M1045A2 with seized engine...

It took nearly 2 weeks to get this war-weary USMC veteran running.
We drained a few gallons of water (and a frog) from the engine. Found a really scary amount of rust and let it sit for several days to let my homebrew penetrating concoction break through the rust that kept the engine from spinning.
But now the beast moves under its own power!

...slowly

... and with smoke from a fuel injector return cap dripping on the exhaust pipe (pulled back into the garage and fixed it right after the video).





I'm detailing everything along the way for this project here:

https://gear-report.com/hmmwv-battlewagon-2-0-m1045a2-humvee-repairs-and-upgrades-status

Did you know that the truck had been parked in 3-4 feet of water? Was is salt water? It may never be right after that.
Put fresh fluids in it and run it on the road to get it hot and collect all the moisture. Then drain and refill again. Any rust on the cylinder walls will definally shorten the engines life. Might be prudent to rebuild the engine. Labor of love.

What makes you think it was under water?

Scar59 said:

Did you know that the truck had been parked in 3-4 feet of water?

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How did the water and frog get into the engine? The water(rust) line on the air filter housing indicates that the truck was in water, deep water. My accertion is based on the photos.

Good job getting it going. I fool around with old tractors and know of many, many that are running after someone drained the water and got them free. Watch your fluids and cross your fingers.

The USMC trucks all have factory fording kits and with that comes the air cleaner housing bottom drain delete cap. If for some reason the mushroom rain cap gets lost, the air cleaner fills with rain water and eventually runs into the engine.

Yep
There were quite a few like this.
Fresh engines at the 2007 reset... Then left to rot in storage, many with their intakes wide open.
Sad.

NDT said:

The USMC trucks all have factory fording kits and with that comes the air cleaner housing bottom drain delete cap. If for some reason the mushroom rain cap gets lost, the air cleaner fills with rain water and eventually runs into the engine.

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WOW! I love seeing things come back from the dead.

It is proving to be an uphill battle, as every problem ID'd and solved seems to unleash a couple more problems.
But, we are making progress.
Got it up to 20 mph this morning!

Why bother...drop a turbo motor in, it’s just a motor swap, everything else is done.

Retiredwarhorses said:

Why bother...drop a turbo motor in, it’s just a motor swap, everything else is done.

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Yeah. I appreciate the feedback. I keep hearing conflicting reports on exactly what is involved in swapping a turbo into an A2 NA truck.
I've had a few tell me it is a nightmare, and others say it is an "unbolt, remove, insert, bolt... done" operation.I've heard that a body lift and some trimming around the doghouse are required. What else?

The current plan is to get a turbo drivetrain from a demilled HMMWV soon and start prepping it for a swap when it warms up next year. For now, I've got too much on my plate and have exhausted the budget. Once I get some of the other projects done on this HMMWV, then I'll swap in a turbo motor.

Gear Report said:

Yeah. I appreciate the feedback. I keep hearing conflicting reports on exactly what is involved in swapping a turbo into an A2 NA truck.
I've had a few tell me it is a nightmare, and others say it is an "unbolt, remove, insert, bolt... done" operation.I've heard that a body lift and some trimming around the doghouse are required. What else?

The current plan is to get a turbo drivetrain from a demilled HMMWV soon and start prepping it for a swap when it warms up next year. For now, I've got too much on my plate and have exhausted the budget. Once I get some of the other projects done on this HMMWV, then I'll swap in a turbo motor.

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Nightmares? It’s just a motor, and an OEM motor at that. I’m a firm believer in mechanics and drive ability of the truck before fluff, that’s the same I tell my customers, the truck is useless if it’s not reliable.

Gear Report said:

Yeah. I appreciate the feedback. I keep hearing conflicting reports on exactly what is involved in swapping a turbo into an A2 NA truck.
I've had a few tell me it is a nightmare, and others say it is an "unbolt, remove, insert, bolt... done" operation.I've heard that a body lift and some trimming around the doghouse are required. What else?

The current plan is to get a turbo drivetrain from a demilled HMMWV soon and start prepping it for a swap when it warms up next year. For now, I've got too much on my plate and have exhausted the budget. Once I get some of the other projects done on this HMMWV, then I'll swap in a turbo motor.

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RWH has a great deal of experience. If he says its not that bad, go with it.

Right, but Steven also has decades of experience and a fully equipped shop. I'm far less experienced and equipped. An engine swap itself isn't a casual matter for me.

TOBASH said:

RWH has a great deal of experience. If he says its not that bad, go with it.

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Gear Report said:

Right, but Steven also has decades of experience and a fully equipped shop. I'm far less experienced and equipped. An engine swap itself isn't a casual matter for me.

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I respect your candor.

Even Dirty Harry said - "A man's gotta know his limitations".

Good luck with your rig!

T

P.S. I hope you were able to save the frog you found. It ain't easy being green.

TOBASH said:

I respect your candor.Even Dirty Harry said - "A man's gotta know his limitations".Good luck with your rig!T
P.S. I hope you were able to save the frog you found. It ain't easy being green.

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The frog dropped off of the radar when I left the air cleaner open overnight. I'm hoping it hopped out and got away. It could have also just burrowed deeper into a part of the air cleaner that is hidden from view. I don't know.

As to the assessing my limitations... that is why I asked. If it is just a simple unbolt, remove, insert, re-bolt, then I'm good to go. It will suck, but I can handle it.

But I've heard there are other things... like installing a body lift, trimming around the doghouse opening, adding to or replacing the wiring harness, adjusting the turbo, etc. I was actually looking for a list of tasks that are additional to those required for a simple engine swap. I've asked this question in a few FB groups as well. Still haven't gotten a list. Just generalities.
If I can ever get a comprehensive list, then I can assess whether I can handle the job, or will need to have someone do it for me.

I suggest you contact John Murray in DE. He has turbo motors and has the mechanics who could do the swap. I am unsure of the cost, though, but he is generally not too pricey in my experience.

BKubu said:

I suggest you contact John Murray in DE. He has turbo motors and has the mechanics who could do the swap. I am unsure of the cost, though, but he is generally not too pricey in my experience.

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Thanks. I'm not that close to DE and have a source for turbos at a great price. I just need the details on what the differences are in a NA and turbo installation so I can determine if it is within my capabilities or if I need to have a local skilled HMMWV mechanic do it for me.

Gear Report said:

Thanks. I'm not that close to DE and have a source for turbos at a great price. I just need the details on what the differences are in a NA and turbo installation so I can determine if it is within my capabilities or if I need to have a local skilled HMMWV mechanic do it for me.

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From my research I think you're dead on target with stuff you said.

You might need to raise body 2 inches. Dog House needs swappin'. Not sure about electrics.

TOBASH said:

From my research I think you're dead on target with stuff you said.
You might need to raise body 2 inches. Dog House needs swappin'. Not sure about electrics.

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I've heard that the body can be raised as little as 1/2". but 1" gives a bit more room to work.
It's the electrical stuff that I'm most concerned about.