I have been out looking for a haul truck now for several weeks. Been looking online for months. This is a one owner truck that was sold off in a business sale. I was looking for a truck that could have the ability to haul any machine I could decide to buy. This truck is going to be for my personal use, limited type use. Just needing something more than a 25 ton tag my dump truck can handle. Not that I am planning on a d9 or d8, I felt like this truck could drag home about whatever I decide to buy for my land clearing work. Truck does not currently move something is broke in the rear end. So it is getting towed to me. Here is my next project. What do you guys think about this ol truck. It has a dual frame, wet line and a 50k hydraulic winch, air lift 3rd axle and a 350 mack engine with mack rears.
It seemed like it fit my personality more than all the newer stuff I looked at. Most everything had sleeper cabs. It reminds me of over the top with Stallone. Super excited to get to bring it back up speed.
Those old Super Liners are tough trucks. I know a company that has rebuilt one for everyday aggregate hauling, and is currently working on one or two more. They are replacing much newer Petes. Hopefully you did not have to give too much, as you never know what problem you are going to wind up with. Nice find.
Looks like it's nice and strait; I always liked those old Dogs. The Mack tranny's drive a bit different than a roadranger, but I always liked them.
I like the mack's I've owned and driven. Most of those e-6 make great torque even down low in the rpm range. Its got jakes (or at least the switch is on the dash), but jakes on the e-6's don't do a lot of braking, compared to some other engines. But any jake is better than no jake. Is the tag picture from the rear axle? I'm guessing they are top loader rears. If that's the rear ratio- its kind of tall geared for a top loader set up. Most of the macks have a "4" for the first number. Looks like neway air suspension, which is a good suspension. I really like the old mack R cab's. I find they have good room, and great visibility. They also hold up under years of hard use, which isn't true of a lot of newer stuff. As long as there isn't rust in the back wall around the floor. Most stuff from up north rusts out there. Now you get to go trailer shopping! That's worse than truck shopping, and just as expensive. Mechanical or hydraulic RGN ground bearing or non ground bearing, single drop, traveling axle tilt, folding neck, air, spring suspension, tandem, triple, triple with 4th flip, 30-40-50-60 ton? your options are about endless. You're going to have to narrow down a bit on what you want to haul.
Ol’e 488. She’s a helluva rig. Nice looking gal. Wide hips and built to pull. I’m in love.
The Mack cabs seem very similar to Ford cabs. I think Ford is a little roomier than the older R series Mack's though. Maybe Ford took design elements from Mack?
I got excited, thought she might have had the V12
The tag is off the front axle in the tandems . I have a few more pics. I do want to get some trailer advice. I have already been looking. I went and looked at the truck trailer combo. His was sitting at 80k. More than I was looking to spend.
If you can find something with rear wheel covers, it cuts down on broken windows from rocks flying off tires. Few excavator windshields lost over the years. If the covering is heavy enough, you can haul something over the back axles. I've hauled a small excavator like a 308 over the back, and a D3 on the deck. Sometimes a gas engine and pump can eliminate the need for a truck with a wetline, although I have been in situations where the engine wouldn't start.
Like this. I could put the grader tires on the beam between the middle and back axles but I'm maxed out on the trailer. This moves about 3400 pounds into the truck which was only grossing 41k before. It makes a big difference on logging roads. I've been forced to unload at the bottom of a hill and reload at the top but haven't had to do that since we put the fenders on. Someday it'll get plastic removable fenders like our Aspen trailers have on the back axle.
