Perkins 6-354

Although it has often been regfered to as a boat anchor, I found the little diesel to do a great job for it's size, I traded my Inter KB8 in on a late model Inter R180 fitted with this engine, it regularly pulled a 15 ton payload getting around 10 mpg as against the Red diamond 4 mpg, hauling spuds out of Brisbane to dragging three 5 ton coils of steel out of Pt Kembla up to the Hume, flat as a strap with a 2 foot red flame out the pipe in bog cog. The drive train was too light so became an expert on repairing gearboxes and diffs, grinding a ring around the outer ends of the axles to make it easier to change as they snapped at that point. The troubles I had with the engine were no fault of it's own, I had rigged up an oil gauge from the engine instead of the electric unit. At night the small pipe broke due to vibrations and being tired didn't notice and it spat the oil out until I heard the knocking. Called a friend who had a repair garage on the hume with a White tow truck and he towed me in, did a lot of work for trucks on the Hume at that time, 1962, lapped the shaft with a new bearing and I was off!, 300 mile south of Alice the injector pump locked up due to trash in the drums I carried for extra fuel, fortunately right at a bore!
Had a mate in Alice send me out a new injector pump and filters and off I go, about 100 miles out of alice the engine started knocking again, had a new set of shells sent out and off, at Elliot same ole, same ole, dropped the sump and amongst the dust repaired it, there was a Works and Jerks garage there where I was able to get some varius thickness shims and with a used bearing from the last lot I shimmed it up filing the edges down and continued, got to Darwin and unloaded (never got paid!!) stayed with old mate Ted stiles and His wife, Gay Black, and no, she was a white girl! now there was a 8-)piece of work, swear like a trooper, did some work for him, then another old mate Jimmy Burnett loaded me up with scrap metal for Adelaide, got there and picked up a load for Sydney and sold the truck to a dealer who was nearly arrested when he went through Marulin as my name was still on the door, the old Perkins still running fine, I was sold on them after that!!

This was the Inter KB8 I traded in hauling carbon black from Melbourne to Sydney, nic clean stuff!!! notice the extra drums of fuel, 2mpg in the hills, 4 on the flat. :'(

Busy hands are happy hands! No hurry here

Sorry, wrong picture, hey, I'm old!! :-[

It doesn't pay to hang your name on the door

A group of Hume truckie survivers leaving Sydney harbor disguised as Spanish speaking Italians seeking asylum in the new world to avoid cruel and unusual punishment from the Dmv and other Goverment agencies

Love your work Ron, as usual! Keep trawling through and posting your memories will you!
Cheers
Richard