vanscottbuilders

Jimmy and I are going to be in town around 5:00. Didn't know about the clam bake - we'll try to check it out. Otherwise I hope to meet up with everyone around noon at the Watt's tent. Morgan - we are dropping the truck & trailer off at Gerhart's yard, and unloading my Explorer so we have something to drive around in. We're staying at the General Sutter Inn in Lititz. See you there! Paul Van Scott

Jim, Did you use the front axle from the school bus, or did you adapt the disc brakes and hubs to the Mack axle? Any issues with whatever you did? I'm pretty envious!! Paul Van Scott

Matt Pfahl had some original swivel ends for the B model hydraulic dampers, although the heim ends work well. Spring U-bolt material in the correct diameter works really well for the link, and the spring shops can thread it for you. When you get a list of the pieces you are looking for - post them here and we will try to help you out. Good luck! Paul Van Scott

It's all in the gearing and how fast you want to go! The 350 is plenty of power - and not as expensive to maintain or overhaul as the V-8. 140,000# is a pretty healthy load for any power train, but I would think with 4.11 or so rears, and an overdrive for running when you're not that heavy, the 350 should handle the loads very well, hills or not. Think about the rear ends, too. Minimum 40,000#, and it sounds like 44,000# or heavier might be better. And springs rather than air, if you're off the road very much. Nothing like a good R Mack! Paul Van Scott

Very cool! Nice to finish up the year on top. Congratulations Larry!! Paul VS

Check with Kevin All at All Macks. (www.AllMacks.com) He's got a few sets of square fuel tanks in his inventory. The square tanks were the most common fuel tanks on the B models, so there are some around. Although leak-free examples are hard to find. Paul Van Scott

The key to metal polishing is to let the polish do the work. If the aluminum is corroded and etched bad enough to need sandpaper and abrasive buffing, those are steps that take place prior to polishing, obviously. One of the little tricks that I have seen used on diamond plate, which is a little more difficult to shine than polishing flat stock, is to use a piece of a good thick carpet. A scrap about 8" square is manageable. Almost any brand name polish is fine. Just keep rubbing. The blacker the residue, the better job you are doing. Mother's has a couple of "Powerball" foam polishing tools available for use in a cordless drill. These are a big help, although they don't last too long on the diamond plate. Polishing metal is a pretty rewarding job. The results are always good to see. But - After finishing one of Jimmy's W-900's recently - I like my all painted Macks pretty well! Paul Van Scott

The real issues with making any old truck into a usable, daily runner are pretty much manageable. 1st. Safety is the big item, with the braking system needing to be updated to a dual system with Maxi brakes. This doesn't take a lot, but really is important. And - it can keep the DOT somewhat out of your pocket! The rest of the truck needs to meet standards as well. The most suspect items are usually the suspension and steering pieces. These are really maintenance items, for any truck. But you need to be certain everything is in order - again to keep the government out of your pocket. The other safety and comfort item that comes to mind is the addition of tubeless radial rubber. The truck rides better, steers better and has overall, a safer tire and wheel combination than the multi piece rims. 2nd. Power is probably on the short side. It's strictly up to you to decide what works for you. These old trucks are usually a bit heavier than a modern, high horsepower unit. Between the weight and the slow speed, you might want to consider a power increase in the form of any one of the later Maxidyne or E-series Mack six cylinders. Then you may want to think about the transmission. Power is purely optional, as I said. It will work fine with what exists. It just may be too slow to get paid by the load. You might need hourly work! As Tom said earlier, there are still B models running, including a really nice B-61 in Rochester, NY. That fellow has been running that truck for at least forty years! And it still gets the job done. As I understand it - a few years ago, at overhaul time, he upgraded to a newer Maxidyne engine. The truck looks great, runs great and surely doesn't cost much to keep going. Your idea certainly has merit. If approached realistically, I think it will work out quite well. Paul Van Scott

Thanks Dave, I'll get on the phone tonite to the hotels suggested. Paul VS

Does anyone have a recommendation for a hotel near Lititz, Pa. that can handle large truck and trailer parking? I've never been to the Gerhardt show, but am going this year and looking forward to it. Will need a place to stay that can accept the W-900 and trailer. Thanks, Paul VS

