New LMTV owner

Joseph A. · May 11, 2024

Hi, I just purchased a 1997 LMTV from a county auction (as far as I can tell they are or were the original owner). In not so many words, it is AWSOME! I really need to change the axle gears or purchase an Echo-Hub set, feeding this thing is going to kill me. Next, I want to thank whoever created this website / forum. Without this, I would be lost.

Now for my first question. I need help identifying the engine serial number. I know it is a CAT 3116. It has a CARB sticker also; I got the block casting numbers off of it and took that information down to Quinn Caterpillar. They told me that it is not enough information to identify the block serial number. I found where it used to be, but the aluminum plate has total deteriorated too practically nothing. It has all other placards, labels and stickers, from what I can tell.

Any help with my problem would be such a help.

Mullaney · May 11, 2024

Joseph A. said:
Hi, I just purchased a 1997 LMTV from a county auction (as far as I can tell they are or were the original owner). In not so many words, it is AWSOME! I really need to change the axle gears or purchase an Echo-Hub set, feeding this thing is going to kill me. Next, I want to thank whoever created this website / forum. Without this, I would be lost.

Now for my first question. I need help identifying the engine serial number. I know it is a CAT 3116. It has a CARB sticker also; I got the block casting numbers off of it and took that information down to Quinn Caterpillar. They told me that it is not enough information to identify the block serial number. I found where it used to be, but the aluminum plate has total deteriorated too practically nothing. It has all other placards, labels and stickers, from what I can tell.

Any help with my problem would be such a help.

.
Welcome to the Outfit!

So, it might be useful for you to download the TM's (Technical Manuals) for your truck. Problem determination can be made easy with those books. Flow charts and all...

Gotta ask, what do you need more than the Cat 3116 being the motor? I imagine the dealer could hook your truck up with CAT ET and read the serial number and investigate a host of issues with it. Also, if you are trying to work on it yourself - check the parts for sale section of this site. You can buy a laptop with diagnostic tools loaded on it along with the cables to make the 3116 talk to the laptop.

.

Joseph A. · May 11, 2024

Mullaney said:
.
Welcome to the Outfit!

So, it might be useful for you to download the TM's (Technical Manuals) for your truck. Problem determination can be made easy with those books. Flow charts and all...

Gotta ask, what do you need more than the Cat 3116 being the motor? I imagine the dealer could hook your truck up with CAT ET and read the serial number and investigate a host of issues with it. Also, if you are trying to work on it yourself - check the parts for sale section of this site. You can buy a laptop with diagnostic tools loaded on it along with the cables to make the 3116 talk to the laptop.

.

Thank you for the reply. I stumbled acrost an older post and was blessed with a ton of PDF files (Service manuals, parts manuals, parts diagrams, spread sheets on things to look out for and upgrade or change, etc.). I said it earlier, this website/forum is amazing. The reason I needed the engine serial number was the parts department of my local CAT dealer mentioned to me that without the serial number they won't be capable of helping me with parts. Personally the guy was no help and would not get off his cell phone while i was waiting. But I wanted to still try and find something.

I was thinking of contacting BAE or S&T to see if my serial number or VIN number would help with receiving any information. If nothing comes from it, its just emails and phone calls.

I was talking with my neighbor, and he suggested we go down to Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance on base (I am located next to Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme/Pt Mugu). See if that leads me somewhere.

SCM35A2 · May 12, 2024

Welcome to the site.

hike · May 12, 2024

Welcome to the club. Post a photo of your unit.

Edited: @Mullaney is correct, hooking up even one of the Dearborn units with generic software to the diagnostic plug will read the serial numbers for the engine and transmission. If you are doing your own work you will need the diagnostic gear in one form or another. @NDT Thank you.

Pinned at the top of the FMTV page here on SS is common parts and sources google document. Also, folks here know a lot of the parts for common things like the oil pump, HEUI pump, air compressor, etcetera.

Lots of knowledge here, sharing what you are working to accomplish typically elicits other's suggestions and paths to success—

NDT · May 12, 2024

Is the decal still on the valve cover? The s/n is printed there. ‘97 engine is mechanical, no ECU.

Joseph A. · May 12, 2024

hike said:
Welcome to the club. Post a photo of your unit.

Edited: @Mullaney is correct, hooking up even one of the Dearborn units with generic software to the diagnostic plug will read the serial numbers for the engine and transmission. If you are doing your own work you will need the diagnostic gear in one form or another. @NDT Thank you.

Pinned at the top of the FMTV page here on SS is common parts and sources google document. Also, folks here know a lot of the parts for common things like the oil pump, HEUI pump, air compressor, etcetera.

