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1952 M135 W/Winch

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
Little by little, I am getting things done on the truck. Still waiting on a working tach/dwell meter so I can set everything and get back on the road.

I found this neat link that shows what to look for when using a vacuum gauge that was very helpful for me. Click on the green scenario buttons.

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfm

Has anyone found anything that makes these trucks run and work better than what the TM suggests....timing slightly advanced/retarded??? RPM a little higher than 375???
 

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
My truck is back running and seems to be doing very well. Idling is smooth and no more loading up when at idle. I took it for a short run tonight, but need to get out on the highway and take her up to speed to see how the governor setting being where it is supposed to be affects things. I could not tell any difference going around town at 30-45mph.

The temperature is staying at about 195-200 when I am moving but climbs to 210 at a stop. Not sure if that is a problem or not yet. I put a civilian temp gauge in for now so I can get a more accurate reading.

Something else that was causing me some problem is the stock muffler. It does not seem to be plugged, but as soon as I took it off, things started to run better. I have a hollow muffler and am going to try to get an end welded on it tomorrow and try that route.
 

m1010plowboy

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You were out cruisin' and we don't get any video? Pictures of you around town?......pickin' up ice cream? In front of City Hall, the liquor store?? :-D

That temperature doesn't seem outrageous. The book says there's a pressure valve in the top tank that is between 6 1/4 and 7 1/2 lbs and it suggests 160° thermostat, fully open at 175°. The book also suggests we DO NOT add cold water when the temp is over 200° so.,......they must have thought she'd get over 200.

Another factor that I did not see before, which shouldn't make much of a difference, is the radiator level...... A free bag of fresh farm potatoes to anyone who can tell us what piece on the truck indicates that the radiator is full enough???? POB Edmonton.....Potatoes on Board....

I'm still grinnin' with the thought that someone else is rolling in the cadi of deuces.......

I wanted to do a 1/4 mile run with Goose but instead we could just do video runs from 0-30/ 0-40 / 0-50mph with the video camera pointing at the speedo. There's a timer right thar on the video and it would give us comparisons on shift times/mph and how fast we hit top speeds....

That should probably be a new thread in "Members Rides" or something like that because it's so legally brilliant we could do it with all of our MV's. Grab a soldier B, strap in and point the camera at the speedo. Take off from any green light...."On level ground".... and record. These guys with the standard transmission and diesel don't stand a chance against the 135.....or do they?

I'll try to get something on you tube and linked here so you can see how old Goose is getting on.

Play with the timing. A counter clockwise turn increases the idle and changed Goose's lazy pedal into crisp acceleration. I found a complete NOS distributor that I might be able to squeeze over your way if she doesn't start behaving.
 

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
I will try to play with getting some video footage this weekend so we can compare and maybe show that hard 2nd to 3rd shift. Although mine only shifts really hard in low range. Really smooth shifting in high.

How far advanced past the pointer did you go on timing? I just have a regular timing light so can't set it a precise amount of degrees advanced.

Also how are you measuring what you are idling at? I had a tach hooked up last night, but it was not giving an accurate reading. My idle may be a little low still. When not in gear, it idles wonderfully. When I put it in gear, I noticed it bogging down slightly. I'm going to find a Soldier B to hold their foot on the brake in addition to the parking brake being on and increase the idle slightly while the transmission is in drive and see what happens.
 

hendersond

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Another factor that I did not see before, which shouldn't make much of a difference, is the radiator level...... A free bag of fresh farm potatoes to anyone who can tell us what piece on the truck indicates that the radiator is full enough???? POB Edmonton.....Potatoes on Board....
The petcock on the front of the top radiator tank?
 

m1010plowboy

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The petcock on the front of the top radiator tank?
We've been growing potatoes for a century so you're in for a treat. We'll make sure they're fresh.

I was pulling the rad cap when it was cold and making sure I could see green, topped it up to the neck this spring. A couple of times, even when cold, Goose would spit some back out at me when I opened the cap. I'd fill, she'd spit, I'd fill, she'd spit...a guy should really read the manual.
Here's the important portion of the 'filling' procedure from CDN-OM9-819A:

"""Open level cock at top front of radiator. Remove threaded filler cap from filler neck and fill system until water is visible in filler neck. Close level cock and continue to add water until no more air bubbles can be seen. Run engine a few minutes to further expel air, then add more water to bring level up to level cock"""
 

Another Ahab

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We've been growing potatoes for a century so you're in for a treat. We'll make sure they're fresh.

I was pulling the rad cap when it was cold and making sure I could see green, topped it up to the neck this spring. A couple of times, even when cold, Goose would spit some back out at me when I opened the cap. I'd fill, she'd spit, I'd fill, she'd spit...a guy should really read the manual.
Here's the important portion of the 'filling' procedure from CDN-OM9-819A:

Yes indeed you CAN learn a lot from "reading the manual":

- The problem is those manuals written with so much fluff that it discourages you from reading the thing at all (even though there might be a critical gem or two hidden in the baloney).

That's just the way it goes I guess.

(PS, plowboy: One Potato? Two Potato? Three Potato? or Four!?)
 

