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G749 Trucks hard to come by

USMC 00-08

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Another thought.....I have seen mentioned where guys have used the bell housing off of an old CCKW to bolt onto the 302 to convert to standard. Surely it is the halves that must stay together but I really don't know.
 

NDT

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I'm sure that in the 66 years these truck have been around, somebody mismatched bellhousings and could report back if it worked ok, but I suspect those individuals are all pushing up daisies.
 

1944mb

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Big Timber, MT
So just got off the phone with Tom at Alfa Haven and he said it is no problem to mismatch these bell-housing halves. His opinion was it was the military being anal about keeping them together, and that chances are there are more across the world that aren't matched than are. Just his thoughts. So that sounds promising! Smiles once again.
 

SturmTyger380

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Easley SC
I always thought that bell housing matching was silly. How would you have a manuf process to create reliable trucks for the Army and then have a truck dead lined due to a miss matched bell housing. So where are the specs listed for matching them up again once one is destroyed? Hummmm.........?
 

jeffhuey1n

SMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
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For the engines in post #40, I can check the numbers the next day or so. Snowing to beat all for the next couple days and they're stored out in the barn. I'll add a note to go out there and check them.
 

1944mb

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Big Timber, MT
With a significantly colder winter than the past few years , 70 degrees feels warm, but it hit that today and it almost felt hot. The 211 has been begging me all winter to do something to it, and today I finally made good on my promise. Decreased the engine I picked up from South Dakota this past fall and got some paint on it. The color I'm gonna name it now-it's Scrounger OD green, haha. USMC gave it to me when we visited them last year, as it was a sample he had mixed up. I loosely nicknamed him scrounger cause whenever I need something he always seems to find what I need. The color looks really correct to me for a Korea era US army military vehicle. I don't know if this engine works or not, but I figured if I'm gonna stuff it under the hood, just as well look as though it belongs there. Probably put it in and find the tranny is bad, haha oh well time will tell.
 

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m1010plowboy

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That gives me a big smile so I'm thinking you must be very happy with it. The color looks good! Have you pulled the valve cover yet? I want to see under that skirt! We have some more valve cover gaskets ordered up from NAPA so the manufacturer knows there is a demand for them and should keep them coming. Have you pulled the plugs and/or rolled her over by hand? Really hoping it's free for you and that the bell housing thing doesn't hang you up.

We know we've got a mission to pick up sirens in Medicine Hat, which is close to Lethbridge. The paperwork is in but no schedules are made yet so besides a tear down 'practice' transmission, make up that parts list. When we meet up maybe we can feed some spare goods down south. I'm sure I have a spare set of points in the bin.

Handy spare items and perishables like plugs, points, (point set/ capacitors / resisters / complete distributor) oil filter, water pump, belts and plug wires are good to have around.

Still 6' of frost in the ground up here so really nice seeing what warm looks like!
 

1944mb

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Big Timber, MT
We were 10F last week, so this weather feels great. We have frost in the ground still, just not 4' down. The snow just left with the warm weather. Going to Medicine Hat, eh? That sounds like Lethbridge would work well for both of us. The poutine from Canadian is calling me...haha.

Glad to hear that you are keeping manufacturers making gaskets. When I thought the original engine was salvagable I ordered a gasket set. They had to manufacture it. The guy at the counter forgot to order it-by that time I had the engine apart and realized it was toast. I would like to approach a manufacturer and come up with a reduction unit kit-seems as though parts are still pretty available for the rest of the transmission. Would be nice to have a complete kit.

Parts, There are a few parts I could probably come up with that I need. When are you thinking tentatively of going to medicine hat?

Happy with it? I better be-I picked up that Canadian M-207 that I started the thread with. I had a neighbor come see me and said he heard I have a thing for deuce and a halves. He had one he wanted gone-turns out I also shook hands on a m-135-a little more than a mile from my house! The roads have been solid ice most winter so I decided to wait till they cleared off. but I'll flat tow them home soon. I'm in trouble if I don't like them, haha.

I've spun it over. Its nice and smooth. Are these common to get stuck valves after sitting? Seems I've heard that they do. I was just gonna stuff it in and see if it runs, but I suppose it makes sense to see how everything looks underneath. I could use the practice pulling engines on these, so if I have to do it a few times, so be it. I know I need to do brakes all the way around, have a bad axle seal on the back axle. rebuild the air pac.
 

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USMC 00-08

Well-known member
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Skiatook, OK
The color I'm gonna name it now-it's Scrounger OD green, haha. USMC gave it to me when we visited them last year, as it was a sample he had mixed up. I loosely nicknamed him scrounger cause whenever I need something he always seems to find what I need.
Scrounger....eh?

I really like the color and am glad to see it on something. I've not used it yet, even though I matched it a couple years ago. Thanks for testing it for me. Haha! That motivates me to get my truck done. I'm definitely using that paint color.
 

m1010plowboy

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Parts missing and hard to come by

I'd love to hear the story about that truck's after service life. Looks like a better time than having a manure spreader on it. Lighter cab, open wheel racing, rad supports flipped for cutting wire...lol. Poor ol' girl!

Keep up the good work! You got me motivated enough to load up an engine and head off to get it de-greased. I hear if you leave your truck idling that it will warm up over here by 2 degrees. [thumbzup]
 

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1944mb

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Big Timber, MT
Not sure exactly what it was designed for...haha the cab is enlarged inside maybe designated driver ride home type of a truck...other than the driver had a few too many and tore everything off the truck? Demolish-ion derby competitor? It was covered in snow enough, not too sure what was behind the cab!. Kind of thinking about taking the two parts truck and making a sort of complete one.

Whats the mercury at there? Are you working on another project for that engine to slip into? Goose needs another companion right? Looks like I slipped in the degreasing and painting right in time-raining now, and weatherman says 50% snow all week. Oh well I had a few days of warmth... besides 20F is a beauty compared to what it has been. 70F felt kind of hot!
 

USMC 00-08

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Skiatook, OK
I'll try. Still have not been to successful scaring up extra cash lately, but I know someone that will have a couple extra M135 cargo beds in the near future. :beer:

Your wife is going to hate me before this is over.
 

1944mb

Active member
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Big Timber, MT
I'll try. Still have not been to successful scaring up extra cash lately, but I know someone that will have a couple extra M135 cargo beds in the near future. :beer:

Your wife is going to hate me before this is over.
Extra beds have you been holding out on me?

So are you trying to say that when she asks, I blame you, for me buying parts, or trucks?? Now you're being insensitive to my feelors-I've never done that. Well maybe there was that one time, or two , Haha!

There's only two ways she can take it!!

https://youtu.be/minnUiMqPL4
 
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jeffhuey1n

SMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
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There is a 135 bed at the Welding Shop in Cheyenne. I don't know it's condition but it is a 135 bed as near as I can tell. I'll try and get a pic tomorrow. I talked to the guy who owns it and the adjacent 211 bed. He's looking to get $500 or so for each.
 
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