The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Is this a big bolt bigger brother?

Asking for help to tell me what is parked in my barn.

It’s a 1967 GMC ladder truck with a 637ci GMC V-8 and the granny gear five speed.31,000 GVW.
VIN # TE 9700AH D2925H
The Fire truck end is built by
American Fire Apparatus out of Battle Creek, Mi.
S/N 2951-8-67
Does any one know where to get more info?

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Don

The truck is a 9000 series truck which is the largest conventional cab GMC built. The engine put out something like 275 HP 2800 RPM and 600 ft. lbs. torque at 1600. By 1967, most 9000 series trucks were speced with a Diesel engine. However fire departments favored gasoline engines because they started easier in cold weather and didn't require the warm up period of a Diesel. They were a strong reliable engine, but not many of them were produced because of the fuel economy. Fire departments, of course, didn't care about fuel economy. They are an interesting engine and a very rare one. Not much has been written about them because they were built such a short time, and not many of them were built.

Thanks Crenwelge
I have heard it was a rare setup with the engine and tilt cab.
Less than 15,000 miles on it and the body has zero rust with real good paint.

Don

Don,

TE in you serial number decodes to:

T = Tilt Cab, 72" Steel
E = V8 Gass Engine

That's all I can help with...got pictures?

Mike B

I don't have GMC books that go past the early 60's but I do have books on the engine. I didn't realize it was a tilt cab. However the 9000 series is the largest series GMC built. We had this same truck with a 478 V6 in it for a while, but it too was a gas guzzler. The same cab was offered with a 6V71 Diesel. The 637 would actually outrun the Diesel, but at the expense of using a lot of gas. The steel tilt cabs were designed for maneuverability in cities. They never found much favor on longer hauls. However, fire for fire equipment they worked well. I have no figures, but I would guess that fire equipment was probably the largest user of the 637. And fire equipment is quite often in mint condition because it was always garaged and well maintained.

crenwelge, Was the 478 factory original in that truck? If I was, was the truck actually an 8500 Series?

Also, I agree that the Fire Trucks were the biggest user of the V-8 637. I had one of the only ones that I know of that wasn't a Fire Truck. As many know, it was a '71 9500 Conv Cab Tandem, with a 20 Ft Flat Bed Dump. It is also the only 637 that I know of that had a 10-Speed Road Ranger behind it. I didn't hate the engine, but I always wished the company I worked for ordered it with a 6-71 or at least a 6V-53 Detroit.

Bill

The 478 was original to the truck, but I don't remember the series, but I think it had to be an 8500 series. I bought it in the 80's to jockey trailers around town. I think it was probably the same cab as they used in the 9000 series. I even went so far as to put a Bartlett hydraulic 5th wheel on it. We quit using it when all of our road tractors had air ride and suspension dump and insurance got too high on something that never got more than 5 miles from the yard. I sold it along with a load of salvage around 5 years ago. I wish now I had cut it and kept the components. I am now looking for a steering axle and a heavy 2 speed with Dayton wheels on straight air to put under my 1957 600 GMC. I don't care about the 478, but I am sure someone on a forum like this would have been happy to get it. One of the local feed stores had a 637 in a conventional with drag axle. By then I had all Cummins with twin screws and didn't pay much attention to it. The family sold the feed store recently and there were a bunch of old trucks around back. I think they were scrapped because they even removed the grain tanks in an attempt to sell the building. I'm not so sure you would have wanted to trade the 637 for a 6v53. We have one in our yard mule and its fine, but I'm not so sure its got the power you would have wanted.

I had a 6V-53 in a '67 7500. You may have a point as I maybe just favor a diesel in general, but both engines required a lot of shifting, especially when fully loaded and up and down hills. I didn't mid tho as I always liked shifting. I guess a 6-71 would have been the answer for sure.

Do you remember what the feed store 637 truck had for a trans?

