My M880 Thread (pics plus bonus M882)

[bikeman]

apparently they tried installing some tires on a Ford 16.5 rim and it "got all messed up so we don't do them anymore" said the lady (employee) walking past the service adviser talking to me...

My local off-road shop, the one I go to for non-warranty or upgrade stuff on my Ram 2500 said they would.

 

[FrankUSMC]

Bikeman
Do you still have any good friends in the Army with connections to your historians in the photo lab? Back in the 1970s, I remember going on Fort Jackson with my mom to the commissary. There was this big warehouse on the base next to the rail line. The night before it had burnt down. I remember seeing just rows of brand new M880s, all brunt to a crisp, and the roofs all crushed down when the warehouse roof collapsed. Even as a kid I was into military vehicles, I remember looking at all those poor M880s.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[bikeman]

Bikeman
Do you still have any good friends in the Army with connections to your historians in the photo lab?
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

Nothing with the archives or photo labs anymore. I had one kinda connection but he is out now.

 

[Bob H]

apparently they tried installing some tires on a Ford 16.5 rim and it "got all messed up so we don't do them anymore" said the lady (employee) walking past the service adviser talking to me...

Sounds like a place to steer clear of!

 

[bikeman]

Busted the drivers side rear view mirror bolt trying to get it off. Thought I had broken it loose... managed to shear it off. PB Blaster is working on it... batteries in the drill are charging and going to see if I can attack it with my (thankfully just purchased) broken/stripped bolt bits tomorrow morning.

 

[ICAT]

subscribed

 

[bikeman]

Welp... Busted the "SpeedOut" bit that I was using... sheared it right off. I've drilled out the bolt to the max of my capabilities. Any remnants of the bolt outside of the mirror bracket are gone... the largest speed out will grip it, but still no movement on the bolt itself. I either need a more powerful drill, or... not sure. maybe a self tapping bolt...? Very, very aggravating.

 

[Amer-team]

Do you still have the broken speed out in there? If so it will be a bugger. If it is out, Sometimes you can have some luck drilling all the way through with a small bit and then running a tap through that hole, mostly to weaken the sides of the stuck bolt. You should then be able to get it out and use a full size, proper thread tap to clean it up and install the new bolt. Remember anti-seize can be your friend at that point.

 

[bikeman]

Do you still have the broken speed out in there? If so it will be a bugger. If it is out, Sometimes you can have some luck drilling all the way through with a small bit and then running a tap through that hole, mostly to weaken the sides of the stuck bolt. You should then be able to get it out and use a full size, proper thread tap to clean it up and install the new bolt. Remember anti-seize can be your friend at that point.

managed to bang the SpeedOut out... I did drill out the bolt, attempted the next size up speed out (the #4, largest in the kit), with no luck. drilled out again, tried the #4 with no luck... actually managed to make my 18v DeWalt smoke from torque-ing on the bolt. Liberal application of PB Blaster throughout this whole attempt.

At this point, I think it's beyond salvage, but a member on here (not sure if you want to be recognized or not) has offered me a replacement arm. I am going that route right now.

 

[bikeman]

going to head out this morning and put the replacement arm on. (Thank you!!)

I'll add this picture as it's current (at least until the new arm goes on) but shows the amber light bar.


One issue. It seems to "loose fuel" when sitting. that in I have to crank it and pump the gas pedal to get it to kick over. Hasn't been a problem before but did become a problem yesterday. I drained the battery trying to crank it (thankfully charged back up ok, but going to be ordering an Optima replacement probably). it just wouldn't kick. thought maybe I was out of fuel, but shouldn't have been (and I'm not). so we put 5 gal in and it did kick over... this was in a slight slope where it was parked for about 20-30 min after a 20 min drive. Advice?

 

[michigandon]

Keep it full of gas and keep it driven often.

It takes the mechanical fuel pump a while to pump it back up to the carb when the stuff in the float bowl evaporates. Ours does the same thing.

Sure wish we had a brush guard like that!

 

[Amer-team]

How long was the truck sitting before the failure to start. Do a search of the threads on loss of prime at the carb. I had that problem, used advice on here, solved it, and now it is back again. If I let the truck sit for week, it loses prime. I also found that I had a bad fuel line that was letting in air. Of course it was a short one on top of the fuel tank and a bugger to replace. A retired military mechanic I knew gave the advice to put a loop in the fuel line between the fuel pump and the carb. I did not try it, but he said that was a fix they came up with to beat that problem.

 

[bikeman]

How long was the truck sitting before the failure to start. ...

20-30 minutes... like I stated.

 

[Amer-team]

Sorry I keyed on the failure to start. Too many variables without a bit more diagnostic. Still sounds like something in the fuel system. Back to the fuel questions, does it have fuel, is it getting fuel, is it getting too much fuel (flooding). Then the variables that go off from that. My problem ended up being a well hidden cracked fuel line, letting it suck air sometimes if things flexed right.

 

[bikeman]

Installed the Driver's side new arm and mirror today. I added one of the plastic washers between the two parts of the door mount for the mirror since I had it off and it seemed to make sense to me.

 

[bikeman]

Ok, question.

I'm disassembling my troop seats so I can get replacement wood. only about half of the bolts that I've tried have actually come off, the rest are just spinning in the rotten wood... how do I get them out? I'm not dead set on keeping the original bolts, but part of me would like to. I also want at least one full slat (I have one, but it's a middle and I need the top one off) to pass to the person who is going to be doing the wood for me.

 

[NDT]

Grab the carriage bolt with vise grips is what I do. McMaster has new ones.

 

[bikeman]

Grab the carriage bolt with vise grips is what I do. McMaster has new ones.

Well, that worked like a charm!

 

[bikeman]

Well, about halfway through seat disassembly. Good thing I'm not married as the wife would be pissed I was doing it in the middle of the living room. Way too hot outside.

I have "completed" my Pioneer tool rack, and am looking into mounting options. bolting vs. riveting. It will be offset, not centered, as I am also putting a manual/pouch back there as well.

Still in the tire search... may be getting convinced to go to 16" rims... What have people replaced 16.5s with? I'm assuming there's a standard answer, just need to know it.

Otherwise, she's been running ok. Still not "Happy" with her starting, but she's good once she gets going.

 

[Bob H]

I have used 16" Ford rims, IIRC they were a little wider than the dodge 16" steelies.
The center hole from the Chevy's is too small @ 4-3/4, Need 4-7/8 to clear the rear hub.