittings on the air lines where they come thru the frame at the front axle Do you still have the copper air lines in your B?

Rob, My guess is that a sliding tandem axle air ride unit from a low step deck might be the same as what you are looking for. Most often the step decks are spread axles, but some, particularly the hinged tail trailers, do have sliding tandems. Also, I think this set-up is used on the Landoll sliding axle trailers. Might be rare to find one used, though. It probably would not be hard to fabricate the air ride, if you had a spring suspension tandem trailer axle set set and some air ride parts. One bit of concern - the tubeless 17.5" tires commonly used on the low ride axles very rarely make it to "worn-out". These tires do not seem to last very long. And they can be expensive. For whatever reason, the 15" tires seem to do better. You might want to ask around about this, to confirm. I'll keep my eyes open. Paul Van Scott

Robin, Parts for the 673 engines are getting harder and harder to find. Did you try Matt Pfahl? Chances are good that if he does not have the liners, he will know where to find them. Paul Van Scott

Just got home from a week of work in Wayne County, Pa. (Northeast Pa.along the Delaware River) It's a pretty rural area, and still enjoys a lot of small logging companies, excavating contractors and dump truck operators. Guess what they use? I saw more active older B & R model Macks being used every day than I have seen in years. There was a beauty of a single axle R600 going by our jobsite several times each day loaded right to the boards with topsoil. You couild hear it coming from miles away as it growled up the hills and around the curves. Very cool! At another time, I saw a pretty battered B model single wrecker with a very new and disabled import car in tow. Seemed like a little sweet justice! Several loggers in the area are still using old R models every day - and the old dogs are still earning their keep. A pretty enjoyable week! And I delivered my old Willys to its' new master last weekend. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Hi Morgan, That looks like a nice Pete! We are still waiting for answers on loads to the state of Oregon. I will keep you posted. Any chance you might load us home from Indiana? Paul Van Scott

Barry, This sounds like a fun event. Have you posted to the ATHS guys yet? I know there are some Mack guys there that may not be on our forums. If all goes well I will have my R600 ready, and maybe the world's longest B67 project done in time. We'll see. Thanks, Paul Van Scott

It appears that my old Willys pickup sold on E-Bay today. And I think it brought fair money. After a couple of weeks of people coming to look and drive, and people calling and e-mailing for information, I think the truck sold for what it is worth. Nice process and nice experience so far.

Learning to drive a truck tranny just takes time/patience/smoothness. Can't jam it along like a car. It has to be worked like a walking on eggs. I learned on my truck on the way home from buying it. Still "grind" a gear on occasion(nobody is perfect). Just have to live/learn. You have gotten some excellent information in this discussion. I would like to add that some of your confusion about shift points is the difference from a gasoline engine to a diesel. The heavy truck diesels operate in a relatively small power band. Say from 1,200 rpm to 2,000 rpm. By contrast your gas motor might make adequate power from 850 rpm to 3,000 or more, depending on what it is. Don't forget - the diesel is making huge torque in that narrow power band. And each shift is made at essentially the same point on the tach, unlike the gas trucks. Learning a diesel truck, as Freightrain said, is pretty easy. Simply a matter of running the tach up to about 2,000, lift your foot gently and ease the shifter to the next appropriate position. It is easily accomplished with your left foot planted firmly on the floor. In fact it is easier than trying to clutch for each shift. Done properly you shouldn't be scratching or worse, grinding any gears. You can feel the next gear, and the transmission will let you know when to drop the lever in place. Maybe a little blip of throttle to help smooth the process once in a while. With no synchronization, the clutch probably won't help a lot, if you miss, anyway. If Freightrain was clutching each shift in those videos, he would be walking in very small circles because his left leg would four times as big as his right. As everyone here has said - straight cut gears with no synchros are a different animal than your light truck synchronized transmissions, and for good reasons. We are dealing with torque numbers unlike any gas motor produces. Trying to get a super low 1st gear and a super high final gear is really asking a lot from these old trucks, too. The TRD 2070 transmission does go a long way toward this goal. So the moral of the story is - get in the truck and have fun! Paul Van Scott

