83 359 pete good idea/bad idea-good bad idea

i think i found a good deal on a good used rtlo18718 haven't bought it yet but agreed on a price with the guy need to try to find time to go look at it and pick it up.

would be nice to have a 18 speed in the 359. trans is going to have to come out anyway as iv noticed the rear main is seeping a bit.

still keeping my eye out for a rear end cut off for the truck as well. not really in any hurry to buy a transmission or rear end cut of for this truck at this point but if i can find a good buy i will jump on it...lol

 

I still haven't found a data tag on the existing trans yet but woreout determined it was a 4-5 series from pictures. A 18718 would certainly be a worthwhile upgrade. It would be nice to get a trans before I get a rear end cut off then the rear ratio can be matched to the trans also would be nice to get a trans before I put a wet kit on the truck as the 1850 torque transmissions use a deeper PTO. Really not in a hurry to buy any of that but it's just one of those that if you can grab them when there is a deal available your better off because of you wait till you need it your probably end up paying a premium for the one that's available at the time...lol

 

Plan to weld the cut off on want to stretch the frame as well as replace the section of frame under the 5th wheel. Welding on a cut off seems to be the best way to go about what I want to accomplish. I take it from your post there must be a difference in frame rails on a Freightliner?

I don't really want to use the air liner suspension because with the heavy loads I haul the u bolts stretch on the air liner and the paddles will walk. When I had my Freightliner with the airliner suspension every couple years id have to cut the u bolts off and replace them or they would eat bushings. The Peterbilt suspension is prone to cracking housings with the Eaton rears but I think it's better of those choices. Would be nice to find a Peterbilt cut off with Rockwell's but it seems the vast majority came with Eatons.

 

didn't get a whole lot of time this weekend to work on the peterbilt. my mack decided to blow a gasket on my way home on friday had to add a gallon of oil every 15 miles to make it the last 60 miles home so that ate up the majority of the day yesterday.

had some other things i had to do today so only got to spend about 5 hours on the pete this weekend. yesterday before i left the shop i had the bright idea to put some bleach and water in a pump up sprayer and hose the entire inside of the peterbilt down to try to eliminate the last of the mouse smell on the inside. close up the truck right after i did that closed up the shop and went home.

when i made it back out to the shop around 1pm today with the truck being closed up the entire time and the fact it was clooler and damp out. it never dried. it did eliminate the mouse smell but the results were not quite plesent eather. rather than smelling like mice it smelled like dirty gym socks. or a high school wresling mat. so i had had to take everything out of the truck and accually clean the entire inside of the truck top to bottom every nook and crany while having all the doors open to air out. i think i got rid of all the unpleasent smells now but i guess the true test will be the next time i open the truck back up after sitting closed up for a while.

while i was in the sleeper i found and replaced approximately 70 rivets that were either loose or broken. the huck gun works quite nicely for pulling the rivets on the inside of the sleeper as well. even though that tool was expensive its proving to be a worthwhile cost.