Looks like somebody loved it, you got lucky. Joe H
@Junkyard has owned a lot more trailers than I have, and I know @Pops52 has done a lot of equipment hauling, but here's my take: The blue lowboy rgn trailer is a side drop--center rails higher than the outside deck. I have one, it works good for my rough terrain cranes, because they are wide, and tall, and top heavy. A side drop trailer is a pain if you try to load something with low ground clearance- it will hang up on the front hangar pins, or if the equipment is narrow- it won't have a enough wheelbase width to spread over the rails (not handy for skid/ compact trackloader/ small dozer, roller). Side drops work well for large tall equipment, and it gets the center of gravity down. Big excavator, wheel loaders, Big dozer, RT cranes work well on a side drop. If I didn't have my RT cranes, and was a dirt contractor, I'd rather have a flat deck RGN, than my side drop. Its a lot of blocks on the ground, if you want to put your pickup on the deck to deliver my side drop RGN somewhere and drive your truck back. which we were trying to do the other day, and didn't because its a pain, just had to send someone to pick the driver up. We have to put blocks down just to load one of my smaller RT's, because that crane doesn't have enough clearance for the center pin area. Flat deck opens up a lot more possibilities of what you can haul. I would not buy a ground bearing rgn, I prefer a non ground bearing. Ground bearing have a cylinder with a foot to raise and lower the deck for detaching. Usually the ground is too soft and you push the foot in the mud, or break through asphalt etc. That will ruin your whole day. Plus, you can't raise the neck like you can with a non bearing, to get you over a high centering situation. A non bearing, has cylinders up in the neck, and you just kneel the nose of the trailer down on the ground to detach, can raise it to get out of a high center. I'm too lazy for a mechanical detach, but they are real popular in california. They are a lot of in and out of the truck. They are lighter than non ground bearing RGN, because you don't have all the cylinders and the heavy neck. They are also a pain if you get high centered. I've also got a traveling axle tilt deck tandem, (look up landoll) mine is a Trail-Eze. Its handy for small low clearance like my forklifts, but whatever you are hauling can't be too tall. Lot of paving and dirt guys like them for moving equipment. Its just a single drop, so you have to watch the height of what you want to haul. Mine is a tandem, landoll makes a triaxle if you need the load capacity. Ground clearance isn't near the issue, as with a RGN You've got a winch, so you could buy a folding neck trailer, where the goosneck becomes the ramp on the ground. They also make ones with cylinders to fold the neck, so you don't have to use the winch. There's a local dirt worker that has one. Its gives you a little more gradual slope than a RGN. If you need lots of ground clearance, there's always the heavy single drop tandem or triple with ramps. You can go a lot more places, but big ramps aren't the handiest.
Wow Crane. That is some great information. Thanks. I am leaning towards a rgn non ground bearing. Saw this one stopped in traffic the other day and thought it was a nice setup. I am thinking I want to be be able to haul upto probably a d8 with ripper or possibly a very large excavator. In all likely hood I probably wont go bigger than a d6 or d7 and possibly a 325 or 330 sized excavator. I have been watching auctions for a long reach so I am unsure of the length of trailer, I need. It seems that I can get a larger machine for less than a medium sized machine. My initial use will be for cleaning up Hurricane damaged woods, then moving on to a about 60 acres of heavily stumped and logged planted pines. And finally building a small pond in some bottom land for some wild duck habitat. I have been researching GAs hauling laws with 7 axles they allow 148k and with 8 150k. I am thinking this is because the super load permit only let's you go to 150k max. I went out this week and looked at 5 different trailers. There are lots of dual axles, a few triaxles and i have not seen many or any used 4th axle flips for a fair price. Honestly a trailer has been harder to find than a truck Rusted frames are the norm. I am finding. I was also told that trucks are a 1/3rd of the cost of what they were 3 years ago and now is the time to get one price wise. The hunt goes on.
So of all things a driver that used the truck in the past before it was broken called me and gave me some history on it. He stated that they had a very large excavator on the truck and that it pushed the tires into the wheel covers and that they had to cut them off with a Sawzall for clearance. He stated that the machine grossed 117k and that the trailer combo did not allow them to get enough weight off the trucks rears and that the steering got light. They had to leave the rig and get a stinger for the trailer and a 1 day move turned into 2 full days. On the first day the bucket had to be removed from the hoe. He said that the wet line blew out and would not pickup the rgn so that's why the bucket was pulled before they could get going. Then they had to stop because of the light steering. He gave the truck high praise and stated that it would do the job and that it had no problem with heavy weight. He was upset that they let the truck go. He also stated there new rotator trucks weigh 80k. As far as the broke rears, he thought that a new driver shifted the truck incorrectly and broke something. I was kind of thinking that maybe that move was part of its problems...
