Can't Find Info On My M998

[Wire Fox]

I would love to see this in-person some time. It's way to exciting and rare of a truck to just ignore, plus Indianapolis to Dayton isn't too bad of a drive and it's definitely a straight shot. Perhaps once I have mine running well, I can make that trip out there when it works for your schedule?

 

[The Wazu]

I would love to see this in-person some time. It's way to exciting and rare of a truck to just ignore, plus Indianapolis to Dayton isn't too bad of a drive and it's definitely a straight shot. Perhaps once I have mine running well, I can make that trip out there when it works for your schedule?

Certainly! Have to get it running first! Im excited to drive it, all is welcome. I really want to see if someone out there has one like mine. My schedule is always busy but if you get me early enough in the week i can usually plan something

 

[Action]

So, what about all the unhooked plugs? Did they just add wires for what they wanted?

There may still be some of the 6.5 TD drivetrains available to put in that.....

.

 

[The Wazu]

So, what about all the unhooked plugs? Did they just add wires for what they wanted?

There may still be some of the 6.5 TD drivetrains available to put in that.....

.

From what I can tell there are all sorts of boxes that the plugs went to. For example if you look at the pedal assembly you will see a box labeled “Eaton Vorad”. Doing some research looks like it was a computer that sent microwave signals to sensors on the front, side, rear of the hummwv which aloud the driver to drive at night with the lights off and the sensors acted as sonar to read what objects were around the truck. The truck is a 89 and I believe the swap was done around 91-92 so that technology may have been pretty new at the time. There are still sensors on the side of the truck but the plugs are unplugged and wires are torn. Same with all the antenna wiring on the rear. Plugs are undone and wires are torn. It’s like they didn’t want it to work after they removed whatever items. I’m very intrigued and want to know more.

As far as standard hummwv’s. I would like to say parts can still carry over. Brakes and suspension look similar. Little tweaks here and there but really to work around the engine/transmission/etc... I can post more pictures tomorrow if y’all are interested.

 

[lowell66dart]

Everyone likes pics

 

[Super Warrantman]

Just as a matter of curiosity, where has Wright-Patterson AFB moved its DRMO yard? I live in Fairborn and have gone by the place that used to be their DRMO yard at the end of Kauffman Avenue and there is nothing there. It used to be quite full of HMMWVs and 5 tons, but there is nada, zip, zero and zilch in it now.Inquiring minds would like to know.

 

[The Wazu]

Just as a matter of curiosity, where has Wright-Patterson AFB moved its DRMO yard? I live in Fairborn and have gone by the place that used to be their DRMO yard at the end of Kauffman Avenue and there is nothing there. It used to be quite full of HMMWVs and 5 tons, but there is nada, zip, zero and zilch in it now.Inquiring minds would like to know.

I've seen your truck around and I'm not going to lie. Pretty bad ass.

Anyways, I don't know much about the original purchase. I have the receipt from Iron Planet stating its purchase from Wright Patterson. However it was purchased back in February of 2015. I know what you're talking about and I haven't seen any trucks there in a long while but I don't recall back in 2015 if there were some or not. I always made it a point to take the long way home so I could see what trucks they had in the depo.

 

[The Wazu]

Haven't had a chance to post more pictures today. Work has been nuts. I'll snap some in the morning for you guys.

However, my contact from Us Engine Production DBA has given me some great info today. We were wrong about the transmission. This was the first production prototype so it did not have the five speed over drive, instead its equipped with a 4L80E. Still not a bad transmission! He did do some more research on the truck and found out some very cool info on what it was being tested for. Not only for off-road and on road use but it was mainly tested for EMP resistance. According to him, the ecu, and transmission ecu are protected inside the aluminum box inside the EMP box under the hood. He states that it could resist a EMP blast. Very cool in my opinion but I'm not going to test it. He did however locate a power steering pump for me and a couple of other misc parts I need to get this thing moving. Hopefully by the next week or two I should get this thing on the road!

 

[teteacher101]

The truck is a 89 and I believe the swap was done around 91-92 so that technology may have been pretty new at the time.

Man I'm jealous, that thing is freakin cool!

