Newest addition: 1978 Kenworth W900A Flatbed rollback truck.

[LowBoy]

I guess I am showing my true colors here, ain't I crafty? First I can't change a fuel filter without doing a motor job, and now I can't take letting off without repainting a whole truck. I guess I should stop in at Mc Donalds and see if they need some help...:dontget

I just had a bout with it an hour ago out there...put an inline plastic filter with clear line in place of that limey-built junk filter...it runs but stalls now. I have deeper issues I think, but I'll figure it out, might mean removing the cab before I get it straighened out, but we know how I do things...all without thinking very hard, no methodology whatsoever....ba hahahahahahaha....

 

[LowBoy]

I came to the conclusion after reading a couple replies over on the other side that I may have plugged off the return line now CRAFTY...not me....make a MISTAKE...? PFFFFFFFFTTTT, c'mon...you know who you're talking to here...??..

In my last attempt to stay calm and collected and try and get the Jewish Corn Binder running, I put an inline plastic filter in, and tied the return off the injection pump into the return off the fuel rail...not intentionally of course. It'll run 60 seconds and stall, restart and stall... I may have just created a self-inflicted SNAFU in which I am now FUBAR'd.

I think I'll just stick to what I know. Eating. I can be fat, dumb and happy happy happy all the time that way, and not get my hands dirty. :naughty

 

[LowBoy]

Eating an elephant, one bite at a time...

This old KW has a multitude of little things that need attention as I continue to dig deeper and deeper into the project. I had a day off for a dr. appt. today, so before that I managed to get the JCB hoe running again, and after a cortizone shot to my shoulder, I fixed the rotted exhaust elbow underneath the truck, and got "some" of the many lights working...

There's a lot of TLC to be performed. It needs exhaust manifold gaskets and a stud set too it appears.
There's an input yoke seal leaking on the forward rear.
Right rear wheel seal pouring gear oil.
More lights need attention.
Drivers side window jams 3/4 way up...has to be addressed.

There's more good than bad however. That 3406 PCTA sounds sweet as sugar cackling away, it drives down the road beautifully, cab is tight...lots of good points.

Little by little, bite by bite...that's how you eat an elephant they say.

 

[jumbo]

What amazed me, way back in post #1, the steering wheel was not cracked in the spokes. It seems that within a couple of years, all the spokes would crack on a KW steering wheel. This is the first one I have ever seen without the cracks. Very nice.

 

[Mitch504]

Jumbo, I like your signature line.

 

[LowBoy]

What amazed me, way back in post #1, the steering wheel was not cracked in the spokes. It seems that within a couple of years, all the spokes would crack on a KW steering wheel. This is the first one I have ever seen without the cracks. Very nice.

There's actually a few cracks though jumbo, but not that bad as some I've seen. The wheel feels good for sure.
Been operating on it (14 hours between last Sat. and Sun.,) did a leaking wheel seal r&r, drained/replaced front differential oil, greased, scraped a bunch of the loose rusty scale off a lot of the frame while I was in the mood, and now I'm into the winch hydro leak issue. This thing has seen some funky workmanship. I'll never figure out why someone would replace 24 feet of 1/2" steel hard piping from front to rear with a 24' long hydraulic hose...that seems weird unless they had a surplus roll of it in their garage or something. I bought 48' of 1/2" steel pipe today in 10' and 4' sections with couplings and a couple 45* elbows, and in the process of switching to steel pipe right from the winch to the rear of the bed, then I only need a couple of 5-6 foot long hoses when they blow rather than the whole shebang. Once that's done, the winch is back online again.
Should have it registered this week, and going on a voyage to retreive a 20' storage container for myself Sunday. Should be a fun day after all this sweat equity.

 

[LowBoy]

W900A Work Progress.

Pics didn't download in proper order, but oh well.

First is just a pic of the finished wheel seal job.

Next two are interior shots. Note the old Cat starter/glow plug switch...lol.

