Keith Pommerening

obviously TeamsterGrrrl loves to poke us in the eye with her finger just to get a rise out of someone. I have to agree with her (?) on one point. Her belief and willingness to let government take over and control us minions is widely accepted.

Don't think that is quite correct. This is more regulation jammed down our thought by an out of control EPA, not necissarley under the direction of congress. I hope the Trumpster will get them into the real world. Cleaner trucks and coal fired power plants! Under Obummers direction, coal fired anything is on borrowed time. Our friends at the EPA are trying to destroy trucking with regulation that has made trucks less dependable and with mileage improving gimmicks of questionable value. Anti-lock breaks, my experience, has shown they are a blank check for truck manufacturers and DOT to rake-in money from regulation, And back to Slick Willie, he put our best coal into national park and sold the rest to overseas donors.

Ask my neighbors to keep shooting the damn deer. But they just shoot the horny deer not the hungry ones. Had to drag out the JD and clean around the wife's prize cedar tree. Then wrapped it with netting. She won it at the Bog Queen Beauty Contest. Had to put the dog down today. His kidneys quit working. Never know what you get with a rescue dog. Couldn't stand to watch him suffer anymore. Was able to dig a hole in the woods next to the house. Almost no frost under the snow. I really liked this one. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I truly enjoy reading your musings. Thanks, Keith

Last week GMC p/u would not start, just click, click. Didn't even dim the lights so it must be starter. Put a new rebuilt in and click, click. Replaced the really old battery, click, click. Then I got desperate and cleaned battery cables, zoom, zoom. I hate side post batteries. $200 in parts and only needed pocket knife in pocket. Then $5 for a beer, gotta feed the stupidity. Thanks, Keith

Did find an old Dodge 12 valve, with all mechanical fuel controls. Had a weak auto, two wheel drive, and Dana rear axle. They detune the Cummins from the factory because the auto tranny will not take the torque. Had a reman trany in it already. He was asking $1,000. Probably not a bad deal, still kicking my self for not picking it up. Old Mack is so complete that I'm not ready to make that move....yet. When I find out how much it will cost to rebuild the stuck engine, could change my mind.

It is pretty complete. Only missing the "A40" emblem on the hood side in the picture, a couple of the vertical "shutters" in the radiator shell and battery box door. Have read some about a chrome or ss A40 strip that runs vertically on center strip of radiator grille. This one doesn't have it. Kinda wonder if there is any truth in that claim. Any body have any of those parts they are willing to part with, let me know! Sent to Mack Museum and received some info. Wow, money well spent! Was originally sold to Mesabi Service and Supply in Hibbing Mn. Iron Range country. Rear diff has been changed to vaccumn shift two speed, an IHC I think. Original top speed was 47 mph according to Mack Museum info with original diff. Museum info gives many serial numbers of components that truck was built with, haven't found any that have been changed. Only options were over sized tires and the driver's seat. Insterment guages are nice, no broken or cracked glass. Engine looks to be complete with air brake compressor and two barrel carb, gas motor. But is stuck. Have put every kind of magic snake oil known to me, into spark plug holes, but no luck. Crankcase gets fuller. There is a piece of steel that runs under door and forward under cowl. It covers a piece of wood. It has rusted through near front "A" pillar on both sides. Have been able to get a title from the state. Last titled owner helped me with the lost title paper work. Have it now licensed as a 15,000 lb farm truck. Don't know if that is good or bad, but have the owners title in my name.

