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"GREAT LIST " for picking up your Deuce!

beetle

Member
31
1
8
Location
State College, Pennsylvania
I just got my EUC cleared & I am going to Mechanicsburg to pick up my deuce next week. Its only 90 miles to my place so I am planning on driving her home.According to Gl the truck runs. I saw your take list for needed supplies & I have most of it together now. I was wondering what tools I need to make sure to take along. Let me hear from the brave souls who have done this before. I'll take some pics & post soon. Thanks in advance. B.Bailey
 

KaiserM109

New member
1,108
4
0
Location
SE Aurora, CO
I'm a first timer so I expect a wait on my EUC. THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE ABOVE!!

I won a lowball bid on an M109A2 in Ft. Riley, KS the day before I got laid off. I couldn't get much info on it, which is why I lowballed it, so it is a big unkonwn. I don't even know what year it was mfg'd except that it is by Kaiser-Jeep which I believe makes it '66 to '69. You can see from my avatar that it looks good from the outside, but there were no comments about whether or not it starts, there were no pic's of the engine, etc. It did have the steps, all the dash panel and the driver's seat with it, so I am hoping that it hasn't been stripped.

The problem with an M109 is that the hard box on the back is 11 ft. tall and requires a lowboy trailer (13' 6" height limit). The best bid I've gotten for the 500 mile trip to Denver, CO is $2000. I'm thinking about driving it home, so the info above is quite valuable to me. I am particularly interested in houdel's caution about watching for hydrolock as well as other bad noises before actually cranking it. Even if I have it hauled, I will need this info for first startup.

I will study this thread and the lists in it and probably take a printed version with me. One route would be right down I-70, but I'm not sure that I want to do that. Just my luck I'll get the EUC just in time for the first big storm of '07-'08 winter. I'm a mountain boy and the storms on the plains scare the %$&* out of me! My experience in the Army Reserves was that tactical tires were lousy on icy roads.

A. Whit.
 

rumplecat

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,023
205
63
Location
North West Arkansas
Ft. Riley Shop Vans

A.Whit:
Did you get one of the shop vans from the auction a couple of weeks ago? If so I was at Ft. Riley last week picking up some "wins" of my own and tried to look at a shop van a fellow SS Member won. They were stored in a different lot since GL has so many vehicles to auction an very little space. I couldn't go in the lot, but I talked to the head maint. guy there and he said all the shop vans he gave GL would not run, missing parts such as IP and radiators. Just a heads up on the condition for driving home, you may want to make a run down and see what you have to work with.
James G.
 

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oifvet

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,299
9
38
Location
(near) Xenia, Ohio
RE: Ft. Riley Shop Vans

squirt alcohol liberally into compressor while watching goop drip from airtanks...close airtanks
Can anyone elaborate on this step, please? Where exactly do you squirt the alcohol? Just high % rubbing type alcohol? Do this before pressure builds much, or does it matter? I've never done this. Thanks!
 

KaiserM109

New member
1,108
4
0
Location
SE Aurora, CO
RE: Ft. Riley Shop Vans

rumplecat,
I saw that row of vans; they were pretty scruffy looking. They are in the DRMO yard, not GL. Mine even cranked on its own battery power!! Because I had to grind down the pintle hook to make it fit the eye on the bar I was towing my Bronco with, I didn't have time to do more than a quick brake test and a quick once over and under. I did check all the fluids just off post, though.

Desert rat made a good point that I didn't heed until I had trouble which was check the battery connections. I had 2 problems, the brakes went completely out in Manhatan, KS but came back and the connector between the batteries was very loose.

For some one considering the same thing, I recomment following the above advice as carefully as possible and have a backup plan. I got home by driving 12 hr. in 16 hr., but I think I was lucky.

Thanks, all.
 

snowplow

Member
65
19
8
Location
Houston, TX
One more thing to add, from NAPA, P/# SL 134, a brake light sending unit that screws into front of air/hydrolic unit. It is plastic & I had 1 break which will lose brake fluid. They just screw in & connect brake light wires & top off brake fluid. Recomend changing if you have not put a new one in your deuce.

Larry Little
Houston
2- 1986 M35A2C's
1- Oshkosh WT 2206 snow plow
 

MilspecKilroy

New member
7
0
0
Location
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Great list for picking up your Deuce

I picked up my Deuce (M35A2) from Topeka site on 28 March. I must say the Warrant Officer I dealt with could not have been nicer- he offered assistance and even a jump start if needed. Here's what I took: Air tanks with tire chuck, 2 gal anti-freeze, 2 gal distilled water, Appropriate tools (translation- as many as you can haul), 2 batteries in boxes with connector cable for 24v jumping, Booster cables, brake fluids (standard and silicon because you don't know what it'll have, Fuel can w/appropriate fuel, empty can for draining water from tank if necessary, ear muffs, 2.5 gal engine oil, fire extinguisher, flashlight, 2 funnels, 2 pair of gloves (1 for work, 1 for driving), grease gun, plenty of rags, starter fluid, 1 gal transmission lube, walkie-talkie (cheap ones with ear buds to communication with whomever's following you), WD-40, camera. I also took a change of clothes in case I got grubby working on it. Mine also had nearly a full tank of fuel in it! A set of wheel chocks might not be a bad idea but I didn't think of that.

Oh yea, 1 more thing- I picked up a container of diesel 911 from Tractor Supply to treat the fuel in the tank.