Last two are of the winch feed/return line replacement project. They had two 24' hydro hoses run from the winch up front, to the valve body out behind the drivers side tires. The way the bed slides on a subframe by means of a long stroke ram..., the hoses traveled with the bed the full stroke and ended up laying on the ground every time you set the bed on the ground to load something. You had to watch them coming out and really closely going back in, or they'd catch something and rip them off.
I looked it over and decided to change it all around by re-plumbing the winch front to rear with 1/2" steel pipe, then I took one of the 24 foot hoses to a hydro shop and had him slice out 4 four-footers and crimped on 1/2" pipe ends.Being I brought those hoses to them, the total cost for the new ends was about $30.00, lol. Now I have 4 foot hoses from the steel pipe out back to the valve body, instead of all that spaghetti.

The previous owner must not have thought about things too deeply, and figured that everything was supposed to be sliding back and forth with the bed, when in reality the subframe is stationary (other than it tilts on it's hinge,) but only the bed slides on the rails of the subframe, not the whole thing. I eliminated the headaches of pinched or torn off hydro lines now, and neatened up the whole system out back.

It's registered and headed on a maiden voyage to move 2 trucks a short distance, and haul a 20 ft. storage box home Sunday 10-20-13. All I have left to do mechanically is replace the exhaust gaskets and studs with stainless steel stud kit, and she's pretty much in tip top shape other than cosmetics. Plans to fix the paint on doors, new front bumper, set of straight pipes...and the rest will come in time. Sandblasting/painting frame and body, etc. all in the plans. Next thing on it's way here is a set of newer style A Model battery box/steps I found online in Pasadena, Texas being shipped to me so I can get rid of those terrible sloped aluminum ones that you can get killed on. If anybody wants those on the truck now for a restoration, they're for sale reasonably, lol.

 

[LowBoy]

More pics of W900A Project.

A couple more interior shots. I feel pretty fortunate to find a 78 KW with as nice an interior as this one has...really clean. All I need to do is touch up the bottom of the dash and it's really all it needs. Floormat is tear free. New drivers seat, original passenger seat.

Next is with the bed up, changing those hydraulic feeds for the winch. (Don't look at that *#*^%$#! JCB behind it...that's on the back burner, lol.) remember that one CRAFT?

Finally, the greasy, oil soaked wheel seal job. I drained the front differential and refilled it with Lucas and 90W. They hold 5 gallons, I got barely one gallon out of it because the previous owners ran it with the seal blown so long they almost fried that power divider. That was close. I took a few gallons of gasoline and a brush and sterilized everything back to somewhat normal...saved the brakes too.

Here's where the subject arises on how to "torque" a bearing. Spin nut on, tighten, turn, turn, turn, back off, tighten, turn, etc. When it feels nice, lock her down. Hey...it worked for 30+ years this way, never lost one doing it that way yet. At least I went and bought a new locking tab to keep the nut from backing off, which is more than I found when I took it apart. There wasn't one on it before. That's scary.

The debate on whether or not they should be torqued remains a matter of opinion. Should you, or should you not? Hey, if you have a nice torque wrench in your back pocket, knock youself out I guess. If you're out in the field, in the woods, etc. and no torque wrench in sight, use plan A. Opinions are like rectums; everybody's got ONE...some have TWO, but we won't get into that... :badi

 

[LowBoy]

Headed on the maiden voyage 10-20-13

Loaded and tied down, headed to Connecticut first to drop the F350 off at my buddy's shop. Move 2 Diamond Reo's for a buddy in Massachusetts, then back to Ct. and load a 20 foot storage box I bought for myself...then drop the KW off at a guy's shop in Ct. that I struck a deal with to do the exhaust gaskets and replace studs with stainless ones, in exchange for a 3406B injection pump I have hanging around doing nothing.

 

[LowBoy]

Missions accomplished.