Lots of knowledge here, sharing what you are working to accomplish typically elicits other's suggestions and paths to success—

The 1st picture is when I drove it from the county maintenance yard to my company yard (took side streets in case something happened on first drive). During the drive a sheriff car was behind me for a little, I assumed they were running the license plate, then they drove up next to me and I got the "THUMBS UP".

2nd picture is of the HYD pump I had to rebuild. The pump was a mess and the plastic reservoir had cracks in the sides. Built a new reservoir out of #10 steel (crack now you bastard).

3rd picture, I finally got the cab to lean fwd.

4th is how many miles were on it when I picked it up. I have almost 100 miles on it now.

5th picture, I got seats from a different auction, middle row center seats, out of a 2023 ford explorer. For the seat belts. Now we all can ride in the truck (Wife and two daughters).

6th picture, I drove the truck to where I live, for the week. I did some electrical upgrades and wanted to show my people the truck, I added backup alarms, license plate light, rebuilt the air dryer, battery disconnect switch. The wife drove it, she said we need to get a better steering wheel/smaller; I would agree.

7 & 8 pictures: I wanted to use the same bolt pattern from the original center seat, to incorporate the new dual seats. Built a frame out of 1/2" steel plate. Had to cut 3" off the base of the seats. All in all, it works great.

9, 10 & 11 pictures: On the drive back to the yard the engine started getting warm. Turns out the water pump was going out. During disassembly I found out that the air hose from the fan shroud to the radiator fan was missing. Totally not even there.! I am really glad I live next to the ocean. The cold air really is the only reason we made it back.

So now it has been sitting for a little over a week, waiting on parts to show up. We have so many plans & ideas for our LMTV. My daughters want to name it "Stitch", after the Disney character. Because it is small, indestructible, a little broken, but still good. We are thinking a blue/gray color. My oldest wants something to be pink, don't know about that yet.

Joseph A. · May 12, 2024

NDT said:
Is the decal still on the valve cover? The s/n is printed there. ‘97 engine is mechanical, no ECU.

So, I took all the turbo piping off the top of the engine. There is a sticker there, it has numbers on it but the guy at CAT said that number doesn't help. Again, the guy was no help at all. I will need to look into it from another angle, I guess.

I do side work down at the port, for a tugboat company. Next time the CAT mechanic is going to be there, he told me to bring the truck down and he would give it a look over.

I got the pictures of the valve cover the other day. I did a light pressure was job on the truck a week ago, but I really need to get some chemical on the engine, all over it. It has just been sitting for so long (since 2017). It's like dust that turned into concrete.

NDT · May 12, 2024

Hmm Cat didn’t put the serial on that one. I wonder why your ‘97 has a ‘93 engine in it. Well anyway, the ‘94 to ‘98 engines are basically the same. You could use someone else’s serial number for parts purposes if your sn is lost forever.

Lostchain · May 12, 2024

Did you buy one that was parked over at the Camarillo airport?

Joseph A. · May 13, 2024

NDT said:
Hmm Cat didn’t put the serial on that one. I wonder why your ‘97 has a ‘93 engine in it. Well anyway, the ‘94 to ‘98 engines are basically the same. You could use someone else’s serial number for parts purposes if your sn is lost forever.

Soooo. I did some looking today, because something you mentioned triggered my memory. Now, my registration, FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA says, 1997 STEWA.

Buuutttttt, then I remembered the build plate and vin number was in the cab next to the steering wheel. So, went and looked and what did I find????
MFG. DATE 01/94
Now, I have to suppose that my truck sat in some field somewhere in either Texas or California, until someone raised their hand up (in 1997) and said, "I WANT ONE"! I will take that one.! Then it was placed in the California system as a new 1997 STEWA.

Joseph A. · May 13, 2024

hike said:
Welcome to the club. Post a photo of your unit.

Edited: @Mullaney is correct, hooking up even one of the Dearborn units with generic software to the diagnostic plug will read the serial numbers for the engine and transmission. If you are doing your own work you will need the diagnostic gear in one form or another. @NDT Thank you.

Pinned at the top of the FMTV page here on SS is common parts and sources google document. Also, folks here know a lot of the parts for common things like the oil pump, HEUI pump, air compressor, etcetera.

Lots of knowledge here, sharing what you are working to accomplish typically elicits other's suggestions and paths to success—

Oh for sure I will be sharing.

Joseph A. · May 13, 2024

Lostchain said:
Did you buy one that was parked over at the Camarillo airport?

