Old cab over options for work

Years ago I drive a Cabover Freightliner with a 26’ rollback bed on it for H&W. Used it mainly hauling power centers to and from the coal mines in southern WV and eastern Kentucky.

Couldn’t ask for a better setup for that….

 

"CPL" number,,had to look that up. Stands for "Critical Parts List", and never heard of it. Got to go back further than that pal, to that aluminum data strip in the acc. drive housing, that always went missing. Most of the BCs I sat behind( or above) were "castrated" Formulas, and 1900 was about it. I'd say of all the trucks in my career, 90% had a BC Cummins. Its what powered Americas trucks for years, and a while there are more powerful motors( Cat, Mack, Allis Chalmers) and simpler ones, ( 2 cycle Detroits before series 60), Cummins was just the best all around motor, and salute to the "Columbus Vibrator",,

 

That aluminum ID tag on the acc drive has the CPL # along with year model, cubic inch, and other info. Sadly many are missing for sure.

It’s simple as calling Cummins with the Ser # on the block though to figure out what it is. The ID tag on top the pump is also a good source of information to see what it’s calibrated at.

If the tag is missing I just get the serial number on the block located below the rear head on the left side and call Cummins, then get the pump code and call the local pump shop, pretty easy to get a close idea what they are.

My engine started it’s life as a CPL 0749, it’s now a CPL 625…,,

 

3.99 is a very odd gear set number? Bet it’s a 3.90 rear. They were the most common in that time frame with that power. 4.10/4.11’s woulda been the next step up. NTC Cummins power band is 1600-2100. If it is a Formula it will be 1550-1900. Torque peak is generally 1650 and hp is 2100. Cruise at 1900 to 2100 is what was done in the day to keep them together. Old Mech Cummins love to spin higher. Do not lug down less then 1600 with any kind of load on it. Cruising empty bobtail at 1500 won’t hurt but down shift and get rpms above 1650 before you try to accelerate hard or you will rattle it to death.

 

What’s the wheelbase?
It looks to me like you can make it a truck tractor and not be too long to get around. It would be great to haul long structural steel because you would have a large gap behind the cab kinda like we do with the daycab… some other drivers think we’re stupid for not running a sleeper but honestly a hotel works fine when needed and it’s so much nicer delivering to job sites with a 250” truck than 330 that it would take to have the same amount of hangover. I personally wouldn’t make it a dump truck because of how much getting in and out usually comes with that.

 

Oops just saw this! Yes my 88 Pete 362 was very good to me. But being such a specific truck (day cab expedited 25'/32k max) when things went South it felt it badly. So now she sits at the paint shop (Its a good thing I am down because they are SLAMMED and it is always tough to get in) while I contemplate doing it all again someday. I brought my authority down to a 50 mile radius and ditched cargo insurance for now.

When things are moving it was great! Military stuff, coils, sheets, bars, pipes, tubes, machines, big fabrications, molds/dies, presses, robots, etc......from Indiana to Maine and upper Michigan to Atlanta! She has seen a fair amount of miles!

I am not missing it as of now. I go and start and move it weekly and I'll have to decide how things look in 9 more months when my policy is up again.

I hope I want back in!

 

Down in NC Monday morning close to Wilmington, rolling on I-40 and seen a nice 9670 rolling the other way. Cab was purple, and dump bed was black, it was a good looking truck by all accounts….