Tx 715

Hi ALL!!
I got a '68 M715 from a local FD but when I got it home, I found a lot more rust than I had expected.




So, It was off to OKC and I got a second truck. The OKC truck was just a frame/ cab/ and axles but in way better shape.



I got the OKC truck apart and sold the axles. then I got what I was keeping all put away and out of the way!
The shop is only 1250 SF so space is a premium!
I had the red truck at a friends house and started taking it apart there.



I used my Ibis-Tek tow bar to bring the truck back to my shop. It worked GREAT for the little 715!

So, today was more forward movement on this project.



I'll keep updating this thread as I go. I'm really leaning towards swapping in a complete CUCV drive train with the 6.2 diesel, auto trans, transfer case and both axles. But, then I do like the look of the original wheels on the truck so I may keep the 4 spd trans and np200 t-case with the original axles for now and swap in a newer engine.
I just keep reading other post and looking at what other people have do. In the end, it will probably be the $$$ that make the decision for me.

Nice project. Wanna sell me the Tornado 230 and any other unwanted parts? 6.2 is a great swap, just need OD transmission, either NV or 4L80E.

Nice. I was liking that No. 1 carried a forward winch.

Tornado has a new home! Thanks TXFire! That's gonna be one sweet winch 715 when you are done with it!

if you need a 6.2 or chevy engine adapter i have one.

NDT,
You want any more 230's? I didn't know you were looking. I have 4 or 5 with transmissions in the back of my parts M35 Gasser.

Bcowanwheels, I may take you up on the engine adapter. Let me get a little further down the road with this first. Space is becoming an issue since I only have 1250 sq ft of shop to work in.

Barrman, You have a tailgate?? I'll be needing one of them soon and after I get the bed off to the blaster I may need a full bed too.

No tailgate. I made my own and made my own hinges modeled after the stock ones.

TXFirefighter said:

Bcowanwheels, I may take you up on the engine adapter. Let me get a little further down the road with this first. Space is becoming an issue since I only have 1250 sq ft of shop to work in.

Barrman, You have a tailgate?? I'll be needing one of them soon and after I get the bed off to the blaster I may need a full bed too.

Click to expand...

That's like 35'x35' Firefighter, right?!

Sounds like a nice size shop, and I wish I had access to something like it.

Might not feel like much, but I only got 0.0'x0.0' and that just isn't enough AT ALL.

The more I pull off this truck, the less space I have to work in!
I work full time for a local fire department (20 yrs now) and had my own shop doing repair, testing and servicing of fire trucks. When I pulled the plug on my shop, I kept a lot of the equipment. So, I have all the records from 14 years of running a shop, shop equipment, woodworking equipment, 2 715's and an M1102 all pushed inside this 1250 sq ft rental space. I sometimes regret closing the shop but I was looking up signs and symptoms of Parkinson's just before I closed it. Now, the tremors are gone. It's amazing what stress will do to you.

TXFirefighter said:

The more I pull off this truck, the less space I have to work in!
I work full time for a local fire department (20 yrs now) and had my own shop doing repair, testing and servicing of fire trucks. When I pulled the plug on my shop, I kept a lot of the equipment. So, I have all the records from 14 years of running a shop, shop equipment, woodworking equipment, 2 715's and an M1102 all pushed inside this 1250 sq ft rental space. I sometimes regret closing the shop but I was looking up signs and symptoms of Parkinson's just before I closed it. Now, the tremors are gone. It's amazing what stress will do to you.

Click to expand...

Hey, glad you're back on an even keel. Nobody needs that much stress.

Moving forward again. I made a haul to the scrap yard after spending 2 days sorting parts with a good pile and bad pile.
I got into the bed and after sweeping, blowing and vacuuming the debris out of it, I'm thinking it is going to take a new bed assy.
I'll get pic's up this evening.
Anyway, everything is loose now so the lifting will begin once the freezing temps are past. Get the bed off the frame, pull these axles and then off to the sand blaster.

TXFirefighter said:

Moving forward again. I made a haul to the scrap yard after spending 2 days sorting parts with a good pile and bad pile.
I got into the bed and after sweeping, blowing and vacuuming the debris out of it, I'm thinking it is going to take a new bed assy.
I'll get pic's up this evening.
Anyway, everything is loose now so the lifting will begin once the freezing temps are past. Get the bed off the frame, pull these axles and then off to the sand blaster.

Click to expand...

Up here in the Mid-Atlantic, the weather wizards are all telling us that'll be (2) weeks...

I do all my fab work,test fit everything completely assembled then take it back down,do sandblasting and paint work myself.

Well, I have been splitting my time with another truck.
The Forestry Service auctioned off some of the old CUCV's they had provided to fire departments and I bought an M1008.



I flat towed it home with my Ibis Tek bar at 60 to 65 mph with no issues at all.
Got the thing home and I wanted to make sure it would run before taking it apart. 2 batteries, new battery cable to connect the batteries to each other and provide the 12 volt take out. Fixed 3 burnt fusable links. It started and idled for a minute and died. Found the fuel tank was full of water so I changed it over to run off a small fuel can.

Starter relay fused so..... Dog Head conversion DONE!



Then the dad-gum starter solenoid quit. I priced around and got prices from $75 to $200 for a 24 volt solenoid.
I know better but, I did the Cheap thing and used a 12 volt HD solenoid. Lasted about 20 attempts.... I'm done spending cash on something that is coming apart anyway.
I was surprised at how good of shape the body is in! Life in a fire station was pretty good to this truck.





Casey (The son unit) helped me Sunday afternoon and we got the hood, front clip and engine out.





I pulled the trans and T-case yesterday and it is now living in a local mud buggy. Got a little return on investment!
Now I'm parting the rest out as soon as I pull the axles out of it.
I am investigating to see if I can swap the front hubs on this Dana 60 and put dually hubs on it to get the wms-wms distance I need???
Still turning over the rear axle. I might just go find one out of a G-series dually van to put in ti so it will be a direct bolt up.

Anyway, That is what I have been doing with my 715 project.

Well GOOD GRIEF!!!
Pulled down the 6.2 to do a re-fresh job to it. Everything was looking great until I used brake clean to wash the main bearing webs.....
Blew on the metal to evaporate the brake clean and a line appeared that didn't dry. Checked 2 more and the same thing happened there



So now I'm looking for a new candidate to swap into my M715...

Nice looking shop.

Common with 6.2,s

Not much work on the M715. Been helping Casey with his K5 project and looking for a powertrain for the 715.
Lots of looking, a little trading, and lots of reading and research...
Just not ready to give in a drop a SBC in like all the others...
Looking at either going with a ford 300 6 cyl OR if I really want diesel, I found a N/A 7.3. Either way, I would have to find a transmission for the ford options.

Well, Made some progress today. I got the 6 cyl unloaded and sat it in the chassis to see how it fit.
I do think this is the way I'm going to go! I did some calling around and located a ZF 5 spd to put behind it.





Sure felt good to be working on the old 715 again!