1997 M1078 LMTV General Maintenance Questions!

Hello All!
I'm new to the community, but a frequent Forum Lurker
I have a 1997 M1078 LMTV as per the thread title! And it's in great shape, replaced the wipers, headlamps and have 2 new batteries on the way to replace the car batteries they put in it to get it off of Ft. Hood . I am VERY new to the Military Vehicle game and would like a shakedown of some general maintenance as well as where i can potentially find necessity items ie.( Oil Filters (what type) for transmission and engine, Air Filter, Water Fuel Separator, as well as what type of oil to use for this sucker.) I appreciate any input and look forward to hearing from ya'll!

Big Texas Thanks From New Braunfels!

The "Sticky" posts at the top of this forum is a good place to start until you get specific questions. Coachgeo posted a great LMTV/FMTV Quick Parts Reference spreadsheet that should answer your current questions.

I neglected to add that Patracy uploaded the M1078 TMs (Technical Manuals) to the TM Forum. Download all of them as they are a very valuable resource. The "-10" is an "Operator's Instruction Manual" and the "-24P" is the parts manual. The other TM's are maintenance manuals. These manuals will likely become your best friend once you learn how to find what you are looking for.

hangarhermit said:

The "Sticky" posts at the top of this forum is a good place to start until you get specific questions. Coachgeo posted a great LMTV/FMTV Quick Parts Reference spreadsheet that should answer your current questions.

Click to expand...

Not I...claim no credit for it... I do recommend often one hangarhermmit speaks of and Awesomness's spreadsheet as well for new folk to check. This may be where the confusion lies. One of them is the sticky at the top of this forum. Awesomness will jump in with a link to his stuff.

I do have a thread on suggested tools to carry that is a great reference. Have considered putting it in a spreadsheet so it is easier to update since post here get locked and made uneditable.

Generally, I would start working your way through all the fluids, filters, zip ties, hoses, etc. The trucks see a lot of abuse and lack of maintenance in the military, plus now that they are 20 years old anything rubber/plastic is going to dry out and crack/leak. You'll likely find numerous parts and fluids that were replaced somewhere along the way with the wrong thing, and you'll want to start correcting those.

I recommend you pull the driveshafts and have them balanced, and replace the u-joints. It only happens to a small number of people, but worn out shafts and joints can lead to a harmonic vibration that will start to destroy things (including the engine for myself and several other members). It's cheap insurance to head that off early.

In addition to the stickied stuff, I also have my own parts spreadsheet, and a common fixes guide written from posts around here. Both are in my signature below.

Here is a list of things that you will have to service eventually:
Hydraulic pump
Cab latch
Fuel lines
Cab mounts
The obvious stuff, filters fluids etc.
CTIS system will likely need addressing, axle seal failures are common, as are the control block.

Check the fan to see if it's loose on the Fan Clutch. A couple of us have had catastrophic failures that sent the fan through the radiator. If it wiggles at all best to replace it with the newer style clutch and fan.

To add to what Awesomness says, the biggest improvement in 'on-the-road' operation improvement for my truck was getting the driveshafts squared away.

This included fixing the loose splines, straightening and balancing.. I'm now looking forward to installing my 3.07 gears and lowering the speed of those rotating bits.

Pointman