Rob

You've started down the right track. Proceed. Rob

First full unibody car I cut in half, and grafted another onto was a 1981 Citation X-11 series. It ran really well for an "econobox" with a strong engine for the timeframe. Back in the days when wrecks didn't go total for 1/2 of their value.... Rob

I don't know for sure so cannot offer a quantified answer. An educated guess would put the turbine housing into the area between .97A/R, and 1.04 A/R. Again this assumption is based on the torque rise of the "Maxidyne" series of engine off the top of my feeble little mind. Water/methanol injection will serve to lower your heat of combustion, (temperature, and pressure) thus delaying the rate of expansion of your burnt fuel/air gaseous mixture. As I'm sure you are aware, this action will limit, or drop your available thrust output as a turbojet type of engine depends on the amount of fuel and air it consumes, coinciding with rapid expanding exhaust gasses to further drive the turbine to drive the compressor. The theory of operation manifests itself to the point of destruction from physical limitations. Water/methanol mixtures will help you keep from melting to engine, (a.k.a. turbocharger) itself. Another note is the bearings supporting the turbine and compressor wheel will not hold up very long due to uncontrolled acceleration and rpm's in a stock unmodified turbocharger. Sure a lot of fun to play with though! Rob

That exhaust, and intake flange type or setup is much newer than the B, or early R model vintage. I would make an educated guess to a 237 Mack engine, about 1971-82 vintage. Not rare by any means. The .55 A/R is nothing special, and quite small for any appreciable power, (at high rpm), but great for low end grunt such as the "Maxidyne" series engines produced. This is part of the reason for the high torque rise of these engines. I have two just like it from 1972, and 1975 R models w/237's originally. I certainly don't mean to berate your item, just don't want you to be mislead. If you are going to make a turbin engine out of it, I would get closer to a 1 A/R on the compressor side or you will too restricted for good thrust/power output; The restriction at turbin rpm is too great. Rob

I had my new ones replated as the original chrome was "yellow" with very little luster. Rob

Yes I do. The engine is "loaded" up internally from not being used. If the exhaust on the hot side of the turbocharger is a casting with a sleeve in between the turbo, and elbow, there are piston rings on the adapter that are always struck. If the old fuel is pooled in this area, it will drip from, smoke from, and smell like you explain. The cabs sport "flow through ventilation" as you can tell by having smoke inside. Get the exhaust hot and it will clear up. The problem you have is called "wet stacking" and is common on an unloaded diesel engine. You can clean it up a little bit by parking the truck outside, removing the air cleaner piping at the turbocharger, hold the idle speed at about 1800 rpm, and with a pump oiler loaded with ATF, make the engine injest the oil slowly. I don't mean pump it in as fast as you can but to where the engine just starts to slow down. Keep a steady stream up but don't kill the engine. After you have ran a quart or so through the engine, keep the idle to about 1250 rpm or so for about five minutes to burn the residual clean. This SOB will smoke like there is no tomorrow when you are doing this proceedure and if you have an exhaust leak will leave a puddle on the ground so be prepared. If you want to get the engine hot with a simulated load, put the truck in low gear, accelerate against the governor, and apply the service brakes enough to put a load on it. Don't move out of low gear as you are generating a lot of heat in the shoes and drums. Do this for several minutes and you won't have any problems. Let the brakes cool, and do it again. Get the engine to about 200 degrees and keep it there. You will be surprised how much it will clean up. I latched a large harrow to my 64 B-61 and dragged it around the farm field this spring for a load. I thought I was going to have to bungee strap my mouth shut from the jarring I was taking in the field, but I got the job done of working the engine. Rob

Put 20,000 pounds on a trailer and get some heat in the exhaust. Sounds a lot like my R model that hasn't been worked in a long time. The dripping you mention, is it black, and runny like water, or thick like oil sludge? Look at the inside of you exhaust pipe, is it dry, flaky carbon, or wet? Getting a load on and building up heat will help tremendously as it did for my truck! You need to get the "old" diesel fuel burnt out of it and replaced. Diesel takes longer than gasoline to go stale, but it does all the same. Rob

