G749 preservation

Bow Height

This M135's Canadian troop seats and canvas can be raised or lowered. I raised the middle bows to do an overnight trip for the airshow and left the front one low.....for aerodynamic induced fuel savings. The bow on the back broke and is on the bench but the result was a groovy slant back look, convenient night flap and more aero features.

With the bows low we're walking around with bent necks so the extra height feels more like the perfect RV MV. Come up for a camping trip next year and try it out. Those old days are good to re-visit so we can spend a day under the armory, where the gun range and tunnels were......then hit the G749 farm for a camp and drive.
Still lots to clean up and mothball but we're getting there...maybe a dedicated truck is needed??....2733, EME 15th service battalion of the RCACC, Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp..




If a few sets of end curtains fell out of the sky I could use them for display but they'd need to spend most of the time on a climate controlled shelf. It's low on the list but I'm still hoping for a barn find.

I just noticed Goose is missing the spare tire carrier. Do you have one for him?

G749 Education

USMC 00-08 said:

I just noticed Goose is missing the spare tire carrier. Do you have one for him?

Click to expand...

The spare tire carrier is on the preservation bench, right next to two air-paks, a carb, a Perfection heater and a few window frames. They're on the list, but low on the list. You know what it's like.

The "0-50" video and a bunch of other great pics are with a nice Olympic camera that didn't come home with me from the last car show. I'd like to think I left it on the bumper or the box-rail and drove away but we're hoping someone might still turn it in.

All current pics come from the high quality potatoe phone cam. It doesn't give the harvest moon or the trucks justice.



We're drumming up interest with the rolling gear at the G749 farm. A 29 year Veteran and his wife came out and he taught me a ton about the trucks. Ignition on, tap the gas, pull the starter, if she doesn't fire in a two or three rotations...pull the choke.
The only thing he hadn't seen before were the tie-downs on the hood. Any ideas?


I now know that the rear, shop van door would have had "Black-out" slider doors and Canada bought a pile of gear from the U.S. and that's why "U.S. Property" shows up on CDN Gracie.


Digging through the trucks we found, and payed forward, a MK1 ammo can. Got the transmissions together with hopes of getting all the bits on the new trani, found a cool door decal.....and man do we have mushrooms.

The little loops on the hood are for the insulating cover. They were normally included with the perfection coolant heater and the inslated battery boxes. Towards the end, a lot of that stuff was removed and discarded.

G749 Forever

Thanks cmpman.........That makes the hood a museum piece in my world. I'd like the truck to look the way it did when it was used by you kids so I'm digging.

My camera went missing a few weeks ago from the A&W but it's back to tell the story.

It was warm 2 weeks ago so we hit the 'dub' on Friday night. Met a guy that knows cmpman and also knows the G749 so I've got a bit of a 'historian' right in my backyard. It was a beautiful night and I had a few more ladies ask to use ol' Goose for pictures.



The last visitor had this real cute kid that was all over the truck and wouldn't stop telling me about it. Lots of goo, gaa stuff was used to make the G749 apparently. I asked for a photo then held the kid on the fender while she took pics. That's when I think I put the camera down, got distracted and arrived home cameraless.



After a few days I hit the local police station to see if something got turned in..........then last Friday I found time to head back to the 'dub'.

I asked......., they smiled, reached behind the counter and pulled it out. There is one shot of their floor so I'm assuming someone was looking through it and by accident, snapped a photo. It's was a $400 dollar camera back in the day and anyone could have kept it so I'm just blessed that good people found it and A&W kept it.....



.......so I took pictures of a cold parking lot on a Friday night with Goose being the only one to...'show up'.

Draining/ filling transmission

Goose the M135 is such a good truck. I'm having some doubts with the transmission because she started to slip after I tried doing some hard 0-50 runs but we needed to get her back to the barn. The symptom is a longer shift between 2-3 and after the abuse I thought I heard an rpm climb that would only happen if 4th slipped too. Before we pull the motor I'll set the front clutch and check the difference.

To make the 40 mile trip I decided to drop the transmission oil and experiment.
The Hy-tran ultra was ready to go but didn't think I had enough after seeing the 16 quart capacity in the TM. 1/2 of a 5 gallon pail does not make 16 quarts no matter how many liters we need. Instead, I found the most expensive sae30 non-detergent oil I could at 6pm on a Friday night.



