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What have you done to your FMTV or LMTV today

BERZERKER888

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common failure point ?..of our exterior door handles...cheap pot metal 'lever"....and much to my chagrin, @$200 for a replacement handle via a certain den of theives in Missouri.. I opted to fab aka : cob job, a rather crude prototype, using what ever I had laying around .. a piece of flat aluminium, Allen head bolt, nuts and a few washers..
sure it looks like something a 3rd grader would make ( and I thank you ..lol) but it works like a champ.... next step , a finished product using proper materials and the help of a CAD guru friend...stay tuned...

but more importantly, why would anyone spend $200 on "OEM" door handle when it's made of the same crappy pot metal parts ..what would smart money do ?20211111_080615.jpg20211109_141316.jpg20211109_135544.jpg20211109_135550.jpg
 
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Mullaney

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common failure point ?..of our exterior door handles...cheap pot metal 'lever"....and much to my chagrin, @$200 for a replacement handle via a certain den of theives in Missouri.. I opted to fab aka : cob job, a rather crude prototype, using what ever I had laying around .. a piece of flat aluminium, Allen head bolt, nuts and a few washers..
sure it looks like something a 3rd grader would make ( and I thank you ..lol) but it works like a champ.... next step , a finished product using proper materials and the help of a CAD guru friend...stay tunedView attachment 850333View attachment 850334View attachment 850335View attachment 850336
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Sad but true. Replacements are expensive and it is what we used to call cheap pot metal.

I have noticed quite a few folks have replaced their door handles with what I call "tool pocket latches". Or the handles like the tool pocket doors on the Astro95 tractor.

There is a thread somewhere suggesting success by replacing broken door latches with
2nd and 3rd gen 4 Runner door parts. I think that is 90-2004? The 1st gen Tacoma, 95-04, also uses them. There is sheetmetal cutting involved!
 

BERZERKER888

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Sad but true. Replacements are expensive and it is what we used to call cheap pot metal.

I have noticed quite a few folks have replaced their door handles with what I call "tool pocket latches". Or the handles like the tool pocket doors on the Astro95 tractor.

There is a thread somewhere suggesting success by replacing broken door latches with
2nd and 3rd gen 4 Runner door parts. I think that is 90-2004? The 1st gen Tacoma, 95-04, also uses them. There is sheetmetal cutting involved!
I have the 4 Runner door handles because that was my first approach..but the issue arose as not as much an issue of "notching" the sheet metal... but there is no way in hell to mount the door bolt to the Toyota handles because they are not recessed meaning that cute little 10mm bolt area has to be removed/repositioned otherwise the Toyota handle door handle will not sit flush...

I am on a mission to get my cob job door "lever" thingy all squared away and possibly make a kit because the remaining door handle component appear to be relatively "robust"... and $300-$400 for replacement for handles with the same crap pot metal part is -#:$($%¢=©. !!!



and as for installing the Trimark pocket door handles that require that much cutting.. no thanks because a jig saw in my hands is akin to a Colt revolver in Alec Baldwin's hands..
 
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Mullaney

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I have the 4 Runner door handles because that was my first approach..but the issue arose as not as much an issue of "notching" the sheet metal... but there is no way in hell to mount the door bolt to the Toyota handles because they are not recessed meaning that cute little 10mm bolt area has to be removed/repositioned otherwise the Toyota handle door handle will not sit flush...

I am on a mission to get my cob job door "lever" thingy all squared away and possibly make a kit because the remaining door handle component appear to be relatively "robust"... and $300-$400 for replacement for handles with the same crap pot metal part is -#:$($%¢=©. !!!



and as for installing the Trimark pocket door handles that require that much cutting.. no thanks because a jig saw in my hands is akin to a Colt revolver in Alec Baldwin's hands..
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If your decide to use the Trimark, a dremel or a 4 inch angle grinder with a cut-off wheel is easier than a jigsaw. Or it is for me anyhow.

Nice jab on Baldwin too!
 

Awesomeness

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common failure point ?..of our exterior door handles...cheap pot metal 'lever"....and much to my chagrin, @$200 for a replacement handle via a certain den of theives in Missouri.. I opted to fab aka : cob job, a rather crude prototype, using what ever I had laying around .. a piece of flat aluminium, Allen head bolt, nuts and a few washers..
sure it looks like something a 3rd grader would make ( and I thank you ..lol) but it works like a champ.... next step , a finished product using proper materials and the help of a CAD guru friend...stay tunedView attachment 850333View attachment 850334View attachment 850335View attachment 850336
Can I take a look at the broken one?
 

Mullaney

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Got mine unloaded and sitting at the house!


Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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Happiness is DRIVING your new-to-you truck off the trailer for sure!
Congratulations.

Need to create yourself a thread in the LMTV section that will tell the story about what you plan to do. Snapping all kinds of pictures and uploading them will be a good way to start. AND, later when it seems like you have worked on it forever and nothing seems to be happening - looking back at where it was on day one will keep you motivated!

This one is a little larger than the other MV's in your stable.

