Well, I'm alive!

Yeap, 1100 miles, 23 hours drive-time/40 hours total time, and several pit stops later, I made it back to Texas with area52's Deuce and M200A1 trailer. Man, what a trip. I probably wouldn't do that again if someone paid me, but it was fun and definately an adventure.. from the 13 degree weather we hit to the massive oil leak I "discoverd", to the all out fun I had drivng that truck around, it was a hell of an experience.. But i'll be damned if the one weekend I choose to pick up a truck that had it's artic kit caniballized by previous owners (before Wade) or the DRMO, because I did NOT expect to damn near freeze to death with a poor diabetic friend of mine I suckered into a copolit position. Lemme tell ya guys, a Deuce does not sleep 2 comfortably in the cab with no heater and sub 20s weather out...


I'll post pics tomorrow, of the truck, and the glorious leak I developed on the way back (yea, my fault, didn't know I was running so close to redline at 2500 for most of the trip ) I start the mods with bridge plate and convoy light kit at 10-hundred hours tomorrow.

Glad you made it home. Can't wait for the pics. This summer you'll be looking for ways to cool the cab off. And wondering where all that heat was last winter.

Wow praise the LORD another safe trip!
That is great that you got the truck home and are safe. I always park my duece and stretch out in back with a sleeping mat and arctic bag and even in the single digit temps did not get cold. I do agree the cab is a windy and hard place to stay in cold or hard rain. I always take an extra parka to through on for those days to keep my old body from becoming stiff enough to use as a loading ramp.

Glad you are home safe and I know you will have great times with the truck.

Where was the oil leak at? I didn't realize you were gonna sleep in the truck, I could have given you a heater for the back at least. I am glad you made it ok. Have fun with it.

area52 said:

Where was the oil leak at? I didn't realize you were gonna sleep in the truck, I could have given you a heater for the back at least. I am glad you made it ok. Have fun with it.

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We didn't plan on sleeping at all, but we were both dozing off before we even hit Tucumcari, so we pulled over for an hour.

The oil leak looks like its just getting massively pushed out of the turbo vent tube, the fender on that side under the hood and inside the wheel well is soaked, as well as some oil actually in the exhuast around the fender stay. I was loosing about 2 quarts every 400 miles or so, but it could be running the truck "hard"... I'm going to pressure wash the engine bay and watch for leaks again. Nothing too big for a 40 year old truck so all is good!

Very glad to hear that you made it back safely...a real blessing

A lot of us here run the trucks at 2500 rpm all day long with no problems. Maybe time for a head gasket change?

Dennis

Mine's got a leak at the front of the engine.. after a day running 55, the underside is coated from this and upon checking the oil very little is missing. A little oil goes a long way. I had also slightly overfilled the transfer and transmission cases, and they blew oil till they were level.. anf then no more issues. just give it a good cleaning, check fluids, and see if it repeats itself.

Wow, what a trip! Glad you made it home safe and sound. If you guys weren't great friends before the trip, I'm sure you were after having to cuddle together all night to keep from freezing to death!

OPCOM said:

Mine's got a leak at the front of the engine.. after a day running 55, the underside is coated from this and upon checking the oil very little is missing. A little oil goes a long way.

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Mine does this also after a hard day @ freeway speeds... (well, 55mph anyways) ...it does leak from the head gasket area on the right side mostly. As soon as it's a bit warmer I'll try to re-torque the head down. It doesn't lose much oil, just enough to look like a mess! Hopefully the re-torque helps, I'm too fat and lazy to change the head gasket.

Thanks for the real welcome finally guys! I had to drive it to work today since my truck was still at the airport and my dealership did a backflip when they saw the truck.. my previously-aggrivated manager was all smiles today when he got to sit in it


Also, good to notice that the leak isn't a steady leak... it didnt drip a drop sitting in my driveway idling this morning, so i guess it's only under real loads.. but the residue in the exhaust is concerning me a bit.. maybe I'm just over reacting..


I did get a nice bonus though.. if I'm correct in looking and the turbo, area52's truck's previous owner swapped the D turbo for a whistler, so the removed heater isn't as bad anymore (although the 18 degree cold sure felt like crap for a few hours )

Little late here but is it a winch truck? Neat thing about winch trucks is you can open the little gate that secures the PTO shifter in neutral and a blast of warm air comes right in the cab. At least it does when the temps are in the 30s and you are moving.

Recovry4x4 said:

Little late here but is it a winch truck? Neat thing about winch trucks is you can open the little gate that secures the PTO shifter in neutral and a blast of warm air comes right in the cab. At least it does when the temps are in the 30s and you are moving.

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We tried that, and it worked for a short while, but it wasn't enough to beat the teens

I really don't like getting cold anymore something about being over 50 I guess but I always take more clothes than I think I need when traveling in the yankee grass season. For one thing if I am driving the duece like going to Lakehurst in January to pick up my M127, I had polypro long johns an arctic parka and gloves as well as my mickey mouse boots on and even though it was blowing snow the cold did not get to me at all. I slept in the back in my arctic fart sack and slept soundly to the sound of freezing rain pelting the tarp. I am glad you are warmed up and took the truck to work. I drive mine sometimes to places folks don't expect it and get the same reaction.

Glad to hear you made it safely. Getting sleepy near Tucumcari is not unusual - the town has that effect on many people. (I went to HS in Albuquerque, then off to adventures with the Marines).

Hope you enjoy your new toys, and next trip bring the "winter bag" (sleeping bag and pad, extra clothes, small stove, water, coffee and other survival essentials for those unexpected adventures on the road)

As my old First Sergeant said when I was just a baby Marine: "If you have it and don't need it you can always take it off, but shame on you if you need it and don' t have it!"