Geoff Weeks

In the US I have met many truckers who will not venture off the interstate any further than absolutely required. I, on the other hand, only traveled on them when time and sense dictated it was necessary. If you travel in some states and only stick to the interstates, you'll drive a long way out of your way. I'm thinking of the western interior, like MT, WY etc. I often drove MT 200 from the eastern part to the west-central, 200 miles of nothing, and you would rarely see another vehicle. Very peaceful, but many I spoke to were afraid they would breakdown and get stuck. If your vehicle isn't good enough to drive 200 miles, why are you on the road with it at all? In good weather I would sometimes run Mt 500 between Milstone and Mosby, loaded, a good part of that is little more than 1 track wide, gravel or dirt. Not that long, may 40 miles total.

Manual gauge to confirm the reading, then a look at the pressure relief. No idea where it is on that system. Other hopefully will. I have seen more than once, where an oil change will stick the relief open. Got a bunch of theories why it happens but no proof of cause. Mostly it was on Big Cam Cummins and the pump and valve are external to the pan on those engines, so not too big a deal. If the oil pump/ relief is in the pan, then check your bearing clearance while it is down.

If it were me, I would run it a bit longer. No load, not above idle, but let it go for a full minute or more. There is lube on the bearings and crank, even if it is not pressurized, it isn't dry. It may take a bit to force the air out.

The fact that the wires move is an indication that there is power to the coil. Not proof of much more. Likely simple enough to take apart and clean, but not on the truck. Follow others advice on safety, remove the valve and take apart on the bench carefully so as not to loose any parts and to see how it goes together.

I have never heard of or seen a #40 brake chamber. #36 is the largest in common use, and even they are not common. Got a "hit" for type 50 rotochamber, but nothing for a 40.

Considering how popular they were in the Middle East and down under, they sure disappeared quickly. Weren't popular outside of the NYC/NJ area in the US, so not surprised they are hard to find here.

I haven't heard from Rob in a while either, He keeps fairly busy with fab and maintenance stuff. I sent him some stuff on JLG manlifts and an air compressor he was looking for, but it was a few year ago. Always seamed to have 3 irons in the fire at once, so not surprising not to hear from him for long stretches.

I 've to Mike's place a few times before he died. Very generous man and very knowledgeable on most any Mack. He had more than one place he stored vehicles. Other end of the state from me, but yes he had a lot stored outside. I think he was a few years younger than I, and I was sad to learn he was sick, and later passed.

I don't believe there is one correct fact in this article! The Big Horn: Why Dodge's First Semi-Truck Was Doomed To Fail Well may be one, Dodge did make the Big Horn, not its 1st semi though.

spokewheel.pdf 240 ft/lbs.

That is why my 1st suggestion was "Rare Parts" they are well versed in that kind of thing. That said, I don't think they are hard, a quick stroke with a file would let you know. Don't want them to fracture, which is more likely the harder you make something.

A tube type that hasn't been abused and hasn't sat full of water often come apart easy. Rubber lube (oh no that is not a set-up) is your friend. Liquid laundry detergent is a 2nd best, will make quick work of it.

Not always a "slam dunk" as some shops shy away from "critical automotive" parts like steering and brakes out of liability fears. That said I got internal brake caliper parts made for a Saab I was working on. I would have preferred having them made from "hard chrome" bar stock, but price and what the shop had on hand, were made of stainless. Cost of 12mm hard chrome bar stock alone cost more than the whole job! Calipers in question had the parking brake as part of them, and were decades out of production and NLA from rebuilders like Cardone etc. Best to provide with connecting parts and have them "make to fit" rather then hand drawn pictures. Even supplying the old pins I needed to have made, I had to take them back to cut threads deeper, as it was tighter class fit of the threads. Live and learn. The shop admonished me in the future to bring the mating parts! Most of those ball studs use a common taper and reamers are sold to that taper.

1st thing to check is to see if the steering arm on the old axle can be used on the new, not likely but worth a look. Next would be to see if there is a way to fit a newer drag link on. Not sure you can cut open a new tie rod end and get the profile ball you are looking for. Rare parts, could likely mfg one to your specs, but $$$$ I had a local machine shop make some parts for one of my vehicles for very reasonable price. Rather late now, but new tubeless tires on those demountable rims would cost a lot less, if money was a concern.