View attachment 923237

Why hello neighbor. I do not believe my truck came from the airport. I picked my truck up at Ventura County Parks Department Yard in Saticoy. But funny you should ask. I was approached last week by a member of the Ventura County search & rescue team. Asking about my truck. Turns out earlier in the day I let his kids climb up into the cab and in the bed. So, S & R guy tells me the county had, at the time I picked up mine, 4 LMTV's. Mine was deemed too far gone and sent up for auction (Thank the gods for county workers. I jump started the LMTV with my F-350 and drove it off the lot. Yeah, the HYD pump was junk, but I fixed that with help from this website). He said they have those trucks parked at the Camarillo airport. I am guessing you know about them. From your picture.
Sorry, got off topic. But the other three went to the S & R team. Now he said one was labeled the "Operational Vehicle" and the other two would be set aside for parts, as needed. The O.V. was sent out for paint, it was painted WHT. They just got it back. Now they are working on fixing a few things and tunning it up. He said lights, radios and lots of equipment boxes. Now my story gets funny. They have this truck getting all outfitted for S & R right. But the guy said the county won't let them use it yet. Because what if the truck gets stuck or breaks down.........
Anyhow. That is my answer to your question, with a little extra information.

serpico760 · May 13, 2024

Joseph A. said:
The 1st picture is when I drove it from the county maintenance yard to my company yard (took side streets in case something happened on first drive). During the drive a sheriff car was behind me for a little, I assumed they were running the license plate, then they drove up next to me and I got the "THUMBS UP".

2nd picture is of the HYD pump I had to rebuild. The pump was a mess and the plastic reservoir had cracks in the sides. Built a new reservoir out of #10 steel (crack now you bastard).

3rd picture, I finally got the cab to lean fwd.

4th is how many miles were on it when I picked it up. I have almost 100 miles on it now.

5th picture, I got seats from a different auction, middle row center seats, out of a 2023 ford explorer. For the seat belts. Now we all can ride in the truck (Wife and two daughters).

6th picture, I drove the truck to where I live, for the week. I did some electrical upgrades and wanted to show my people the truck, I added backup alarms, license plate light, rebuilt the air dryer, battery disconnect switch. The wife drove it, she said we need to get a better steering wheel/smaller; I would agree.

7 & 8 pictures: I wanted to use the same bolt pattern from the original center seat, to incorporate the new dual seats. Built a frame out of 1/2" steel plate. Had to cut 3" off the base of the seats. All in all, it works great.

9, 10 & 11 pictures: On the drive back to the yard the engine started getting warm. Turns out the water pump was going out. During disassembly I found out that the air hose from the fan shroud to the radiator fan was missing. Totally not even there.! I am really glad I live next to the ocean. The cold air really is the only reason we made it back.

So now it has been sitting for a little over a week, waiting on parts to show up. We have so many plans & ideas for our LMTV. My daughters want to name it "Stitch", after the Disney character. Because it is small, indestructible, a little broken, but still good. We are thinking a blue/gray color. My oldest wants something to be pink, don't know about that yet.

Nice work!
My question is what seats are those that you put in the middle because I've been trying to find a pair of middle seats that will fit well and not as tall as the f250 jumper seats

Joseph A. · May 13, 2024

serpico760 said:
Nice work!
My question is what seats are those that you put in the middle because I've been trying to find a pair of middle seats that will fit well and not as tall as the f250 jumper seats

Hello San Diego! I'm really excited to find local guys on here.
I found out that newer Ford Explorers, middle row seats, middle seat, it has an integrated seat belt, with the seat. I got on publicsurplus.com and (literally my first time looking) found a listing for 4 sets of seats (middle row seats: one left, one right and one middle). I bid the minimum, $50.00. Waited a week and won. It turns out to be L.A. P.D. 2023/24 cars, they take out the middle row seats and install the plastic bench seat. They told me that if no one bids on the seats they go in the dumpster.
Now, I only wanted 2 seats and ended up with 18. I used 2 for the middle seats, for my daughters. I have not tried to see how the Left & Right seats look for the Driver and Co-Pilot yet. I will soon.
Let me know if you are interested in some?

I cut 3 inches off the bottom of the seats to lower the seats. The stock seat frame is way too high. Added tabs to the seat frames. Built a square frame for the seats. Built a square frame using the existing holes from the original seat bolt pattern (it is off center on the hump). Integrated the two frames and they fit perfectly.

NDT · May 13, 2024

Joseph A. said:
Soooo. I did some looking today, because something you mentioned triggered my memory. Now, my registration, FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA says, 1997 STEWA.

Buuutttttt, then I remembered the build plate and vin number was in the cab next to the steering wheel. So, went and looked and what did I find????
MFG. DATE 01/94
Now, I have to suppose that my truck sat in some field somewhere in either Texas or California, until someone raised their hand up (in 1997) and said, "I WANT ONE"! I will take that one.! Then it was placed in the California system as a new 1997 STEWA.

