My BIG M925A2 Project Truck Is Home - Page 34 - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

steelsoldiers · 11-22-2009, 22:34

UPDATE: I made it to John's today around 7:30. Chad joined me around 9:00. We had a great day down there with sunny skies and gentle breezes. While I was waiting on Chad, I made a drawing of the patch panel that I needed to install to mount the throttle linkage. I took a bunch of measurements in hopes to get it right on the first try.

Once Chad got there, we put together an action plan for the day. He brought his air compressor so we wheeled that out of the bed and fired it up. Chad used a regulator to apply 110 psi to the truck's system. There was air leaking from the treadle valve vent just like last time and we also noted air dumping out of the fording kit vent line. Everything else looked pretty good.

The next thing we tackled was the t-case linkage. I have been trying to get that pivot freed up since it was rusted solid when I got it. Last time I was there I noticed that someone had smashed the bushing into the pivot with a chisel or pry bar. Chad went to work on the pivot with the Dremel tool. He ground down the interfering bushing in about 15 minutes. I was working underneath getting the linkages ready to mount. Chad soaked it with some more Kroil while I cranked the pivot back and forth. Finally, it started getting easier to move by hand. Once it was moving freely, I installed the linkages, connecting pins, and cotter pins.

Once the t-case linkage was done we set to work on the throttle linkage. Chad made a custom ball stud using a M6 bolt, a drill, and a file. He got it smoothed down and fitted to the socket on the throttle linkage. Then, he used a torch and some Kroil to free up the ball/socket joint on the other end. We marked the piece of steel that I brought for a patch panel and drilled all of the holes. After enlarging a few of the holes and finessing another with the Dremel, we had a good panel. I bolted it down from inside the cab using existing bolts/captured nuts along with the bolts that held the wiring harness connector in place. Chad had fun starting the nuts under the throttle linkage bracket. Finally, we got all of that done and had the throttle linkage bolted in place. I hooked the throttle pedal back to the linkage and Chad snapped the socket joint in place over his custom ball stud. It worked like a charm after that!

We decided to slave the truck off to see if we could get the spring brakes to release enough to move the truck. I used the trusty 817 to get it started. It fired right up with a big cloud of diesel smoke. The air system pumped up pretty quickly and it should have had enough air to release the spring brakes. I took a shot and put it in drive. There was a thunk, but no movement. Chad looked underneath and the tranny-t-case prop shaft was turning. It looked like the t-case was in neutral still. I worked the lever back and forth until it finally dropped into High range. I put it in gear again and this time it moved forward under its own power!!!! I moved it forward and backward a few times to test things out. Everything looked great!

Next, we disconnected the slave cable to see if the truck would move a little farther. It was working normally in D and R so Chad jumped in the cab and off we went! We drove the truck all around John's farm roads. Even though the treadle vent line was leaking, the brakes still worked great. I was able to get up enough speed on one part of the farm road to get the tranny to shift from 1st to 2nd. It shifted smoothly and without slipping.

I had the best day today! It was great working with Chad and getting the truck moving!! The good Lord really blessed us today! Who would have thought that this truck would have even been fit to drive again?! I can't wait to get the new treadle valve installed along with a couple of batts. so we can take it for longer test drives. The hood should be going on soon and that will really help complete the look of the truck.

I am hoping to have another work session next weekend. Maybe I'll get it on a paved road next time and get a little speed up?

NOTE: I was a dumba$$ and forgot my camera so you will have to wait for Chad to post his pics. He got some video of it moving too!!

steelsoldiers · 11-22-2009, 22:49

Well, I lied, I do have one photo of it on the road from my blackberry

area52 · 11-22-2009, 23:35

ROAD TRIP!! Just kiddin'. Congrats on getting it moving at last! Out here in NM that would be enough of a truck to drive around.

OLDCHEV4X4 · 11-22-2009, 23:35

Congrats Chris! Its a great feeling to finally have a BIG project finally move under its own power.
Keep up the good work.

M920 · 11-22-2009, 23:54

Chris, this is an awesome project! Say....does the M925A2 come with differential lockers in the rear tandems?

scooter01922 · 11-23-2009, 00:07

Great work, now maybe you can relocate it somewhere drier and easier to access for the rest of the work, or at least park it where you can make work easier on site.

tsmall07 · 11-23-2009, 02:12

That's awesome. I'm very impressed with the work. I would have written that truck off as scrap. Just shows that these things really are just a collection of parts. If you don't have everything, just keep adding to the pile until you do!

steelsoldiers · 11-23-2009, 06:01

Thanks everyone! I tell you, it is such a relief to know that this truck will actually be on the road in the not too distant future. It has been a long, crazy adventure to get to this point! Once I am satisfied with the fitness of the drive-train and the brakes, it will be time to tackle the wiring/lighting issues. My energy for the project has certainly be renewed!!

Soni, judging by the way my truck drove on hard-packed gravel roads yesterday, I don't believe that mine has rear lockers, although some Seabee trucks were modified at the unit level from what I understand. I'll have to double check next time I have the rears jacked up. There are quite a few 925/925A1 USMC trucks out there with Detroit lockers, but they didn't use the A2 trucks. One of our members, Craig aka C'dub, has a USMC M925A1 with the 14.00R20 single tires and the lockers in the rear. They will usually have a Detroit No-spin tag on the driver's door. You can't always trust that though because I had a 931A1 with the tag, but the lockers had been removed since it was mostly used as a road tractor.

maddawg308 · 11-23-2009, 07:58

Less than 6 months until Aberdeen, Chris! Better get a move on!

cranetruck · 11-23-2009, 08:22

Chris and Chad, I can imagine your smiling faces driving down that dirt road, once driven by the cranetruck also. Shouldn't be much traffic to worry about on those nearby paved roads either, for that matter. Nice going!