Vladislav

Yup, that fixed flange style showed up closer to the end of 80's as it seems to me. I have a question to you though. My 1945 Mack model NR has those cone flanges arranged with double splined end axle shafts and elephant ears bogie to frame brackets what being seemed as #44000 setup. The matter is those "mushroom" flanges have oil seals installed in them. So gear oil from the banjo can't go into hub bearings and the latters are spinning in grease. At the same time I have a 1984 MH-model with similar looking axle flanges but those bearings utilize gear oil from the axle. Were both of the styles existed as different options or was there a swap from grease in the hub bearings to oil?

Welcome to the forum! One nice looking R-model indeed! As for airride conversion I would go another route than welding a frame section off a Freightliner and so on. You can find a cut off or just a suspension set off a R-model which was produced by Neway. Very common setup for R's at the time but more for tractors than dump trucks and so. Neway was usually installed as a tandem bogie but actually that's two sepapate suspensions each of conteins a pair of brackets you attach to the frame, a pair of big levers an axle attached to and one Macks axle with Mack differential. So you can just use one axle setup and install it onto your frame with no cutting/welding the original rails. Just drill bolt holes where they're needed to be. Doing that you'd need a crossmember for installation of the frame brackets (should be taken together with other parts) and also you'd use a differential with no power divider (from the RR axle) since you're going to have a single drive and don't need the divider. This way you achive a truck with all OEM parts and solid factory frame rails. Vlad

I used to use Tamiya water-based paint but dissloved it with alcohol for airbrush condition. Much better application than adding water and much less poison vapours in relation to acetone-based solvents you need for common paints.

As said above I guess. To Mecho: #44 axle shafts had separate cone at the hub end up to a certain year. Later axles became of a style with flange, like #38 were. With 6 mounting bolts thicker than 8 bolts in #38 flange.

This may also not work for '89 truck. Starting from somewhere about 1991 wiring in a RD became all made by wires in white insulation. With tiny black scripts (or marks?) on each one. Not multicolored harnesses as "88 and earlier models were made. IDK if the particulat schematic is identical or not but that doesn't seem be of a must. And sure work with wiring all of one color isn't a big pleasure.

38 hubs have totally different flange. But axle spindles both of 38 and 44 have same sizes where hub bearings are fitted. So geometry of both axle housings seem identical. I mean length (width), hub bearings seat and also the spot where you mount the diff. Sure it's never wrong to double check sizes of the parts you use for a swap but just changing a diff from 38 axle housing to 44 doesn't seem bringing a trouble. Another point though the diff housing may have or not have studs where they're needed to be (if needed) or have different style of the torque rod attachment.

Parker 266-8 (black braid) or 206-8 (blue braid) looks like a good option. Its original purpose is air brake hose but it's declared also as for fuel, oil, power steering and even air conditioning lines. So must be resistant to very high pressures and aggressive fluids. And if you install it with reusable fittings (as was recommended and described above) you will achieve the original look regarding to your truck (and mine too)

From what I could see in the video the truck has R-model frame rails with typical R-model front spring hangers and cab mounts. But the radiator core is tiny indeed. Neat looking old R-model and definitely a great piece of trucking history! Thanks for sharing.

If you try setting backlash or play away from the dead center you will so get overtightness in the center. Actually you may be finding the tightest spot over the box range (near the center) and than relate it to the marks on the housing. Where you are tight and near the center is the spot for the setting. There may be cases (I don't know particulary with Ross but expect so) a steering gear may be assembled wrong during repair in the past. That way the dead center may be not where a mark of it on the housing is. And it's a headach with installation of such a gear and setting its tightness too. Speaking excessive play the most modern steering gears are double reduction. You could check that out regarding Ross by its blow out or cut through diagramm in a manual or on the net. If so the pay may be determined not by the teeth sector only but also by a screw/nut. Usually that mesh is not adjustable and occures play due to wear of mating parts. With way of fixing by change of them.

