Geoff Weeks

Paul, I would agree with that! What we don't know is how long we have left. My Aunt is 99 and sharp as a tack, and still active. My friends father worked 3rd shift until he was forced to retire at 65 and was dead before 66. Genetics has a place in it, but is not the total picture.

I can still get motivated, but the motivation is tempered by the cost to my body. I can still torque the main bearings on a 855 Cummins, but have to question if it is worth it for ME to torque the main bearings on an 855 Cummins? Last year I completely rebuilt a light tower, including a block change, stripping the old diesel and building back up. Motivation is there, but not the speed. Before that it was a Saab 900. Each project taking most of a summer to complete. When the costs out weigh the enjoyment/satisfaction of the completed job, motivation wains.

Stock R or B isn't likely to be set to "cruise at 70 mph" so unless it has been updated, you'll likely need an axle ratio change at least. Just so you are aware.

I am not sitting in a chair watching the world go by, I just got back from doing repairs at my brothers, car repair and house repair. I go to the YMCA for exercise 3 days a week, never the less, what I can still do today is vastly reduce to what I could do just 3 years ago, when I was felling trees, and rebuilding an old building. Point is you don't know what the future holds for you, I never thought I would see the decline I have. I can no longer rise from a chair without using my arms to assist me getting up. My wife, who is 8 years my senior, can do it no problem. I am writing this, not for your pity, but as a warning to those who have grand plans that they hope to do when they can retire, I hope you can, but you can't count on it. Do it while you can, if you have continued great health, you'll have great memories, while making more, if later you can not, you at least got to do it when you could, not lament that you now can't. I try and keep my hand in helping others where I can, in their projects, even if it is done from a keyboard. I still learn things every day by "keeping my hand in" even if I don't do the work myself. My mind doesn't recognize my bodies limitation, and it may kill me trying to do what my mind knew I could in the past. I have an outer CV joint boot to replace, I"ll feel great if I can get it done in one day. I don't even want to know what "book time" is on the job, it no longer applies to me.

Yeah, and the chipper is scary also.

When I had the interest, body and ability, I didn't have the time. Now I have the time, but the 1st 3 are rapidly slipping away.

May be not:

Always have, what you did with our medium gassers for so long wouldn't have been attempted with our biggest gassers, 345 in a loadstar pulling a semi OTR. Once you got our big diesels you came up with road-trains. I felt I was "pushing the limit" when I grossed 168-170k with my "normal every day cabover tractor" and didn't do it often. Different world down there.

I had air mufflers on both of mine, and it didn't bother the neighbors when I left early when living in town. Too many like for the "look at me" noise they can make rather than the job they do. Same with un muffled Jake's. I have a 1/2" snap-on air drill that will hurt your ears if the muffleing "wadding" comes out the the handle. No shop would stand for its use that loud. No one is impressed by a loud air drill, nor startled by it in a commercial shop, just annoyed. I think it does more to give the industry a "black eye" with the rest of the world than anything. With a muffler, they sound different then a electric starter but not loud. People may still look because it sounds different then they expect. I never once got a complaint or dirty looks with my trucks starting.

I guess you could say you got the shaft!

Pinion bearings and differential carrier bearing are the only ones I want to see pre-load on. Both are highly loaded when in service, and don't tolerate being too tight or too loose.

I had the CR tools, so that is what I went back with. Others had Stemco and that is what they used.

I am kinda anal about my wheel bearings. 1st I tighten them down to make sure they are seated and not cocked on the spindle (got fooled once in my youth, and never did again). The I want to be as close to zero preload as I can get without any runout. It isn't as easy as it sounds, when you tighten the lock nut it takes the slop out of the threads and makes the bearing a little tight if you set it to zero before you put the lock-nut on. I come across far too many that are too loose, too tight tends to destroy itself in short order.

The tank on my Marmon came from a CCX, it was a replacement for the original Roadway tank that developed a rust hole. I also have a Mack one from Mander's that is aluminum, that one I'm keeping!

Mack uses (as does most if not all heavy diesel) an SAE #3 starter mount. No problem fitting the bell housing. The problem can come if the chassie has the steering box where the new bell has the starter placed. That bell was not used in that chassie, and that is were "real estate" problems come from. I can fit a modern gear reduction 12 volt starter to my 1942 K IHC because it takes an SAE #1 starter. Standardization can be a good thing. There is an SAE #2 starter pad but it hasn't been used in 50 years or so, since the demise of the big gassers. Looks just like an SAE #3 but the bolt holes are smaller and I think closer in.