rsmartyn

Hi Thad, Thanks for the advice but after playing with the pictures I was unable to figure out how to resize them. If you want to catch a fish or run heavy equipment or drive a truck I'm your guy but give me a computer and look out! I usually screw somethin' up and have to get me wife to fix it. The DM pix are in my photo album anyway. Bob

Wait a minute, hold the phone! Hey Thad, I saw your post in "Pin Striping" and finally figured out (thanks to you) how to resize pictures. Who says you can't teach an old dog a new trick. Thanks, Bob

Your B pictures are 1.5mb each. We each get 6MB total space on this board. Your going to need to resize them and reduce the quality a little to make em fit.

Hi Thad, Thanks for the advice but after playing with the pictures I was unable to figure out how to resize them. If you want to catch a fish or run heavy equipment or drive a truck I'm your guy but give me a computer and look out! I usually screw somethin' up and have to get me wife to fix it. The DM pix are in my photo album anyway. Bob

you dont need the clutch for shifting just to start from a dead stop or for the clutch brake pto etc...

I was kidding.

Wait a minute, I thought the clutch on a 2 stick 6 speed (mud stick) was just for red lights or reverse or puttin' in the PTO. You mean I was supposed to be using it to shift that DM686SX all this time?

Hi Doug, Thought I'd include a picture of my "new" truck working too. It's a 1979 DM686SX which does most of the heavy lifting now but here in little NJ sometimes theres just not enough room for it to fit so the B steps in. Looks like we basically do the same thing with our trucks and our Macks are just as happy in the mud & dirt as they are on the road. Bob

For some reason this reply won't allow a picture of the DM to be attached saying that there's not enough filespace. The DM ain't that big! I'll try it again later

On the B's, if it has an even number then the engine was gas. Odd number it's diesel. And the number originally designated the gross weight. A B42 was a 40,000lb gas powered truck or a B61 was supposed to be a 60,000 lb diesel powered truck. There are a lot of guys on this site who know Mack gas engines much better than I do and may have swaped gas with a diesel. Maybe they can tell you.

At first when I saw your question I thought what the hell is this. But when I saw your age I said okay, a new generation that loves Macks and B's in particular so here's your answer. In heavier trucks without sycronized transmissions internal gear rpm's have to match the driveshaft rpm's when you shift. To up shift sometimes you have to let out on the clutch while in neutral between gears to slow down internal gears to accomplish the shift (usually when your clutch brake ain't workin'). Most of the time though it's when you're down shifting. In that case while shifting from the higher gear to the lower one you have to let out on the clutch and speed up the engine (while in neutral) to match internal trans rpm's so you don't grind the gears off. It's kinda funny tryin' to put in words something you do all the time without thinking. Anyway, when you get on the road you'll learn fast (hopefully not at the expense of a trans, rear or driveshaft).

It aint a B but to me its still a classic.

As long as it's makin' you money and lookin' good like that is all that matters. Bob

I think what David is saying is that if you have a "slow" 5.73 rear ratio with a double overdrive trans you get a bullet proof drive train. Top speed is not the objective.

It was explained to me that the "slow" ratio rear ends have more teeth on the ring and pinion to spread the power across more aera.. also a faster spinning drive train (to an extent) will allow for smoother starts under large heavy loads.

Over the road trucks can get away with a low 3.55 rear ratio and a overdrive trans becase they dont get down in the mud like dirt trucks.

that sound right david??

Trent

Don't know about David but I'd say you hit the nail right on the head with that reply. Bob

Hi Trent, Sweet looking striping, would the guy who did it want to come to NJ? Hard to find someone to do that kind of work anymore, everything's done on computer now which does open new possibilities but I haven't seen one do a custom stripe job like that. Bob

Hi Mark, You've got some great trucks to work with, welcome aboard. Bob Martyn

Its looking good there, paint looks just fine.

Ah I envy you guys living in the country with plenty of property. Living in New York City makes it almost impossible to make room for a good restoration project. We have two shops, one is rented out so useless and the one I am in now has next to no room left in the yard. And my driveway at home is so small a motorcycle is all its good for. Lol maybe I should start cleang house at our shop here, then I might have some room.

Hey Thad, The more room you got , the more crap you accumulate to the point that you can't find anything, can't move around, and the wife and neighbors complain. Count your blessings, you got it made. Bob

What year is a 60ish B model?

Does anybody have an educated guess on the tare of 1970 S/A Diamond Reo day cab? I need to move it from long island to Atlantic City Area and was wondering if my dually and gooseneck flatbed would work.

I think there is one weigh station between plus NY & NJ staties all over. If not, do any of you haulers out there need to vist the Shore? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Mike

Hi Mike, An educated guess would be not more than 12,000lbs since that truck is made out of steel and not plastic. Don't know the engine, trans or rear but there's got to be a scale near you somewhere. Don't know the route up north but from exit 7A on the NJ Pike to 195E to 537W to 539 So. to the GS Parkway onto AC via 30, 40, or the AC Expressway there's no scales. On the GS Parkway there's a weigh station just south of exit 98 so taking the GSP from 539 will keep you out of trouble. Bob

I was thinking today that I haven't seen an L or a B working around here for Quite a long time. I ran a 48 LF and a 53 IHC R210 in wrecker service untill the late 80's but even I gave it up. Parts were hard to get for the LF and The R210 with it's 450 Red Diamond was really slow.

Joe

Hi Joe, Went to pick up the machine with "Baby Skiddle" after I tore down a house by the bay. Brought in fill dirt with the DM tandem but needed more so the B was happy to do it.

I was thinking today that I haven't seen an L or a B working around here for Quite a long time. I ran a 48 LF and a 53 IHC R210 in wrecker service untill the late 80's but even I gave it up. Parts were hard to get for the LF and The R210 with it's 450 Red Diamond was really slow.

Joe

Hi Joe, Some pictures from today, screwed up this reply so look at the next one.

hello all im new to this site. my father and little brother are on it. i currently own a 1973 brockway model 359 short nose with a 318 detroit [screamer ]. it has a mack frame with a mack camel back suspension. love the site looking foward to more posts.

Hi Maddog, Interesting truck you've got there. Check out the topic "When Mack Owned Brockway" for a good web site of Brockway buffs. There's also a topic going about Detroits in Macks. Check em out, join in and welcome. rsmartyn

I have 2 Brockways besides my CH,the Mack Museum has build sheets for them.If I remember correctly Mack bought Brockway in1955 and ran it seperately .Some Brocway guys say that the Super liners were a Brockway design taken over by Mack after closure of Brockwa in 1977

Pete

You own 3 great trucks Pete. Interesting thought about the Superliners, haven't heard about that before.

Long hoods are nice till you get into some dock that is 65 ft witha 53 ft van/.MyCH has a 198" WB,42" bunk and fits almost any where a day cab will.I like set back axle as I run 80,000 gross and can put 12,000 on the steering no problem.My 96 is all Mack ,427,18 speed ,38 rears and made alot of money.My advice is buy a truck to make money,most of the B61's we all like so much were fleet trucks when they were new.

Pete

Good advice Pete, I couldn't agree more with you. That's the main reason why I continue to work my B & DM, cause they make money.

Hi Thad, Glad too to see the Bulldog working the world over! That way maybe our beloved dogs won't go the way of White & GMC after Volvo took them over. I'm sure that Sisu is one tough modern efficient truck but it sure is ugly compared to our beloved dogs . I dunno, maybe I'm just old fashioned. The cab looks like it might have just a little more room in it than a "B" though.

Great page, thanks for the link!

Reminds me of this girl my friend used to date. Her last name was Brockway and was supposedly a decendent of George Brockway (she knew of the truck company). Real hot lookin girl but was a total head case lol.

Was she blonde?

Hi Guys, I stumbled across a web site full of dedicated Brockway owners with a little Mack history which caught my eye. The site is www.brockwaytrucks.org/museum/history.html Brocks were a great tough truck too and there's some great photos and history there plus some Mack info back in the "B" days when the bulldogs first bought out the huskies.

Hi Guy, I did it years ago on my B61 single axle but I had it easy. The trucks got a big (40,000 lbs.) Eaton 2 speed rear so the spring set air release chambers fit no problem. I pulled the originals that I used off an old Great Dane trailer. With Mack rears it's trickier to see what chambers will fit. Installing a valve in the dash is easy, just find a good spot, run a supply line to it and then lines back to the release ports on the chambers. The service side of the chambers remains the same but finding one that'll fit your rear (or rears) might be tricky.

Hi Barry, I know I'm late to the party but my caps aren't what they once were. At that price why rechrome? I'm gonna call tomorrow

Hi Guys, I'm late to the party but that's the name of my photo album. As long as I can get parts (which I rarely need) my single axle B dump truck (former tractor) is staying on the road. It's so reliable, good on fuel and does it's job so well, why not. I'm not an over the road guy, it's used to move equipment on a 20 ton tag and material in the dump body. It'll still slog through a muddy site with soft ground loaded as good as it did 23 years ago when I bought it and then 'll roll down the highway at 60MPH as good or better than anything new. And no payments. It's a real head turner too. I've gotten a lot of calls from customers telling me they had seen that old truck and wrote down my number wanting work to be done. When you work with a classic like a "B", it speaks of the pride that you take in your work too. You'll see in the photo album that "Baby Skiddle" isn't a retired museum piece yet and probably won't be until I am too.