Geoff Weeks

Very true I assumed (always bad) that because he said "steering wheel play" that he checked, and it was play between the input and output shaft of the box. I've seen my share of oblong holes attaching the box to the frame, whole box is moving. Lots to check if not the box. And as I said, the old 39 box had lots of play when no oil was circulating, it is even in the CVSA book that you have to check play with the engine running, although most DOT cops don't know it. Later boxes use a different valveing system, and on those the play is about the same running or not.

What brand air starter? Startmaster didn't have as good a rep as Ingersoll Rand. I used ASC out of Tx for my air start parts. That being said, both my starters come out of Roadway trucks (so likely got a lot of use) and I never need to touch the motors. Tank check valves, yes and one relay valve over the decades I had them. I had the lube injector tied to the fuel return on the engine, so everytime the motor was activated they got a shot of diesel in the air. I liked I-R relay valves better than Sealco, had less problem with them. You might be able to fit a 392 box, but I have no info on that. Might contact Straight Line steering out of Calif and see if they have any ideas, been in the business for ever, and may have run across what you have.

If you look close, you can see the number cast in just above the pitman shaft (upside down in the photo) the exact model should be stamped on the box behind the Pitman arm, There are a bunch of bolt holes and hopefully some number/letters stamped there, Or at least they were on my 392 boxes. Kind of academic as parts are NLA. Some 392 parts MAY fit, like pitman shaft bushing, but I can't say for sure. Seal kits are different to my knowledge on the higher pressure boxes 392 etc.

Here are some pic's. It looks similar to the 392 box that was the next generation Shepard box. The early ones run low pressure, I don't remember the max it may be as low as 1200 psi. Often driven with belt drive vane pumps.

If it is a Shepard from the 60's it will be a low pressure system, Likely a "39" box. A picture would be a big help. These old boxes will have a LOT of play with the engine off, but should have less with the engine running. It has to do with valveing built into the box. Now the bad news No parts available for the older boxes. I'll see if I can post a picture of a 39 Shepard.

Well, thankyou! Now that I am retired, I have a little more time, and I can put it to better use helping others (I hope anyway).

I'll see if I am any good at posting pictures. This is a FW2000 or Fleetmaster. I sold my trucks with FW3500 so don't have a picture to show. The tiny writing on the 1st pic says one pin (FW3500 would have an identical pin on the other side also), and on the 2nd pin not threaded, no nut.

I am going off your picture you posted. There is a 2 jaw types that looks similar, It has 2 jaws and a H bar that drops down and prevents the jaws from opening is the FW3500. You can tell them apart the FW3500 has a rod that comes out the front of the 5th wheel with an adjusting nut and rubber washer on the outside end. The FW2000 has a rod and spring (like the 3500) but the end isn't threaded and is not used to adjust the lock. The other give away is the 3500 has two large pins that come out the top of the 5th wheel the 2000 just has one. I can only see one in the picture you posted.

Vlad, My eyes aren't the greatest, but it looks like the FW2000 (which I remember being called the "Fleetmaster"" 5th wheel. The center plunger gets pushed forward by the pin entering the lock, the forward motion moves a piece via gear teeth that swings behind the pin, then a lock slide behind the swiveling piece to lock it in place. On that type there will be one big pin that the swinging part pivots on. You remove the cottter pin and the main pin comes out the top. Start by getting the bolts to loosen on the mechanism. That is going to be the hardest part, not to snap them off. There are two from the bottom, and the lock-stop adjusting screw from the side. No springs need to be caged, like on a brake can, all are easily and safely handled by hand.

I would be slightly concerned that the whole axle has been changed out, and what they show, may not be what you have! My last cabover had none of the original drivetrain, anybody who ordered parts off the VIN will be in a world of hurt.

