KW Project

First order of business as arrives HERE, is to get loaded into workshop, start unbolting hood pivots and unplug Hood harness to situate OUTSIDE.  Then engine tear down from stage is currently in to determine which is best alternate to go with it.

Some Pics:

As saw it Last

As currently situated at Buddy's shop in OK:

Fuel tanks will be resituated(Original Location) to Under Sleeper, Tool Box beneath Drivers Door and a Battery Box beneath Passenger Door as was built.  Stack will remain OFF until can be placed Outside my Shop(Not enough Door Headroom).

As to towing a Trailer, works Tandem Or single, retains resale value Tandem.  Just a lot of moving hardware for dragging a Empty!!  HOWEVER, as get it done are Dealers with recent trades for Actual Toters, have been in contact with a few where this truck is a Worthy trade to a slightly Newer Toter Crew Cab with air ride ad air brakes but Automatic.

For the price in trade goods, I am NOT complaining if use as is for a Toter.

End result of weekend, truck is now currently on its own shoes, the L Rr has been swapped and all brakes are 'Caged' so can roll on/off a roll back trailer for when gets here.

Used really hard engines as this one get to 600,000 really easily, modern diesels can make a million without overhaul anymore this one bit the dust due to a serious overheat with oversized load.  Was running heavy equipment hauling thus the removed drop axle.

I have driven multi stick trans set ups(Not all that well) air splitter 9,10,13, 15 and 18 speed, where all are a five speed main with abilities to split several times, even driven straight gate 7 and 8 speed trans set ups(awkward), this one is a pretty common 550hp Cat, 18 speed Fuller/Eaton(five speeds each split able) in low side four speeds in High each one split able (so essentially 10&8 gears), has the heavier bushing stronger double frame rail 46,000+lb capacity rear eight bag air ride suspension so will ride well and handle anything placed on it I can muster.  46,000 Eaton air locker differentials where most heavy trucks have a lockable Power Divider(Differential between the two rear ends) this also has a air shift positive traction lock in each differential, No single wheel slip will occur in the rear.  Brakes on older semis as this are drum, 16" diameter, 7 or 8" wide blocks on shoes and uses a spring application "Maxi" Brake for positive parking security.  Old style slack adjuster brake adjustment devices have advanced to auto adjust and are inspected but require little attention generally as well are Externally mounted so easier to change, Brake Drums are Outboard on hubs so just pull tires and remove drums.  Air brakes CAN leak, just little mess and easier to fix than hard tube hydraulic brakes.  Truck weighs in at a modest 18,000# sits on 11R24.5 tires on Aluminum pilot center single lug nut Rims, the old twin lug Budd sets are about obsolete now.  

A LOT of instrumentation in the cabs, much of which is Eye Candy unless pulling serious loads.  Trans and Axle temperatures, Engine oil and coolant temps, some times fuel pressure along with oil pressure. Air pressure for brakes, indicated air on suspension for loading, speedo and tach, lots of switches for obvious lighting and accessories, can look daunting but once acclimated is pretty simple.  Do have pretty well standardized power steering, really good AC and Heaters well insulated cabs for temperature and noise controls.  Sit REALLY High so great visibility.  Rear Mirrors are Cab mounted these days so no longer swing with the doors and doors need not be fully closed to see to the rear, vibrate much less.  Engine services tend to be done like our modern cars, to a mileage indicator that takes in driving style, abuse, severity of demands.  Most large trucks change oil and filters at 15-20,000 miles

Tire average life kept aired properly is 100-125,000 miles, brakes in my use may last life of machine, air bags on suspension die from repetitive cycling as do the diaphragms in the brake chambers, aluminum cabs and sleepers may last a few decades no more than normal attention.

Is not readily discernable but the Pin on a Fifth Wheel Camper is the same dimension as a Semi Trailer for product hauling, will mate directly into the Semi Truck Fifth Wheel.  Pin Height is roughly the same for both trailers as well.

As a side note, big diesels also generally come with an Exhaust Pressure Brake System(Jakes), these work by solenoid operation where as the cylinder comes up on a compression stroke and just as the Unit Injector goes to cycle the exhaust valves are Popped Open, that is what causes the Thrumming noise from the exhaust, the engines are turned into a large compressor and use that pressure force to slow the truck saving brake life.  Switch operated on the dash, disabling switches on throttle and clutch pedals.

Can be intimidating but are just machines.

This is so when air leaks too heavily or not available can release the parking side and move the machine.

I MAY trade the truck upon 'Wife's choice' should she not wish to ride a Semi pulling a RV!!  Does not bother me and is not all that Huge to me as it is to her.  Most Semi Tractors are as short or shorter than Crew Cab Pickups used for this.  Is  bit overkill for weight capacity, but the price puts it at affordable,(TRADES and Overhaul cost).  A Reasonably new Crew Dually is still above $50,000 for one I would trust for any length of time, this truck refurbished is worth close to $50k as a trade or outright sale as well.

Dually Crew cabs are roughly 270" OA Body Length, this truck is only 4' longer overall where Pin point of Trailer is within 1.5-2 feet on chassis.  Truck itself is only 9'8" tall top of Air Horns, trailers are over 12'6" top of AC Units so actually decrease Trailer Nose Drag as see with a Pickup.  Both this or a Dually are 8' wide.

New Maxi Chambers the diaphragm is not serviceable so the 3/4 chambers just go away when leak.  This truck will receive four New Chambers and service diaphragms.