Rod, Have you tried whitewall cleaner? It should work quite well. Paul VS

This question comes up alot on this site - If you are up in Durango, Colorado you probably need all of the extra power you can get from a turbocharger. Unfortunately using the normally aspirated Thermodyne diesel as a base isn't the way to do it. It's not designed for any boost at all, and it will self-destruct under the added stress. There were several models of factory turbocharged 673's with the necessary modifications, the latest having piston oil coolers. They work pretty well. Glenn is absolutely right - find a 237 Maxidyne for your use, and sell the 673 to finance it, if necessary. You'll be delighted with the difference. If you are using an original Mack transmission you probably don't want any more torque than the 237 will give you, or you need to treat it pretty carefully. The transmission becomes the weak link when the power goes up. Doug Fetterley says: "Drive it like you own it, and you'll be fine". He's probably right. There will be some head scratching involved in getting the clutch linkage reversed from a push type to a pull type operation, but nothing that's that difficult. 237's are getting old, and a little hard to find, but they are out there. They make almost a perfect engine for our old trucks in that they are cheap, reliable and easy to operate. Good luck with your project and keep us posted. Paul Van Scott

The mice can nest almost anywhere in the truck. I've had them in the brake drums, in the interiors, up in the dashboard. Literally almost anyplace. I just recently had an engine in the shop (an old 673P), which had set outside in the truck for years. It would run, just wouldn't rev up. I thought the fuel pump was probably all gummed up, so it was going to come apart for rebuilding. Anyway - when the valve cover was taken off the rear head, it was packed full of mouse nest! Probably gained access through a breather, but it sure surprised me. So - the moral of the story is - Be careful that you get all of the mice out of the truck. Maybe if you put yourself in a position of really needing the Irish Spring so bad that you couldn't stand yourself................ Hey - it's a thought. Paul Van Scott

You know what's interesting - There is a 400 pound Federal weight exemption for an APU that almost no one talks about! And - the industry has adopted 400# as a "standard weight" for most of the units made today. So - with an APU of 400 pounds, and the weight credit that's available, you wouldn't lose anything as far as payload limits. If you want to talk to the Moore's, I would make them a tremendous deal just to get our feet wet in the APU business. We are going with Frigette units - a company with a long history of mobile A/C and power units. (In all fairness, there may be a Frigette dealer near the Moore's shop. They just won't be as friendly or as cheap as we are!!) The truck APU unit is totally self-contained, and does not cut into the truck's systems at all (very important for warranty issues). It is powered by a little Kubota diesel that is made in the USA, and the rest of the unit is completely made in the US by US companies. The APU provides air conditioning, heating and electric power (both 12v and 110v) to the bunk, as well as providing battery charging to the truck batteries during operation, and heating of the truck's engine if desired in cold weather operation. I think we can install the unit, complete, including a hotel and dinner for the driver overnite, for about $7,000.00 per APU. That's really competitive when you look at all of the other self-contained units. It uses around one tenth of a gallon of fuel per hour, compared to the big diesel using around a gallon per hour at idle - so the payback is a pretty short period, just in fuel savings. Not to mention the potential savings in tickets and reduced maintenance. All we need to solve your problem is a small check, and 31" of clear frame rail!! PVS

That B-67 looks pretty nice. Actually, the doors and the lower cab look excellent, and the steering wheel looks really good. As a town owned truck, the truck probably doesn't have a lot of miles either. Good luck with your new project! Paul Van Scott

So - we are into September. Summer's pretty much over and the leaves are changing. We are making nice progress on the B-67 project. Fabricating mounts for the air tanks and air valves. Installing the radiator and all associated pieces. Got the shutters working nicely. The cab is coming along real good. It's in the body shop paint booth now (finally). We hope to have the cab back on the frame within the next few days. With the radiator installed, we should be ready to fire the old girl up for the first time in a long time. I broke down and bought myself a little project this week. Found a decent 1953 Chevrolet 1/2 ton pickup just around the corner from my house. Been looking at it for a while, and it finally wore me down. It's a rod project - no engine, been outside for a long time, getting pretty rusty in the floors etc., etc. The old truck needed a new friend, and it adopted me. It should be quite happy inside a warm garage after sitting in the weeds for a long time. The overall cab is good, the doors are good, tailgate and box are pretty nice. All cab glass is good, including the curved corner windows. The dash and instruments are nice. Both bumpers and the grille are OK. SO, there's enough there to start with. The intention is to make this our shop truck and parts hauler. With a new independent suspension front end, a little small block and automatic transmission, decent brakes and a completely stock body, it should fill the bill nicely, with the logo on the doors. "The Fishers Truck Company, Inc." is finally an official entity. We are looking into perhaps selling a line of truck APU's for auxiliary bunk heating, cooling and electric power during rest periods to reduce engine idling time. I think we are talking with the best of the APU companies right now. Along with that, we have talked to some manufacturers about selling weight scales for individual axles. And we are looking for any new ideas to help defray the cost of our antique truck addiction. And we are finishing up the process of becoming a New York State retail vehicle dealer, which will allow us to buy and sell heavy trucks and trailers. It's an exciting time for our little truck business.

