Rob Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Went out tonight and bought two new group 31 series batteries and installed them into my 64 B61. This truck hasn't been started since August and has sat outside all winter. Upon hitting the starter button the engine cranked for not more than 3/4 of a second before firing and running on at least five of the six cylinders. Bout five seconds later, it picked up the last one. I let her warm up for about two minutes and put the ole quad into lo-split and reverse and eased out the clutch with just a bit of throttle. After climbing out of the six inch deep depressions the front tires left in the dirt, I took a jaunt around the property. All seemed good but only could go about 15mph through the fields and stay in the seat. This has always been a good horse and I hate the thought of dismemberment that is upcoming but it's parts will prolong the life of two more in much better condition. The 711 turbocharged engine runs like a swiss watch in my opinion with good power. I've never really pulled anything with this truck in all the years I've had it with the exception of another truck with a chain. Never had a trailer except an empty container trailer for a short drive. Tonight I hooked up to my dropdeck and gave her a little test. The sun was just right in the sky that I could observe the silouette of the truck and exhaust stack as I accelerated. Pretty neat to see the smoke from the stack just about a second after grabbing the next higher gear., (had to repeat this several times). The front rear is burnt up in this truck and really howls badly when the load is on. It just screams driving down the road bobtail. But man do I like that transmission with a light load on it.Had something funny happen at the shop tonight. A customer of mine and a friend of his stop by. His friend asks if he could bring his Pete by for me to look at wrenching the frame back into shape under the 5th wheel. No sooner had he said Pete, Randy, (my customer) starts laughing his ass off almost doubling over. Charlie, (the Pete owner) looks over at him and asks "What so damned funny?", (I hadn't said a thing) when Randy says "Hell no you can't bring no Pete around here, Robbie's got a reputation to uphold!", (No shit, that is what he said). Well now that he was in the loop we spoke and I'll head to his shop to look at pulling the rails back to center, and rolling the right rail back to vertical. The truck was hit in the tandems by a pickup and totaled due to being a 1994 model year. The engine is an out of frame major 3406C that supposedly is hopped up. The truck as hard as it is to admit; is nice. The real purpose of their visit tonight was to donate a very nice clean set of R model doors to my cause, (whatever that is). Sadly, both windows are broken and one of the wing window frames is bent, but the doors are absolutely rust free. The windows roll up and down nicely and the tracks are in good shape. They are Mack green inside with the older rotary style latch. I went ahead and stripped them to bare shells and will send them out to the blaster next week alongside some other B model parts. Charlie had them in his building for several years and no longer has anything Mack. He must really enjoy working on things cause most of his stuff is PACCAR and he really stays busy. He told me he was ready to take a "ribbing", but I was good and left him alone.Enough rambling for tonight.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Rob, I'm glad that Yella Dog is still "ALIVE" and kicking. I hate to see any vehicle go to the bone yard. I fear that a B Model wreacker near where I live has done so. It sat behind an old building with tree limbs growing up through it. If the fella several businesses up the street got the ok to get rid of it then he has taken it to the bone yard. I stopped in two years ago to inquire about a SuperLiner that sat in a field near the B Model. He told me he saved the hood and cut off the tandems and the rest was sent to the scrap yard. I took some pictures of it only if I can find them again. I think they may be on my phone, but cannot send them since I don't have text capability. I'll look and try to send. It may have been before I got my digital camera. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Rob, I'm glad that Yella Dog is still "ALIVE" and kicking. I hate to see any vehicle go to the bone yard. I fear that a B Model wreacker near where I live has done so. It sat behind an old building with tree limbs growing up through it. If the fella several businesses up the street got the ok to get rid of it then he has taken it to the bone yard. I stopped in two years ago to inquire about a SuperLiner that sat in a field near the B Model. He told me he saved the hood and cut off the tandems and the rest was sent to the scrap yard. I took some pictures of it only if I can find them again. I think they may be on my phone, but cannot send them since I don't have text capability. I'll look and try to send. It may have been before I got my digital camera. mike Found both trucks. This was before I new how to zoom the lens. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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