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Hi gang,

I have it in my mind I 'need' a B61 to tinker on. Am new to Mack trucks and would appreciate any guidance on the various models and things to look for in a truck.

http://chambersburg.craigslist.org/bfs/3156277153.html is an example but is a bit far to go see for me.

How plentyful are parts for the engine if needed? I am torn buying something in the $10k+ range VS something lower cost that I can work on. I think my idea truck would be single axle, dump and straight out of the back of someones lot with a nice body, and frame, not rotted, faded paint etc.

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Welcome to the forums.

The B model is a very popular truck. There are lots of replacement stuff made. Not everything, but plenty of parts trucks around to get the odd pieces not available.

Motor? Plenty used around, but if you want to rebuild one then new parts are getting slim or NLA.

Depending on where you are looking, you can get a decent truck for around $5K. Something that just needs TLC, not everything. Good cabs are hard to find, the rest of the sheetmetal is usually found on parts trucks.

Like mentioned, buy the best. Buying a basket case will only run you broke.

IMG-20180116-202556-655.jpg

Larry

1959 B61 Liv'n Large......................

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

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Like others said, buy the best you can afford. If its a toy and not a worker you can look at other versions of B models too. The one one Craigs looks like a long term project

Here is some from Truck Paper

http://www.truckpaper.com/list/list.aspx?ETID=1&catid=27&Manu=MACK&Mdltxt=B61&mdlx=exact&bcatid=27

"OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK"  Thomas Edison

 “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’

P.T.CHESHIRE

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I got mine for 2000.00 running and registered in ny.

But when We decieded to (paint it) after sandblasting It was nowhere as nice as it looked.

we have 5500 into it and the cab is just getting ready to go back on 2 years and lots of time later . we are having fun one dime at a time . seems I need some more dimes. which makes momma grit her teeth. Steve

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that truck doesn't run. I looked at it a few weeks a go. Good shape. But seller didn't know much about it and said it didn't run. I just don't know if he just didn't try or it really doesn't run. Body is in decent shape. I offered a grand and he said he'd take it. But then he stopped returning my emails. Best of luck to ya!

Tom

"Nothing Breaks Wind Like A Bulldog"

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  • 2 weeks later...

for all driving purposes, you would want a B61 or other diesel B model. the gas jobs are under powered unless they are an overhead valve version and those burn too much gas. diesels are more easier to adapt new engines into and a B61 in basic 50 year old attire will still get you down the road at a respectable speed to not piss off the other motorists.

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A B42 has a gas engine, while the B61 has a diesel. B models with the model number ending in an odd number are diesel. B models with the model number ending in an even number have gas motors. For example B61-diesel B42-gas.

What he said....

Tom

  • Like 1

"Nothing Breaks Wind Like A Bulldog"

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Thanks guys!

$3k to $5k would not be bad at all for a nice runner which needed little to make it more reliable. Agree with you on the cab, preference is for a nice clean cab as any form of body work is depressing :)

I would disagree on the body

sure the work sucks, but its only sheet metal

a good frame, (no between frame rails rot) and a decent drivetrain is very important

with a reasonable priced good mig, and a pile of raw sheetmetal, I'd rebuild a complete cab way before tackling a trashed or poorly maintained driveline!!

look for cracks in the frame & ripped out motor/trans/suspention mounts, being as many of these old trucks were not driven by the people who actually coughed up the cash to buy them, just morons who drove them

grab the driveshafts and look for pinion issues as those can mean a whole housing if "tightened and ignored" over time

same with the output of the trans

look at the fluids.....water in anything....not good

that said, "issues" can be reason to get a $10k truck for $2500 bucks

but the best advice is always to "sleep on it" in most cases, come here ask questions, research

dr

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the repowering deal is not that bad if you have a B61 doner truck. the best thing about the gas jobs is they were usually ran for a few hundred thousand miles, motors changed out around 100,000 if you were lucky to get that much out of a 401 and then parked.ii have seen B61's with a million and a half miles on them, mine for example haha. they werent beat to death like the diesels were and they didnt shake like the diesels did so the sheet metal isnt as fatigued and worn and cracked. i have seen B61's where the hood was wore thin in the back and front where it rests on the cowl from so much shaking. the gas jobs didnt do this. msot B61's were in the new england area were beat to they didnt run anymore, then cobbed up and ran some more. there is a ton of B models out there. like they said buy the best money can buy in the 1st place. you can always find a B61 that runs and drives with poor sheet metal and find a gas job and move all the sheet metal over. like i said the gas jobs werent really ran as much as the diesels unless they got repowered. of course there are exceptions and we all wanna find that ''barn find'' B model like you see on tv. usually doesnt happen tho but there are some out there original that are well taken care of.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey gang,

Love the forum and learning but still looking for my true love (aka my own Mack!) Going to see one in a couple weeks....B model diesel. Have not seen pics yet but supposedly not rotted out in the cab. The thing that is appealing is that there is super low mileage, original driveline, starts immediately and is the original owner. Guy told me all about how his family bought it 50+ years ago. Problem is I was set on a single axle and it is a tandem. I would hate to modify something with a good original truck. But how much work would it be to drop it onto a single axle frame? Not the hours etc in work, but the engine/body mount concerns.

Krusty,

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single axle B61's are far more common than a tandem axle tractors. to each their own but i cant see cuttin a perfectly good tandem up just to make a single axle. back then single axle tractors were the norm, not many people had twin screws. most tandems were dump trucks and were mostly used up.

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