M1007 - CUCV Suburban Clone Build Thread

Subscribed.

Keep us posted.

Any progress on this?

subscribed. You'll get it done some day. 15 projects only 2 hands.

Cant wait to see more pics!

No new development. Waiting to get a running engine and rebuild the transmission. Some day

Ahh.

Back in my younger days, I'd be screaming at you to finish this. Nowadays, I'm a whole lot slower! But I'm one of the lurkers here who await your build with anticipation!
Here is a pic of our old 6.2 'burb. I tried to load it direct, but had no luck.

Here is where the plot thickens. One of the "close but not right" vehicles Warthog bought was a 2wd USAF C20 from FT Sam. I went and picked it up for him in November of 2010. I had no interest in the vehicle myself. Once my students got it road worthy I started driving it so warthog could be sure it would make the 400 mile drive to his place.

I actually liked driving it. Not as peppy as my M1009 but still very solid feeling and for some reason I actually like the 6.2. Then my wife totalled our family 2000 gasser suburban. Warthog made me a deal I could not refuse. He had already named the truck the Blue Bomber. I have been daily driving the Blue Bomber since October of 2011.

However, the M1009 is so much more fun to drive and can go so many more places. But, the Blue Bomber can take more people and pull a trailer a lot more steady and safe. If only there was a way to combine them....

That at is the point I was at when Warthog had his liquidation sale. Now I have a bunch more square body trucks and a large pile of parts. The truck he started this thread about was called Cowdog by him and now by me. Cowdog got flat towed to my class room yesterday by the M715. We are going to strip it down and build a highway cruising, trailer pulling and off-road adventure vehicle out of it and most of the parts of the other trucks.

Pictures and and updates to follow.

Stop it with the suspense I say, on with the pics Tim.

This is the best shot I got of the Cowdog hooked to the M715. 6.2 power pulling another truck to get revived 6.2 or more likely, 6.5 power. Maybe even a turbo....

the 6.5 block with the cracked starter mount has been worked on for a few days now. We got the broken off clean bolt out. The part of the bolt still in the block is being difficult and should give up in a few more days.

We brazed up the broken starter mount 6.5 last week but I didn't have all the other stuff needed to try spinning the engine at work then. This week is spring break so I made a pair of trips to get the last of Warthog's stash.

Tuesday had me loaded down heavy with 7 engines in cans. One of which is the GEP 6500. This morning the M715 with a bed full of 6.2 and 6.5 surplus heads pulled a M101 with the GEP engine to my class. Along with fuel, batteries and all the other things needed to fire an engine in a can up. Teaching criminals means things don't always move very fast. However, I hope to put power to at least the broken block 6.5 next week and hopefully make some smoke with it. If not, then the next week.

It was hard to see all my squarebody parts heading south. I know Tim will find a good use for them.

At this point I have a couple of M105 trailers, a few deuce parts and the "Bismarck".
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?84780-So-you-want-a-cheap-GL-Deuce

As soon as those are gone I will be without an MV.

I have tried two days now to post up pictures. Something in that process must have changed because I can't figure out how to do it anymore. When I get smarter, there will be pictures.

Pictures are working for me now. This is picking up the engines and one headed to get made running.

Wow, that 9100# of engines/ cans in that trailer. Lotta stuff.

I got the best mpg of all 7 trips with the heaviest load of engines. 12.9 empty and 12.7 loaded running the speed limit both ways. Pulling trucks I never got better than 11 loaded.

Baker's half dozen. Buy 6 get one free.

he already took home a 6.5L and there is one more GEP parts engine to grab.

My school camera broke about the time I started bringing the parts for this project to my class. I can't bring my phone or a personal owned camera on campus. So no pictures from there.

We ground the head off a starter bolt and threaded that end. Then brazed the stud to the 1993 C30 6.5 block. Fuel, glow plugs and wiring all figured out got us a slow turning engine that coughs black smoke but won't start. We finally figured out why it was slow turning Friday. 24v starter being fed 12v. Warthog and I both thought it was a 12 volt unit. We will rewire for 24 volts and try again this week.

The GEP engine hasn't been touched yet. I want the 1993 6.5 to prove itself good or bad first.

The Cowdog itself is now totally stripped inside, all 6 doors are off, all glass and motors pulled from the doors and the fenders are off. Plus the transmission and transfer case is out. We should get all the engine and front end wiring labeled and removed this week. Then the engine will come out. Axles, brakes, springs and bushings will get attention next.

Just in in case anyone is curious. A complete square body Suburban interior will fit inside another square body suburban. Seats and all. Here is a picture of all the doors, fenders and the last of the interior coming home in a m101 behind RED which got to visit my class for the first time in 3 years. Wheel bearing work and alignment.

Continuing the saga...

The 6.5 engine with the broken block over the outside starter bolt mount started as soon as we put 24 volts to the starter. It runs good with only 20-25 psi oil pressure. So if I ever needed to use it, a new pump and a look around the bearings would be called for.

Warthog mentioned a GEP 6500 in one of the first post of this thread. Good compression in 7 cylinders and 0 on #3. Once we got the broken block 6.5 to run, we swapped all the fuel and wiring stuff over to the Optimizer. I was really hoping Joe was blind, confused or just didn't test that #3 cylinder for compression. Turns out he was correct. A few other cylinders on both sides were in the 180-190 range on my oh so accurate 4 years old Harbor Freight diesel tester. The end cylinders on both sides were 370-380 psi. But, 65 psi oil pressure spinning it over with the glow plugs pulled.

We pulled the heads of Friday. The fire rings were still there on both sides, but no gasket material between #1 and #3 along with not much for the rest of them. Black marks on the heads and block between all cylinders too. Which leaves me with a dilemma:


Straight edge what I have after cleaning them up and try to throw them back on with new Felpro gaskets and bolts if they seem flat?


Take what came off, GEP Navistar cast 567 heads with Square pre-cups, to a machine shop, throw money at and then install?


Drive 800 miles round trip to Joe and pick up the other GEP engine with the exact same heads and a spun bearing?


Install brand new just unwrapped surplus 567 Diamond pre cup GEP heads? That have the 60° intake bolt holes for a center mount turbo leaving me to plug the holes and cut 90° holes in the head which I think is my least favorite option? Drill new holes in a CUCV 6.2 intake to make it bolt up or get a HMMWV twin runner center mount turbo intake and make a turbo inlet tube?

Amazingly, every option except the CUCV intake cut up and new holes in the head will cost almost exactly the same. Since I have a few of the CUCV manifolds sitting around I think I will try that first and then go from there.

Before I do any of that though I wanted to look at the bottom of the engine for cracked webbing and such. We got the pan off today but are letting the oil drip until tomorrow. Looking up, all seems to be super clean and good.

We finally found something clean on the Cowdog truck too!. The inside of the fuel tank was spotless and the sock was clean. The fuel gauge sender even worked on an Ohm meter too. Of course both tank straps broke when we tried to loosen them.

I put a complete M1008 bumper on the rear frame horns trying to see what needs to be done for it to fit and look right. The picture below tells the story. Without cutting a bunch of the frame or removing most of the shackle mount bracket, it won't fit right. M1009 rear bumper it is.

Besides the rear bumper picture below are the odd side head with gasket still on it, odd side cylinders and one of the cargo doors I primed the inside of last night.