$5.50 / litre.....which is .94 of a quart and that explains why Goose wanted 17......x $5.50.....what a pig.

After a 20 minute tour to get the drain plugs too hot to touch and the oil hot enough that it still burns when it reaches your armpit, I pulled the plugs.

There are 3 plugs in the transmission. One in the Torus, one in the pan and one out the back of the reduction unit that has a funky pencil screen in it. It's good to have a soldier B to watch the torus plug when you spin it to the bottom.

A guy should really drop the pan and clean the catch filter in the bottom but after looking at the reduction screen, I chose not to. The old oil has that luster sheen to it and only smell like burned clutches a little...just a little. The screen was very clean.



The TM emphasizes not to over-fill......begin with 12 quarts. Start the truck, drop in High /Level, idle for 5, check level. I'm glad I bought 17 jugs because Goose took it all and I went through that process 5 more times.

The weather here is still beautiful so for the test drive, Goose hit the dub and we stayed awake almost all night excited for the highway run in the daylight. The 50's were well represented.



Before hitting the highway I stopped into the weekly MVPA meeting and the timing couldn't have been better. Just as I'm pulling into our typical parking area this Honda turbo mini pulled in so here's some perspective on size.

G749 Highway Run

The highway run was flawless. I worked for it with another 4 hours of maintenance for 1 hr of fly time. Touched all her visible nuts with wrenches, another grease job, tire pressure, inspected the e-brake, stuck my finger in her rear-ends, TC, Rad.....even checked the cotter pins that hold the steering together.

Stopped at my favorite sign to check hub and tire temps.




.......then pulled Goose into the G749 farm for a video shoot and to hang out with the herd. I hope everyone drove their Goose today but for those who didn't, here are the pics.

I really hope that transmission holds up for you. One of those going out is what I dread the most.

GMC Hydromatic

It's likely there are transmission guys that read these threads who would love to get their hands dirty on a re-build of the hydromatic.

It'd be great to hear from the folks in Elvis country that had all the tear-down and testing stands. How long should it take to re-build a hydromatic, if one had the parts, tools, testing equipment and stands?

With the TM and the right extractors I think I could have one apart in a few hours. I could clean the parts by the end of the day....and put them in a box, but that would be it.

I am getting good at trouble shooting starting problems and had the fuel pump out of Gracie, cleaned and back in before MetalMagnet and I had a chance to finish a phone conversation. We're three time zones apart and he got to hear the M207 come to life all the way over on the East Coast.

Staged the trucks near The New Compound (TNC) we're prepping and they looked too good not to give up some more pics. Can't wait to get the next one painted.



Still working on the bell details in the cab of the shop van if anyone has any memories or photos of the bell.

Also noticed a 'white top diff' along side the regular white 'black-out' board which might make it a little easier to follow. Often wonder what it was like for the troops when they convoyed in black out conditions with that tiny square to follow.



I'll need to pull the fuel pump again because once Gracie saw the view, she wasn't going anywhere.... again.



The CCDMA pres took some amazing photo's of the G749's and I'm hoping he'll help with a decent video ....so until then, if you haven't had enough Early Deuce pictures,,,,,we'll try this link with the primary link below.....it's public so no facebook membership required to see pics.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1033530653357636.1073741846.549485788428794&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/CanadianCivilDefenceMuseumAsscociation

Finally had a chance to make a lousy video of a decent run in the M135. After seeing the high quality video put together by USMC 00-08, this will be tough to watch but we've still got the time's,,,,,, sort of. The sun is a little bright around the 50 second mark so we'll say 0-50mph in 53 seconds. I think USMC 00-08 was around 46 seconds so I'd say I've got some work to do. Even on this run I think it shifted right to 4th and then hung around 40mph for a while.

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I started doing 0-50 runs weeks ago and Goose just wouldn't do it under 60 seconds. She was fast up to that 2-3 shift but I'd need to lift the throttle just a bit to get the change. Under casual driving conditions it shifted a little long in 2-3 but it wasn't that noticeable, probably because my foot was never in it. She shifted a little better after the oil change so figured I'd do a few runs while in the back roads but still on pavement.