Has a hydo tranny with two speed ranges and front wheel assist and power steering. Loader goes on or off in less than two minutes. The one thing I did that really surprised was move a 10 X 12 chicken coup complete with insulation and sheet rock. Jacked-up coup, put fence post at right angles to "I" beams under building and hooked beams up to three point. Had to fill bucket with paver blocks to keep front axle down. Swapped post back to front as it moved. Tractor comes stock with three point middle and rear PTOs. Like the side by side pedals for movement as opposed to "rocker" style. When making shooting lanes and put bucket about two inches above the ground, to find stumps, then run mower to clear. Can run tiller at the same time if making food plot type lane, but that really overworks the tractor,

Bought a JD 2305 several years ago, love it! The fore runner of 1 series. Amazing what I have been able to do with it. Moved the A40 Mack last month. Dropped rear axle and moved it around the yard to a new spot. Moved it as if it were a wheel barrow. That axle is crazy heavy. Could move truck, like in the picture, but couldn't lift even one end of diff. Have skid a couple semi loads of Aspen pulp out of the Mississippi River bottom in front of my house. Built up area in front of house to pour a concrete patio. Hauled sand from field with bucket, lots of loads. They talk about bucket being 1 yard or 1 1/2 yard.. Mine is about two wheel barrow loads. Very handy for making shooting lanes and food plots on hunting land. Also have a mower, tiller, snow blower, ballast box, quick a hook for three point, blade and have built a pulp fork. Easy to transport with car trailer. Will lift a 460 Ford with C6 tranny. Will use up to five quarts of fuel per hour. Suppose I have about $23,000 invested, every thing bought new. Nearly 800 hours use so far. Thanks, Keith

UPS seems to be the golden standard when it comes to union pensions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't UPS pay something in the neighborhood of 3 billion dollars to the Teamsters so they could avoid paying for other company union obligations. Something to do with "Last man standing" making-up bankrupt companies obligations for union pensions. Seems only ones foolish enough to believe in union, any more, are government entities. Looks like only purpose of unions anymore is to fund the also dying democrat party.

That is what happened to me last year. Got a $1.00 per hour raise, my portion of health insurance cost went up $40.00 per week. My portion now amounts to $6.07 per hour, or $240.28 per week. And I thought insurance was out of control before Obummercare! Feel bad for those who say they cant pay $350 per month. Yea right. Keith

Last power line that came through here: Power company made a deal with the tribe. Paid them every cent they asked for. Then tribal members beat drums and stoked a camp fire for months while demanded more. Don't know what the tribe did with the money. Can't believe they are upset with the present regime, they vote 95% or more "D." Some times more votes then tribe members I hear! Want to bet they do the same next month? "Poorly engineered pipeline" With all the government oversight, EPA, OSHA, county, state, federal, tribal regulation and oversight, highly skilled, trained, paid union labor...etc. With that much help from the government and unions, how can we have anything but the best and safest pipelines?

As I remember; Wasn't watergate about demos, the protector of women, providing hookers for donors and delegates?

Get a kick out of these "protesters", they all travel and show-up in cars a suvs full of pipelined gas. Bitch when the price of gas goes up. Suppose the "protesters" would encourage the much more expensive, less safe construction of a railway line?

They can't close the VA, the socialist democrat party would loose too much funding from the unions. Damn the taxpayers for what it costs to keep it open and "functioning." Never understood why the dems cry foul when someone wants to privatize social security. The government has spent all the money and ss is a vault full of I.O.U.s from the feds. Makes me all warm and fuzzy feeling knowing this. Thanks to the first Clinton they tax the benefits. That was another of those things they promised to never do! Got a statement from ss last week. They say I and my employers have paid in over $160,000, (actually the employers have paid it all.) How much would I and my family have now if that money was in the private sector and invested for the last 50 years. Considering how well the government has handled it. Some think the government need more control over us...

Have a friend who has a sheet metal and iron working business. He got his start in the unions. He use to get a job and call the hall for workers. They would show up with tool their own hand tools. He would tell them what needed to be done, and it would happen. Now days, if they show up, they have no tools, don't know how to do the work, and when they leave they steal his tools. But they know all the union rules.

