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Possible new (old) truck

Started by starmac, April 03, 2016, 05:50:55 PM

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starmac

One of the loggers I haul for has a gmc flatbed dump, twinscrew with a 3208,13 speed and heavy 25 foot dump bed.
I am tentively trading him a tanker truck I have (with no use for) for it, will know for sure tomorrow after I get a look at it.

I can buy logs from the loggers I haul for but have no real way to safely unload my long log truck at my mill. I am thinking with this rig, I can install some bunks and buy logs and just dump them at my mill, where the forklift will be able to handle them from there. I will just have to cut the logs down before they load them.
I am not planning on hauling commercially for this, so am hopeing that insurance will not be a deal killer.
Does anyone insure a tandem truck for their own personal use.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Autocar

Insurance shouldn't be a problem except it is pretty pricey. But will give you my two cents on a 3208  you better have deep pockets if you have any engine problems. I had number of problems blowing head gaskets bending push rod ect. After three times back to the shop we figured out it was the after cooler. It was a thousand bucks evey time just to get it though the door. I'll take a cummins any old day. Just my opinion  ;).
Bill

711ac

I take it that your already haulling logs but don't have a loader. Is it not worth selling/trading your tanker for a log loader to add it to your "long log truck"?
Tires, batteries, brakes, ins ........ I don't need to tell you the costs of keeping a (another) truck on the road and running. I've never had one, but the 3208 is not talked about "fondly".

starmac

Sorry you have had bad luck with the 3208's, I have been around them since they came out and had decent luck with them, and I do my own work, but don't find them a lot more expensive than others. I will agree about the cumminds though, and parts for the pld big cams are cheaper than most.

711AC, here is my thinking, right or wrong.
I am in the process of building another truck for a loader, and will get one when funds come available. I need to keep my long log truck as is though, as I can't haul for my customers with a self load truck, but can haul enough for some smaller loggers I know to pay expenses on one and even make a buck or two.

As it is right now and at least through next season there is zero market for aspen or popple, whatever you want to call it,  So I am thinking I can pick it up loaded on this little truck cheap. It is popular here to make d logs out of, and I have some building I want to do.
There is zero market for birch, except for firewood and this year was a killer for the firewood guys, most has plenty left over for next year too, so birch logs loaded on this little truck will be fairly cheap.
The only buyer for spruce logs docks loggers 18% for anything less than 33 feet and there is zero market for any spruce less than 17 feet, right now it gets left in the woods, except for the firewood loggers, who like mentioned above are having a rough time getting rid of what they have.

I have 2 seperate kids (familys) one that heats soley with wood now, the other just bought a place and will heat with wood. Between the savings on firewood and sawlogs for my mill and a few other uses I will be able to use it for, should more than enough pay for it's insurance.
In all reality, I bought the tanker truck with the intentions of pulling of the pumps and tank and building a dump for it to do the same thing, but this rig will be cheaper to run, haul more and already has a dump. If I wanted to, I could haul 2 loads of firewood and throw it away, the savings would have paid for it.

Anyway, that is my thinking, right or wrong.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

MattR

I purposely seek out tandem dumps with 3208's  for our logging road building crews.  We have great luck with them and have had many. Certainly not a powerhouse, but great fuel economy and we get lots of time out of them.

Also just my experience. There are definitely lemons with everything though.
Matt

snowstorm

as far as insurance maybe your insurance company will do what mine dose. i have 3 trucks insured but i am the only driver so somehow all 3 are covered all the time but the price i pay is only a little more than what i used to pay for 1.   as far as the 3208 never had one never wanted one. quite a few around here were used in boats and turned up as high as 435hp boat owners bragg about everything. when they start telling me how great there 1160 and 3208 is. ya ok

coxy

when I was a kid always listen to my dad say what a pile of crap they where but I have to say the guy I work with in the winter has one in a landing loader and every now and again it will lock full throttle as soon as it starts  and blow a 10in blue/red flame out of the ex pipe and at - 10-15 below that thing stays together so I cant say anything bad about them  :D

711ac

Quote from: starmac on April 03, 2016, 11:29:30 PM

711AC, here is my thinking, right or wrong.
I am in the process of building another truck for a loader, and will get one when funds come available. I need to keep my long log truck as is though, as I can't haul for my customers with a self load truck,
I have 2 seperate kids (familys) one that heats soley with wood now, Between the savings on firewood and sawlogs for my mill and a few other uses I will be able to use it for, should more than enough pay for it's insurance.

Anyway, that is my thinking, right or wrong.

It makes perfect sence to me now, sounds like a "no brainer" for your needs!

starmac

I looked this truck over today, it is a 78, but clean as a whistle body wise, nice 25 foot flatbed dump, good rubber even though they are 1000X20 but at least they are buds.
The hydraulics are tight and the 25 foot dumpbed is nice with a slick metal deck.
He threw in a set of log bunks to go on it, they are short 5 foot ones, but I don't plan to haul too big of loads with it anyways.
It has a nice heavy duty bang board.

