Starting M812 & M139 today

[m139h2otruck]

It was above 35F today so I thought I would try to start both trucks that are parked @ the shop for the winter to recharge the batteries and give them a little "run". The M139 was driven into the yard in early Nov. and has not been started since and the M812 just has been idle, last started about Sept. The M139 has standard Wal-Mart batteries w/ a solarcharger and the M812 has used Size 31s (2 each).

Both started with very little trouble. The M812 cranked slow (big engine) and stalled after the first shot from the ether booster. Stayed running after the second shot and held idle at 1,000 rpm. The M139 always cranks for about 30-45 seconds on full choke then fires off with a big cloud of gas smoke and runs OK at 1,200 rpm with no choke on after 1 minute or so. Let both run for about 45 minutes to get the oil hot (gage @ 160F) and then shut down.

Will try it again March 1 or so.

 

[srodocker]

ahhh wont not being drivin around?

 

[m139h2otruck]

M812 no plates & the M139 inspection is up (6 months). New plates in April, so will get new inspection sticker then.

 

[BKubu]

I realize this DOES NOT apply to your two trucks, but I have a word of caution for guys with deuces with turbos. While I don't own an M35A2 or any variant to my name right now, I love them and have owned several (probably eight at the height...or bottom...depending upon if you ask me or my wife!). Anyway, I was like a lot of you guys who liked to start my trucks and let them idle (even at like 1,000 RPM) during the winter to heat up the oil and charge up the batteries. Well, at idle, even 1,000 RPM, a diesel won't get hot. The turbos on a deuce leak a bite of oil and without getting the exhaust really hot, it did not burn the oil off. Well, when next I drove the truck there was so much smoke that you would have thought that an old school diesel locomotive drive by! I was unsure what happened and asked Joe Young who explained about oil leaking by the turbo seal and dripping into the exhaust where it say unburnt until you really drove the truck and got the exhaust hot! A friend on this list just had the same experience with his deuce. I told him Joe's sage words of advice and a short drive rectified the problem for him. I suppose the point of this is to say that sometimes starting and idling your truck is not good for it, even at 1,000 RPM. I am not directing this to the original poster as I have no idea how or if this applies to a gasser or an NA NHC250. I just thought guys who own the deuces would like to know this since I bet this is the most prevalent truck on this list.