I've been shopping upgrading my trailer. I'm planning on $40-50,000 for a 10-15 year old trailer. I also want rust free. Mine has some small rust areas, but my main beams are good. My current RGN is a talbert, and I really like it. I'm most familiar with trail king, etnyre/blackhawk, kaufmann and eager beaver, from guys we do a lot of work with. I've unloaded all different kinds. I didn't think the kaufmann and eager beaver are as good of trailers, as the trailking, etnyre blackhawk, or my talbert. Probably one of the little things, is how the neck pins on the deck. Trailking, etnye/ blackhawk and talbert all have two large pins facing forward, that the neck grabs. Fontaine uses two big hooks and a matching pin arrangement. If you are unloading on soft ground, the fontaine can sink in, and then you can't get the pins under the hooks on the deck. The forward facing pin style, you would have to really bury it in, to not be able to get back on the deck with the neck. First two are forward pin style ( a trail king and blackhawk) , last picture is a hook fontaine.
Some bigger iron... Facebook www.facebook.com d8 30K Facebook www.facebook.com 400 32K 952 21k
I'd question the 8000 hours on the D8H and the 60% undercarriage. Sprockets are pretty pointed and rails look significantly worn too. The one pic. is too dark to tell but sprocket segments look even worse than the side you can see. Wouldn't think parts and service support would be that great for a smaller Liehberr excavator. Komatsu looks pretty rusty like it was operating in wet or sloppy conditions. You might want to up your budget and get machines that are in better overall condition.
As you get into trailers, don't forget to ask/confirm what the trailer weighs. I have a 50T hydraulic folding neck, and the trailer alone is about 23,000#. I've been told if you need an additional axle, its cheaper to sell the trailer you have and buy the trailer you need. Which is why I was able to buy my trailer, it was cheaper for them to buy a 4 axle than to add a 4th axle to the current trailer.
Thanks. Will do.
Heres a picture of my truck hauling something big that gave them problems. The driver sent it to me. This load turned into a 2 day ordeal. Fenders got cut off of truck and a axle had to be added to the trailer, bucket had to be removed and wet line was damaged. Maybe this load is what's wrong with the rears. He said the truck pulled it 3 hours down the road without issue and had good power with the 350 mack motor. The machine supposedly was 117k and the truck and trailer was 45k. Permitted load. He gave the old mack high praise. Trailer was smashed. Looks like the deck was about touching the road.
Make sure the trailer you are looking at doesn't have a broken back. We have 2 identical trailers, but with a 10 year age difference. The older one can no longer haul a 350 excavator, it has lost it's arch. With anything heavy on board, it will arch the wrong way
I know very little about truck trailers but I like the ones with 11r22.5 rear tires as you put old truck tires on for free or extremely cheap. We have one trailer that has low pros and they are $300 a tire. We mount our own tires
My talbert is tri axle, but its set up for a 4th flip axle. All the valves and fittings are already in the trailer. I can find the 4th axle used, for usually $8-10,000. In missouri, the 4th flip doesn't really help you when buying permits, you really need a 10' spreader with the back axle, to be able to haul more. They get you on bridge.
That looks sort of like a Spicer 4 x 4 married air shift trans shifter, except it isn't blue. What trans is in it? Maybe I missed it somewhere.
It's a Mack transmission
Thanks. I'm not familiar with that one.
Not sure what one that is, but they make up to a 20 speed
Mack 12 speed. Its great for a dump truck delivering to a paver, because you've got five gears in reverse, if you have to back up a mile or two. It uses the same shift knob that a 4 speed spicer has.
Thanks for all the thoughts guys. I stopped looking for a trailer for the time being. Looks like I will need to put more into one than I was hoping. The truck was delivered to me and I have finally had my first chance to look it over on my own, in the dark with a flashlight. I am stumped on a few points. I don't see how you engage the power divider. Not even sure if it has one. Once you put the truck in drive or reverse, it just makes a clunking sound out of the front diff. The rear drive shaft moves ever so slightly then sort of jumps back to start each time it chunks. I don't see how to engage the power divider. Do they all have those? The blue knob has no pressure on it. Is it broken? What are these air switch's for between the seats? On the dash it has a switch, that says extended range what's that do? I have various air leaks on the rear cross member. It appears the transmission uses air to engage. R N L D. I could see mack on the very top of it . No ID tag yet.
As far as the trans goes. It has at least 3 gears up and 4 down plus that extend a range switch plus the r n l d air switch. The top left has no up.. I have looked and I don't see any of their transmissions with 4 down shift patterns. Also no air lines to front diff.