Are there any "gear shops" around? I wouldn't go to a truck dealer to find the parts, but may be different where you live. You want someone who builds and deals in the assembly, more than a truck dealer. In N-A you can order over the net and get stuff fairly quick.

https://safholland.com/us/en/download-center/document/resource/environment/project1_p/documents/documentationP/Before%20Empolis%20Box%20update/pLiterature/XL-FW134-01_en-US.pdf Rebuild manual right from SKF

Could be FW2000 or FW 3500, the differance is how the lock works, one has two halves that come together, with a H bar to hold them, the other has a casting the swings around the pin from one side only. Looking with my reading glasses, I think it is an FW2000

I think I was mixing up Holland and Fontaine numbers, Looks like XA351 series https://www.doverbrakeinc.com/downloads/catelogs/HOLLAND FIFTH WHEEL QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE.pdf Whoop's didn't read far enough, Likely FW3500 So wasn't that far off

Not much to hurt you taking one apart, no real stiff springs ready to jump out at you. That is/was a real common model, The name escapes me at present. X3500? Anyway, not saying you can't hurt yourself if you really tried, but the most likely way would be dropping it on your foot! Remove the bolts and pins, there are two big pins that pass though the casting. Pay attention to how it comes apart and put it back together the same way. Getting the bolts to come out is the hardest part of the job.

Reading back through this thread, I see a couple questions that were never answered. The Engine family that is the medium K's (BLD) at one point COULD be fitted with a Mag. I have seen it mentioned in literature but never in person. The early (wet liner) version of the engine had either a gear driven generator and distributor driven off the back of the generator, on the left side of the engine or a mag. This was a common practice in the 20's. The mechanical fuel pump that is on the left side in the K's was on the right side on the early engines with a pushrod that ran across the block to the cam on the other side. If you pull the generator mount off a BLD there is a casting hole in the block behind it in the shape of a fuel pump mount, but not machined out. Wetliner engine are easy to spot due to the lack of core plugs in the side of the block, as core sand could be shaken out through the bore openings. (Like most wet lined engines) This design lead to a problem when gear drive generator/distributors were abandon in the later 30's. Where to you put a distributor on an engine that didn't have a directly driven distributor designed in from the get go? The answer is one of the distinct visual ques of the engine family, namely a distributor mounted high over the valve cover. When the engine was designed, it had the oil pump drive off the inside of the cam, which left no room to mount a distributor directly on the oil pump drive. Most engines drive the oilpimp from the outside of the cam, allowing for enough room to mount a distributor. They extended the drive all the way up to the top of the valvecover, and mounted the distributor there. This lead to problems later in the 50's when installed in cabover trucks. But that is a story for another day. The same basic engine lasted until the late 60's early 70's. It wasn't, however exported to the land down under which used a AG version of the the small 6 in their trucks of the size that used the BLD/BD up here. The HiTorque rear brakes are another issue. They have a special cup on the small piston with a protrusion that sits in a recess in the piston. As far as I know these cups are not available anywhere unless someone stumbles on NOS. To rebuild you must fill the recess with epoxy (to make a flat surface) and use a common available cup. Not sure what the thinking was on the recess, but seams to function fine without them. Like all IHC designed 6's it used a gear driven cam, a remote (from the oil pump) relief valve that can be a problem if someone tries to replace the oil filter adapter or valve adapter if the engine has no filter, with one from a later engine. Early engine had a bypass oil filter and the later (50's and up) re design had a full flow filter, but they are not interchangeable. More info than most will be interested in I bet.

As I stated before, most smaller starters use the same armature for 6 and 12, only the field coils change. What is different between your VW and this starter, is the old Delco uses an inertia drive, which can hit a little harder on the higher voltage. There is a helix on the drive and the weight of the drive itself tends to resist the motors "spin" which moves the drive into the ring gear. There is no solenoid operated shift fork like many starters used today. Having said all that, it is unlikely cause a problem. If it were to have one, it is likely to be when the engine fires but doesn't continue to run, and the starter is still energize by the operator. This can cause damage to the drive itself,when the drive re-engauges with the ringgear but the motor will be OK.in most cases.

Good thing you caught it, a hardened washer or bolt head, could do a lot of damage. I had a thrust washer pass through a ring gear and pinion. took most of a tooth off the pinion. At least there was enough left to drive home.

You might have to back off the bearing adjusting nut on the side you are working on, esp when you go to put the cap back on. If you haven't disturbed the other side, the backlash should not be effected. If you mark the adjuster nut on the side you are working on, you can back it off and when the cap is back on, tighten back to where it was. If that isn't possible or you already disturbed the bearing nut, on re assembly tighten until 0 play, rotate the ring gear through a few revolutions to seat the bearings, and tighten on more "tooth" on the nut, and recheck the pre load. You want an little (0 preload isn't good) but not much, just a little resistance felt at the ring gear. I am curious as to what cause the bolt to let go. That is not a problem I normally find. I don't know if they have change MFG assembly or if that diff has had some hands in it before. Single speed diff's I worked on all had the ring gear riveted to the diff when they came from the factory. If it was replaced, the rivets would be drilled and bolts used for the new gear. 2 Spd diffs bolted together. Replacement ring gears for single speed had a bolt kit, but from the factory rivets. Bolts for the case 1/2's normally got locktite, older models had drilled heads and safety wire. Same for the bearing cap bolts.