Certainly hope we have been able to help you in this matter. Always a pleasure. Rob

Hi Jook, a 1976 model would not have had a grille in it from the factory. The shutters were the grille. The opening for the hood would have been framed with a stainless steel perimeter moulding. The western trucks were different, and could of had a full grille in the form of an inverted horseshoe with a "perforated" center section. Do you have an air to air intercooler mounted in front of your radiator? You mentioned it is a 350 Mack engine and all of those with the exception of very early ones had air to air charge air cooling. The early ones used a water to air setup much the same as the 283-285 Mack engines of the 1970's, and the 300+ engines of the early to mid 1980's. As mentioned, the shutters on an air to air setup with a radiator mounted intercooler is self defeating as related to power and economy. It will help you with keeping the water temperature up in the winter time but so will a good engine thermostat. Shutters were basically obsoleted by the advent of the clutch fan whether viscous, or air engaged. Personally, I like shutters based solely on appearance but I'm not around new stuff hardly at all. Rob

Eaton/Detroit Spring was at $399.00 per side last year when I asked, so was a local truck parts dealer. Rob

The only reason I can make for this type of setup would be to eliminate cardboard in front of the radiator in the winter to keep heat up in the cab. Those shutters do not look like anything "factory" that I've ever seen. Do you have an air, or electical toggle switch in the cab, or are the shutters automatic in operation via a thermostat in the coolant passages of the engine? Rob

1988 is a little too "new" for me to be of much use but there is a proceedure to check performance of the fan clutch in service manuals. I use a hand held phototachometer to check both the crankshaft speed, and fan speed when engine is hot. The fan should turn within a certain percentage of crankshaft rotational speed at a given temperature. I don't know what engine you have, series of truck, empty or unladen weight, accessories etc. so these are "generalities" but the same principals apply. Ensuring your radiator core is clean is paramount. Rob

Correct parts came in yesterday and I tore the housing apart this morning. The bushing in the center that is split is supposed to reside at the rear of the housing but relocated itself. I think this has been rebuilt before as the transmission it came from was a remack that failed. The bushing also had hammer marks indicating it was not installed with a bushing driver. The grand total for parts wound up comming in at $49.00 instead of the oringinal $23.00 due to "new" pricing, (Thanks Volvo), and the bushings were incorrect the first time around. Rob

I think you are correct Glenn. The work order ticket that I have states "timing retarded and fuel turned up to XXX percent; I think it is only about 5% though. I will have to dig into my files and post the paperwork. Rob

I think you will be pleased with the 711 engine given the parameters that you plan to use it under. I have a 1964 B-61S that was built as a natual aspirated engine but now has a "Mack" factory conversion turbocharging kit added to it. The paperwork I received from the Mack museum shows this truck was converted in 1967 in Chicago with new cylinder heads, injection pump, intake manifolds, and a couple other small parts that I can't discern. It sure runs strong, and smooth with a good "whine" when spooled up. My understanding from a customer of mine that ran Macks almost exclusively in the 1960's was that 75,000 miles on a set of heads with that engine was a lot as they liked to burn valves attributed to heat. This conversion to turbocharging solved that problem by blasting cool air into the engine reducing the cylinder head temperature. This of course had the added bonus of producing more power as the fuel rate was increased, and timing retarded. My grandpa bought and operated a lot of Mack trucks during the late 1950's to the mid 1970's. I vaguely remember him talking a few times of having cylinder head problems with relatively new tractors, but I was young then, and didn't pay the attention I should have. All in all, I think you will have good service from this engine if maintained well. I sure would not be afraid of it. Rob

Dexron II, or III is always a safe bet when unsure as it does not have some of the "friction modifiers" incorporated into it. Quite often, the detergent additives that are incorporated into engine oil, (except non-detergent and/or air compressor oil) will cause old sealing materials to fail on short order. Some additives to engine oil nowadays were not around when these trucks were designed and built and consequently, the older rubber was not designed to withstand the corrosive properties of some of these additives. Rob

