" 1952 GMC M135-Old Reliable"

So it seems my bartering powers have no limit's. First let me explain that there is a long history of my barters to get where i am today ( including a pickup, moped, B6000 Ford bus, Ect.) I found a guy from Haslette, Michigan who was looking to "Downsize" or trade one of his Military vehicle's for something larger with more room. We talked and after about 30 minutes we decided a trade was a great idea for us both. I drove the Ford B6000, full size school bus ti the location of the trade. To sum it all up... I got rid of a "KOOL BUS" i converted into an RV for a 1952 GMC M135 6x6. She's loud and Proud !! Totally a piece of "MERRICA" Anyways this thread is meant to inquire as to the many maintenance issues these older unit's need. I am totally new to the Military Vehicle world and any as well as all input would be greatly Appreciated.

Oh! Engine spec's- GMC 302 Cid in-line 6 cyl. 120H.P. 4 speed "Hydromatic" tranny.

Ok, so I have an ignition issue, Truck started fine this morning and ran great. I drove it over to get fuel and shut it off, proceeded to pump fuel then started it again. I made a wide right turn and the **** things died right out. now it will not fire at all. It cranks over but no start. i have tried Either and still no start...does anyone know what it is in the electrical system that could cause this? Has happened 4 other times turning right and only right going out of the gas station. I am getting fuel to the carb. Any help would be great as this issue has been pestering me for over a week now.

Welcome to the forum! There is indeed a lot of maintenance to do on these old trucks. A copy of TM9-8024 will be very valuable to you as you learn your new truck. The TM can be found at Portrayal Press and sometimes on Ebay.

The brake system always seems to be an issue with these trucks if not properly maintained. The front band adjustment on the transmission usually needs looked at. Points and valves usually need adjusted.

We have put together a parts list that will help you find some of the parts you may need. No one knows what you are talking about at the parts store when you tell them you have a GMC M135. Here is a link to the list.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?137722-G749-Parts-List

How does your truck run and drive? Post some more pictures of it when you get a chance. We love pictures here. Do you know what kind of gas tank is on your truck? It appears smaller than the original from what I can see in your picture. Not a bad thing at all. So many of the original tanks have rust issues. Great looking truck!!!

Sounds like you need to test the internals of the distributor. Later tonight, I will try to scan the pages out of the TM that shows how to do this.

Is the distributor by chance loose?

Thanks! yeah i think the tank is a 35/40 gallon one, maybe smaller? it looks original as its got some marks where the bands hold it in place. I have learned to NOT USE high speed reverse as i am told it can overrun the rear clutch cone and ruin it? Needless to say i use low reverse, sides not like i need to be moving fast going backwards anyway. The crazy thing is the truck ran and drove great back from where i picked it up. No heater and i will be installing one as i live in Southeast Michigan and it gets really cold in the winter here. Yes indeed i will add other pictures here of my old beast asap. Aside from the newly found ignition issue, the truck ran and drove great!! my close friend and i managed to get the Air-over hydraulic breaks working right without any issues or leaks in the system. Original owner rebuilt the whole brake system and had the rear bearings re-packed and new bearing seals installed. Engine sounds smooth and when running is quiet with no skips or misses. Does not burn or leak oil but does have a bit of a leak coming from the rear seal on the transfer case. Lights work but i can tell i will need to dig up a full set of wiring harness sooner then later as most of the wires are starting to really show their age. tires are in great shape with minimal weather rot and two spares were found in the cargo bed along with tons of Misc. Parts for the vehicle. I plan to do all work needed to the truck soon as i can get it in the pole barn. Cab insulators, mounts are all good, cab is clean with no rust or banged up spots on it. Fuel tank may need to be cleaned but there is no rust in or on that area either. Truck came originally from southern Georgia so the frame, body is clean and free of all that Michigan rust. Engine does have a little bit of oil on right side of engine block and ive checked the oil level each time i have run the truck and its not going down, might just need a good cleaning and power washing.

I don't think it is loose but i may need to take a peak at it this evening once i get home from work. The truck is parked at a local park right now as i've got to get my friend to help me tow it back to my place for inspection and trouble shooting.

Phildoe!....................................... Classic

I'm not overly familiar with these trucks, but it dying on right turns is an indicator of an electrical short.

I had an 89 Honda civic that would die while making turns, it turns out the cars dashboard had rotten ground cables. The ignition and dash board was trying to ground through the steering column. So every time I would turn the wheel the ignition system would periodically loose its ground and kill the engine.
That being said check your grounds and steering column for any wires getting hung up or pulled around.