It'll be a pleasure to run a tight transmission after nursing Goose through the last four years. The camera sure makes it sound like it's all going to come apart but you don't really hear it with the ears on the head. We'll get to the front band adjustment before the snow flies and try this again.

Find safe road, closed course or your buddie's airstrip, place camera on seat, hit record...take 1,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FP6swEfcio&feature=youtu.be

m1010plowboy said:

It's likely there are transmission guys that read these threads who would love to get their hands dirty on a re-build of the hydromatic.

It'd be great to hear from the folks in Elvis country that had all the tear-down and testing stands. How long should it take to re-build a hydromatic, if one had the parts, tools, testing equipment and stands?

Also noticed a 'white top diff' along side the regular white 'black-out' board which might make it a little easier to follow. Often wonder what it was like for the troops when they convoyed in black out conditions with that tiny square to follow.

Click to expand...

I too would like to hear something from the people who know how to rebuild those and would like to learn how to do it myself here soon. Hopefully because of a "want to" and not for a "have to". Maybe we can find out if any of the rebuild equipment is available for sale.

As for the blackout driving, I can tell you it gets difficult. When I was a TOW gunner, we used night vision goggles to drive at night and no one was allowed to turn on blackout lights. When there is no ambient lighting to help the NVG's or when the battery dies, you can't see much of anything. I have been in a vehicle that was hit from behind on more than one occasion. As a vehicle commander and section leader, I had to give the obligatory butt chewing, but the occasional bump sometimes can't be helped even if they were paying attention.

m1010plowboy said:

Finally had a chance to make a video of a decent run in the M135. The sun is a little bright around the 50 second mark so we'll say 0-50mph in 53 seconds. I think USMC 00-08 was around 46 seconds so I'd say I've got some work to do. Even on this run I think it shifted right to 4th and then hung around 40mph for a while.

Click to expand...

Your video looks great. I would be willing to bet if you gave Goose a little more gas, you would make or beat my 46+\- seconds. I got on it pretty hard for that run. Maybe the hollow muffler has something to do with it?

I noticed the oh s@#% handle on the passenger side dash. I have not seen one in any trucks that I have come across. Would like to scrounge up a couple. Are they a Canadian Military only thing?

Another thing I noticed is that your temperature gauge reads the same as mine....low. My civilian gauge shows 190-205 when things are warmed up. Is that just how the gauges are or are our sending units not right?

Maybe we should start up a G749 Video Thread now.

Grab Handles hanging over your belt

You don't have grab handles on your trucks? I gave one away but might have 5 spares. PM me a list.

The temp gauge moves but isn't accurate and now I've got moisture in some gauges so it's time for a restoration.......and it's raining G749 parts. Transmissions, re-built engines, stacks of transmission gasket kits, a few air-paks, muffler, body parts, hood, a box. It's still out there if someone wants to build a G749.



I just did a 1600km trip for this sassy motor and transmission that Section8 pulled out of his truck a while back. He's holding out on us but I'll let him spill all the beans one day. This guy has his own bridge so he can get to his barn. This place is nestled in the mountains with a big creek running through the middle of the yard, horse corrals, pasture, cropland, simply paradise. This trip wouldn't have happened without Section8's efforts and the Steel Soldiers, Early Deuce community so thank you all for being there.



We're hoping the transmission is good and will work as a donor for the M207. The motor hasn't turned in a while but I gave it a quick bath and we'll see about pulling the head and getting some lube into it.



How did the military mechanics get at the top torus bolts if the engine wouldn't turn?

M1010plowboy, I am glad you like my piece of heaven here on earth!
Your gonna have to come back for another visit, with the 207, if the gods of money descend upon you showering you with untold riches. Scary thought of what the fuel bill would be to get her out here.
Mid summer, good temps, park the 207 (camper??) In the field. Camp out. Heck I will even try to get you to throw a leg over a horse for a rid in the hills!
I also forgot to give you my six (believe there are six) black out lights!
So you gotta come back out to get them!
Great people like yourself are what makes this hobby or sickness, depending what you call it, so enjoyable.
I had lost some interest in my project being buried under stress and life but after our visit I am disappointed I wasted so much time.
Now winter is coming and I have to dream for 6 months or hope for a warm spell to get a few minutes on the old girl.
I am keeping a close eye on your thread in hopes the tranny works out for you and that you can use all the other goodies I sent you with for your many patiently waiting trucks.
Cheers brother!