Congrats!! I knew you could do it. Bulldogs need to stand proud. Rob

Hi Jerry, thanks for the advise. I always solicit "experience" before attempting repairs as I've found manuals through the years to be not perfect. This does not seem to be too difficult by looking at photos and yours, and others advisments. I've never rebuilt this type of double reduction carrier before, and besides being heavy, it looks straight forward. Is it best to manufacture a holding jig to secure the housing upside down to dissassemble, and rebuild? It appears this would be handy to handle the weight of parts. Is there a rebuild kit available for these units ready made, or go piece by piece? While under the truck last evening, I did notice the large cover on the side with the fill plug on the front rear differential is aluminum, the rear is cast steel. Both carrier housings are cast though. I suppose one of the rears has been changed as the number of bolt holes are different that secure this cover. My other R models have the same type covers on both axles. Thanks, Rob

Hi Jerry & Herb, I figured the exciter, or pmg was getting weak, and was the root of evil here. I don't work on anything this small but wanted to identify the unit so to research and order parts. The V.I.N. of the truck is: R795S5322. The alternator appears to be the same type the truck was built with, but is repainted and probably a replacement to the original. I don't plan to have a large electrical draw over original with this truck, so upsizing is not a neccessity. Chances are that with what I seen and read in trade magazines about the Volvo touch to trucking, your above mentioned comments are not far off. As a reference; I have a customer that has not one, but two VNL series Volvo tractors. Both are powered by Caterpillar engines, Rockwell transmissions, Eaton rears, and both have near a million miles on them. Both are former fleet tractors on air. They are "shook apart" due to the abundance of plastic used in them but very reliability mechanically. This owner bought two "new" 2005 models, (I can't remember the series) and they are both gone from his fleet replaced with Internationals. I know that both the 2005 models had Volvo engines and were unreliable with electronics issues. I never see the trucks for mechanical other than air conditioning work. These trucks are used for hauling hogs, cattle, and feed. Nothing that I would call abusive and maintained reasonably well by in-house mechanics. I like these Volvo trucks A LOT! Both have a natural tendency to smack deer quite often. I've put two hoods, grilles, headlamps, bumpers and soft parts on each! This is in addition to the normal repairs of age. Rob

Hi Herb, I have to hold the idle up there for nine to ten seconds before it will hold and not drop. Otherwise, it reverts to about 10-11 volts on the gauge. I verified the output with a calibrated meter and the dash gauge is within 2 percent of accurate, (rounded to the hundreth place). Rob

Hi Glenn, I've seen this problem before also, but they usually will pick up eventually. This one will not. Repeated starts of the engine and not revving it up results in a dead set of batteries. Looking at the size I think it is a 25SI series but I'm not sure. Rob

Thanks guys, I'm going to stage the truck in the shop this evening to take it apart. Citing that the rear through shaft bearing is bad, I've decided to take the whole assembly apart and check for worn parts I've got a spare "chunk" if worn too badly. I would like to ask if there are any things to look for when dissassembling one of these things? The service manual looks pretty straight forward, and when replacing the seal the first time, I had no problems. I do plan to use this truck as somewhat of a daily driver, so don't really want to take any chances by being "cheap", and having to repair something again. Thanks, Rob

Does anyone know what series of Delco alternator may be on my truck? 1977 R795 with an ENDT 865B engine. There are no tags anyplace on the unit. It is an internal regulator type alternator. I plan to pull it off tonight and take it apart. The regulator does not cut in, or pick up until the engine is revved to about 1250rpm. It then will start to charge but only after the engine is held at a high idle for about five seconds. It then appears to work properly. Thanks, Rob

Siberia? Sounds like fun!!!!!. We can go together as I've never been there! Just reserve me a "double seat" on the airline, or truck! We need comfort with such a long outing. Hopefully I can control my snoring habit so you may sleep also. Can't leave my mother-in-law anywhere distant or I would starve! So we should prolly bring her along too. What kind or brand of paint do you folks use down under? Rob

H'mmmmmmmmm, Must be that flat footed thing I got going on there. Maybe the ear wax stain on my shirts?? Naw, I'm keeping the mother-in-law. In fact, couldn't do without her. She cooks good, and washes my feed bowl. Rob