My '89 9670 build


For you lovers of the Class 8's and bigger.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5160

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Fri Jan 08, 2016 6:36 pm

My '89 9670 build

I'm going to start a new thread, this time on the build of '89 big bunk cabover.
I purchased this truck back in '95 with just over 600K on the clock. I put another 800K or there abouts on it before I retired it in 2006. Well its time has come.
I'm starting out by installing a set of used IHC 472's in the back 3.73 ratio. It came with SQ100's 3.42 ratio but heavy hauling wore them out to the point the housing were shot. I installed the 472 housings from a parts truck and put a 3.55 rear in the front housing and ran it a single drive with a tag for the last 100K I drove it. I'm cleaning up a set 3.73 for it.
I have several engines for it, but all are in need of attention. The original Cummins CPL 838 which I uprated to 840 (350hp). I wore it out and while it runs, it leaks so much from every gasket that I pulled it.
I had a CPL 676 (400 hp) that came from a junkyard, but I found it has a crack in the cooling jacket. I could try and seal the crack but it would be hard to do it right in the chassie. It was caused by someone trying to remove the big plug in the back of the block.
I just bought a "running core". It is a Big Cam 1 CPL 324. The junkyard pulled one head to replace the headgasket, then gave up and sold as a core!
The engine came from a '79 4300. I believe the engine had a Luberfiner bypass filter. WHen they pulled the engine and did the work, rather then plug the lines to luberfiner, they connected the supply to the return. If they ran the engine, there would be no oil pressure. I think this is what happened, and they cut there losses and sold as a core, not realizing their mistake. When I got it, there were new filters and new waterpump belt. The waterpump was shot. I've got a new one coming. When it gets here I am going to make up block-off plates for the outlets, fill the cooling jacket and pressure test to 50 psi.
WHy so high you ask? well Big Cam Cummins run up to 50 psi BLOCK pressure, the radiator is much lower, 4-7 PSI cap. The block runs a much high pressure to prevent liner cavitation pitting. The smaller outlets in the head to the upper waterrail effectively drops the water pressure down to less the 10 psi in the radiator.
My small Cabover detailed in another thread shows why you must pressure test the block. It doesn't leak any coolant while sitting or idleing, but when running down the road, it leaks between the block and head. I need to pull the heads and take care of this leak, but I am using it right now, when I get the '89 up and running, I'll pull the heads on this one.
Ever since I owned it the right door was hard to open. On close inspection, the door itself is bowed. Fortunately, I saved the door from the parts truck, so I am going to send it to the bodyshop to be refinished in the correct livery for this truck.
Its kind of "a labor or love" as this was the 1st big truck I owned. (I now have many) With so many miles, and hard miles at that, sometime grossing as much 168,000 lbs, shows how well made these older IHC's are.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8936

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Fri Jan 08, 2016 6:44 pm

Re: My '89 9670 build

I am looking forward following this build.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive
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Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 515

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 10:11 am

Location: SW Washington

Post Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:13 pm

Re: My '89 9670 build

Me too.
'52 L-160 dump truck
'57 RD-405
'58 Allis Chalmers D grader
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 1887

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:40 am

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Post Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:37 pm

Re: My '89 9670 build

I'll be watching. Pics, please.

Dean
Lifelong Kansan
Grew up with red paint
Moved off the farm 33 years ago.

Freshly Restored
Freshly Restored

Posts: 241

Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:49 pm

Location: Eastern Kentucky

Post Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:51 am

Re: My '89 9670 build

Me too!! Glad to see there's at least five big truck guys on the forum.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 485

Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:36 pm

Location: Pocono Summit , Pa

Post Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:07 am

Re: My '89 9670 build

Count me in, as well. I feel like a schoolkid reading any of CB's posts; so much information.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5160

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sun Feb 28, 2016 10:03 am

Re: My '89 9670 build

Well, this build got pushed back a bit. The engine in the other cabover has loose liners and is going thru antifreeze at an alarming rate. I need to build an engine for it first, as it is my "money maker" at the moment. See my other post for details.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 8936

Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:45 pm

Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Sun May 01, 2016 11:32 am

Re: My '89 9670 build

If you, CB89, were given the choice of any new tractor, cost not being a limiting factor, which new model would you buy?
I know much less than 75% of what I should know, so I would buy for style. I like that retro look of an International I saw at b'fast last week. The new Caterpillar truck looks pretty good to me.
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 2028

Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:52 pm

Post Sun May 01, 2016 11:49 am

Re: My '89 9670 build

I'll be watching, too, CB!
At least 75% of the time...:)

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5160

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sun May 01, 2016 1:09 pm

Re: My '89 9670 build

As far as a new truck goes. if I am not allowed to run my old stuff I'll hang it up. The new one are just too expensive and have too much electrical to stand up for long on the road. If you are the type to buy new and trade within 5 years, new will likely work for you. Getting some age on the chassie and it becomes a loosing battle trying to keep it working.
The old truck adhere to the old Detroit diesel adage, "No other can operate with so much wrong.... or need to!" There is very little that will keep my old stuff from making back home, or at least to where I can get parts, if needed. If you carry a spare fuel filter, a few wrenches, and may be some air line and fittings, there is little to keep them from moving.
The vast amount of wireing needed on the new stuff makes it a given that there will be connection problems that will strand the truck somewhere. Old stuff suffers from the same problem, but it will not strand the truck. If you loose a light, or even power to the fuel solenoid, you can make it run and get to where you can fix it, not so with the newer stuff.
The extensive use of plastics has lighten the load considerably with the newer trucks, but at a cost. Plastic does not hold up well to the constant beating and sunlight.
Most of my repairs are electrical, and the old trucks have a very simple electrical system. Even so, the connectors, although state of the art, still freeze solid, can't be removed or repaired due to corrosion. New stuff has 100 fold the wireing, not all is required to run, but a lot is. I just can't imagine trying to keep one running at 10 years, never mind the 33 that the '83 has.
Right now the '83 is running well but the house needs work, so the '89 is on the back burner for awhile. I need to work myself out of the financial hole that takeing a month off to build the 83 took. Part of what took so long is my bad back, I can only put in 1/2 to 3/4 days and at 1/2 speed to what I was when I was younger. It has made me re- assess some projects.
Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative, as my Dad likes to say.
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