The winch will require some air switches for the brake release, and it may have a free wheel release- that's likely what the switches between the seats are for. It likely has the "automatic" power divider/ lock. Think of it like a limited slip axle, when it has slip action, it will "lock" in. Put it in a low gear and a rock and maybe tap the brakes and they will lock. No switch on the dash, its built into the diff's. The "extended range" on the dash, is for the compound low in the trans. As it says on the dash, when the dash switch is in "LO" only use the main stick transmission in 1st. (either l or d on the button on the transmission stick) Its just for crawling around. On the road, if you have ever driven a super 10, its kind of like driving one of those. Put dash switch to direct. Then using the button on the stick to split the gears: 1l,1d,2l,2d,3l,3d,4,l,4d,5l,5d. It should be a mack triple countershaft transmission. If you're under the truck, looking at the output shaft on the transmission, that goes to the front diff, it will look triangle shaped. V pointed toward the ground. which makes it a joy to get on a transmission jack. But we'll hope you don't have problems like that.
We are in better shape up here. I added a 4th axle flip a couple years ago when I bought the 290. North Dakota allows 45k on your tandem, and 68k on the quad with a $28 oversize permit. I weight about 39k empty when I hitch my little daycab up. So, with the 74k excavator, I have 12k on the steer, 42k on the drivers, and 60k on the trailer. With 188 inches of wheelbase, the short tractor makes dragging that 58' trailer around back roads quite a bit easier, and I can still permit on the state highways. It's also nice to have the ability to put a 80k machine on if I need to.
Once you get the truck moving you can figure out the blue switch, that's a mack thing and I can't remember how to run it but it's easy to figure out, you might just hit the blue and yellow to release the truck brakes and I think you can pull the blue to just set the truck brakes. It's been a few months for me.
Roadranger had a 13 direct I think Low intermediate and direct. No shifting in reverse. Think of it like a 2 stick with air. I think you have to select neutral with air and pick a gear on the stick for the power takeoff as well
Seen it in other trucks as well. Peterbilt, and a Paystar for sure. I think it's just an option. I think my uncle's cabover freightshaker had it as well
blue is tractor park yellow is tractor and trailer park red is trailer park
Pew---blue is emergency tank air release, has been since christ was a pup. was done away with when mv3 valve came along.
The blue button debate could have turned into something epic. LoL
Nah just push and pull till the wheels are free when you need them or they ain't free when you need them to be.
Sure told you.
Well guys I am wrenching on this old truck out in the bush. Look what I found. Take is easy on TruckShop his thoughts are welcome.
That will make it clunk. Cheaper than diff. troubles, but not a total guarantee that there aren't a few teeth missing in the diff. You'll get a chance to look at it all, when you pull differential to look for shrapnel, and get the other piece of the axle out. It could be a lot worse, at least you know where to start looking.
Passenger side looks about 35.5 inches long. I can't believe i got the broke end out with a piece of wood and Copper pipe. Honestly thought it was not coming out the hub side.
To remove the diff i have to remove the 5th wheel assembly. Is that the correct method or since it broke in the tube hit it with a magnet and see what it does? Anybody got an axle ?
I wouldn't chance the pieces rolling around in the housing, so I'd pull the diff, but you might be luckier than I am. A good junkyard will have a axle. I don't have any mack toploader axles in my stash. If you post up what you have for rears, I'm sure someone can find them.
I found the transmission tag. Not a lot on google. Appears to be a 12 speed?
I think coaldust cheated and looked at the pic in post 30 lol
It doesn't matter--red charges the trailer, yellow releases/sets tractor brakes, blue is emergency air release to move when other supply is exhausted. Came into effect in 1971, then dropped around 1986/87. Problem is/was the leaks at emergency tank/fittings/airlines, which usually the emergency tank was out of air too. * Large magnet in the bottom of housing--more than likely all the big stuff has collected their, slap a axle in and run it a ways first to see if there isn't another condition with it. The oil is so thick the pieces are not going to levitate through thick gear oil. Drive it first to see what else is in store.
Was this a "Paccar" only thing? The knob on my 72 Pete was green...... The Maxi release above it was "custom built"
In those years and before each manufacture used different setups---The early R model Mack the Williams toggle air release valve was positioned at back of cab between the seats. My 1966 Pete 351 was setup just like yours, only with a fuel primer hand pump on left side of dash along with compression release T handle.
Those genuine Bendix TW-1, 2-Position Flipper Dash Control Valves, in that photo, are $120, if you can even find them in stock. Still common today, as an Emergency shutoff on fuel tankers. I found an imported knockoff that works well.