2 cents of relevancy

Alright i will try that and yep, the username comes from a nickname i was given by more then one ex from high school...so yeah But yes that thought of the dash shorting out had not crossed my mind here and i will check to see if that could be the hidden gremlin.

I just scanned a copy of the wiring diagram for the truck and the troubleshooting steps for the distributor into a pdf, but for some reason can't upload it. I think they have been having some issues with the site because I have been able to upload in the past.

PM me your email and I'll send it to you so you can get started on the fix.

Good looking M135, welcome to the early duece club, I'm in the middle of a M211 rebuild, looking forward to your build, are you getting power to your distributor? Hambone

This will be good:

- Subscribed.

Thank you! I am not sure right now if the distributor is picking up power. I was told there are two coil's in the electrical system. A low voltage and a high voltage one and both are in the distributor unit??? if so then i can replace the whole thing as i found a new distributor unit on ebay for a decent price. Ah yes the 211- I was looking at one of them but this 135 came along out of no where and i wanted the history that My old one brings. This M135 also looks like it was a demo or test bed unit. I say that cause there are plates along the body that have abbreviations and arrows that point to mounts and such for dump bed, flat bed, etc. the original manual was in the glove box and if i can read it without ruining the pages i will take pictures. There are tons of parts from a spare: Generator, valve springs, lifters, spark plugs, condenser, points, capacitor, rotor and cap, 24v headlights and tail lamps, low pressure fuel pump, ignition switch, air box breather, oil bath filters, rear axle parts, gears, planetary gears, drive shafts, gauge cluster, fuel level unit, replacement hood, Radiator, etc. really not sure about what half of the other parts are for but i am sure i will find out.

Phildoe said:

There are tons of parts from a spare:

Click to expand...

You got lucky there; like winning the lottery (well, a little anyway).

LOL Yeah there are far to many parts that came with my truck, i am glad the former owner decided to collect all the parts he could as these pieces are rare and fairly hard to come by. I also noticed 2 spare starters, 2 air dryers and Pneumatic-hydraulic brake control or "Booster" units. Many hard to find parts including lights, Voltage regulator, valve tappetes, gaskets, rings, bearings, wheel bearings, etc. Like i have 3 big totes full of parts and most haven't even been opened yet. I do need to get the truck into a pole barn at my friends place so i can start taking out the distributor assembly to test and replace any bad components inside. Even got a spare wheel and tire unit for an M-37 !! i do need to replace the staves since they rotted but the steel bowes for the canvas are in great shape. I might post the extra spare parts on here once i get the time to go through them, and once i get this evil gremlin out of my electrical system.

Open the distributor cap and test the different points mentioned in that troubleshooting part. You'll find out real quick what is wrong. Most of those parts are inexpensive and can be found at Memphis Equipment, Alfa Heaven, etc. I had a condensor go out a while back and found it was the problem with that test.

I forgot to send you a picture of the top view of the inside of the distributor that shows what is what. Will do that tonight.

Ah, i will indeed do that and take a look and test the points and wiring inside the distributor. I seen that Memphis has a lot of cheap replacement parts for the ignition system and that is a relief for me here.
Mine has been rebuilt cause i found i have 3 wires inside the main wire coming into the distributor...looks like a modern High Voltage setup from the wires as that plug does not have one big connector but 3 smaller ones.

former owner decided to collect all the parts

Click to expand...

[FONT=&quot]It is a disease that most if not all of the G749 crowd has. [/FONT]

Yeah I have already been bitten by that bug here. Been picking up electrical parts already from local and distant friends that seen i have an old 6x6. I am getting parts in the mail that i never ordered and then i get a letter with the parts...lol
Needless to say i think this old beast will end up in perfect shape once done with the restoration. I am thinking a dark olive drab paint is going to be the final color. though...i may leave the color i have now and ill just carefully save the numbers and insignia off the truck and re-letter them back on the replacement hood as mine has a 2 inch long crack at the handle to open it.

Welcome to the addiction!!!
It's great you have a parts coming to you from near and far. That's a big helper!!
Before you buy a hard to find replacement hood with no cracks in it, see if you have a buddy that has a mig welder and could throw a stitch on her for a story and a wobbly pop.
Cracks in the hood are quite common from what I have seen. I have looked at about a dozen trucks in Canada and they all showed cracks or evidence of a crack repair.
Just my 2 cents.

I'm thinking of stitching up the original hood, or maybe splicing in a thin edge of sheet metal and welding it all together then sanding it and painting so it looks original. Not sure as i know having the hood show a hint of a weld could be a nice thing nostalgia wise and as you said...a story starter.