Be sure to save up and put this one into the Front End Friday line up! No reason why you couldn't put your HMMWV's in there as well - or heck - why not the trailers too :cool:
 

BERZERKER888

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Replaced the 2 alternator belts as well as the water pump belt while I was in there… modified to a 2 battery set up since one of my 4 6TL batteries went flat….as a side note, check your alternator mounting/support bolts…..both of mine were MIA…. How the alternator did not fling itself into oblivion at speed is beyond me…nothing was holding the alternator in place other than the lousy belt tension and the hand of God….
 

wandering neurons

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Just replaced two U-joints on Goliath (M1081). Was pretty easy job.
Reason for pulling the joints: I upgraded to the 3.07 diffs and started having an intermittent vibration around 55mph. FYI, I'm using a GPS speedometer for now. I put 18oz of antifreeze/water in each tire and that didn't seem to help, so pulled the joints that I disassembled when doing the differentials. Rear driveshaft had a cup that made some noise and vibration when reassembling the joint after removal. Probably a bent, dented or broken needle.
Note to all doing driveshafts and U-joints for them: make sure to use the proper tool to press in the U-joint cups! Driving them in with a hammer, while convenient, is not a good thing especially when they are a tight fit. Spend the $100 for the Tiger tool or the clone. Then go spend another dollar or so for the proper size bolts. The bolts that come with the Tiger tool are a size too large, something like 3/16" UNF versus the necessary 5/16" UNF. I'm guessing the size though - take one of the clamping bolts out and take with you to the store to make certain you've got the right size and thread pitch.
Same with pressing the joints out - use the proper tool to disassemble the joint, and don't forget to pull out the grease fittings (there may be two of them on each joint). Don't hammer on driveshafts or joints...
Still need to grease the joints, then test drive...
 

BERZERKER888

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yikes using antifreeze and a balancing agent..if your CTIS is functioning correctly it will purge all the antifreeze after a period of time ..I used balancing beads @30oz per tire when I installed 5 new tires...noticable difference in vibration....but then again I don't run more than 40-45mph , that is if until santa arrives with 3.07s...instead of my usual lump of coal..
 

Wingnut13

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With the temp climbing all the way up to a balmy 37* today I decided to do my trans flush and fill. Did a warm up drive, got to 165*. Drained the engine oil out of the trans, looked clean and nothing of note on the mag drain plugs. Filled with 3 gallons of ATF, rerouted the trans cooler return line OFF of the exhaust (thanks Army MP). Ran the engine, filled a bit more. With red fluid now coming out of the trans cooler return line I hooked that up. Swapped filters, and filled the trans. Have only put 8 miles on so far but wow, what a difference! BTW can any of you Army motor pool guys tell me if the Army owns any torque wrenches? Holy crap was every fastener absolutely smoked on…..
 

coachgeo

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yikes using antifreeze and a balancing agent..if your CTIS is functioning correctly it will purge all the antifreeze after a period of time ..I used balancing beads @30oz per tire when I installed 5 new tires...noticable difference in vibration....but then again I don't run more than 40-45mph , that is if until santa arrives with 3.07s...instead of my usual lump of coal..
this has been heavily discussed.

The fluid works, concencess was it likely wont exit due to CTIS actions.... but real world use showed it does end up dissipating fairly quickly still somehow; till none is left... even with no ctis use.
 

wheelspinner

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North Carolina - FINALLY !
With the temp climbing all the way up to a balmy 37* today I decided to do my trans flush and fill. Did a warm up drive, got to 165*. Drained the engine oil out of the trans, looked clean and nothing of note on the mag drain plugs. Filled with 3 gallons of ATF, rerouted the trans cooler return line OFF of the exhaust (thanks Army MP). Ran the engine, filled a bit more. With red fluid now coming out of the trans cooler return line I hooked that up. Swapped filters, and filled the trans. Have only put 8 miles on so far but wow, what a difference! BTW can any of you Army motor pool guys tell me if the Army owns any torque wrenches? Holy crap was every fastener absolutely smoked on…..
14 ugga duggas. Yep that’s about perfect
 

wandering neurons

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I hear what you're saying about using a liquid for balancing. I've done a lot of reading and haven't seen anyone complaining about losing balancing fluid through the CTIS. There would have to be a lot of liquid for some to come out of the valve with the valve at the bottom of the wheel. When driving, centrifugal force would slosh the fluid further away from the CTIS valve.
Beads would follow the same path as the liquid to the outside of the tire while driving, away from the valve that is close to the hub. I may do like you and add more liquid to get closer to your 30 oz.
Tires may be my bigger problem...
Hope Santa comes with diffs, not coal. Then again, I heard that due to inflation, Santa had to eat a few of the reindeer...

That being said -

yikes using antifreeze and a balancing agent..if your CTIS is functioning correctly it will purge all the antifreeze after a period of time ..I used balancing beads @30oz per tire when I installed 5 new tires...noticable difference in vibration....but then again I don't run more than 40-45mph , that is if until santa arrives with 3.07s...instead of my usual lump of coal..
 
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