Below are the dash valves in a 1982 W900--note, red charges trailer, will not charge trailer till yellow main system park valve is pushed in also. Blue is tractor, pushed in for release, but the blue valve in a properly functioning system will remain in when yellow valve is pulled for park brakes. It was a redundant system, even with no trailer hooked up the yellow was the primary park release valve. Valve with blue knob was tied into what was known as emergency air tank, and some tractors never even came from factory with that tank. It's why the MV3 two button red/yellow valve system became the norm. Because if you don't hold the red in while pulling the yellow it will automatically pop the red setting all brakes, holding red in while pulling yellow valve only sets tractor brakes. The old system set both when yellow was pulled too. *
Wasn't it around 1976-77 when the 121 system came to be and brought all the pretty colors & shapes of knobs? ON a related story, during a BIT inspection on my 96 pete,the inspector wrote me for having the lettering worn off of the yellow knob.. I said ***? He said I need to replace it. I said no, its yellow and square and you couldn't read it in the dark anyway so why?? I didnt have to go the jail that day.
We just had a driver get inspected and he was told the same thing. Must be something they look for if they can't find anything else.
Sounds like inspector was looking for an infraction and couldn't find one so made one up. The letters are worn off because you know what the valve does and use it.
Found a few spare axles at Richard Kerns here in south Atlanta. I decided to buy a spare for each side. They also rebuild the rear chunks. They have lots of truck stuff on hand of you are happening to need something for your truck. I saw about 100 transmissions, 300 or more rear ends, and lots of axles. I got the only 2 short Mack axles they had one used and one new and and one used long side 17 spline. My ratio rear they did not have but they could turn key rebuild it if i find out it is toast. After crawling around under the truck in wet cold dirt I have quickly come to the conclusion that taking the bolts out of the housing is going to be a PIA in the field. There is not much room under the truck, even less with the airbags deflated.
Welp i made it back to the truck and used a magnet on a stick to remove the metal shards from inside the axle tube. Cleaned up the new used axle slid it right back in both sides. Put on the axle nuts fired the truck up and placed it in gear and it jerked and would not move. Seemed like the motor would die. As I was looking in driver side mirror watching the driver side tires it looked like they were completely bound up. I did foward and reverse was pushing in air knobs the blue one pressurized once the yellow one was in. So the blue knob does work and has air on it. I got out of the truck moved all the slack adjusters and was scratching my head trying to figure out what was happening. After the third time I looked out the back cab window and realized that both passenger side drive tires were spinning but the truck would not move. I had just filled up all the tires. One tire on the passenger side that had the broken axle was spilt from what ever they hit when they broke the axle. It went back flat. I checked the top brake pads and they had gaps all the way round. I then proceeded to remove the bottom dust shields on the driver side. The brake pads sit directly on the bottom of the drum. They were practically rust welded to the drum. Crawling under the truck beating with a framing hammer and a small pry bar no luck. I eventually found a piece of rebar rod and a 10lb sledge hammer and about 4 or 6 well placed blows the brake pads broke free from the drums. I could see an air gap. This took about 1.5 hours Now bear in mind there is not much space under a set of mack rear ends to swing a sledge hammer even less as you are lying under there with it. I turned on the air to the 3rd axle and that gave me about 3 more inches of height. I had to do this while the truck was on because there are a few valves that are attached to the rear brace that seem to adjust ride height or let pressure off the air bag system. One is letting air out so maybe you guys can explain how those rods and valve are supposed to work. I blocked the tires as I was crawling around under the back end. I got excited once the brakes broke free. Put the truck in gear and away she went. Turn left on a dirt hill and stuck I was. One back tire would turn then both. But all in all the auto power divider seemed like a joke. I realized that the third axle was taking weight off the drives and raised it back up and the truck started moving. After a short learning curve on shifting the 12 speed away we went. I was absolutely shocked, In the power that 350 horse motor had. Truly shocked. It would easily leave my big cam Cummings in my dump truck behind. I got it up to 10th gear at 55 but did not get it to change into 11 or 12 it seemed like it would need to be at 60 or so to get into that last gear. I noticed that when I up shift the gears it does fine going up while using the air L and H switch but spilting the gear going down it seems to hang in neutral so you must put the stick in neutral spilt the return it the lower gear. As far as reverse it has I think 5 reverse gears. I tried to start out in reverse 3 but it was like it stayed in neutral. But if you start out in low then continue up the reverse gears it will work. I have read that the air shifter seal or something like that periodically needs to be pulled cleaned and resealed. Water and crap in the air lines will give it issues. Apparently my transmission is fairly rare because Richard's kerns did not and had not had that unit before. The truck drove straight, stopped straight no play in steering wheel no wierd noises. It rode good even with the one flat. I did not drive it far because I want to check the transmission oil and the front chunks fluid levels. The engine brake works and the truck sounds bad ass. It cranked right up in 25* weather. It will really blow coal if you lug it around 1200 to 1400 rpms. But at 16 or 1800 it is smoke free. This truck got dumped over stuck brakes and a broken axle and old looks. I willing to bet it will pull like a mule probably any thing I can hook it to. Might be a bad thing because I might just go get a older d8.
