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Learned that lesson for sure!

After a couple years of life getting in the way, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things working on this unit. With fresh batteries and fresh gas in the carb, it fired up relatively easily after not being run for 4+ years! I've changed the oil, drained the bad gas, re-primed the fuel lines, and chased a clog in the fuel line, and have it starting and running pulling gas from the tank. It has developed an intermittent squeal while running, which I haven't gotten to look into it too deeply yet but am guessing it's either the water pump or generator, as it seems to be coming from the front of the engine. Hearing it run again has really given me motivation to jump back in and continue working!

I know I have some scans of old slides from when it was yellow, I'll have to dig into my files and post them!

I got a replacement. It's actually off a diesel, but works just fine

Thank you! Yes, it is positive ground, I haven't had any issues as I'm using the existing lights and just replacing bulbs as needed. I have considered putting in a converter to be able mount a hidden power plug and maybe a radio, but haven't fully decided on that yet.

Quick update, I know it's been a long time 🙄 Our fixer-upper of a house has been taking all of my time and money since we moved in a little over a year ago, but I have managed to find time to tinker with the rig a little bit. I tested the ignition switch with a known good battery, and all tested out ok, so I'm thinking the batteries in the rig are bad. I also removed the carb and gave it a good cleaning, and may have narrowed down the no start issue to just bad gas; the gas in the carb was almost black in color, and thinking back to it, the gas had probably been sitting in the tank for about a year at the time I was working on it🤦‍♂️ The last time I was able to try starting it, I had spark and fuel getting to the carb, so theoretically good gas should do the trick. I don't know why I didn't try putting fresh gas in the carb at the time, but that will be my next step after getting new batteries.

My C85 is listed on the title at 30k

Got my bracket installed today for the oil filter conversion, but discovered that I need a 90 degree 1/4" fitting, as opposed to the straight one. I did this for the 1/2" one, but not the 1/4 for some reason; but that's an easy fix. I've also gotten a few odds and ends back on, so it looks more like a fire truck from the front again! Once things settle down and we get moved, I'm going to have to do some things with the paint, as I've noticed some orangepeel in places as well as some overspray on the dash that will need attention.

Quick update- I've been continuing to get odds and ends done, slowly. My "spare" time has been consumed by preparing our house to sell, and looking for our next house. Assuming all inspections come back ok, we are currently under contract on a place with a 40x40 garage, which was really a huge selling point for me! As far as the truck goes, I looked at the ignition switch again- I worked the switch back and forth a few times, then turned on the battery and checked the voltage again. This time, the voltage read 6v both on the battery side and the outlet side of the switch. I'm leaning towards bad batteries, as I'm getting between 10-11 volts at the batteries when I check them, and charging them hasn't changed that, so I'll pick up new ones and report back.

My grandfather drove a few back in the day: mack h.bmp mack r.bmp Untitled-Scanned-10.bmp Untitled-Scanned-09.bmp

For the carb, rebuild kits are pretty ready available online, you'll just need the one for your specific model. A good place to check for the pertronix would be the Brillman Co, they also have plug wire sets for the 707.

Progress continues.... slowly. Life seems to be getting in the way of making any meaningful progress lately, but I have been getting little odds and ends done as time permits. I was troubleshooting some things today, and would appreciate some insight/opinions. A few weeks ago, I installed some of the warning lights and tested them with the ignition on, and all was working well. A few days ago, with no changes to the system, when I turned on the ignition there was barely any power- not even enough to run the electric fuel pumps. I tested the electrical from the batteries up to the ignition switch, and have consistent voltage throughout the system, until I get to the output side of the ignition switch, where it drops to 0.2v. Am I correct in thinking that the ignition switch went bad?

This morning, my next project arrived at my "workshop" (aka my mom's house, where there is much more storage than my house). It's an IH M5H6 deuce and a half, which I acquired from my father-in-law in New Hampshire; they believe it's a 1943. I've had a soft spot for old IH trucks since my teenage years, when my uncle gave me an old K1 pickup; I remember him telling me that he didn't care if I restored it or sold it, just don't let it go for scrap, and that he hoped it would spark my interest in working on old trucks. Well, it certainly did that! I ended up selling that truck to a guy who planned on making a rat rod out of it, as it was too far outside my skills or knowledge at the time; there are days that I wish I had kept it, as I feel like I've learned some things in the intervening years that would make it a doable project for me now. Fast-forward to more recent times; my father-in-law bought a storage unit at an auction, and while cleaning it out he found this truck. They dragged it to his store, where it sat for a few years. My brother-in-law had planned to take the drivetrain out for another project, but then moved on to other things. I mentioned that I might be interested in it, and my father-in-law was more than happy to send it down the road to get it off his property 😄 She's a little rough, but still savable I think. There are some missing parts, most notably the radiator, but I should be able to find most of them as it has a Red Diamond engine, and the cab is the same as the K/KB models. I'm pretty sure the cab was replaced at some point, as it has chrome handles and chrome trim on the dash; also there are none of the military ID plates on the inside, and no holes where they would be. My plan is to start getting into this and my dad's old MB after I finish up my C85 this spring. A big shout-out to Tim Jones (Cosgrove's Cartage, a retired DC fireman) for hauling it safely to PA and dealing with adverse conditions both at pickup and dropoff! The truck that started it all:

Well unfortunately, despite my best efforts and intentions, I couldn't get the rig on the road in time for trick-or-treat tonight. The wiring harness is in and working great, but I ran into a fuel delivery problem that took most of a day to troubleshoot and figure out. I set out this morning ready to fire it up, but had the same result of cranking, but no fire. Pulled the spark plugs on the right side and found them all to be fouled. The right side plugs and wires are new within the last 5 years, so I had assumed that spark shouldn't be the reason for the non-starting. Put in 6 new plugs, still no dice, and decided to pull a plug to check for spark (with help from my lovely wife.... on her birthday, no less). No spark on either side. The rotors in the distributors spin, so my next point to consider is the coils, but I had to head to work before I could go any further. At this point, I'm considering swapping in pertronix units over the fall/winter and having the rig home for a christmas decoration since it didn't work out for halloween.