What kind of carburetor is on that 302 you just picked up?

I believe it was a 2 barrel Holly. Can't tell you for sure as Ivdont recall the manufactor/ model casting on the bowl.

m1010plowboy said:

He's holding out on us but I'll let him spill all the beans one day.

Click to expand...

I hate secrets.

Stove bolt carbs

Here is the info on the carb. It's a c-839 with an adapter plate and some funky linkage. Section8 was told that the truck was running and rolling. The folks that had it clearly dropped some money in. I'm just as curious about the 'people' story behind the trucks. Was the truck just utilitarian and they just kept adding parts to keep it running or did they grab a shiny new $400.00 carb and adapter off the shelf for an upgrade to improve performance, make it pretty?

Here's a carb link and I'm still hunting through the Stovebolt links to ID an adapter plate. Ford made it a little more difficult coming up with a 302 in the late 60's so gotta pan the light material off the top before we get to the gold.

Searched c-839 carburetor

http://www.autozone.com/1/products/350181-carburetor-autoline-c839.html

G749 302 head off

What did you guys do with the Acetone and atf when you packed it?

I found a few minutes to pull the head.....my first head pull ever......well not really pull, more like slide it aside without damaging it or pinching a pinky. It was an easy job. A couple of cylinders are holding water so that should mean the rings are still good. By the looks of things, with a huge chunk missing out of the side of #2 cylinder and piles of rust on top of the pistons, we might need to go to plan C-4.
The primary "A" mission was to just pull the carb and look for a number on the adapter plate. Not seeing a number on the plate I had to go to plan "B" and see if I could figure out how to pull a head.



The valve cover was cleaner than the last one I worked on so that was a bonus.



Loosing light and time to run for rust buster I had a surplus of other fluids on the shelf so added camping fluid and an old bottle of STP additive tonight for the fun of it. Need to get the pistons level before anything will be effective but can't see how it will hurt.
The era correct WD-40 from San-Diego is all I needed to lube the bolts before removal.



I did find proof it ran. Someone dropped this bolt in the oil gallery beside a push rod. You could see wear on the bolt threads and push rod..... so it ran. Not sure where the bolt is from.



Here's a better shot of the linkage for the throttle on the after-market carb. There is wear on the linkage too so it really looks like this carb ran on this truck for some time.

m1010plowboy said:

Here is the info on the carb. It's a c-839 with an adapter plate and some funky linkage. Section8 was told that the truck was running and rolling. The folks that had it clearly dropped some money in. I'm just as curious about the 'people' story behind the trucks. Was the truck just utilitarian and they just kept adding parts to keep it running or did they grab a shiny new $400.00 carb and adapter off the shelf for an upgrade to improve performance, make it pretty?

Here's a carb link and I'm still hunting through the Stovebolt links to ID an adapter plate. Ford made it a little more difficult coming up with a 302 in the late 60's so gotta pan the light material off the top before we get to the gold.

Searched c-839 carburetor

http://www.autozone.com/1/products/350181-carburetor-autoline-c839.html

Click to expand...

Looks like a typical mid 70s ford 2 bbl carb.

Ugh a chunk out of cylinder #2. Not what I was hoping to hear.
I am happy to hear that there is proof it ran. I was told it was used as a salvage truck for a scrap yard.
They may have dropped the money on the carb or salvaged it from a hot rod back in the day. The plate could have been a home made.
I am totally bummed about the over all state of the motor. Was hoping it wouldn't be more than a cylinder needing hone.
Since you went as far as removing the head and keeping all your fingers, I have a suggestion.
To avoid destroying the bell housing and such trying to remove the tranny you should flip the block over and disassemble the bottom end. Pull the oil pan, split the case, disconnect the piston shafts and remove the crank shaft. That should free up the fly wheel enough to turn the torus so you can remove all the bolts.
Thus saving the bell housing.and adaptor plate.
I really owe you those back out lights now.
Sorry about the motor. I should have pulled the head a long time ago to save you the disappointment of finding out that dismal situation.
Thanks for the PM I find it humorous when people comment and don't know the situation.