Had some of those pick-ups. After spending time in them I would get into my brother-in-laws Ford and get my ass chewed. He use to always say, "This is a Ford. You don't have to slam the damn doors to get them to shut!" Thanks, Keith

Hillary WOW! Have to agree with david wild. She just kept throwing BS at him and he seldom got ahead of her. About what one would expect a polished 30+ year politician would do with any "outsider" challenging what she believes to be here entitlement. She has so many "faults" that need to be exposed and re exposed. Don't expect the press to do their job. The press is the major reason we have been saddled with Obummer, in my not so humble opinion. That is why I never buy a newspaper or donate to public radio/tv, they are already on government welfare. I suggest you do the same. She told us what she was going to do; Raise every tax in the book, and some not dreamed-up yet. I wonder how she thinks anyone can thrive and prosper with her level of government. I love the old western movies, they demonstrate what was so correct about about the American way. The "star" cowboy would come across a homesteader or stage coach stop and the person would be proud of what he made or built. Now days a democrat politician would come by and say "You didn't build that." You owe me 40% tax or we'll take it away from you. Gun control, I don't think she can outlaw gun ownership since it would take destroying the second amendment. She would put-in so many hurdles and regulations that gun ownership would become unobtainable, but legal. About like putting a pipeline or copper mine in Minnesota. She would continue on installing the agenda that didn't work even back when slick Willie inherited, then ruined a improving economy. Like Trump said here experience wasn't good. Looks like she doesn't learn from past mistakes. Healthcare, she couldn't lie enough to make it pass. That took the Obummer and his party ..... Hillary WOW aka Wacky Old Woman.

Is this what you are talking about? Thanks, Keith

Do have to admit one thing about that p/u. It started and ran at -35. Parents had a 200 series tranny in an Olsmobile. I drove it to Alaska and back.

Wife Made Me a new shirt

Remember the last new Cheby p/u I bought. Pretty red 1978 with silver slab sides. Was hauling a load of firewood out of the woods, when it jumped way up in the back and came crashing down. Thought I tore the rear end out from under the truck! The crown of the road caught the spare tire and tore it out from under chassis. Had it about a year when fluid started to leak out of the transmission case. Dealer told me it was probably a porous case. Friend who repairs Cheby transmission said that the splines machined into the case rolled and pulled metal from case causing the leak. Friend was correct. Traded it in for an X-11 Citation, that was another mistake. Dealer sent me a bill for new transmission. I didn't pay it. Engine always used a little oil. Was using Arco Graphite oil, newest greatest thing at the time. One cold northern Minnesota morning, that means about -35 below zero, I took a can out a the shed and stuck it in the oil fill. Went inside to warm up and have breakfast. Came back out to retrieve the can and oil wasn't into the spout yet. Had to put can on wood stove and heat it to get the oil to flow out of can. Thanks, Keith

Can you find the corresponding serial/model number by right rear spring mount? Does it have just the in-cab fuel tank? Shouldn't the wheels be the old bud wobblers? Head lights are aftermarket. Might be a different frame and running gear? Thanks, Keith

How big of a truck are you talking about. Back in the 60s I worked for a company that had a 2.5 ton Cheby with an "A" arm front axle. How many years did they make them before going back to straight axles. Drove around many Chebys sitting low in the front. Most had one tire vertical and one horizontal on the front axle. Most Cheby p/us of that era had cracked windshields. I thought that was stock but a friend said it was caused by weak frames and flimsy cabs. Which is it? Know the local shop had a never ending stream of work rebuilding TH350s. Do recall having to replace the steering shaft that ran all the way from on wheel to the other on an old twin I beam. Didn't have screw-in ball joints. Made me mad and cost so much I took it to a blacksmith and had him bend it into a crow bar. The link is old and outdated. Thanks, Keith

Aren't A30 trucks a lighter series truck? Seems strange one would have tandem axles. Or am I wrong on that? Thanks, Keith

Yea I heard they also got some of the money. Guess the difference is they paid it all back plus interest. Ford didn't get a 9.7 billion dollar gift form the taxpayers, to be paid for by our children and grand children when they pay back the national debt. They will pay a lot of interest on that money too! I wish Ford could have hung on to Volvo and Jaguar also.