• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Artisan's M916

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
Yes, all M915 Series trucks have the same Grille Guard.
As soon as you hit the A1 series all bets are off.

They were listed "somewhat" wrong... :)

WHAT a score...
 

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
CORRECTION; It will fit the M915A1 and I believe it will fit all M915 series
too, as the auction states.


It appears as though these grilles were specifically for the M915A1,
but-some-however, I do believe they will fit all the M915 series
of trucks as well and would be used in cold climates.

Case and Point, the bug screen, the expanded metal just behind
the body piece called a "grille" is the same P/N for the M915 series
and the M915A1. They look exactly the same except for
the pre-drillings for the winter front cover.

The only difference I see is the M915A1 grille has bonus drillings for
the turn-button fasteners for the winter, front cover and I "think"
they are plastic or fiberglass.

My brain hurts and if someone else can do a lil research I would be
appreciative.

HERE IS A START;
M915A1 - TM 9-2320-283-24P PDF PG 324 = 2510-01-147-6368 ATT-G915 GRILLE,RADIATOR
M915/M916/M917/M918/M919/M920 - TM 9-2320-273-24P PDF PG 61 = 2510-01-088-2739 ME207-20001 GRILLE,METAL,RADIAT


SO until I am corrected w/ proof, I am assuming they will fit all M915 Series and the M915A1, but NOT the M916A1
and they will be A-Ok for a crash part or if you want the OE set up for the winter front radiator cover.

I am still threating to do wall art w/ one of them. If I can get FatHead.com to print me up
a 1:1 picture of the front of the truck, then attach this to the wall in front of it all, painted
to match, would be a badazzzzzzzzzzzzzzz wall mural or garage door art.


 

av8or

Member
352
4
18
Location
fort denaud, florida
The m915 a1 guard on my m915 a1 will fit my m915, But not my m916 or m920 as they are different. The m915 did not have a grill guard when built. I did add one to my m915 but it needed a m915 a1 guard as the m916 grill guard would not fit. The grills are all the same but the guards are different.
 

Castle Bravo

Hundredaire Socialite
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,964
215
63
Location
Arizona
The m915 a1 guard on my m915 a1 will fit my m915, But not my m916 or m920 as they are different. The m915 did not have a grill guard when built. I did add one to my m915 but it needed a m915 a1 guard as the m916 grill guard would not fit. The grills are all the same but the guards are different.
I agree with this.

There are at least two variants of the brush guards as well - the square tubing type and the round cylinder type. I do not know if one is early and one is late model or what the difference is. It seems like the round type is less common. I also think the square tubing one looks better. Maybe its sort of like the M809 early tubing brush guard vs the later slat brush guard.

Some M916 rebuilds that have M915A1 grill guards on them. I always suspected that this was because thats what Red River had in stock, or something to that effect. A few photos -

551830_6002_159_0001.jpg 551047_73_88_0001.jpg

---

The AM General trucks are M915, M915A1, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20.

The Freightliner trucks are more complicated - There were no M918, M919, & M920 trucks "continued" on with. This is perhaps a good way to group them in terms of their engines and transmissions -

Gen 1 - M915A2, M916A1, M916A2, M917
Gen 2 - M915A3, M915A4
Gen 3 - M916A3, M917A2
Gen 4 - M915A5

None of those have anything to do with the AM General M915 series trucks other than that a Freightliner M915A4 is a glider kit on an AM General M915. This is, why, I believe, M915A0s are not very common. I think they all got turned into M915A4s for the most part.
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,541
5,852
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
I've been biting my tongue on this since Post #1.....

Are these GRILLS the charcoal variety or do they burn propane???

Ok, there, I finally asked.

Sorry for the temporary hijack.

We now return this thread to its original topic.

Carry on.
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
18,003
4,563
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
I've been biting my tongue on this since Post #1.....

Are these GRILLS the charcoal variety or do they burn propane???

Ok, there, I finally asked.

Carry on.
These grills!?

They're the little ones.