The bad, natural aspirated 3208, not terrible but turboed would have been better.
That old cheesy light duty 13 speed (I forget what they are called) again not terrible, but not the best either.
All in all it will be a handy little truck. I will probably wind up adding it to my log truck policy, as selling 4 or 5 loads of long firewood will pay for it, and not be hard to do, so no worries as to being underinsured.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

s grinder

Those motors weren't to bad,naturally aspirated they were rated @225HP/560ft.lbs.torque,modern diesel powered pickup trucks have more.They started out with a joint venture with Ford in the late 60's to replace Ford's 534 gas engine,they started out as 1145,1160 and finally 3208.They old mechanics in the day called them throw away engines,cause they weren't sleeved.They did well in stationary application, gen sets,marine,anything with constant load/ rpm,worst with trucks,but thats with any engine. We had as many as 35 in our fleet as P&D tractors in LN8000s, did ok with 28" and 40" local delivery trailers because they weren't heavy LTL application.They did ok but you had to keep them spinning like above 1800 rpms like the 71 series Detroits. Cummins had some gems in their day like the 555 V8, to compete with the Cat V8 and also the 903 V8 as a freight truck engine.

MattR

They really aren't as bad as people say . I have had many over the years in applications from heavy equipment to dump trucks . I have several running in dump trucks right now they're running in all conditions from very hot to very cold . They are naturally aspirated, fire right up and are good on fuel . But yes they want to run at higher rpm's . As one fellow told me, drive it like you hate it . And that's what we do, push the throttle like you're trying to push into the floor . It will you do you just fine , and there's nothing wrong with a 13 speed transmission either .
Matt

jdeere540a

i always herd bad things about 3208s too.  but i have to say i bought one in an 84 gmc top kick 2 years ago to plow snow and haul gravel.  it a non turbo one with five and two trans. it don't have much power but its good on fuel starts good when its cold and was cheap because nobody wants them.  i have had good luck and would buy another.   

starmac

MattR, there are several different 13 spds, As far as I know have had or at least driven trucks with all of them, this has the cheesy light duty one, they don't even have the regular 13 speed shift pattern. I'm not saying they are junk, just light duty and different from a real 13 spd.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

MattR

If you can, post a pic of the shift handle. I'll know which one it is. I'll bet your referring to one of the models where all the selections are thumb operated.  There were a few of them .  Often they set up those 3208's with a tranny with a deep reduction to help make up for lower power. It probably also has the clutch brake  operated by an air button on the shifter also . That was common for those set ups .
Matt

starmac

It does have the air switch for the clutch brake. This tranny is the 13 that you do not split the gears, basically a 10 speed with 3 bottom gears.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

timberlinetree

Quote from: coxy on April 04, 2016, 03:00:10 PM
when I was a kid always listen to my dad say what a pile of crap they where but I have to say the guy I work with in the winter has one in a landing loader and every now and again it will lock full throttle as soon as it starts  and blow a 10in blue/red flame out of the ex pipe and at - 10-15 below that thing stays together so I cant say anything bad about them  :D quoteNeat! I've seen some glow in the dark manifolds which was cool! :D Good luck on the truck!
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

snowstorm

rt613 if i remember right is the trans. the air button was not a clutch brake it was a plunger that with air was pushed into the side of a gear to stop the gear train from turning. i dont remember seeing a 613 with a pull clutch. no pull clutch no clutch brake

MattR

Quote from: starmac on April 05, 2016, 09:22:23 PM
It does have the air switch for the clutch brake. This tranny is the 13 that you do not split the gears, basically a 10 speed with 3 bottom gears.
That is correct, no splitter . That's a common transmission that was put behind 3208 engines . I've got many of them running and I've had many in the past . It will do you just fine . Something else other people don't keep in mind , is that with a relatively low horse engine you're less likely to be breaking driveshaft components . You're not gonna get the checkered flag timewise , but in the long run you will win by fuel economy, less breakdowns etc. . If we were talking about hauling doubles with 50 ton loads , of course we would be talking a different story .
Matt

MattR

Quote from: snowstorm on April 06, 2016, 06:57:55 AM
rt613 if i remember right is the trans. the air button was not a clutch brake it was a plunger that with air was pushed into the side of a gear to stop the gear train from turning. i dont remember seeing a 613 with a pull clutch. no pull clutch no clutch brake
You're correct on the mechanics of it . It  essentially performs the same duties, stopping the transmission for easier engaging . We still call them clutch  brakes and they do work well .
Matt

s grinder

Learn something every day,been around trucks/equipment early 70's never heard of that one.Before you guys started talking about the clutch brake on the shifter,i thought you were talking about the early RT9513 that had low side on the shift lever [plunger]like a ten speed,and a splitter on the knob.You did the first five,pull the plunger up then go back into second and split you way ip from there.They were popular with 8V71 Detroits,rated @ 950LBS of torque.So your saying the plunger is a trans brake.

starmac

Yes Grinder this is a totally different animal from a 95i3. I drove one of these a little bit in the mid 70's. It was in a tandem dump. It was more or less a flat land around truck, We will see how this does out in the hills.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

MattR

Yes, it's a simple button that you push and it comes back up on its own . We are not talking about an actual high and low range selector , that you use your two fingers to lift up for high range , and then push back down for low range . This transmission brake we speak of is an actual little button that is on the side of the shifter knob , or in front of it , depending how they have it positioned. When you go to take off from a dead stop , you push the clutch in while the transmission is in neutral , push that little button down for a second and it will stop the tranny . Then you can commence to put it in gear without grinding .
Matt

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