Only logged in on Oct 1, the day he registered and hasn't been back since! Either its fixed or pushed off a cliff by now!

I second the tow it home suggestion. Cheap at twice the price. You'll soon if not already, exceed that price in trips and hotel bills. While it is true that you still have to fix the truck, it will be much cheaper and easier to do at home base. I was involved (reluctantly) in a similar rescue of a English double deck bus that had been sitting for decades in a field as a stationary display. My Boss bought it "sight-unseen" and re sold it to radio station in Huntsville AL. He came to me (mechanic for the company) to ask what his son should take with him for the trip. I argued that it should be towed to our shop, gone through before delivering to the end buyer. I was overruled, and the son set off for Tulsa,Ok. The bus ran after a fashion but the clutch went out after one trip around the block. Son flew home. I was dispatched to fly into Tulsa and a clutch was air freighted in from England. I was supposed to install the clutch and deliver the bus to Huntsville. Again I argued against it. I got to Tulsa with a bag of tools and a waiting crate that contained a clutch (turned out to be the wrong clutch cover). I had to disassemble the pressure plate and move it to the old cover and re assemble. The Flywheel had a removeable wear surface that the disk rode on. It was cracked in 1/2 from heat. I finely got them to see the folly of trying to take this bus over the hills to Alabama in its present condition. They asked if I thought it would make the trip to Chicago? At least that trip is more or less flat. I wasn't in favor of trying but at least if it made it part way home it would be in the right direction. I spent the better part of a week fixing minor stuff and getting more or less legal to travel with things like wipers, exhaust and lights. Several local trips on city streets, it did ok, but 10 miles out at speed, it seized a piston. I let it cool off and nursed it back to the bus co garage that had sold it to my boss. Finely the bus was towed to Chicago, where a new flywheel wear surface, new piston and rings in one hole, and other things were taken care of. Long and short it cost way more than 3x what it should have to get the bus in roadable condition to be delivered. I fear you are following in my (reluctant) footsteps, spending more money trying to save money! In my case the rings had seized in the grooves, and while ok at low speed/load when the piston expanded under load, that was "all she wrote", and it was all over! Always a risk when buying something that has been sitting for any time. Your money, your choice but at this point that $1500 sounds damn good way out and the cheapest option as well.

Really depends on how it was modified. If it was purpose built for lifting the RV, then it would be no problem provided it had enough battery. On the other hand, if it was a repurposed tilt bed or rear dump grain body, the cyl would take too much oil for electric/battery. No telling from the pictures.

.net say 3150lbs for a dressed Big Cam, , 3250 with turbo/aftercooler. From my experience lifting them, that weight seams about right. Not sure about the transmission, I had Fuller/Eatons.

Exhaust tubing also works well to drive the sleeve for front spindles, where the seal position is so far back from the end of the shaft.

Metal filled, machinable epoxies work better than silicone under the sleeve.

Ok, how to you tilt the cab with that RV body on it? What do you do if it breaks down on the road, and you can't access anything because you can't tilt the cab? Yeah, the bed tilts but I would bet only if the engine runs the hyd!

Any updates?

Saw a lot of R models with sleepers in Canada back in the 90's and before. Now I can't remember the carriers names that used to run them.

Oh, you will, when your back starts killing you, and all the stuff you thought you could still do but your body says you can't. Couldn't do it when I was working 'cause I didn't have the time, can't do it now because I don't have the body of a 30 year old anymore! Every project I finish, I as "this is the last big project I'm going to tackle" then just one more comes along and the cycle repeats.

1st hook shop air to the truck, and listen for air leaks. There are so many places air can leak on a modern truck, it is almost a full time job finding and curing the leaks. How long does it take for the air to leak off once you shut down the truck? Next spray the line from the compressor to the air drier and all the way to the wet tank with soapy water, looking for bubbles/foam. Since you replaced the air compressor et all twice I doubt they are the problem, but: Last take the line from the air gov to the compressor off and briefly start the engine and see if air comes out either the port on the compressor or the line from the air gov. Be careful because nothing is going to shut the compressor off if the pressure rises, you just want to make sure, nothing is triggering the unloader.