What have you done to your CUCV today/lately - Part 2

[forest522]

I took the hardtop off at the beginning of summer and have enjoyed going topless. Fall is approaching so I began looking at new seals for the hardtop. Well, some how that turned into me looking at soft tops. Next thing I knew my credit card was in my hand and I was receiving email confirmation that I made my purchase.
I know the MV purist's are have a heart attack right about now, but thats ok. They always seem to be freaking out about something anyways.



http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/soldierman79/IMG_20141004_082324_zpsb7399cf8.jpg

http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/soldierman79/IMG_20141004_082420_zps50bb9489.jpg

That looks great! One could say that it is just an early version of what the modern MVs have! Soft tops, several hard tops, no tops...

Is it noisy or rattling on the road?

 

[Drock]

That looks great! One could say that it is just an early version of what the modern MVs have! Soft tops, several hard tops, no tops...

Is it noisy or rattling on the road?

Agree I like 1009's with the soft tops . I think they look much better. If they only made them in OD. green I'd have one on my m1028.

 

[soldierman79]

That looks great! One could say that it is just an early version of what the modern MVs have! Soft tops, several hard tops, no tops...

Is it noisy or rattling on the road?

Not a sound from it, not even at highway speeds. This thing mounts TIGHT! And the entire thing weighs less than 30lbs. That's a lot of weight off my truck.

 

[soldierman79]

Agree I like 1009's with the soft tops . I think they look much better. If they only made them in OD. green I'd have one on my m1028.

Yea,I wished they had them in OD. It was a choice between the Tan or Black. I like the way this one looks though.

 

[Keith_J]

Electric trailer brake controller. Hopkins brand, proportional control. We shall see in the morning if 55% and gain of 3 is acceptable.

Turned it up to 65, still at a gain of 3. Perfection with a 2600 pound load on the tandem trailer. Yes, I feel the load but it isn't bad. I think things would be different at 5000 pounds.

 

[cucvrus]

I just wanted to put this out there. You can paint the canvas/plastic tops with the Krylon Fusion paint. I have done it before and have had good results. If it is the camo pattern and the top is black you need only the green and brown. I washed the top down with PPG DX330 wax and grease remover and painted 2 of them. They have lasted for 2 years the last time I saw them they were fine. Both were torn from sticks and branches but the paint was fine. The HMMWV tops are all painted on camo. Probably CARC but none the less painted.

 

[rsh4364]

Not a sound from it, not even at highway speeds. This thing mounts TIGHT! And the entire thing weighs less than 30lbs. That's a lot of weight off my truck.

Looks great!Been wanting a softtop for a couple years,wow 30lbs.Thats a big weight savings.I just didn't want to spend the $ just yet.I have to get a new IP then everything should be good.I hope.

 

[skysix]

Put a Class five 2" receiver hitch on my M1031.

I used a Reese Towpower 51016, no cutouts needed. Although I did do a small reduction in the depth of the hitch side panel to increase clearance. I also moved the hitch crossbar slightly forward so the 1/2" pin holes lined up with the pintle base holes so I could tie together with a 9/16" grade 8 u-bolt and two thick SAE grade 8 washers (drilled the pintle base/bumper holes out to 5/8"). Also swapped all hardware to 1/2" grade 8 fine thread with conelock nuts. I did need two sets of the square 1/4" plate washers and used the second set of thick grade 8 dished washers as well (two per bolt) to clear the military bumper reinforcement mounting bolts.

So now, as the unmodified CUCV hitch/bumper and the Reese hitch are solidly tied together (1/2" thick spacer between hitch tube and bumper made from 4 unused 1"x2"x1/4" hitch washers), I can do 15,0000 max pintle tow, 800# max tongue/pintle wt, 8000# max 2" ball tow and 1300#/ 13,100# with a weight distributing hitch.

The U-bolt was custom made by Kevin from autospringcorp.com in Boise Idaho for $13.85 shipped on a 2 day turnaround. 208-362-0431 (4.25" deep. 2.75" inside width - the one shown was a 5" bolt I cut down to 4.25")

 

[Keith_J]

That hitch looks stout and a 1031 will pull it but at acceleration slower than the speed of smell. I towed a compact car on a tandem trailer yesterday with my 1031. The car was labeled at 2700 pounds, trailer about 1250. The only thing that felt comfortable was braking since I had installed a proportional electric brake controller.

Since I only tow a few times a year, I went cheap on the hitch. Basically a 4 bolt flange identical to the stock pintle that I GTAW welded to a receiver tube. This was done for a class II rating, to get to III, I slipped a 12 pound sledge head between the tube and the bottom flange of the bumper. This was emergency use only, I will weld up a better solution when time allows.

