Tue Aug 24, 2021 7:33 pm by mrjim2017
I think the 2 books do not agree is due to the year of publications? The info I have supplied is the Military Training Manual on Bendix Brakes, written 1944.
There were not "air brakes" in the 1944 military manual as we typically think of, having an air compressor on the engine to supply air pressure for air chambers.
The 1944 version of "air brakes" is "vacuum brakes." A vacuum pump is installed on the engine to create a vacuum source and there are air tanks that are used as vacuum tanks instead of pressure air tanks. The brakes used a single chamber to activate the brakes, but again, vacuum pulled the rod not air pressure.
The other book/manual is in my opinion more of a generic shop manual - the 1940 1/2-1949 CTS-8 is much like a Chilton's Manual is to cars. They are generic and have a lot of good/basic info, but in no way cover any specific make/model 100%. The Chilton series also have errors.
The best manual would be a factory Chassis/Service Manual specific to the year, make, model of the car/truck in question. These have much better, more complete, and thorough information, but are often written prior to the actual manufacture and release of the vehicle, so they to can have errors, or if changes are made during assembly or the year, then Service Bulletins are written up and sent out.
Some trucks are custom built/assembled and parts may have been added or swapped out to meet a customer requirement. A dealership could have altered the truck/chassis to meet a customer requirement. This was certainly done with automobiles, so why not trucks?
We do this a lot with trailers where I work - the customer can buy a new and specific line of trailer and then our shop, as a factory dealership, can add or change the trailer to the customers requirement. No doubt people in the future 50 years from now would be scratching their heads trying to sort out why a factory 53' trailer is 36' trailer. The factory never made or offered one. Their sales books and factory manuals say these don't exist. Did the factory make an error on the Data Tag? All the work appears to be factory. Nothing that would indicate any tampering.
But that is what we do and you would not know that it didn't come from the factory that way. So who would be correct? The guy who says I have all the factory literature that says it is a 53' trailer and none were ever made so the Data Tag is wrong, or the guy who says it is a factory 36' trailer but was made from a 53' body that was special ordered and not listed in any factory literature, so the Data Tag is correct. This kind of thing comes up and happens with regards to old cars and trying to authenticate some of the options or changes that did not come off the assembly line nor were available as a factor order option - yet the item/option ins question may be authentic to the car the day it left the dealership and that makes the car unique, rare, and desireable, BUT, the car has got to have those original documents to back up the claim in proving the options as authentic/original to the car.
So you and I can go round and round as to what the books say, but that does not mean they are gospel or 100% accurate. I honestly can't confirm nor deny any of what you say, what I read, or what other sources say. We can only go by what documents are available and what actual experiences tell us. I have no experience on/with Internationals and have no leg to stand on when it comes to personal experiences or trucks on hand. I won't even dispute facts out of a book as I know as a military researcher for the past 20 years that printed materials can be inaccurate and the best sources are actual documents and even these can be open to interpretation when the originator is no longer around to question the meaning of certain documents.
But, I have no doubt that my KB5 did not have a power vacuum unit or hydrovac. I did look at the frame near where I think the hydrovac would have mounted (based on the other chassis photo) and there was no indication of a mounting of any brackets or hangers needed for the hydrovac or any indents or scars where nuts/bolts would have impressioned into the frame. The truck was most likely used within the city of Roanoke, VA, to either pick-up or deliver rail freight or mail to the rail terminal. If it had been used for greater distances, then I can't imagine a truck that size without the power vacuum, hydrovac, or mountain brakes knowing and driving up and down the mountains along I-81 and the Shenandoah Mountains.
Pics are of the Military ID Tags used for the brake parts. Here is what it says,
"Identification Tags (fig. 7). Manufacturers' identification tags showing model and number should be supplemented by an identification tag attached to the unit by the using arm or organization forwarding the unit for repair. NOTE: Do not destroy the tag which
identifies the vehicle from which the unit has been removed, as it will serve to correctly mark the rebuilt unit for installation on a similar vehicle.
b. The following table is supplied to assist in identification of models and determining the repair kit to be used in repair of the unit.
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