Bill

As far as shifting goes, the fun goes away after a while. I still own trucks and occasionally have to make a trip myself. Our Cummins engines set at 1650 ft lbs torque sure nice compared to the gas burners and even the earlier Diesels worked a person to death. And from an economic stand point, every time you shift, you put a jerk on the entire drive line. Its unbelievable how long our components last now compared to just 35 years ago.

It was Farmers Grain in Fredericksburg, TX 78624. One of the family members is still around here.. David Weinheimer. He has a publicly listed phone number 830 997 3979. I think Harry Moldenhauer was the driver that drove it. I think he is in the nursing home.

Well, I've been shifting gears for 41 years straight now and never lost any love for it, but I'm sure I'm in the minority catagory, lol.

Don, didn't want to Hi-jack your thread. If you have anymore questions on the 637, just ask away. By the way, aren't you the one that just bought the Aerial Truck? Do you have 2 Fire Trucks now?

Bill

No Bill
You did not hijack this thread.
The more we talk and listen, the more we learn.
I only have one fire truck and two 2-Ton grains.

The gas peddle linkage on the cab over shot craps yesterday.
Does anyone know if a cable throtle linkage would work.

Fire trucks are chick magnets.
Even if the truck is just sitting in the yard, with my ladder up.

Don

Did the '68 actually turn out to be a '67?

Not sure about your Throttle Linkage. Can you try to repair the original one? A Cable will probably work with a little tinkering.

Yes the 68 did turn out to be a 67 ladder truck.
The gas peddel just fell off and was laying on the floorboard.
Then the slide linkage for the tilt cab broke free from the gas peddle when I tilted it up to see what was wrong.
The linkage had been cobbed up before I got the truck.
I can repair the old style linkage, but a cable system may be a better design and last longer.

I can still move it in and out of the barn by kicking up the aux throttle.
This thing does run good and as far as the fuel milage goes, it's cheaper than running a boat and draws way more Chicks.

Don

Just to set the record straight, I am happily married and my wife knows it is a babe magnet.

It's storming right now and I guess I need to learn how to link some pictures.

Keep the comments comming.

Don

Try this link for pictures.
If it does not work, I'll try again some other time.
The storm has passed and its time to get out and do something.
ZooKeeper, the storm is headed your way.

http://s893.photobucket.com/albums/ac132/2-Ton/

Don

It flew threw about 30-45 minutes ago, what a hellva way to get woke up with the sound of BOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!.

Thats a good looking piece of machinery. I think I saw it advertised somewhere, but I'm into the earlier GMCs. Does it have a hydraulic clutch? Between the throttle linkage and the hydraulic clutch on the tilt cab I had, it was always something. However we were using and abusing it daily to move trailers around. It was by no means a show piece like yours.

Cren
Thanks
I guess the pictures worked
Yes , it has a hydrolic clutch and there is a lock out by the pump controls so it cannot be put in gear when pumping or extending the ladder.
I still have a lot to learn about this machine.
John and Peg will be after me to post pictures now since I just learned how to.

Don

I just noticed it has a compressor. The older fire trucks always had hydraulic brakes because the insurance companies thought it would take too long to build up air pressure. I guess by 67 they had gotten over that silly notion. With air brakes, you can always get more air, with hydraulic brakes, once the fluid is gone, its gone. Be sure to check the fluid in your hydraulic clutch regularly. Its easy to add a little, but if you let it go dry, its a real pain.

Just a little history on the 637. When it was first introduced, the engine wouldn't last until it got to the dealer. There was a stop production order and it took 4-6 months to find the cause. Seems that someone in the setup of the machinery for production of the engine block changed the size of one hole in the oil pump area and caused a 100% failure of the engines. I remember sold trucks that we couldn't repair for months and, believe me, the customers weren't easy to deal with both at the time and the next time they wanted to buy a new truck.

any pictures of this truck?

Do you mean the '71 9500?

Check out these pictures of the 67 9500 GMC

http://s893.photobucket.com/albums/ac132/2-Ton/

2-Ton