On at least some of the Mack tranny's, you don't pre select the range as in a roadranger, you wait until neutral to flip the switch.
Our one truck got fancy chrome ones that say cat.. probably be toss in the fed for it with him!
Maybe that's my issue.
Correct. Pick range while passing neutral. Just remember it as a Super 10 and it's easy. L3ast for me it is. Mine took me a bit to figure out, no shift pattern sticker and someone plumbed Low and Direct backward so Low in the shifter is actually direct. My 400 E7 is a turd. Can barely hold 50-55 in flat ground, foot pushing through the floor.
I hope you got all of the broken axle. We did the same as you once and a stray piece wiped out the rear.
That is on my mind. At least now I can drive it up onto my 20 ton tag to haul it home. I got this out of the tube. The front chunk is covered in gear oil it needs to be pulled apart and resealed. So i am probably going to nite the bullet and break it all apart.
I wonder why yours is slow, is that unloaded or loaded??? That e7 is supposed to be stronger and better than the e6. Honestly as much black smoke as it will leave when you lug it it has me worried that they turned the fuel pump up. Me not being a trucker, who knows. But I test drove a lot of trucks. N14 celect, c15 and Detroit 12.7. They all had better listed horsepower. I did not drive any newer trucks because I was only going after pre emissions trucks. The whole lift axle and double frame issue along with a wet kit is kind of hard to find cheap. I was thinking that I could just buy another truck with better power train and move it all over into this truck, if the motor was bad. After realizing the wiring harness issues and gauge issues I got a little worried that i might need to do that. That being said a professional do it every day driver might not be impressed. If any of you use a E6 what do you think about it work wise? I think it will be enough for me to use it and be good with it. I always seem to end up alone in the middle of no where with no one around to help so this kind of truck it right up my alley. I can learn it figure out how to fix it and be self sufficient. It is kinda of like a Cat 953a model track loader. When you compare it to a newer C models power it is slow. But when you have nothing else to compare it to on the job it is great. As dull as it sounds, I want my machines simple and reliable more so than more power and electrical issues I don't have the time too slove. Rats always seem to be chewing wires. This truck shuts off with a mechanical fuel shut off knob. I like it. There are a lot of trucks for sale cheap right now if any of you guys need a truck now is the time. There are good working trucks out there for 10,000 to 20,000 dollars. Some fixers are 6k, If they hit the truck market with 25% tariffs you will be kicking your self for not moving on one.
I was always told that old macks engines are listed in rear wheel horse power. There's probably someone on here that knows better
I'm working on sorting it out. Macks aren't common here, plus E7s are getting "old" so not easy finding another to compare or someone experienced to work on it. I bought parts to check turbo boost and a compression tester adapter, just haven't had time. Bought it to haul dirt for me, but a friend of a friend owns a pit and pays $135/hr for hauling so had looked into doing that. It starts, idles and revs fine. Had what I'd consider normal smoke when cold. Only ~8000 hrs in it, so roughly equal to 320,000 miles.
You don’t need that old thang. I’ll gladly take it off your hands so you can find something more expensive & flashy & unreliable. I mean Modern.
Nothing wrong with a Mack, as long as you don't mind staring at a dogs arse. Now you need one of these.
You are certainly correct there. Prices are way down here, for older used trucks. There's still a few holdouts, but a lot of prices have really dropped.