Well it's another very nice day here in Upstate New York. This is a great time of year for us, as I have said before. My experience with E-Bay so far has been excellent. Several people from further away than I would have imagined have been here to see and drive the old Willys. And a lot of people have asked good questions on E-Bay about the truck. The auction ends tomorrow about noon EST, and I am getting anxious. This money will fund the completion of my B67 and the lowboy trailer I intend to use behind it. Speaking of the B67 - I have started re-assembly, finally. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will. The frame and all attached parts are sandblasted and primed with epoxy. The cab has new floors and door sills. The rear axle was delivered to a friend's shop for conversion to a 4.28 final ratio and a general re-build and check-up. I am going with all new shoes and drums, and all new studs in the wheels. New tubeless rims and radials will complete the rolling picture. The plan has been to convert to an air suspension, but now, at the eleventh hour, I am thinking of taking out some of the rear leafs and staying with springs. It's a whole lot easier than fabricating up new saddles and hanging new, non-stock, brackets and plumbing for the air. Reality is setting in - just how much do I really think this is going to be used, anyway? The next big purchase will be a wiring harness from Top-O-Hill. It's getting exciting.

Is it unusually slow? Or is it pretty normal for this time of year? The E-bay experience has been good - even though I still own the truck! There have been several people from as far as 6 or 7 hours away who have driven here to see and drive the old Willys, so that's encouraging. On another note - it looks like I am going to update and renovate my R-600 and the lowboy trailer that came with it. The plan is to license them in our building business and use the unit to move small and light loads like ATM machines or Davenport milling machines for local companies. I'm pretty excited about developing business for this single axle tractor. I think the demand could be fairly high for a reasonably priced small load truck service. I like my new Watts Mack hat and shirt! Paul VS

There is a dealer in Cecil, Pa. who has several R Macks for sale on E-Bay. These trucks look to be fairly priced and pretty decent for anyone who might be interested. I still think that there is a fair business to be had for someone who specializes in reconditioning and guaranteeing these vehicles on the used truck market. We have some inquiries for trucking loads to various parts of the country - so I will post truck availability for moving antiques or parts as we get confirmations.

Just an update - I listed my 1959 Willys for sale on E-Bay this week. 1st time for me trying E-Bay. Nice experience. What a great way to advertise your stuff. The truck did not sell, but I think it was my fault. I put the reserve too much above the starting bid. In the end, though, I think the truck will sell to one of the two high bidders with a negotiated sale. And if it doesn't sell - I will use it as ground transportation at the truck shows next summer. Got my prize package from Barry today - free stuff is always good.

So - Barry, Who wins?

Noticed last night that there seems to be a large number of B model Macks on E-bay. Has everybody kept up with that? Looks like some pretty nice stuff.

Nice day here in Upstate NY. This is a good time of year for us. Just got the news that one of the tracks on a rented Fiat Allis dozer just beat the tractor to the dirt pile. That's not usually too good. Apparently the chain broke. Turns out the owner knew it was worn badly - and just hoped it might work for another day. Cheap So and So. So, before I go out to the job and lose my cool - I thought I would relax and post another blog entry. It's hard to get too mad at my operator. Fred is a retired union operator with more experience than I can even imagine. And he is as trustworthy as the day is long. The machine, on the other hand, probably shouldn't have been rented at all. And I can't say anything too nice about the owner right now. I've leased a new tractor for Tuesday, and life goes on.

If all of the batteries are good and all of the cables are good, and you know it - the series parallel switch would be next on the hit parade of things to look at. It gets a bad rap sometimes, and actually does not fail all that often. Check the simple stuff 1st - like all of the connections at the starter and series switch. If the engine has sat for a long period of time, the starter may be sitting on a bad spot. Can you push the truck to start it? My initial guess is that one of the batteries is weak - and for some unknown reason, that will foul up the whole starting process. My second guess is that one of the cables or connections is bad. If the truck has been sitting for any length of time, you might make sure that the engine and fuel distribution rack are free before you start it up. Also be sure that the rack returns to a closed position, so the engine will shut down properly without danger of over revving. Contact B61Fred, or Rob, or Fuzzy Buzzard on this forum to get better info, but start with the simple stuff before just replacing parts. Good Luck, Paul Van Scott

I commented yesterday on the life span of a Ford Jubilee tractor, or for that matter, any of the old tractors. With proper maintenance and occasional work as needed, these pieces of equipment will run a long time. That's one of the things I like about heavy trucks. You can take almost any of the common older trucks and update it with safer brakes and plumbing, freshen up the diesel and do normal maintenance work, and it will serve you for as long as you want it to. Then you pass it on to the next owner, and it keeps on working. It is pretty unusual to find a truck that is so far gone that it cannot be saved, unless it has been parted out or wrecked. New trucks might be faster (maybe), or might be more fuel efficient (unless the electronics are acting up), and they could be more comfortable - but - they are a lot more expensive, and unless you are working it hard every day, the new truck probably can't match the financial efficiency of the old one. Recycling in the most pure form!