 

[patmorrison]

Did the Doghead starter relay mod on my M1009. Previous owner had it bypassed, and for a long time the starter sounded like crap, "clickity clack clickity clack". Now it sounds solid and turns over like a champ!

Thanks SS forum!

 

[cucvrus]

Just asking. How would a relay change the sound of a starter? Never heard of that before. I had to ask. If it was clicking strange before changing the relay it is still clicking strange after changing the relay. I must of missed that part of class. That relay has no effect on the condition of the starter. It is not a fix all for a weak or loose sounding starter. I'm ready for the negative feedback. I still stay OEM always did alway will. Get the starter checked if it is sounding strange not the relay.

 

[chief1983]

I just wonder what he meant by "bypassed". Sounds like it wasn't OEM before...

 

[patmorrison]

Just asking. How would a relay change the sound of a starter? Never heard of that before. I had to ask. If it was clicking strange before changing the relay it is still clicking strange after changing the relay. I must of missed that part of class. That relay has no effect on the condition of the starter. It is not a fix all for a weak or loose sounding starter. I'm ready for the negative feedback. I still stay OEM always did alway will. Get the starter checked if it is sounding strange not the relay.

Right, the relay has no affect on the condition of the starter. I did have the starter rebuilt recently to try and stop it from sounding like crap, but to no avail.

The relay was bypassed like someone would do a 12v conversion, just a single wire jumper. My best guess, and this is just a guess, is that the jumper wire was not allowing enough amperage through to allow the starter solenoid to engage continuously. The starter literally clicked like an impact gun, kind of like if the batteries were low, but it still turned over enough to start the thing. The mod seems to have cleared that up.

Cheers!

 

[cucvrus]

I am glad I don't have these issues. I have seen some of the hack jobs that were converted. I only ever did the 12 volt back to 24 volt 1 time. And the customer paid me to do it. It was a nice M1028 and was with a fire department and the truck never started so they turned it back in to the state. Luckily before they painted it. It was still CARC 3 color woodland. This man bought it as a no start no run when he got it home it would not start and he called me. I went and looked at it and they had converted it to 12 volt but never changed the starter to a 12 volt. The solenoid was 12 volt but the starter motor was still 24. Someone did an awsome conversion. I started it with the slave cables from my truck. It made a horring sound but started. Anyway it was a PIA to convert it back. They had all the bolts missing on the brackets and had cut the brackets for the alternator. They moved the batteries to one tray and had it all messed up. You know the good old push button glow plugs and butt connectors. No fan shroud you get the picture. I am still amazed at some peoples ability to re-invent the wheel. I hope everything works out for you. Keep the starter in mind. If it was starved for amperage and voltage it has taken a beating and will be short to the world. Failure is immenent.

 

[chief1983]

So, from the ignition wire going to the relay, to the starter wire leaving the relay, as if the relay never engaged the 12v hot lead at all? Yeeouch. That would put a lot of current through the ignition.

 

[patmorrison]

So, from the ignition wire going to the relay, to the starter wire leaving the relay, as if the relay never engaged the 12v hot lead at all? Yeeouch. That would put a lot of current through the ignition.

Good point, next time there is a problem, ill be checking the ignition switch. I thought it was funny that the small wire was connected to the larger wire. And as for the starter, it is a new rebuild with only a handful of starts from the old configuration, so not too worried.

 

[chief1983]

I can't believe that thing wasn't glowing like a light bulb. Probably the only thing that kept the starter from frying the ignition was that it was getting insufficient voltage to even really go to town.

 

[skysix]

Yep, with even 8,000# towed on a mild hill is slower than the speed of thought in a news anchor...

 

[corelokt]

In the last month I have:

1. Trashed a level three 700R4 transmission and had it rebuilt, replaced the plugged cooler and new lines, $2500.00

2. Blew a head gasket on my turbo 6.5 and had coolant get into the oil and seized the engine, $3,327.00 for a Teds take out.
Installation as I have my tools packed and moved, as I planned on being myself this week, $?,???.??

I will going w/ ARP studs and a better turbo this time around.

 

[gpzTurbo]

new drivers window regulator (finally!)
installed gm door pin switches and a dome light from a cop car, selectable white or red light
two sets of air horns on a toggle switch because, well, I live in NJ.
new AC Delco glow plugs. Replaced crappy pieced-together half crusty supply wire with new.

still run it around regularly, alternating with my other vehicle. Still loving it!

Just noticed I have a slow trans fluid leak (drops on ground if let sitting). Will check that out next.