Everything I set out to do went off without a hitch. Moved a 70 c&c Diamond Reo and a (?) DR s/a dump, and loaded a 20' truck box Sunday, 10-20-13 and left the truck in Ct. for exhaust manifold gaskets and stud kit. Hahaha, my passenger/helper secretly video'd some of the day. Good thing I didn't know that, I'd have been nervous and missed a few cogs probably, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NyIL_XOt00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGVr8wpcU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0HObDd4VtM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMZnb2FK55s

 

[LowBoy]

Pics of 10-20-13 moves...Diamond Reo's relocated.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Wish you had a pick with the Diamond Reo on it. That exhaust leak is annoying LOL!!

 

[Steve Frazier]

Oops!!! I didn't refresh the page before I posted!

 

[LowBoy]

Wish you had a pick with the Diamond Reo on it. That exhaust leak is annoying LOL!!

They should be here now Steve...there's 3-4 pics of them. Not showing up on your end????

 

[C R A F T]

They should be here now Steve...there's 3-4 pics of them. Not showing up on your end????

At my end the pics are there …… Nice pics ….. i'm jealous …… but that gives me thoughts about the 'ol '86 Star …… Hmmmm ????? ….LOL

The "Reo" looks like a Mini truck, almost like like a scale model compared to the 'ol KW …… and u'r KW is a smaller one, depending on the angle you look at it, narrower hood, smaller cab, as compared to some of the new trucks …. you what i'm talking about …..

BUT !! ….. you gotta do something with those steel rear buds ! …. come-on get with the program ! …. never mind the JCB, you've got more impotent things to do like "Impress US" with pics of the K-wobbler !!! ….. Bahahaha … hehehe !

Ps : you're co-pilot should be recommended for an academy award for filmography ….. VERY NICE Vids !!! …… again "I'm JEALOUS"

Cheers Pal ! ….GK

 

[Steve Frazier]

I read the thread and walked away for a couple hours, then posted without refreshing the page LOL! You had posted your pics in between that time. Are the Reos gas or diesel? Most I remember around here were gas.

 

[LowBoy]

I read the thread and walked away for a couple hours, then posted without refreshing the page LOL! You had posted your pics in between that time. Are the Reos gas or diesel? Most I remember around here were gas.

Those are gas Steve. Both 6 cylinder Gold Comet engines. Slower than death, but dependable, lol.

 

[LowBoy]

Well if you have a free weekend CRAFTY, c'mon down and help me whip her into shape then...! I have all the wheels for her here, just need time. I can be working on the Japanese Corn Binder while you're bulling tires and wheels...I'll show you where the tools all are! :fdl

And wait a cotton pickin' minute here...whatta ya mean "smaller KW"...??? Ba hahahaha, yeah, to YOU; coming from a guy up in BC where the trucks are all Euclids, with 12 ft. wide cabs that haul 3 trailers of logs at the same time, hahahahahaha. Give me a break, "smaller KW", oh man, you kill me sometimes CRAFTY. ointl :lmao

Glad the truck's not here this week actually, it forces me to focus on the other necessities I need to dive into, like getting that JCB finished up before cold hits, cutting up a bundle of slabs,(pic below) closing in the woodshed with poly to keep things dry...plenty to do around this farm for sure...:thumbsu



This coming Sunday, I have to re-locate those 2 Diamond Reos again about 10 miles up the road to their finaly resting place, then haul my 20 ft. storage box home and set that in place too. Never seems to end for me here. I need an early retirement package so I can get more done, lol.

 

[Steve Frazier]

The first school buses I road in the 60s were on Reo chassis, I remember the "Gold Comet" emblem on the side of the hood. The exhaust had a unique sound to it, through a certain rpm band it had a rap to it like the truck was farting LOL. Nearly all the garbage trucks around here were on Diamon Reo chassis with cabs just like the ones you hauled, they were gas too. I can remember the brakes howling every time they stopped, you knew they were coming for 20 minutes!

 

[LowBoy]

I'm from the same exact era in school buses, and I recall the "flatulating tailpipes", lol.

These here are former garbage trucks, (or at least the red one is)...the blue one was at a ski area in Blandford, Mass. and always was a dump truck actually. The owner has several Reo's, all former and current garbage trucks with packer bodies that believe it or not... he still is running today. You can't miss him when he's picking up garbage, hahahaha.