lamountain1976

I guess somebody hooked up the switch wrong (in is hi and out is low) when they replaced the original 15 speed with the current 9 speed on the truck. I know its not super important from a functional standpoint but it is counter-intuitive. Can I just switch the two lines at the selector on the gear shift or is it a more complex process?

Okay, just a thought. Also, the air ride seat is not connected. Can I just tee into an existing line to get pressure to the controller?

Its all sorted out. Thanks a lot fellas. Say, if one wanted to power the block heater using batteries, how many would it take and could you rig up the cables such that the truck would recharge the batteries? Or maybe a solar charger, off a fence?

Thanks a lot man. The manuals are key.

I didn't like that steel line either, the one that comes out of the block and into the compressor and carries coolant. So I ran a flexible, high pressure hydraulic hose when I replaced the compressor and governor. But maybe you are talking about a different line?

They were indeed wedge brakes and in very rough shape - not really worth rebuilding. I read some discussion of switching over to S-cams and did some research. It seems to be pretty straight forward and economical. Has anyone gone this route?

Thanks for the encouragement Thad. I have been copying and pasting your responses into word docs, which have been real good to have on hand while working on the truck. WRT the reverse light. I found the switch in the top of the transmission. Cleaned it up, threaded two screws into it and ran one line back to the light and one forward to the fuse box in the cab. This is the only fuse box/terminal block I have found. All the wires seem to just run straight along the frame rails and then up into the forward part of the cab thru the floor. There is no labelled fuse for it. WRT the air dryer. I ran a wire from it up to the fuse box as well. There is also no labelled fuse for it, and I still have to ground it. WRT the horn. The air horn is mounted on the roof, but the cable has been cut and the actuator valve is hard to get at, up in the overhead console. A good future project. So for right now, I was just going to wire an electric horn. There is a horn relay and a fuse for the horn in the fuse box. So I have a test light and a pretty good connector kit for running 14 to 16 gage wire. I have run the above wires, but not connected them to power yet because I want to do this right and I don't quite understand automotive electrical. Here is what confuses me. If this is about open and closed circuits, and it is important to run these wires thru a fuse to ignition switched power, what exactly is the wire going to? An empty port on the fuse box? Because there are some empty ports (e.g. heated mirrors, air horn, etc.), or I gues I could just create my own fuse? So when the key is on, and I pull a fuse, one side will light the test light, the other will not. So the fuse is completing the circuit, protecting the hardware. Do I just lag into a wire that is live when the key is on? It probably seems clear to most of you, but I can't imagine the right way to get power to come thru the fuse and then out to the device being powered. It seems like a bad idea to start tapping into other wires...

Ha that was great. I definitely do not have an air starter, but I wish I did after hearing that. I do have a block heater, which is nice right now, but I usualy leave the truck on the job in the woods. So I guess I need to find a hell of a long extension cord...

Hmm, an air starter?

No problem man. I often wish I had a basic understanding of the systems - this is all new territory, but I am confident that I can figure it out between talking to local mechanics and you guys, who have been really helpful. Especially the fellas who take the time to explain the mechanics of how something works, because that helps me conceptualize the system. And I have made some real progress on a truck that has been abused for the last 25 years. Two months ago, I requested a full set of manuals from the museum, but I still haven't recieved them yet. I will check into the TS-422 series and keep plugging along. Thanks.

Yeah it seems to take about 5 minutes, less if I rev the engine. On the subject of idle, what is a good setting? I have to go by sound, because the RPM gage is not functional. And, I know many diesels have glow plugs, do these macks as well? And so do you have to wait in the "key on" position for a moment and then start? Because I wonder what kinds of things can make a truck easier to start in the winter?

It seems like it takes awhile for pressure to build in the system. How long would you expect it to take for an older truck to build up pressure, and what could be causing the delay? I replaced the compressor and governor, the dryer and fixed several leaks.

So then there is not much variability among wedge brake systems? Or are there multiple brands, how do you know which setup the truck has?

I am trying to wire the reverse light, a horn (air horn is broke) and the heater/thermostat assembly on the air dryer. I think all of these should go thru fuses to ignition switched power feed. Does that mean wiring them to something that is hot at the fuse box when the ignition is on? Do I just tap into an existing wire? And then everything requires its own ground as well?