Can you lay your hands on some drill pipe (oil well thick wall) that will fit over one or both forks all the way? Then you don't have to get the skid steer as close. Worse case, un bolt the axle from the suspension, take the tires off, set the whole axle on the ground, lock the powerdivider and plug off air lines and drive the truck from over the axle. With the whole beast out it is easy to work and re-install center section. I did one that way, and it isn't as bad as it 1st looks, just a lot of bolts, and sometimes that beats fighting in a position where you can't turn or move.

To be clear, I think he is working on the modern version of the Rockwell/Meritor SSHD 46K rear that was the mainstay of the dump truck market for years. They are front loaders. Mack was the only one to stick with top loaders long after others had gone to front loading. There are advantages to each design, not making a judgement call.

That is a relative statement, compared to engine, no, compared to lifting it off my leg, yes! Next question is: What and how is the truck used? Can you afford to "down the truck" while doing it yourself or is it your source of income? If the latter, you might be money ahead in "biting the bullet" and paying to have it done. If I had no other way to get to it, and it had to come out the bottom, I would go to a scrap yard and ask for the metal plate they put over trenches in the road (1" or thicker" steel plates to lay down, drive the truck on and remove with a floor jack. Next question, Ok, you got it out, now what? If you need to repair or replace it is going to have to come out from the "hole" you are working in between the axles. Little gained by pulling it forward for a look, then finding you can't remove it for repair and have to button back up and re fill to take to someone. Look at the whole picture and decide what make the most economic sense. I did all my own, but had the equipment to do so, and more than one truck so could down one and work on it while still making a living. Because he listed it as a Meritor axle, and in the 2000's I am sure it is a front loader. Meritor hasn't made top loaders for decades as far as I know, At least I have come across any that weren't old. (when they were called Rockwell, Timken or Detroit axle)

Look around the carrier for an un used bolt holes. I know my IHC (Spicers) had two threaded holes you can put "jack bolts" into, I think my Rockwells did also. At the shop we used a floor jack with an adapter to remove. When doing them myself I did from above with a winch line of my winch truck. We had one carrier at the bus company that was stuck but good. My co worker took out a bolt and threaded the bolt hole with a bottoming tap the next thread size up. Then he put a ball bearing in the bolt hole and a bolt (the ball bearing prevent mashing the threads in the housing and precludes the need for the threads in the carrier from going all the way to the bottom) then threaded a bolt in. Just had to break the seal and it worked. I am sure on all the new stuff they have left out the jack bot holes, like everything else that is helpful, they cut it to the minimum they can get away with. I did one trans/ clutch in the"dirt" with a engine crane and plywood. I wouldn't recommend if if anything else is available to you. I layed out two sheets of 3/4" plywood (Have you priced out plywood lately) and the steel casters still indented into the plywood making it hard to roll/move. If I had to do it again without the winch truck. I would try and find a stout tree limb I could park the truck under and use a chain falls or come-a-long on a chain wrapped around the limb. A long single line has enough "give" that you can easily move the weight at the end a foot or more to get the carrier out and back in. whoop's missed that is was a "tipper" so tree limb will not work. Can you attach a chain to the underside of the body and used a come a long and truck hyd to lift it out the top? (again on a single line).

Wow, I don't think so! https://www.ebay.com/itm/175576184243?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=175576184243&targetid=1645685074008&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9018177&poi=&campaignid=20133407470&mkgroupid=147476396765&rlsatarget=pla-1645685074008&abcId=9312979&merchantid=426121152&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3LuLw97k_wIVT97jBx389wD2EAQYASABEgI71PD_BwE

Waterpumps are not plentiful, but any one for the engine family right up to the last 308 in the sixties should bolt on. I have rebuilt with common industrial waterpump "face seals". The impeller can be a bit fragile, so be careful if you disassemble. You'll need a puller to get the pulley off the shaft, they seam to be on tight! I haven't seen a "rebuilt" one for sale in a long time.