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"The Beast" 1960 B61 Wrecker FINALLY DRIVING


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Thanks for the post! Definitely recognize ol' PA 66, my friend lives in Apollo been on that road a lot. Moore School Bus up there has a Mack wrecker - 707 gas, quadraplex. The mechanic would always tell my friend, "when I miss one in that thing, I gotta find a wide spot and start over again."

Yeah, Dad needs more practice. I almost had to turn the volume down to keep from cringing. But what a great project and time to share with him - definitely worth the crunching! Keep up the good work.

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Sounds good(well, the engine anyway) LOL.

Just tell him, watch the TACH. if you want to just split a gear, you need about 300 RPM increase to be able to downshift. If you just shift the main box, you need about 1500 RPM to downshift one gear. Don't worry about the speedo, just keep an eye on the tach.

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Larry

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

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

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Nice to see the B-Model "out and about"! you/your Dad will get the hang of shifting with pactice! one word of advise,don't wind it up so tight before shifting! most times will practically fall into gear once you get an "ear" for it ! keep up the good work!.................................................Mark

Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate.

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Okay guys, listen. I tried to explain to my dad how to drive it but he is just so used to doing it his way that he can't grasp the concept of doing it the CORRECT way. I told him to split the upshifts so it didn't lug the heck out of it and he was like "naaaaahh". I tried to explain to him how to downshift using double clutching but he wouldn't listen. He doesn't understand the fact that you have to rev it up to downshift it. He keeps trying to just jam it in without using any pedals at all. His problem is he is used to his 1 ton Chevy with the 4 speed and 350 small block which isn't even in the world as the triplex. But I have faith in him. I think once he drives it a couple times, he will get the hang of it.

ONE THING YOU ALL SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION: The dashboard is not right in that truck. The tach cable is hooked up to the speedometer so we have no idea what RPM it's it. For example, when the motor is at like 1500(roughly) it reads like 35 MILES PER HOUR. So we need to switch the cables back. Then it will be much better. But again, that was the first time he has ever driven it. So give him some slack.

Ben

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Cool video,but as Matt said be easy on her!Last thing you need is blow that gearbox apart..

That's what I said. If you could've seen my face in the video, you would've thought somebody stuck a needle in my back I was wincing so much. I tried to tell him to use the clutch but he wouldn't listen...

Ben

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVPol6AZjr4

I remembered that this clip late last night....shows a certain someone driving/operating a certain brand of Non-Mack vehicle ON Mack's test track at the first "Trucktoberfest" and also on Interstate 78. There are views and sounds of proper up and downshifting of a non-synchronized tranny and with only one shifting "whoopsie." I even discuss matching input and output shaft speeds with my buddy who is not familiar. 4:55 in the video should be of interest to Poppa Jumper.

And please ignore me being 350+ pounds in that video!!!! Makes me shudder!!!!

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TWO STROKES ARE FOR GARDEN TOOLS

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It is much harder for someone who has driven a sychro'd manual to learn than it is for someone who has never driven a manual. Nothing to "unlearn".

You are absolutely right. It was really easy for me to learn because the first manual I ever drove was the RT909 in the International. All of the manuals I've ever driven have been non-synchro so I don't have any bad habits to break.

Ben

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like the other said, I had to turn off the volumn... he needs to slow the hell down, its not a pickup. take a few seconds before trying to rake it and jam it into gear. the clutch isnt stickin, its the driver haha. its a Mack, it slower shifting. you better just sell that old B to me, ill trade ya for an 8.2 Driptroit haha. I have plenty of treasures to pick up with the wrecker and I promise I wont split the back of the case .

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like the other said, I had to turn off the volumn... he needs to slow the hell down, its not a pickup. take a few seconds before trying to rake it and jam it into gear. the clutch isnt stickin, its the driver haha :icon_bs: . its a Mack, it slower shifting. you better just sell that old B to me, ill trade ya for an 8.2 Driptroit haha. I have plenty of treasures to pick up with the wrecker and I promise I wont split the back of the case .

Actually the clutch is sticking. Sometimes when you push the clutch all the way in, it sticks to the floor. That's because for the wrecker winch, there's a cable the runs back to at the back so you can disengage the clutch when engaging/disengaging the winch. Sometimes that cable sticks. And to tell the truth, on the way back from the show, he did a lot better. And in his defense, he is a floor guy, not a truck driver. I'd be willing to bet that no other member of this site could do flooring anywhere near as good as he can, and guess what, that's what puts the food on the table and the shoes on our feet :twothumbsup:

Ben

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