The ones made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

That's what all little grills are made of.

I thought everybody knew THAT!
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,541
5,852
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
These grills!?

They're the little ones.

The ones made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

That's what all little grills are made of.

I thought everybody knew THAT!
Be careful there Ahab. Folks around here don't take to well to Peddle-Files.

Jus' sayin'.

On a more serious note:
These forums are awesome. If there is a detail to be discussed - ANY detail - it can and will be discussed here with knowledge and enthusiasm.
I never new I'd be in an in-depth conversation about the grills on an MV I don't even own (but someday might). Yet now, I know all about them.

Thank y'all for letting us listen in.

John
 

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
CLICK HERE to see the seats I added into my M916.

The Drivers side bolted in.
The Passenger side, well, I removed the pedestal and chopped
it down a good 2" I think it was so the PS seat woul sit at the
same height as the DS seat.

It came out BassAzz...

Stay tuned for pics...
 

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
I am having an issue with the A/C in my M916.

The symptoms are the A/C works intermittently, ONLY
after shutting the truck down. Sometimes the A/C works
when I restart and sometimes it does not.

The A/C will be working fine, I shut off the truck and then restart
and the A/C "can" be dead, or it "can" be ok!

It only dies after an engine shut down.

It does not die every time!

It is a Red Dot #RD-2-4530-0 system. I believe the main evaporator
assembly in the cab to be VERY similar to many other RD
military style systems.

For the first 6 months or so after install there were no issues, none.
Then one day I climbed into the cockpit after 2 weeks of no use
and I saw the A/C switch was left on, and the A/C did not work
when I started the truck. This should not be an issue IMO.

The WHITE wire from the control panel connects to one of the two
open electrical tabs on the ignition switch. I connected a multimeter
to this tab and I get 11.55 Volts when I cycle the key to ON.
I get 0 volts when key is off. I get the same results when
the A/C is dead or when the A/C is working. IMO this rules
out a bad ignition switch. (I replaced it anyways prior)

The A/C system is wired directly to the batteries FWIW.
When the A/C dies, so does the compressor clutch.

The A/C only dies AFTER I shut the truck off. The A/C will
die regardless of the position of the A/C switch, so on
or off when I shut off the truck the A/C "can" die, but
not always! Remember it acts up intermittently !

When the A/C is working, w/ the A/C switch ON, when you cycle the
ignition switch from OFF to ON w/o pressing the start button,
you can hear the compressor clutch engage and disengage.

When the A/C is NOT working, w/ the A/C switch ON, when you cycle the
ignition switch from OFF to ON w/o pressing the start button,
you can NOT hear the compressor clutch engage and disengage.

So when things go south I seem to loose power everywhere.

The circuit breaker on the A/C unit itself, never trips...

Are there any relays in the A/C system that can be INOP?


Other things I have done;
I have removed all 8 electrical relays and tested them w/ a “Relay Buddy” to 100% good.

I have checked continuity on all Circuit breakers in the dash hole.

All circuit breaker wires are snug.

I have 2- 12V Batteries not 4 monster military batteries fwiw.

Everything else works 100% in the truck that I know of. The truck is
borderline pristine w/ 3800 miles since rebuild. Rebuild was a frame off reset.

The only wiring I have changed is I added a license plate light in the back.
I swapped in the upgraded charging system that WAS designed for the truck,
to the letter of the instructions.

I added a car radio, it gets power directly from the battery, there is an exciter
Wire from the ignition switch to the radio, it connects to the same tab as
the A/C white wire. Otherwise the wiring harness is stock and was
Replaced new in 2008 and is unadulterated.


CLICK HERE for the A/C installation manual

Anyone have any input?

 

av8or

Member
352
4
18
Location
fort denaud, florida
Does the out side temp. Have any effect on this? If you have a little to much R134 and the out side temp gets to high it will cause high pressure switch to shut it down. If this is it, it will work as the outside temp goes down.
 

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
I keep reading and I am questioning a few things related to that av8or.