For more than 10 years I kept my eyes open for such the diagram, My truck is 1988 (1989 model year) R688. And I didn't have any luck. There's a "R-model wiring diagram" as a black and white electric scheme you can find on this site or elsewhere on the net. But that one is for earlier year's R's and doesn't correspond much to what you have in your truck.

Wonder didn't the parts dept printed it in a print shop while you have had your waiting time and than put in that solenoid-free bag? Sure kidding. Congrats on the purchase of the piece of happiness!

So soon!... We have the school year starting from 1st of September. Summer passes by that fast you need more free time enjoying it! Hope he will study well so could use weekends for the shop activities

No, that's a different swich. That one switches main engine air intake. From normal way through the cap of the filter canister to from under the hood area via that second pipe at the canister. For cold weather operation as it is subscribed somewhere (in the truck?) and that seems as a Canadian thingy. So that second pipe on (that Canadian style) filter housing is NOT for the tip turbine. This way the scoop in the hood works its role. Asking the original question. No, Maxidyne tip turbine was way far from not the only engine option used on R's/RD's. Plenty of different Mack engines installed during 4 decades of production starting from Thermodyne gassers and ending with Mack 4 valve E6 and E7 (in the restyled RD's). Also engines of different brends could be used including such exotic as two stroke Detroit Diesels and Chrysler gas V8's. And if you want to learn as much as possible on your Mack truck the best (and the only?) way is reading this forum! Personally tested

Wow! For 1:50 they're amazing!

The shift linkages of MH and Criseliner have about nothing in common. Excepting both have the lever separated from the tower when the cab is up and both use a U-joint. The matter of difficulties with shifting may be due to worn out linkage (you aren't able to find the spot where you shift into a certain gear) or due to worn out sliding clutches/mating teeth in the tranny gear wheels. This second way you have grinding in the gear change moments. Shifing Mack trannies require special skill which could be obtained by practice. I tell this as a guy who has never had experience driving American truck or another non-synchro transmission before appeared by the wheel of my 1st Mack truck. Now I understand that transmission had hard wear on the noted above parts but anyway could be shifted smooth if you know particular moments to get into a particular gear.

Awesome! Which scale are they in? 1:34?

3/4 of the hell I would do With some grease on the cone.

The boot is a trouble to locate. It was awalible from PAI a couple years ago (and wasn't cheap) but later turned discontinued. I would like to grab one or two NOS myself but got no luck so far. The part # is 95RU32 or PAI AOS-9946.

Looks like the time to start shaping it up. Or about that. You may be using a side grinding wheel with a corner grinder at the 1st stage. Way not that smooth as an orbital sender but much more progressive. Just get off one small spot and make a check out with a ruler or so. Than get to a neighbouring area if needed. Possibly is working with an orbital sender a bit to see big hills than grind them off with a grinder and do a test smooth up with the orbital sender again. And so on. Sorry for the spiders to be killed. I sure mean much more sorry for the time killed on that deal. I don't know though if they're poisonous or not.

Wood chiesel?? I was easily satisfied with a car style tyre braking bar Sure couldn't avoid that swedish wrench.

I used to pull the hand throttle up a bit incresing idle and it stopped bouncing with revs. Would love to hear any results of experience tinkering with Ambac E6 pump though.

Thank you. Sorry to bother with my needs.

As said above. That's a plug nut in the end of the rod secured by a cotter pin. Remove it and try turning the nut clockwise. You need a kind of still plate to insert into the recess in the nut to turn it. Pretty easy deal at all if the nut isn't stuck really hard due to rust. And probably no simple way to install a "tie rod style" drag link as you called it. You need another Pitman arm with a conical hole to suit the ball stud. And I doubt it even existed for this style of the steering box. Might be though.

I calibrated a pump that way. And when it happened to put it on a bench later for another reason the guy was veeery surprized.

What is the source of those cooper split nails (or rivets)? I'm close to be needing a set. And one more point - which width of the lacing did you use for your truck? The results look excellent by the way