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
I found Windows Live Movie Maker on my computer that I did not know was there until a few days ago. It guided me through the process as I used it.
 

m1010plowboy

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Edmonton, Canada
G749 video

That's a happy nine minutes and twelve seconds. Best movie I've watched since Titanic...except we'll watch your movie again!

Muffler,

We're going to need them by the sound of it. That's loud!

Shift timing

Your 2 to 3 high shift is tighter/shorter than Goose and a tad longer than Gracie. Sounds great! You played with the front band on this truck, correct?

I'll check your 1-2-3-4 shift times on the highway run but it looks like 0-50 in around 40 seconds. 6:21 to 7:03 ish. I got distracted by something shiny so haven't done the video/run yet. Going to need to hire a movie studio and producer now that you set the bar so high....nice work.

Performance

Living on the prairies has it's benefits. If we stay out of the river valleys, it's always flat. Our 0-50 performance is just a blast, it's that sustained horsepower we're missing on the hills, but we knew that.

The important question is, did you enjoy it?
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
We definitely need some mufflers, although I did get a performance increase like the old Army vet told me I would. I adjusted the front band a year or so ago. Probably wouldn't hurt to check it again

It has been several months since I have driven this truck for a significant amount of time. It is always a little sluggish when it has sat for a while, so I could probably do a little better than that 0-50 time with a little more use.

It is a really nice feeling to take the truck out and have it perform so well. That hill I showed in the video is a lot more steep than what it looks like. In the past, I have struggled to maintain 20 mph on it. This time I was at 35 mph at the slowest before I reached the top.

My front wheel cylinders are not leaking but it is definitely time to rebuild the airpak and rebuild/buy a new master cylinder. I can tell there is some internal leak. Another thing is that while driving this time, I can hear a slight clatter sound. Not sure if it is the transmission, transfer, u-joint or just sounding different with a hollow muffler???? Looks like I am going to need to get all 6 wheels off the ground, put her in gear and see where the noise is coming from.
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
At 1:37 when you turn in to the driveway........are you being followed by a LEO? Is there a story behind this or just coincidence?
Stop pretending like I am the only one who tries this from time to time. :roll: :D
M135FirstBlood.jpg

The real story is... he is a very good friend of mine that I have known since we were kids. He has helped me work on the truck a few times and saw me out testing it after knowing I had been having problems getting it to run correctly. He pulled in to visit and see what I had figured out on it. Couldn't ask for a better friend or officer.
 

USMC 00-08

Well-known member
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Location
Skiatook, OK
I'm getting ready for and planning an airpak rebuild in the very near future. I have some old M809 series airpaks and have pulled the power piston out of them to use as referenced here.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?70703-M220-AirPak-rebuild

Then I remembered that M1010plowboy picked up some a while back and if I recall correctly they were sold as a G749 airpak. Looking at these side by side, I don't see why they would not work. The 5 ton airpak is longer, but it appears to me that if a person removed the valve from the rear, fabricated a different steel line that runs along the side and used the shorter front pipe piece off a G749 airpak or shortened the existing one, it would work.
0919151805.jpg0919151805a.jpg

I also pulled a master cylinder off of one of the parts trucks to see if it could be rebuilt. Unfortunately it is too pitted, but could probably be sleeved at some point. After tearing it apart, I see no reason why this kit would not work to do the rebuild.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...ake-Master-Cylinder-Kit/_/R-UBP175_0230673354

There are some things in the kit that we would not use but it looks exactly like what I saw in the original master cylinder. Had a picture but somehow it was deleted before I got to the house. I'll be buying a new master cylinder for now.

The fuel gauge sending unit repair I did a while back has not held up well and I went in search of another option. I was able to disassemble an M35A2 sending unit by drilling out the rivets that hold the cap and body together and modify it to fit by orienting the cap and float arm the same way as the original sending unit. It is working great so far but I think I will need to shorten the float arm a little so it is more accurate. It is not far off as is though . I'll post pictures and a "how to" after I perfect it a little if anyone is interested.
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
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Location
Alexandria, VA
Then I remembered that M1010plowboy picked up some a while back and if I recall correctly they were sold as a G749 airpak. Looking at these side by side, I don't see why they would not work. The 5 ton airpak is longer, but it appears to me that if a person removed the valve from the rear, fabricated a different steel line that runs along the side and used the shorter front pipe piece off a G749 airpak or shortened the existing one, it would work.
View attachment 582312
I admire how you got no fear about tackling the unknown USMC.

You're trusting your ability to modify what you got, in order to make it all work. You got guts.

I get it; Semper Fi: you can count yourself among one of the few (and for that, count yourself worthy to be proud, I'm thinking!). [thumbzup]
 

USMC 00-08

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Location
Skiatook, OK
Thank you. I am throwing out an idea just in case plowboy or someone else beats me to dis assembly of both units. I plan to find out here soon and will of course have pictures. The external appears identical except for the length, valve on the back and a few fittings. With being able to use the same rebuild kit with that power piston changed out, I can't help but think it could be made to work.

My ultimate goal is to find things that can get these trucks back operational for all of us. I'd like to see more of these trucks running around and more of an interest in them outside of we crazy few here.
 
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