A while back I stumbled on a 1953 Ford Golden Jubilee tractor for sale by the side of the road. You can guess what happened next .... Anyway - the tractor turns out to have a Sherman three speed auxiliary transmission, which was a dealer installed aftermarket option. Pretty handy. My brother has my grandfather's original Jubilee. It has been used and abused by all of us for most of our lives. As kids we all learned to drive on it. Some of us did our level headed best to make it go much faster than it was ever meant to go. Now it's getting tired. So, we have decided to bring the tractor into the shop over the winter for a major restoration. The plan is to split the tractor, rebuild the engine, put in a new clutch, pressure plate & throw-out bearing, radiator, belts and hoses. The tires are pretty new, but the brakes need help. And there is a lot of other work to do. When it's all ready, we will prep it and paint it in original colors. Using these two tractors, and an Oliver HG42 crawler that I have, in the woods for firewood has been a blast. These are a real tribute to American ingenuity and engineering. The amount of work these little tractors will do is fantastic. With the rebuild complete, the Jubilee should last for the rest of our lives. Pretty amazing in a throw away world.

We got a new forklift in the truck shop today - I think it's a sign of old age. It was a nice surprise, though. I share this shop space with my uncle, and it is strictly hobby space. So the lifting equipment is really a luxury. We had a large (24' x 40' x 20' high) bridge crane installed with a 6000# hoist a while ago so heavy parts could be moved about the shop easily. But it wasn't good enough. The forklift is to move those parts not located under the crane area. Like I said - I think it's old age. We don't lift anything ourselves anymore. Anyway - I am in the process of disassembling my original 5.46 single axle rear end to rebuild it with the new 4.28 gears and carrier I got a couple of weeks back. The springs needed to come off anyway, as ithe axle will be rehung on the truck with an air ride suspension. The suspension will require some serious thinking and some fabrication before its done. I've also decided to put the B67 back together with the original Dayton hub front axle. The axle has brakes and, although I will rebuild it, it seems to be in excellent condition. I like the look of the Daytons too. The B67 is really a test bed for my B61, which will follow later. I am keeping my best parts for that truck - like my Jake brake, the fresh 711, the Budd hub front axle and some other little treasures that I have saved. Getting to this point in the restoration has been a lot of fun. Now I'm ready to start seeing some of the pile of parts fit back together.

Gus, There are a couple of options that I have learned about - and maybe more choices that I don't know about. First - the factory offered hydraulic power steering as an option, and at least one manufacturer offered a similar system (Shepherd). These systems are driven from a coupler behind the generator that drives the hydraulic pump from the generator shaft. Matt Pfahl (sp.?) will have better information on these systems. And he has parts available. The second option might not work on a 673 engine. Beginning with the 711 and early Maxidynes there was a coupling thru the air compressor that drove the hydraulic pump. I have one of these systems to try on my B67, should I decide to use my 711 engine. As I said - I don't know if this works on a 673 - it might. The 3rd option is simple - the gym. Build up your arms, and put some weight on your trailer to lighten the steer axle. These trucks do not steer hard if the front axle set up is done properly. Unless you are spending a lot of time in tight quarters, power steering is probably not really necessary. I would try Matt Pfahl, for more info. Paul Van Scott

Another Monday morning. It's pretty nice in Upstate NY this time of year - if you only look at the weather and the scenery. When you live here - you become expert in shutting out the thoughts of state taxes, hidden taxes and fees and the extremely expensive and ineffective state government. The weather and the scenery have to keep you happy, and right now they can. Anyway - I am still contemplating the used truck business, and thinking of specializing in one or two manufacturers. The R model Mack is still at the top of the list for its durability, simplicity and usefulness. This is probably a pretty good business to investigate, as I do not believe there is anyone in this area selling these trucks in a reconditioned state with warranties. There is a local collector looking at my R-600 and trailer today. Guess we'll wait and see......