Geoff Weeks

Any method that doesn't grind is fine. Shifting without any clutch slip can be hard on the splines and damper spring in the disk. when teaching, I get the student to slip the stick into neutral with two fingers then clutch into the next gear. Gets them to understand the process. A lot depends on the ratio jump between gears on what method works best. In my opinion, too many put too much stock in being able to shift without using the clutch. More of a "show-off" thing than any real reason to do so. Mostly I didn't but it depends, I put much more stock in someone who can shift smoothly and without shock or grind then if they use the clutch. Seen a lot of so called driver shift without and grind or shock load the drivetrain, then I have drivers who used the clutch poorly. Pulling heavy on a large hill, speed and smoothness can be the difference between making the shift or coming to a halt or worse, driveshaft on the ground. 170k can be very unforgiving.

Once again, true generators don't use rectifiers, so still trying to get an answer to what you have. L/N calls it a generator because the ultimate output is DC. The three big studs on the top of the unit are the 3 phase AC output that is fed to the finned rectifier. SO FOR THE 3rd time, does it look like the one I posted or not. If not we need to see what you have. Big question is: do you want to keep it period correct or not? If you are not trying to keep it period correct, then rip everything out and use a modern "one wire" alternator for the correct polarity. If you are trying to keep it period correct, bushes, brush holders, slip rings, regulators are all still available, the finned rectifier is not, and it would be best to replace with silicon diodes anyway, which will require some fabrication.

You are going to need to be more specific on what you have tested and what you have on the truck. Does your charging system look like the one in the picture I posted? Have you checked the regulator? You can eliminate the system you have now and replace it, or you can address any problems with what is there now. Both are valid ways to proceed, but a lot depends on your knowledge on working on these systems. So far you haven't provided much information.

It has to do with the regulation and how the two connect to the load. Most alternators, with the exception of the early Leece Neville's are always connected to the load through the diodes in the rectifier. Generators and the early L/N have a reverse current relay or "cut-out" that keeps them isolated from the load until the voltage internally is above normal at rest voltage for the system. Diodes do a fine job of keeping current from flowing from the battery back through the stator windings, but allows any forward current to pass. If there is any kind of load on the output, be it a dead battery or just normal truck loads the stator voltage can't rise above that, and therefore the field current (voltage) can't either. This prevents the alternator from being able to produce useable power unless it has a high enough voltage on its output terminal to begin with. Generator regulators, (and some of the early L/N alternator ones) keep the generator isolated from the load until output voltage exceed the pull in voltage on the reverse current relay (cut-out), so field current (voltage) will rise and so will the output until it is at operating voltage before being connected to the load. So with these type of regulators, they can start from nothing, build to operating voltage before the load is applied. It isn't alternator vs. generator but the regulation and how the load is applied that is the deciding factor.

You got it backwards, mecho had it right. If this truck has a rectifier, it has an alternator, like the one I posted pictures of. Generators don't have rectifiers (commutator does that job).

Does it look similar to this:

I suspect you have a Leace Neville alternator with remote rectifier system. It has a remote regulator. Pictures of everything or replace with a modern unit depending on what you want. Pictures would be helpful

Some seam to be confusing alignment and run out, they are not the same thing. Alignment is the geometry of the spindles to the frame and to each other. It doesn't change with wheel type or tires. Run-out is how true the rim is on the hub. You can have tons of run out and be in alignment, and you can have no run-out and be out of alignment. By using a tram-bar and scribing a line on the center of the tread on the tires on both sides, then rotating the tires and measuring as close to 180 deg as possible (front to back) you are taking any run-out out of the measurement.You are comparing the same point in front and behind the axle. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DUE WITH HOW TRUE THE RIM OR TIRE IS! Tires and their tread can't be counted to be true, so you pick one single point as your frame of reference and use that point for both measurements. Mounting spoke rims (and tires) on a set of spokes is a completely different operation, that is getting the rim on the taper evenly. If you don't it will wobble side to side and up and down. BUT IT HAS NO EFFECT on alignment. toe in, KPA and castor angle don't change with run-out. To mount a demountable rim true, start with all the nuts and wedges on the studs but completely loose. Put one spoke at the top (12 o'clock) and just snug it. Then rotate so either the one a 6 o'clock (6 spoke) or 7:30/4:30 (5 spoke) is now in the 12 o'clock and snug it. Continue in the same vain always snugging the wedge in the 12 o'clock position. This allows gravity to pull the rim into center on the taper. With all wedges snug, check the run-out with a block of wood or tire hammer. If run-out is good, continue tightening is a criss-cross patter until all are 240 ft/lbs, and recheck. If at any time you see run-out, loosen and start over. YOU CANNOT torque straight, you'll at worse end up over torquing the nuts and could even deform the rim.

Pay and working conditions! If you are willing to pay and provide decent working conditions, you'll have no trouble attracting good employees. If the conditions suck and you pay starvation wages you always have trouble attracting and keeping any workers. Trucking conditions are hard, always have been but are getting harder*, Wages have (for the most part) been on the edge of what is needed to keep reasonably competent workforce,and have declining . This leads to the real bad turnover rate the industry has always struggled with. * the driving is easier, but everything else is worse, wait time, traffic, JIT, parking food, the list goes on. When on the "open road" driving is a enjoyable, and will attract some, but the real world conditions lead those that can find other work not to stay long term, and those that can't to take their turn in the mill of "training" and then disappointment.

