1,680 mile HEMTT recovery

[Tornadogt]

I am in San Antonio just off I-10 if you need help or a pit stop.. PM Me for contact info before you start your travels.

 

[Monkeyboyarmy]

I don't know how you can sleep at night knowing that you only paid that much for that truck.

 

[VPed]

I'm at mile 42 of I-10, near El Paso, covering the gap between Tornado and 98G.

 

[DeeMan6996]

Wow that was a steal. Keep us updated and make sure to take pictures! Good luck and have a safe trip

 

[M920]

First things first, I appreciate the feedback, however I can say that our inspectors check the fluids before they start the truck I have also approved and paid thousands of dollars worth of fluids and oils for us to do these inspections and try to get these trucks running. So I seriously have my doubts about that. We have built a reputation on our inspections and have and will continue to stand by them. The fact is at the end of the day these are decades old equipment and some haven't been ran in many years. We have sold a lot of trucks out of Fort Worth and I have heard nothing but positive feedback from those that have gotten them. My PM is always open if anyone wants to contact me at anytime either positive or negative feedback is always welcome!

Just wanted to mention that the water temp gauge does not read high engine temp if the coolant is drained, even if the engine overheats!
So they really have to have coolant present to register....hope this helps.

Very cool looking truck....good luck on the trip!

Soni

 

[Chief_919]

HEMTT gauges do funny things when you are running them with dead batteries, especially if the alternator is iffy or if you slave stared it with no batteries or ones that won't take a charge. if these trucks were jumped and didn't have good batteries that would explain the pegged gauges.

Once you get that Detroit running it will run with no need for 24v until you go to shut it down. I have slave started ones with batteries so dead that we had to hook the slave cables back up to shut them off because the engine stop solenoid wouldn't work. When that happens some gauges work, some don't.

 

[turnkey]

WOW great looking truck and really going to be a fun run for you...Lots of help on the way also...Safe trip and lots of pics on the way (please)...Some people have all the fun....I would love to join you on the trip...But the wife has other ideas...go figure.

 

[agazza2]

Great looking truck. If you decide to stop in Phoenix, I would like to see your vehicle. Would be nice to see a HEMMT in person while still building my M932A2 to MK-48 cab conversion. Last time I seen a HEMMT was in the Army in 1986.

 

[HASSON1911]

Hey didn't see this post soon enough for my input. First off congratulations on the win

When I got mine my radiator was bone dry, after adding 20gal. of coolant my level has stayed the same for since I got her in August, so I know there's no leak.

Which means in the video when it was running for auction when it was loaded on to my shippers truck and when it was unloaded, it was all operating on bone dry coolant. The impressive part is that since filling and running the truck I have noticed no negative results from those events. So a testament to their water pumps. In the video my temp was pegged to the max. After filling mine climbs to 180 within 15-20min and regulates well between 180 and 185, which is quite and perfectly normal for the 8v92 I've read.

My oil pressure is only 10-15psi on idle but once rpms build it goes up 45-50. I do know there's some electric issues due to quick jitters every now and then. But the pos is I have 2 brand new batteries that were in when I received her. W

 

[JDToumanian]

First off congratulations on the win

Thanks! I'm so excited to go get it I can hardly stand it.

When I got mine my radiator was bone dry, after adding 20gal. of coolant my level has stayed the same for since I got her in August, so I know there's no leak.

Which means in the video when it was running for auction when it was loaded on to my shippers truck and when it was unloaded, it was all operating on bone dry coolant. The impressive part is that since filling and running the truck I have noticed no negative results from those events. So a testament to their water pumps. In the video my temp was pegged to the max. After filling mine climbs to 180 within 15-20min and regulates well between 180 and 185, which is quite and perfectly normal for the 8v92 I've read.

Thank goodness no damage was done! I guess a little idling, and loading and unloading it didn't generate enough heat...

My oil pressure is only 10-15psi on idle but once rpms build it goes up 45-50.

That's normal... 2-cycle Detroits have a relatively low pressure, high volume oil system. A perfectly healthy engine can be as low as 5 psi at idle, which some gauges don't even register. Have you done an oil change yet? I suggest getting the military's 15w-40 oil out of there ASAP. The API has a special oil classification specifically for the 2-cycle engines due to their unique requirements and differences from 4-stroke engines... It's CF-2, and should be mono-grade 40 weight. Anything else drastically reduces the lifespan... "liner scuffing" would soon have the engine blowing oil out of the airbox drains. It's why the military is lucky to get 75,000 miles from an engine that routinely does 500,000+ in civilian service. Detroit Diesel published a lengthy technical bulletin about it, I can post it if anyone cares...

Jon

 

[dk8019]

Could you post up the technical bulletin, I would love to read it!

 

[tobyS]

Where are you now, 11/13? I'm not sure I wouldn't have coughed up $4k to trailer it.

 

[AZK9]

Awesome vehicle! Safe travels!

Enjoy the adventure and post pics and some details as you can!

 

[jerry v]

You are such a winner on that one

 

[Jeepsinker]

By the way, just looked at the pics again, and your truck is not at Polk, it is at Camp Beauregard in Pineville. If you go to Polk, you'll be 50 miles south of where you need to be. For some reason they just list everything at polk sometimes, even though it isnt.

I would also advise bringing two good batteries at least. They have problems with someone literally stealing the batteries from all of the vehicles on that particular lot. They got the batteries from a few that I picked up there, after I already had them running the day before when I picked up another ( I got 14 out of there), and they stole several 5 gallon buckets of rotella out of the back of my deuce when I left it there to go for lunch with my woman in the Honda.

 

[Tracer]

Be safe. Definitely an adventure..........I'm jealous.

 

[HASSON1911]

Thanks! I'm so excited to go get it I can hardly stand it.



Thank goodness no damage was done! I guess a little idling, and loading and unloading it didn't generate enough heat...



That's normal... 2-cycle Detroits have a relatively low pressure, high volume oil system. A perfectly healthy engine can be as low as 5 psi at idle, which some gauges don't even register. Have you done an oil change yet? I suggest getting the military's 15w-40 oil out of there ASAP. The API has a special oil classification specifically for the 2-cycle engines due to their unique requirements and differences from 4-stroke engines... It's CF-2, and should be mono-grade 40 weight. Anything else drastically reduces the lifespan... "liner scuffing" would soon have the engine blowing oil out of the airbox drains. It's why the military is lucky to get 75,000 miles from an engine that routinely does 500,000+ in civilian service. Detroit Diesel published a lengthy technical bulletin about it, I can post it if anyone cares...

Jon

Was done immediately with Rotella t40 got no complaints and honestly after the change the engine ran a 1000x better, purred like a cat and ran like a top.

I hope the oil change to 40w at 21k miles was enough to save the engine to last over 75k.

I changed the tranny fluid too, but it still acts funny to me (it may be normal but i have no other hemtt reference it too) when it wants to up shift, almost like it wants to but it hesitates revs up and when i let off itll lock and then im good to go. but other than that no complaints

 

[jjb]

Could you post up the technical bulletin, I would love to read it!

Me too.

 

[m715mike]

I'm a bit north of NDT in Houston. I can order pizza like nobody's business. If you find yourself here and hungry, let me know! Otherwise, I won't be much help with the recovery. Although, I'm really looking forward to more pictures and information about your trip.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[tobyS]

How are you doing Jon (or has anyone heard from him)?