56BMack

I had stopped at the local Mack dealer to talk used Macks. We were talking about a tractor that could be used to pull 150,000 pounds. Also would be used to go off road ( gravel train ). The salesman advise to get a 20,000 front axle, with this axle comes TWO steering boxes, a left & right side and the wide float tires, all for off road use. I couldn't find info on this system. Does this dual steering work in that the left box is turned by the steering wheel and controls the right box by hydraulic lines from the left box? Anyone have this steering and how do you rate it? Randy

I have been involved in the remanufactured engine sector for years. Believe me when I tell you that there are few times when a block or head is scrapped and only when it is not cost effective. We do this kind of repair quite often. A big part of our customer base are classic and muscle car engines. Last summer we had a inline 6 flathead Continential for a 1936 Mack jr that had crack block repair. The type of repair depends on the type of crack. A good professional welder with a correct welding rod can be a help in some cases. Safer welding is when the entire block is stripped and heated in a oven and welded. The repair that Joe Cummins mentions is done the most ( us old guys still have the art ) but anyone can learn. Many companies make the tools for this kind of repair. Go to the site Joe listed and go to REPAIR EXAMPLES, look at the pictures for the series 53 Cummins 5.9 engine block, that is the process. Basically you degrease the area of the crack, then you would use a MAGNAFLUXING process ( two magnets and iron dust ). this shows the complete crack from end to end. you then drill a small hole just beyond the end of the crack to keep it from spreading. The repair plugs come in many sizes and they are tapered and threaded. You drill the holes, ream them and tap them. we put locktight on the plug and thread it into the tapped hole. the plug generally will twist off flush when tightened, but not always in that case cut it. What you want is for every plug to overlap the next plug. This proceedure works well for cracks. In some cases JB Weld is good but if you can fine a product called MARINE-TEX this stuff is excellent for repairs. You can use this also to rebuild those cracked rims on the mack steering wheels and make them like new. Hey I use to restore cars. thats my two cents worth. Randy

Is there such thing as a 28 foot flatbed trailer with a wall at the front of the bed. Something like a steel hauling shorty. This would great to put behind a restored B series Mack, for shows or display. Randy

I remember working on new GMC's that were made into school buses. And the body companies would use only black coded wires from the firewall harness to the rear. Tracing the problems were always a joy.

CDL what a mess, When I repaired med and hd trucks in the 70's to early 80's, I had a chauffers license and road tested my repairs and overhauls. GMC Generals, Astros, Detroits, Cats, 13 spd roadranger, 10 spd spicer, tractors, steel hauling straight trucks well over 26,000 gvwr. Now I am planning to restore a Mack B-60 or B-61 in the future. Tractor no trailer or in the least a short straight chassis. Now here in Michigan you can go to 3 different Secretary of State offices and get 3 different answers to the same question. In the State CDL guide book it states in CDL exemptions ( INDIVIDUALS: Operating motor homes or other vehicles used exclusively to transport personal possessions or family members, for non-business purposes. ). Also in the same guide book is Who needs a CDL.( Any resident who intends to operate VEHICLES: Having a gross vehicle weight rating - GVWR - of 26,001 pounds or more. ). Nothing about commercial use, just size. Ok I look into this and CDL written test is common sense and truck systems, easy enought. Skills test all third party and no regulation on what they can charge. I haven't looked into these charges yet. I have to rent a tractor & trailer to take the test, what does that cost? Ok I can go to a local Class A truck driving school and practice with a freightliner, only $5,000.00 what a deal. All this so I can restore and on occasion drive a B-series unloaded. I am currently checking with the S.O.S. If I can register and plate the Mack as a historical vehicle. Safe driving skills should be instilled to drivers, but this mess is way out of hand for the restorer. Randy

Thanks Chad, I have been looking into The RD series macks and didn't know what a RD800 looked like. I have a mid 90's operators manual for the R's and there is no pictures of the 800. Just info as RD800--heavy duty frame, construction-type bumper and a sheet metal hood. Now there is a face to the name. Randy.

Help me out, the Mack tractor is that a DM 800? And it looks somewhat newer, What was the last year Mack made this fine machine. What is pulling or pushing the train engine?, can't tell from the picture. Thanks, Randy

Great idea and nothing is impossible. Mack would go broke to do this currently. To tool up for a second assembly line, the engineering, crash test, EPA considerations. How do you market such a machine. If all the die hard Mack Truck guys bought one at $50,000 each, it wouldn't allow Mack to brake even on cost. A large sales market would have to happen. Now here in metro Detroit, special series automobiles are not done by the auto makers but custom body builders with design engineers do this. The best one could do is get with Mack and get permission for the name, Bulldog design, ect. Get the design blueprints for a B series so that you could downsize it quickly and apply the cab design for crash worthiness. Get with Ford or Dodge to purchase in volume one ton truck chassis with the Cummins or International diesel engine. Design your pickup bed. Put all this together sell it for the price of a Hummer. Then wait for all the off the wall lawsuits just because people can. But in all this it would be nice to have a retro style Mack pickup .

I havn't driven a two stick Mack yet. I read someone mentioned about the manual. I have a late 50s B Mack owners manual. In the manual there is no mention of two hands, but it does mention speeding up the engine to allow for a shift and of course double clutching.

Thanks Bill, it's a great site of sounds of power. Randy

Here is a different way to look at Mack Truck in Allentown. By using Google Earth, there is a free version, ( http://earth.google.com/ ) you can see any area on earth by satellite. You can start out in space and go to roof top level. I found Mack truck headquarters and marked the coordinates as 40*34'26.99"N latitude and 75*28'17.56"W longitude. In the Google Earth Program and in the lower left corner, a scale will let you know where your pointer is located on in the coordinates. I have never been in Allentown, but I found the Mack HQ, the Mack truck they display by where you would enter from Mack blvd. Streets named Bulldog, AC drive, Signal and Maxitorque street. Go behind the HQ and there is a small airport. Go north and I believe I found the assembly plant for Mack. Also the tall water tower behind the plant, coordinates for the water tower are 40*34'41.12"N lat and 75*28'27.13"W long. It's neat that I can see Mack at a birds eye view. Also you can look at Mount St Helens, the Grand canyon, ect. The next thing is, where can I find Macks New vehicle product development and test center built around 1972? Randy

B61Bill, What is that address for the Detroit Diesel sounds. I used to repair and O-haul Detroits and of course roadtest them. Who can ever forget the 6V53 screaming jimmies. Or the Detroits that " Ran Away " on their own crankcase oil. Two cycle Detroits were in their own class. Randy

Hey, God must love you, because the fire happened before you got the CF 600 and not while you were driving it. Must be a better Mack down the road for you.

Barry, About 10 or 15 years ago in a Detroit suburb. A home owner, in a house built in the 50's. Was having his back yard dug up for a inground swimming pool when they found a complete '52 or '53 Chevy buried in the yard. These were cookie cutter houses with small yards. At the time no one knew how it got there. You know if it was a '53 B Mack all you needed to do is put fresh fuel in the tank and drive the old Dog out of the hole. LOL. Randy

I noticed a tanker truck that had finished loading the underground tanks at a Citgo station. Went for a closer look and to my surprise it was a Mack, most of the time the tractors are Freightliners. I didn't notice a name tag except on the door was the script E7 460. Sharp tractor and the engine had a nice sound to it as it left the station. Can you more seasoned Mack drivers tell me information on this Big, Sweet sounding, Six wheel Dog. Thanks, Randy