Funny that? Every time I got or renewed my CDL it was issued by the state! I guess I didn't know enough to get one of the mythical Federal issued CDL's !

No problem, solid tires, just over 20K on the drive, chain drive.

Yes, they just get plumbed from the pressure side to the suction side of the waterpump. Most bigger filter mfg sell the spin on filter heads. If I were you, I'd install the filter and run it for a while. If you have overheating problems change the radiator. That way you give the filter a chance to work, and not put a bunch of crap into the new radiator from the rest of the cooling system. Coolant filter are a bypass type filter, meaning they can plug and cause no running problems. If you notice the filter is cool after running, the filter is plugged and you need to replace it. (doing its job). Once the crap is out of the system, the filter will keep new stuff from building up..

Coolant filter, add one if it doesn't have one!

Yeah, I know about Lipe, but there are also other stamp steel covers that don't have an adjustment internally. I just want to make sure before he got it together. Not as common as the cast cover clutches. I admit to being wrong, but better to make sure before it is all buttoned up. Glad to see him go back with organic disks.

Ok, then I was wrong. We don't use a lot of stamped steel covers here. Thanks for the info!

Not sure it will, the Spicer and truck linkage is set up for an internal clutch adjustment. That mean the linkage doesn't change when the clutch is adjusted. That stamped steel cover, I see no internal adjustment, and may be designed for a clutch set up where the linkage gets adjusted. On those the clutch brake (if used) has to have a separate way to keep the clutch brake in adjustment. Without adjustment internally the throw-out bearing keeps moving as the clutch wears. I could be wrong, but have always replaced cast cover with cast cover.

I pulled 170K through a 14" organic coupled to a engine that was was over 425hp and 1400 lb/ft torque. Never wore out an organic clutch, the closest I came was when the pressure plate failed, spilling all its fingers and springs into the bell housing.

At one point aluminum spoke hubs were made, not the best idea.

That, right there is why I hate "puck" clutches, everything is tore up. heat checks, and material lost from the flywheel. Hard to tell from the pictures whether the flywheel can be brought back or not. If it can, it will be thinner and less able to take the heat from the next clutch.

Post your solution to the selenium unit when you get to that point.

My guess is a 14" Spicer, if it is what Joey Mack posted. Same clutch that Vlad was installing in the this post, and a VERY common clutch. A 15.5 has a flat flywheel and the cover goes over and surrounds the intermediate drive plate

I find they are very hard on PP and FLywheel surfaces, and tend to be "grabby". With any clutch, operator has a much bigger influence than material. I opted for higher plate load and organic, and the only time I had to address a clutch was a PP failure. All other times the clutch may have been replaced because the engine or transmission was out for another reason

2 spd rears came about in kind of a round a bout way. I was looking to change the ratio, and didn't fancy paying what yards wanted to drop-outs ready to go, so was looking for "cores" to build. I had the rear-rear core in the single axle Fleetstar parts truck, needed to be re-ratio'd and the side gears changed to slip in the DS402 housing and shafts in the truck. I found a front rear core for less money than a DS402 core (by far, less) and bought new ring and pinions and side gears and built them to DT402 spec's. I didn't need the 2 spds but found I liked them alot. Real nice climbing hills out west, from top (O/D) drop to direct, then downshift the rears and pull the hill in direct/ low range in the rear. It also gave me so many ratios at the low end, I would never have to "slip the clutch" under any load or condition. The truck came with 3.90's which may have worked out on paper to give the best MPG, but where and how I was hauling, 4.10 gave better mileage and didn't require shifting as much. It wasn't a big change on paper, but made a huge difference in practice.

Reducing parasitic loads wasn't my impetus, keeping moisture out of the air system was. I don't know how many drivers I've heard say "My truck is air tight, the pressure builds to 120 and sit there rock solid" while I hear there air drier blowing off every 20 sec! I never had anything coming out of the "wet tank" when things were as they should be. Often the 1st indication there was a problem would be a little water out of the wet tank. Most often it was the check valve on the top of the drier element that had come apart. My cabovers didn't idle until -25F, the Marmon with it much bigger sleeper needed more heat and I bought an air Espar I was going to add in addition to the coolant one already on the truck. Back in the 90's I built a APU, and while it was nice, it had its drawbacks. 1st was the noise, in a cabover I was directly above the APU mounted behind the engine. It needed maintenance and was heavy. For cold, the Espars do great, but that left either idling or motel when it is hot. As far as tires go, I never got into deep mud, but did get off road, including oil drilling sites, and my experience is: if rib tread will not get you through, lugs will not either, and your better off hanging some iron on the rear drives. 2 of my trucks were air start and one used a super-capacitor for cranking. Keeping moisture out of the air system, was good for air start, but where I really noticed it was in the trailer brakes system not freezing up in the cold, of course if you switch trailers a lot, you are at the mercy of the last person who pulled it.