First 5 ton Purchase....Some Concerns...*Help Please*

[pcblakeley]

So, I have spent countless hours reading the posts in here and I am very impressed, SS is at the top of my favorites bar!

I recently sold my Hummer H1 and have been really wanting to get back into the military vehicle scene.....so, it only seems the logical thing to do is to upgrade to a 5 ton.... That leads me to my question for you 5 ton owners out there.

Hopefully my next purchase....

The truck is local (Detroit, Mi) and it is a 1968 Kasier Jeep M51A2 6X6 Dump Truck,
5Spd Manual, Diesel, Spring Suspension, Steel Wheels,

Odometer Reads 24570, VIN 9523-15159.

The truck will not shift out of low gear, and that is my question, should I be overly concerned with this? is it a common thing to happen and what are my options for troubleshooting this problem... I am hoping it is a simple fix, but since I am very new to these vehicles I am hoping that you guys and gals could shed some light on whether or not I should go down this path for this specific vehicle....

Question 2: Are there any vampires or special things that I should be looking out for on this vehicle model year or type?

Thanks ahead of time, I appreciate you help and look forward to getting to reading your replies!

 

[FM5332FF]

Question 2: Are there any vampires or special things that I should be looking out for on this vehicle model year or type?

No dont worry about vampires.. Its the Zombies you have to watch for...

 

[OPCOM]

Not shifting might be a broken part in the transmission. Might be a messed up clutch. No way to tell if it is serious.. you will probably have to pull the transmission to find out, which is a very very heavy item. I hope there is a deep discount for this problem. I would not consider it minor. MI - check for rust, and any evidence of freezing coolant, etc.

 

[jluv1185]

No dont worry about vampires.. Its the Zombies you have to watch for...

So true!

 

[waayfast]

Yeah,Buddy! Heads up on those Zombies!!!

 

[drgreg]

Not shifting might be a broken part in the transmission. Might be a messed up clutch. No way to tell if it is serious.. you will probably have to pull the transmission to find out, which is a very very heavy item. I hope there is a deep discount for this problem. I would not consider it minor. MI - check for rust, and any evidence of freezing coolant, etc.

I agree with OPCOM, have you checked out the rest of the truck?

 

[papabear]

I'm sorta confused...do you meant it will not come out of low gear? or low range?

If its low gear then theres a problem in the shifter/top plate...or the trans. If it just won't go into high range...i betcha its a linkage prob with the t-case.

 

[Pappa-G]

I'm sorta confused...do you meant it will not come out of low gear? or low range?

If its low gear then theres a problem in the shifter/top plate...or the trans. If it just won't go into high range...i betcha its a linkage prob with the t-case.

X2 time to get underneath with a flash light or up top with a wrench. Good Luck!

 

[akonitony]

Sounds like it could possibly be a loose nut behind the wheel

 

[pcblakeley]

Well today I got a call back from the seller who turns out to be a seized property holding company that is completely clueless about the truck. The call went like this...

Me: So, this truck is stuck in low gear huh?

Broker: Well, we have a so called mechanic that does a once over and reports to us on the condition and he tells me that it wont shift out of low gear.

Me: Ohhh, I see. Well did they drive it there?

Broker: No, we have to tow all vehicles because of liability.

Me: Can I take a look at the truck today?

Broker: Well, I am in Colorado and the truck is in Port Huron, MI.

Me: Oh, thats great, I am right next to that town today, can I get the address?

Broker: Blah Blah Blah, then the address.....

To make this a little shorter, the dang truck is 4 hours from Port Huron, Mi. And it is in a wrecking yard. So, I think I will chock this one up as a learning experience from Craigslist.

Thanks for the replies, I will hopefully be getting some advice in the near future from you guys on my future purchase.

 

[pcblakeley]

Well today I got a call back from the seller who turns out to be a seized property holding company that is completely clueless about the truck. The call went like this...

Me: So, this truck is stuck in low gear huh?

Broker: Well, we have a so called mechanic that does a once over and reports to us on the condition and he tells me that it wont shift out of low gear.

Me: Ohhh, I see. Well did they drive it there?

Broker: No, we have to tow all vehicles because of liability.

Me: Can I take a look at the truck today?

Broker: Well, I am in Colorado and the truck is in Port Huron, MI.

Me: Oh, thats great, I am right next to that town today, can I get the address?

Broker: Blah Blah Blah, then the address.....

To make this a little shorter, the dang truck is 4 hours from Port Huron, Mi. And it is in a wrecking yard. So, I think I will chock this one up as a learning experience from Craigslist.

Thanks for the replies, I will hopefully be getting some advice in the near future from you guys on my future purchase.