Not exactly. Your truck has an interesting history. Your truck was the 312th LMTV off the assembly line in Sealy back in '94 and was quickly shipped to Army units that were eagerly awaiting the replacements for the old M35A2s and A3s. Unfortunately the Army quickly determined that if you drove the LMTVs at high speeds, the bellhousing would crack. The LMTV fleet spent the next 5 years limited to 30 mph top speed until S&S did the "D" modification which reinforced the bellhousing. Yours was part of the S&S "learning curve". The mods were done at bases all over the world at S&S expense. Later in the 2000's,, the Army sent older trucks back to Sealy for a "reset", where they got updated with new main data plates ""A0" and the error "MTV" and got the LED marker lights. Then they were shipped all over again and served until they were replaced by the LTAS armored trucks in the mid-2000s. Yours was then sent to DRMO where the agency in California drew it, probably in the 2010-2020 period.

Joseph A. · May 14, 2024

NDT said:
Not exactly. Your truck has an interesting history. Your truck was the 312th LMTV off the assembly line in Sealy back in '94 and was quickly shipped to Army units that were eagerly awaiting the replacements for the old M35A2s and A3s. Unfortunately the Army quickly determined that if you drove the LMTVs at high speeds, the bellhousing would crack. The LMTV fleet spent the next 5 years limited to 30 mph top speed until S&S did the "D" modification which reinforced the bellhousing. Yours was part of the S&S "learning curve". The mods were done at bases all over the world at S&S expense. Later in the 2000's,, the Army sent older trucks back to Sealy for a "reset", where they got updated with new main data plates ""A0" and the error "MTV" and got the LED marker lights. Then they were shipped all over again and served until they were replaced by the LTAS armored trucks in the mid-2000s. Yours was then sent to DRMO where the agency in California drew it, probably in the 2010-2020 period.

NDT. You are my Mr Miyagi.
Please master. Teach me more.
Knowing more about my truck is so cool. So much history it has seen. Now I want to make a billboard and take it to truck shows.

Question. Should I still be worried about the bellhousing? Anything else I should put on my radar, potential bad parts or issues that could/will happen?

Joseph A. · May 14, 2024

New item on my list. I found a new in crate cover for the truck. Well, I think I might have. Its on govplanet.com . Surplus 12422279-001 Vehicular Top Bow in Red Rock, Arizona, United States (GovPlanet Item #11582695)
Would this part number fit my truck? I am trying to find out any information on it and I am coming up blank.
2540014661937 vehicular top bow
I looked over the classifieds, to see if any are for sale and nothing came up. That I could find.

serpico760 · May 14, 2024

Joseph A. said:
Hello San Diego! I'm really excited to find local guys on here.
I found out that newer Ford Explorers, middle row seats, middle seat, it has an integrated seat belt, with the seat. I got on publicsurplus.com and (literally my first time looking) found a listing for 4 sets of seats (middle row seats: one left, one right and one middle). I bid the minimum, $50.00. Waited a week and won. It turns out to be L.A. P.D. 2023/24 cars, they take out the middle row seats and install the plastic bench seat. They told me that if no one bids on the seats they go in the dumpster.
Now, I only wanted 2 seats and ended up with 18. I used 2 for the middle seats, for my daughters. I have not tried to see how the Left & Right seats look for the Driver and Co-Pilot yet. I will soon.
Let me know if you are interested in some?

I cut 3 inches off the bottom of the seats to lower the seats. The stock seat frame is way too high. Added tabs to the seat frames. Built a square frame for the seats. Built a square frame using the existing holes from the original seat bolt pattern (it is off center on the hump). Integrated the two frames and they fit perfectly.

I am interested in a double wide seat. I actually have the whole second row from the previous generation explorer Eddie Bauer explorer but it's a tad too wide for the double section, so I've bolted out in the bed like a Subaru Brat! PM me if you will be near Pendleton...

flyfishtrailer · May 14, 2024

Joseph A. said:
New item on my list. I found a new in crate cover for the truck. Well, I think I might have. Its on govplanet.com . Surplus 12422279-001 Vehicular Top Bow in Red Rock, Arizona, United States (GovPlanet Item #11582695)
Would this part number fit my truck? I am trying to find out any information on it and I am coming up blank.
2540014661937 vehicular top bow
I looked over the classifieds, to see if any are for sale and nothing came up. That I could find.

It may be, but it might also be for a 5 ton, that NSN is actually for one of the bows specifically and not the kit itself. That particular NSN pops up on 9 differnt LMTV kits. 2.5 and 5 ton.

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