I do not remember seeing a scale when refrigerant was added. ( I installed
the system and paid a local shop to charge it) I am still trying to learn
how to do this stuff. I am threating on buying gauge sets, scales, leak detector,
nitrogen gauge and bottle, vacuum pump and R410A, R134A and R22 refrigerants
but dang....$$$

I am wondering if there is a leak or not enough refrigerant.

I found the Red Dot Service Manual, in reading it just now I happened upon these sections;

TRINARY™ switch — a three function switch,
the first two functions protect the compressor from
operating as follows: 1) abnormally low refrigerant
or loss of refrigerant, 2) extremely high head pressure.
The third function can open the radiator
shutter and/or cycle an air or electric operated fan
clutch when the system requires more air flow
through the condenser

Binary™ switch — a two function pressure activated
switch used to prevent compressor damage
when pressure is to high or refrigerant is lost from
the AC system

If enough refrigerant or oil has leaked out, a low pressure cutout switch may
have cut the circuit to the clutch, protecting the compressor. Because the
system has not been maintained in a year, there may be other components that
should be serviced. You could fix the probable causes, and the system might
work and then break down again as the rig drives out of your place. From your
knowledge and what the operator has just told you, you know this may not be a
quick fix problem.

When you turn on the air conditioner at the control panel (1), the thermostat
(2), is supposed to sense a warm temperature at the evaporator. A circuit in the
thermostat should close, allowing current to flow through the thermostat to the
compressor clutch field coil (3). When this happens, the clutch field coil becomes
an electromagnet and pulls the clutch drive plate (4) tight against the
clutch pulley (5).

 

Artisan

Well-known member
2,761
227
63
Location
CDA Idaho
I "may" have found the A/C Gremlin.

Those whom have installed the Upgraded charging system I was selling,
and the several systems that made it to GL buyers as well, if your
following, take notice.


I happened to look at the new regulator to view the Diagnostic LEDs, they were DEAD.
You should have a 14V solid Green LED on, under Normal conditions.

I started looking for the obvious, following the black IGN wire in convoluted tubing
from the regulator up to the ETHER switch. BINGO!
I had made a soldered connection w/ a ring connector to connect to the Ether switch,
but the VIBRATIONs of the truck broke the wire off at the soldered ring connector!

Yep, voltage gauge was down to 12V or so too instead of just under the
14V you should be reading if you have the upgraded charging system.
Yes I missed that but it was not like it was dead, it was reading battery
voltage and recently I pulled battery's for the he|| of it and topped them
off.

BUTSOMEHOWEVER, I was reading the Alternator troubleshooting guide
and it said the IGN wire ( The wire that the instructions say to run to the
hot 51? wire at the ETHER switch, the troubleshooting guide calls for that
wire to go to 12-14V "period" . Elsewhere I even saw it needs to go
to 12-15Volts!

So I found 3 different instructions on where to run the IGN wire from
the regulator!.


I reasoned the IGN wire from the regulator is mission critical and I did
not want it go to the Ether switch, so I rerouted it to the key switch, THEN,
I took the exciter wire that goes to the car radio and I moved it to
the Ether switch.

Now try to wrap your head around this theorem;
When the Sony car radio shuts down, it takes about 5-7 seconds
before the screen goes black, all the while the key is off, so I wonder
if any millivolts were freaking out the A/C controls because the A/C white
exciter wire and the radio exciter wire were on the same tab on the key switch.
Well, there are two free tabs you can use on the key switch that get hot
only when the key is turned on, but they TOUCH so voltage can migrate
if present.

Hard to follow but as of right now the A/C turns on and off as advertised.
I have 14V or so on the dash gauge and I can bump my Disco as loud
as I want and drive away into boogiewonderland bliss....:)

THAT was tough! ( If I indeed figured things out )

While I was up in there I found a Jake brake pedal just laying in the steering
column bracket!~ Believe it...Must have been from the Friday Afternoon
or Monday morning reset crew...

I just went out for the 3rd time and all is well still.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks