techdog68

funny you should say that, i blew a bag on the highway drove it for about 2 miles to parking area. is it hard to change the synchro? can the transmission stay in?

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Yes you can leave the trans in and it is not an easy job to change the syncro but there are some things to be aware of . You need to mark the gears and 'time' them correctly or you will have big problems ,and you must shim the countershafts to get correct end play. If you go to Eatons web site you can get all the info you need as well as an electronic parts catalogue and any updates for your trans as well .

I have to agree with Rob, The value is there but the poster doesn't really want a Mack , it seems he wants a hood. It makes no sense to undo so much of what the present owner has done . I don't think the poster appreciates what he is looking at and what it 'is' , and what it 'is not' . I am not questioning his quality, care ,or commitment in any way , but I think he is missing the essence of a Mack. You're cat is all cudly and sweet when she wants to be but you're dog sits by your side through thick and thin, feeling what you feel, he understands your concern, and feels you're pain and you're joy. she gives you her undying loyalty, never interrupts you , never lets you down . she is always ready even on her worst days , you can depend on her and she will always go wherever you want and never complain . A Mack is not a large car, it is a Truck.

I've been looking at trucks lately & would like a little input. I'm a rancher and homebuilder/real estate guy. I have a F-450 that I pull my 15-ton gooseneck and cattle trailer with. On any given day, I may haul a backhoe or dozer, each at 19,000 pounds on the gooseneck which weighs about 7,300 pounds. We also have a toy-hauler RV that has a loaded weight of about 21,000 pounds. The F-450 is a little out-gunned. I also have an R-700 tandem dump that is used for hauling gravel for roads and fill dirt. Both trucks are licensed as "farm", and thus limited to 48,000 pounds gross. Each truck costs over $1,000 per year to license and insure, so just owning them gets expensive even if you don't turn the key.

My idea is to buy a short sleeper tractor and a 20' belly-dump to replace both the F-450 and the R-700. I would modify the sleeper to resemble the "work station" in a Volvo to allow my family to ride. In order to make this work, I need an auto trans truck so that my wife can drive it. No, I'm not going to teach her to float-shift, I would prefer to remain married . These trucks are few and far between as you might imagine, but here's an example of a possibility:

http://www.arrowtruck.com/docs/search.details.aspx?invstkno=165281

I would prefer a single axle over a tandem, but those are really rare. I've located a nice factory single Volvo in Cali, but it's expensive. What pitfalls are there with singling a Mack like the one above?

Is the engine in the unit above at 355hp generally reliable and is it up-ratable?

Lastly, feel free to tell me I'm nuts.

> Before you shoot me or worse , let me put my touch on it

I may not have been clear. The R-700 is a dumptruck and my wife never drives it. She does, however drive the F-450 when on the ranch or RV'ing.

Oh, BTW, I would want to put a simple flatbed on any truck that I buy. Just a giant pickup .

>

> If a big pickup is what your looking for and you want to stay below 53000 GVWR (to avoid the $550 a year road use tax) I would suggest a 4400 international w/DT466E Allison hd4000 series trans . You can get the 466 w/ 250hp and you would be surprised at how well it will pull and your wife can drive it to the grocery store and be as comfy as the F450 . Super easy to drive ,as a single axel tractor w/ the flatbed on it , w/air brakes the 48000 will also be in its comfort zone. You would want to get a 4 door cab also fairly common w/ these or you can get a day cab and add a box as fancy or as simple as you like.the 466 is a wet sleeve engine so you can build it from now until the cab falls off,the 4000 series allison is as bulletproof as a trans can be , you can get them w/ air ride cab , air ride susp, power everything , parts are readily available upkeep is reasonable and there is lots of used ones around. Easy to drive ,and if you bought one w/ a 24/26 foot body on it you would have a storage shed for the farm too. I would think a class 8 truck would be over kill for what you are wanting. also you can get 8-10 mpg w/ this truck too,that would be twice thempg you would get w/ the class 8 truck.if you like I could set one up for you any way you like and you would be surprised at the price it can be done too.

Company I'm leased to is starting to get 'em in. Up until now, I've been able to pull & operate any and every trailer in their fleet...which makes me the only truck they have with that capability/versatility. Right now, the electric roll tarp trailers are the only ones I CAN'T pull & operate.

Anyway, I'm wanting to wire up my truck so that IF one of them becomes available, I'll have a chance to get it.

I asked at the local Mack dealer...they called up to their other store (who is a Shurco dealer) and I guess either the relayed message about what all I needed got mixed up...they told me $2500 Clicking around the Shurco site, that looks like the cost to equip BOTH the truck AND the trailer...

Anyway, the truck end looks to be fairly simple...

A rocker switch (or I assume ANY on-off-on type switch would work) on the dash, wired up to to control a solenoid.

A 40 Amp circuit breaker on the power lead to the solenoid from the battery.

And the solenoid controlling the direction of current flow back to the motor on the trailer.

Now they (Shurco website) sell

"Cab Wiring Kit - Rocker Switch" for $192.01

"Cab Wiring Kit - Remote Box" for $96.60

"Electrical Parts Kit w/ Rocker Switch - 40 Amp Modified" for $84.48

Would any of those suffice? What's different in each of 'em to cause the price to be that much different?

They also list the

40 Amp Breaker for $7.02

Solenoid for $42.38 (cover is another $8.86)

Rocker Switch for $12.02 (mounting bracket is another $3.82)

Could I just buy those individual items, wire in my own on-off-on switch & plug, and save some cash?

If I get set up and manage to snag one of the electric tarp trailers, it'll mean at least an extra turn per day. If I can do it for less than $100, it'll pay for itself within the first week I put it to use. $2500 would be kinda steep, though...don't think I'd spend the money until I was guaranteed to be hooking to one of those trailers...and even then, it'd be a hard sell.

If anyone knows, the curiosity is getting to me. Already shot an e-mail to the folks at Shurco, but it'll be Monday at least before they get there to respond. If nobody posts up anything before then, I'll post their answer in case anyone else finds themselves needing to wire up their truck...

> Before you go trying to 'rig' this up you need to know the switch is not just a switch , it is made for that purpose . If you take a minute to think about it , there is two wires going to the tarp motor . so in order to reverse the motor you have to reverse both wires. do not hook this up with anything less than 6ga wire . match the wire to the amp rating of the breaker on the power feed . the relay is desighned for this use . do not assume these parts are run of the mill pieces. the price is high not because they want to rob you but because they are not 'just' a buy anywhere switch or relay. Also when you buy the proper parts you will get a schematic showing you how to properly wire it . do not cut corners with this or you wont make a dime if it doesnt work and you could also screw up the part thats on the trailer for someone who has the right stuff.your boss spent 2500 for his part you cant spend 250 for yours?

Hello All

I am looking to buy a R model. Always have liked Macks but never had the money to buy one, but now I do. Can spend about 5k. In regard to the 5+4 transmission. Is it possible to shift the 5+4 as only a 5 speed. Are all the 5+4 made by Mack. I really want a truck that is ALL Mack. Thanks

Mastering the Quadraplex (5 x 4) is a badge of pride not a lot of drivers can carry . Not for the lazy or faint of heart. But then neither is a real Mack . A real driver is the guy who can go down the road with 42 ton in a sand box shiftin a 4 by drinkin a cup of coffee smokin a cigarette and talkin to you while cussin the traffic and readin the address on the delivery ticket and still doesent grind a gear or miss a shift .

hey guys. how does a guy adjust the fuel on a bosch fuel pump on a 96 e7 300 engine. i bought the truck used and it seems the pedal is very sensitive and just the slightest bump on the road will make the truck take off like a bat out of hell. i would like to slow her down if possible. i think the previous owner bumped her up.

thanks in advance.

before you go messing around inside the pump on this you need to look at the linkage . it is common for the throttel to be sensitive on a mack especially if the cab has air ride . you can put a longer arm on the pump and the jack shaft to make it less sensitive . also make sure you have the correct return springs and all the linkage is free and doesn't bind when the cab moves . also be sure the cab mounts are good ,ride height is correct. if the pump settings were incorrect you would have overfueling/smoke issues . much can be done with the linkage to slow down the way the throttel applies . if you can't resolve the throttel control with the linkage the adjustments inside are not going to help , you have wear issues with the internal linkage

thanks for the suggestions, i think i will check for the tightness of the tranny mounts and the bellhousing before i start opening stuff up, and if i still cant figure it out, i'll give Rob a call as a last resort...

Yes , loose bellhousing bolts will cause this, and if the stick is pushing out as you say it is definitely in the main box. Also a loose fork will cause this , worn teeth on the sliding clutch and/or mainshaft gears, also a worn stub on the shifter and/or worn gate on the fork,also worn selective washers ,broken snap ring that hold mainshaft gears in place,broken detent spring . there is alot more pressure on the gears in high range .

2009 is the last year for Cummins in an International. Int. dropped them when they had their falling out over SCR. Cummins initially said no SCR but when they changed their position Int. dropped them and went to bed with Cat. They didn't have any provisions for SCR in any of their truck designs or engineering so Cummins kinda dropped a bomb on them. So now Int. will have no 15 litre engine for much of 2010....The MaxxForce 13 475 horse will be the biggest for the moment.

Freightliner/Western Star picked up Cummins as their optional engine now also after Cat packed it in.

I sure hope Mack survives and they keep the factories going over here. They're one of the few that aren't being built in Mexico yet. Just read even International is thinking of closing Chatham and going to Mexico.

International has had a plant in mexico since 2000 , Ain't NAFTA wonderful?! Nobody wanted to listen to that crazy man from texas . He called it , and he was dead on. NAFTA did EXACTLY what he said it was gonna do, and you can still hear the GIANT SUCKING SOUND coming from there . Bush and Clinton stood there on each side of him while he warned us, and they both knew he was telling the truth, We elected Clinton and he thanked us by selling us out.

IMHO the damage to Mack was already done by Renault and the chances of there ever being another true American built truck are likely gone forever. The sad truth in all of this is America has been sold down the river by the very people we elected to represent our interests . Our government has never been very fond of the Trucking Industry or the independant minded people that engaged in it and they have lost all sight of the spirit and ideals that brought this country the success it has gained in its short existence . Is Volvo good for Mack? Volvo is not good for anything. The euro truck makers were chomping at the bit to get into the American truck market for years , and now they are here , in force , and they are not going away. They are here for the money and that is the only reason. To push their ugly generic Power Units on us and take our cash back to their banks in Europe while we have to tow their to engineering marvels to their service facilities to have them fixed. Hopefully the Wrecker Co we call has an old Mack to send out or we'll have to call a wrecker for the wrecker . Ahh we can breath easy , he just pulled up in a 1970s R model with a chain drive Holmes 800 twin boom . I guess that 60 ton rotator Sterling with the Mercedes engine must be in the shop again, at least we can be sure this euro swoop nose VGT common fail injected junk will get to the shop. Gotta remember to write the tag # down so I can pick it out parked with all the other euro clones in the parking lot if they ever get it fixed. Well gotta go get the ol' 2 stick2 stack Mack outa the barn out back . Lookee there she didn't even turn a full round and fired right up! Nothin like the sound of that 500 V8 comin out those 8" straight stacks, don't need a radio in this old truck , whats that? ,say you like your music loud? Just flip that switch that says DYNA on it and let off the throttel ! That loud enough for ya? Yeup I thought so. I think I understand how this emissions reduction stuff works now. Dang thing makes less emissions cuz it only runs half the time. Its all makin sense to me now . Takes two trucks to haul a load too. Yeup I see why they sell so many trucks too. Somebody needs to tell them euro fellas the 'Granite' is supposed to go in the wagon . This ol' Superliner got every bit of room in the cab as a CH . Say you want flash codes? You just hit that long switch lever on top there on the left , that'll flash the 'thank ya ' code fer lettin me know i'm clear to come back over , and the ABS is built into this right leg of mine . Sure theres electronic stuff in these old trucks, one of them electronic flashers in the corner socket behind that panel over there that looks like a glove box. Naw, I keep my gloves over here by the door, so i dont need no glove box anyway. Whats that other stick for? That is an ipick. That's where I pick what gear I want , Ain't no Ranger on this road . Check engine light?! What I need that for? I know I got an engine , don't need a light to know that! Sure its got cruise control, just turn that knob a couple turns , that button in the end of it turns it off too. Well I gotta go but if you ever get that lectronic autoshiftin power unit to run long enough maybe we'll run into each other again ,if not i'll be comin thru in about a week , I'll stop in and see ya .