Have a good trip!! Should be fun at Rob's - especially if he lets you play with his new mag-drill!! Of course he's going to make you park the Pete across the street! PVS

That jobsite picture reminds me of a recent picture that was floating around some of the truck websites. It's of a Peterbilt that is pretty much burned to the ground. Caused by the driver throwing a chain over the trailer, and over the power lines and - well you can guess the rest. The lines you're parked under look plenty high. But there's cranes parked there onsite too. Be Careful PVS

Tom, If you cook them slow in the smoker oven, do they dry out? Or do you have some sauce or liquid in there with them for steam? I'm remembering the South Florida BBQ places doing the butts in a fire all day, cooking real slow - and they are excellent. Then you put your own sauce on the meat at the table. I think it's this weekend's project. Thanks, PVS

Mike is right - the only way to get more air into a normally aspirated engine is to create more vacuum and/or more cylinder head volume, or pressure to compress that air, or create a denser charge of air (via cool can etc.). The engine is getting all the air it can take in right now, unless there is an obstruction in the intake system. Simply adding a lower restriction air cleaner would probably not make a measurable difference. Turbocharging is a wonderful addition to a diesel engine, because you gain the flexibility of adding more charge air and force-feeding the engine under pressure. Unfortunately, you are stuck with a whopping 170 or so raging Mack ponies - and they only have one speed! And it ain't exactly a gallop. Our company motto is "Old, Slow Trucks - even Slower, Older Drivers" Welcome to the club. I think it's pretty cool that you are actually using the old B model to move your equipment. Paul Van Scott

Dear Abby: OK - I hate to admit it, but - I think I may need your perfessional opinion. Now I don't want to you to get a swelled head or hurt yourself in any way, so be careful. I'm thinking of making some pulled pork BBQ with pork shoulder butts. Everything I've read, or everybody I've talked to says just to cook the meat in a covered pan with water and some sauce in the bottom, boiling it until it falls apart. What I had in mind, however, was to brown the meat real good on all sides first, with some rub on it. Then put the meat in a pot with some genuine Gladys sauce and spices and maybe a couple cans of beer, rather than water for the steam. Slow cook it for a long time until it falls apart. Take it out and pull it all apart, then put it on a tray over a fire to brown it all up some more before putting it in a serving dish with a little more sauce. Am I correct in my thinking that this should have a lot more flavor than just boiling the pork?

I don't think this question can be answered accurately without a lot more information. Photos might help, and a complete accurate description of the truck's condition. Even then, the trucks are worth whatever somebody wants to pay. These are antiques, and they are mostly toys for their owners. And everybody's got a different opinion of what is acceptable to them. Is the truck a project truck - or is it a running, working truck with current license and inspections? Does it have good rubber, good brakes, updated dual brake system, modern air line plumbing, decent frame, decent cab, decent interior, good transmissions, clutch, springs etc., etc.?? These things all cost money, and the list goes on and on. For instance - a fresh set of ten virgin radial tires and tubeless wheels are worth over $3,000.00. If they are already on the truck, it would make a big difference. If the springs or trunnions are cracked or broken, it's expensive. If you have to put a clutch in the truck; a clutch, pressure plate and flywheel resurfacing with both bearings replaced will cost upwards of $1,000.00 just for the parts before you're done. And it's a pretty common need in an old truck. The paint job is $4,000. to $6,000.00 for a decent job with minimal bodywork, and could easily top $10,000.00 for a show quality job. Welding, dent beating and panel repair are going to add on to that price. I guess my point is - any answer you get here, for the question as you have asked it, will be no more than a guess, and probably not very useable for making your decision. I really do not mean to sound sarcastic, but - You need to be happy with the price. It doesn't matter what the rest of us think. You know how you are going to use it. If you're just going to play around with the old truck, maybe you can overlook a lot of it's imperfections. If you're going to work the old girl, you might need to be certain the truck is up to the task. If it's a restoration project, you can't pay too much for an excellent body and frame. We just want to see you get the truck and have fun with it! Paul Van Scott