I would be very surprised if it hasn't been tweaked a little. Most of them have, e-6 are a inline bosch pump (there's a couple different versions) which aren't hard to fool with. Being turned up a little isn't a problem, if you watch your temps and don't just melt it down. I think you will be fine for your uses with the mack. They will pull down in the rpm range better than a lot of other motors, which have narrower powerband ranges. If you were pulling heavy all day everyday out west, you would probably notice the difference between what you have and a 15 liter motor. For your uses, I don't think it matters that its a 12 liter instead of a 15. We've dumped all the antifreeze out of a e-6 when we were messing with a block plug, and it cheerfully made it back all 3 times we had it happen, with no other damage. Its a pretty tough motor. I fully expected to have a head gasket or warped head, but getting the plug reseated and new antifreeze was all it took. I think we were very, very, lucky.
I would bet something isn't right, though I'm no mechanic. We have a pair of E7-350 Mack's that run very well for being very high mileage engines. Both trucks easily run 60mph loaded (tandem forage trucks, 42,000-48,000 pounds depending on crop), and will run well past 60 empty. We don't need anything past 55mph for our application, but both of ours will easily do more than that.
I have a Mack logo on my address sign and mailbox.
I drove a 1990 R model with a 350, but it had an 8LL. I picked it up at the dealer. Myself and 2 other guys, and we drove them to the jobsite. I got a load from a 400 Hitachi, drove about half a mile. They hooked a cable to the truck, and drug me with a dozer through a bog, this is the first load this truck has ever hauled now, I dumped, then they drug me back. I did this for 2 months. We hauled off road, 90 percent of the time, and hauled along side of wiggle wagons. Always loaded with everything that could fit in the box. Ran this truck for 4 summers like that, and it never let me down.
That sounds like the kind of truck it hope mine turns out to be. I am still kind of amazed they snapped the axle. You guys have problems with the axles snapping?
Had an issue with fuel once. There is a tag that hangs inside the fuel tank on the cover. It is supposed to be removed at the factory, but it must have fallen into the tank. After a couple weeks, I started having power issues, until it quit altogether. The paper was in the fuel line before the filter. Never had any driveline issues with any of them.
Mack builds a good axle, but there are always the guys who can break an anvil . . .
The company had a series of Freightliner Classics that came with front lockers, how or why that happened was a mystery because those were not spec'd and were not on the build sheet. After about the third time a axle got destroyed those were all disconnected. Even with buzzer and warning light they would forget to disengage on dry surface. Highway tractors that only needed interlock.
Mine have had work at least once, but suspect more as there's fairly fresh orange (ewwww) RTV on the tops. They have rebuild tags as well from early 2000s so not sure if it was a gear change, maintenance or someone did something. I know here in Prudhoe 3-4 years ago they paved the Dalton. One contractor hauling dirt said they were breaking a couple shafts a week with maybe 20 trucks. Enough that they have a whole pallet rack loaded with dozens and dozens of axle shafts.
Our Western Star tractors were all wood haulers with front and rear lock ups. They unlock if you go over a set speed. Not sure if that function still works in all of them
Generally, a spinning event followed by a sudden gain of traction, while loaded, is a recipe for axle/ differential issues. I doubt that's going to be your weak spot. Run it a while before you start wanting to change engines, transmissions, rears. The truck has managed to survive its working life until this point, set up the way it is. I think you'll find the truck is just fine, I think it looks like a pretty good truck, just the way it is.
We had a f700 with a 2 speed rear it was something like 6 to 1 in high and 9 to 1 in low. My mom and dad uncle and atleast one other person broke axles in it. I never did and I probably beat on it worse then anyone in my early days of learning to drive a truck.
These were all broken at loading docks, only manual air toggle switch.
I had little more time to look the truck over. It has an air leak on one of the airbag valves at the rear of the truck. Looks like 2 valves on back frame one going to each bag. It appears that the valve might be for bleeding of air on the bags or possibly a shutoff for pressure to the bags. The front bags don't seem to have the same valves. The one photo says volts on the valve. Do they use voltage? How's this system basically work?
The metal arm controls the air going in and out of the bag. As the air raises the frame off the axles, it reaches "ride height" and the arm closes off the air going to the bags. Go through a low spot, the arm will travel far enough and can bleed air out of the bags. You can pull the bolt and play around with it by hand and see how it works. The electric coming to it is likely from a switch on the dash, controlling a dump air valve . Dump the air from the suspension for unloading and loading. Or to get under a trailer. Then switch it back to air the suspension.
Don't be surprised if you can't find a identical in appearance R/H valve.