As it turned out after checking as much as I could I hit the starter and it roared to life and I drove it 300 miles home! I was blessed with good fortune.

Photos added: I have more but don't want to take up too much space.
 

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swbradley1

Modertator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
14,191
1,539
113
Location
Dayton, OH
RE: Great list for picking up your Deuce

You took the camera and didn't post pics??????
 

jim-m35a2

New member
309
0
0
Location
Michigan
Check the weather forcast. If it calls for rain or snow, take new wiper blades and duck tape to seal the windshield. If the wiper motors don't work, work them by hand and give them more air. If they stop, reset them and keep working them by hand. They will free up and work on there own.

Jim
________
Yamaha Fz750
 
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diseased

New member
14
0
1
Location
Jax/Fla
I picked my up M35A2 from Eglin AFB on the 11th. One thing a friend of my brothers told me to do is check if i could hear the fuel pump and if I couldn't, check the little 3 amp slow burn fuse on top of the tank. It was bad and I replaced the wire connecter to it also. I started it up as per the operator manual and drove her to a friend in the Pensacola area. 10 gallons of fresh diesel and a 3 amp fuse after doing all the other checks it is one of the best feelings i have had on buying any vehicle. The people were also great at the GL.

Dennis
 

LanceRobson

Well-known member
1,638
206
63
Location
Pinnacle, Stokes County, NC
Getting ready for a pick up at Picatinny (190 miles) and looked at this again to jog the old brain cell.

Some more things I'd add. I'm lucky that some local friends also have MVs (including a herd of M35A2s), so we pool parts and help each other at pick up time. It makes taking chances on more vehicles and picking stuff up easier.

If you don't have the parts on the shelf and you've got access to a donor deuce, a temporary loan of a few parts can save a bad pick up.

Some of this stuff is approaching the "pole vaulting over mouse turds" stage but, the only time we ever HAD to trailer something was an M1008 with a blown transmission. We've always been able to drive everything else.

The farther we are from home the more we take!

So, to the list. I hope there's not too much duplication.

All three belts along with either an air compressor wrench or a 2' pipe wench (it's the smallest wrench I've found that'll go around the hub on the air compressor pulley)

A stubby 3/4"wrench-it will fit the majority of master cylinder caps and is a lot easier to swing in the limited space under the floor than a full length wrench.

The latest edition -10 and -20 manuals.
A light switch.
A turn signal switch.
A flasher.
An oil fill cap and dip stick-sometimes they're missing.
An ammo can or padded box with a box each of all the lamps.
A rear composite light-complete.
A front turn signal housing-complete. (it's easier to change one than mess with a corroded light)
A roadside reflector kit.
A fire extinguisher.
A first aid kit (with eyewash saline solution)
A clipboard with pick up paper work, insurance papers, maps etc. Pack this first (don't ask!)
Battery terminal clamps.
Tire valve caps and a few extra cores with a core tool. This can sometimes save changing a tire.
A spare tire. More than on is better if you haven't seen the truck and you don't know what the tires look like.
Penetrating oil and PB-Blaster.
Wasp and hornet spray (in season)
An 8 ton bottle jack with a 1' square chunk of 3/4" plywood for soft ground.
A pad or small tarp of some kind to lay on.
A chunk of plywood and small ratchet strap in case the battery box is rotted or missing.
A starter-especially on long trips.
A wrench big enough to quicly change tires. I use a Swench manual impact wrenchor Robotool but used to use a long handled 3/4" ratchet with extension.
7 pounds of $50 bills.
The phone numbers of and strip maps to your enroute SS buddies!

If picking up a trailer, too, add:

An intervehicular cable.
A spare tire (if different from the deuce)
A cotter pin for the pintle.
An air hose with glad hand.
A few glad hand gaskets.

It's usually a pick up truck's worth of stuff but it's all been needed at least once in the past!

Lance
 

Sephirothq

Well-known member
1,423
25
48
Location
Trevorton / PA
My list for a pickup and towing a duece

Cardboard to lay on
Rags
Hand cleaner
PB Blasters
fuel cans
wire cutters
Vise grips
Jack
Tire tools
Distilled water
Your GL invoice
Brake fluid
batteries
Engine oil
Antifreeze
belts for alternator and compressor
Air hose with a removable chuck
Air Gauge for tires
piece of copper wire
funnels small, med, large
jumper cables
cotter key for pintle
safety chains
tow light cords (Nato to Nato connector)
Slave cable
Tow bar tow bar ends 1" and pins to tow bar
2 way radios for comms in between trucks
steel wire
drill and batteries
1/4" bit 1/4" bolts, washers, nuts
Zip ties
electrical tape
wrenches other tools (3/4 " for drive shaft)
Impact wrench with end to fit air hose
temp tags and insurance

and blocking
 

connectingbar

Member
171
3
18
Location
New Hartford, NY
RE: Ft. Riley Shop Vans

I am waiting for my EUC from Battle Creek so I can pick up my first Duce from FT DRUM. I plan on having a low boy to transport it. Has anyone delt with GL there and how helpful are they? I see that they have a forklift there and I will ask if he can pull it up on the trailer. I am currently working on a project on post just down the road and I have a all terrian lift to assist loading if need be.
 

Rolling_Eudaimonia

New member
571
2
0
Location
New York State
RE: Ft. Riley Shop Vans

Next, never underestimate the power of positive thinking and coffee.... This coupled with a 7,000-10,000 dollar limit on a 0% interest credit card can make picking up a truck alot better...
 
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