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M106 Mortar Carrier

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
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After messin' around with the M901 yesterday, we had a chance to do some work on a M106 Mortar carrier. It has not moved or ran since before it was put in place 20 or so years ago. It needed u-joints for the dif to RH final drive, so I did some research and found a local company that had the correct configuration of wing bearing. I got those in a month or so ago and did the inspection of the unit to see what it needed. The books said there was an oil leak at the diff that was repaired but the oil hadn't been replenished. Also found a kinda major failure, the engine cooling fan belts aren't on it. Found the reason, the fan is locked up! A few weeks ago, a bunch of us went to the Fontana scrap yard...guess what I found? Yup, a complete fan assembly for a 113 varient and it was the correct rotation :jumpin:! Craig had another fan assy. if the back 40, so yesterday, I took the two damaged units and made one good unit. Of course I forgot to snap some pics of the teardown, :doh: but I have some of the failed part and the assembled unit [thumbzup]. After it was all together, Craig asked if we could put some life back into the carrier. Went over the unit again, all looked good, put some batteries in it and had the CO2 extinguisher handy. Powered the unit up, all the lights work, the horn works, interior lights work. Bumped the starter, engine was free, cranked with the shutdown pulled out a couple of times, the pushed it in an hit the button. Fired right up like it had ran the day before :-D. We let it sit there a bit and build some temp and it took a bit of throttle, but it moved out of it's resting place of 20 years under it's own power. Got it about a vehicles length forward, excersized the tailgate, got all the hatches open and gave it a bit of cleaning then backed it back into place onto some matting so it won't be directly on the dirt. After the M901 gets shipped out, we'll motor this one up to the shop and get the fan swapped out and rebuild the track tensioners and there will be one more sweet running tracked vehicle at the Museum!
 

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dittle

Well-known member
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You'll love that thing once you get it finished. We use the museums for parades and such during the summer and the thing is just a blast to drive. Not too big to cause a transportation issue and still big enough that everyone notices. [thumbzup]
 

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
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Unfortunatley, California has a cow about driving track on the streets even with rubber pads. It should get some use at the Museum though..If I can persuade Craig into a bimonthly demonstration vehicle :wink:...every couple of weeks, let the people who are visiting the museum see, hear and feel the vehicles drive. Advertise it and maybe that will increase visitors.
 

319

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Looks to be in great shape after sitting for 20 years! Do you have the mortar?
 

David_4x4

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Cool vehicle, I have a friend that drove mortar tracks in the army.

I've been helping restore an M113 the last few months and I find them to be an absolute blast to work on.
 

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
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I dig working on all the stuff there, that is my passion. I enjoy driving them a bunch too!
 

Green_gator

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May I ask where the 901 is headed? Spent three years in those things with the 1st I.D. and would love to show my son around one. Amazing what you can see at night with a good thermal scope.....
 

deuceman51

Member
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Sweet looking track, I have been servicing 113s at work for the past week and they are definately fun to work on and very labor intensive, lol. Does anyone know of any 113s that are in any salvage yards running or not? I know the M75s are around, but I would love to get either an M75 or an M113.
 

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
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Monrovia, Ca.
May I ask where the 901 is headed? Spent three years in those things with the 1st I.D. and would love to show my son around one. Amazing what you can see at night with a good thermal scope.....
Someplace down by San Diego. Change of dates though. Leaves tomorow at 0530.
 

David_4x4

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Sweet looking track, I have been servicing 113s at work for the past week and they are definately fun to work on and very labor intensive, lol. Does anyone know of any 113s that are in any salvage yards running or not? I know the M75s are around, but I would love to get either an M75 or an M113.
In the private world, most wind up getting sold off or scrapped. A lucky few still make out. I think for the most part, what's out there is whats out there. And bring the wallet.

Museums can always request one from DoD etc.
 

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
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Monrovia, Ca.
Well, the 106 is almost done. It has a fresh coat of paint, the cooling system is all cleaned up, I just gotta get the fan drive pulley made..can't locate one. We moved it out of the shop area back into it's parking place, we can do the numbering where it sits and do the pulley/belts there too. Here are a couple of short vids, sorry, I gotta get a new camera. Pics to follow. What a sweet oiece of machinery. Can't wit to get the pulley made so we can take it for a spin in the field! Anyone like M715 trucks and their varients? Stay tuned, we are doing a 725 ambulance next! Got it dug out of the back line and put it in the shop today. I HATE WASPS!

Added a couple of pics 'cause my video camera sucks!
Still gotta stencil it up. No stars on this one.
 

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papabear

GA Mafia Imperial 1SG
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willwagner...been trying to remember all night so i'm gonna show my ignorance cause I just can't remember:

The M106 was the 4.2 mortar (4 deuce) correct? Or was it 81MM?
Heck we had them in the 2 Mech Inf units I was in but I just can't remember. I'm gonna stick with 4 deuce unless ya say different:-D
 

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Monrovia, Ca.
4.2 inch/107MM mortar...we are still looking for the ground mount stuff, so if ANYONE sees or hears of them, PLEASE get the info and contact myself or the Museum!
It is not a job, it's a hobby! I am thankful that I have been given a talent theat lets me do this and am extremely thankful that Craig lets and trusts me to tinker with his equipment. It is a thrill to drag one of these into the shop, show it a bit of love and sweat and have it leave the shop under it's own power and looking beautiful. It is a good feeling to toss out an idea and see it come to life. The Museum has been mentoing kids for the last 25 or so years. He participates in the ROP and trains kids in body work, paint, mechanical, all kinds of stuff. I found out last week that Craig and the Museum have been nominated for 3 different awards for the work he does. There has been an increase in the volunteers that come there and they are all very good people, very smart. One guy is an ex Canadian Footballer. an EXCELLENT artist and a good mechanic. Another guy is overhauling an air fired, quad .50 turret mount out of a WWII fighter/bomber. He has stripped it down to nothing and is re assembling with new/reconditioned parts, paint, wires. I'm tellin' ya, it is a work of art.
 
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