I don't think the VT275 came out till much later though?

 

[bikeman]

Wazu, Make sure you thank that contact and tell him we are all fascinated in looking into this thing.

Hopefully no black Tahoes show up with a trailer to collect anything!

 

[The Wazu]

Man I'm jealous, that thing is freakin cool!

I don't think the VT275 came out till much later though?

You are correct, looking at the engine date code I believe it said 2005. I find more info about this truck each day. The oil has only been changed once and that was from the previous owner, he told me the engine date code was also on the oil filter. Truck only has 4000 miles on it and I'm thinking the engine has far less than that if its a 89 model.

 

[The Wazu]

Wazu, Make sure you thank that contact and tell him we are all fascinated in looking into this thing.

Hopefully no black Tahoes show up with a trailer to collect anything!

I would hope not! May have to haggle with them and see if I can get another Hummwv if they do end up taking mine ha!

 

[Action]

I would hope not! May have to haggle with them and see if I can get another Hummwv if they do end up taking mine ha!

There is probably a reason no one wanted to drive it...
I am guessing it was some person or company that made these to try and sell some. Nobody liked it. They and the project got scrapped.

 

[98G]

You are correct, looking at the engine date code I believe it said 2005. I find more info about this truck each day. The oil has only been changed once and that was from the previous owner, he told me the engine date code was also on the oil filter. Truck only has 4000 miles on it and I'm thinking the engine has far less than that if its a 89 model.

I'm guessing the odometer was changed when the engine was swapped.

Very interesting vehicle!

 

[The Wazu]

There is probably a reason no one wanted to drive it...
I am guessing it was some person or company that made these to try and sell some. Nobody liked it. They and the project got scrapped.

Correct, they did scrap the project. Didn’t get a reason why though. From what I’ve been told they made 35 of these hummwv’s. 25 of them were VT365 and 10 were the VT275. Each one had a single purpose. Meaning each hummwv was being designed with that engine for certain jobs. For example I was told they had a V8 version, which is the VT365, and its purpose was to heat water for a mobile kitchen. They used the exhaust to port the hot gasses or fumes to heat the water thus used for cleaning or heating up food. That part I don’t know. According to the company that made mine, it was being tested to with stand EMP blasting as well as a sonar system. The sonar system is very similar to newer cars now with the automatic breaking and lane detection. I would assume this one had a little more capabilities than that. But however you are correct, the government obviously didn’t like the idea so the my were suppose to be scrapped. From what I can tell there are a few out there. But what I’m told is they are so unusual that people tend to part it out or swap in a different drive terrain.

 

[The Wazu]

I'm guessing the odometer was changed when the engine was swapped.

Very interesting vehicle!

I don’t know if it was or not! That would suck if so, the receipt has the correct mileage on it.

 

[Action]

Correct, they did scrap the project. Didn’t get a reason why though. From what I’ve been told they made 35 of these hummwv’s. 25 of them were VT365 and 10 were the VT275. Each one had a single purpose. Meaning each hummwv was being designed with that engine for certain jobs. For example I was told they had a V8 version, which is the VT365, and its purpose was to heat water for a mobile kitchen. They used the exhaust to port the hot gasses or fumes to heat the water thus used for cleaning or heating up food. That part I don’t know. According to the company that made mine, it was being tested to with stand EMP blasting as well as a sonar system. The sonar system is very similar to newer cars now with the automatic breaking and lane detection. I would assume this one had a little more capabilities than that. But however you are correct, the government obviously didn’t like the idea so the my were suppose to be scrapped. From what I can tell there are a few out there. But what I’m told is they are so unusual that people tend to part it out or swap in a different drive terrain.

So, they designed a vehicle to heat water with exhaust gas? They seriously told you that?

 

[The Wazu]

So, they designed a vehicle to heat water with exhaust gas? They seriously told you that?

Ha not just for that. Designed to be a mobile kitchen or something along those lines.

 

[D6T]

So, they designed a vehicle to heat water with exhaust gas? They seriously told you that?

It's true, at least in the past. That was a common way to set up a manual decon apparatus on Warsaw Pact armored vehicles. At least the BMP and BTR series IFV/APCs.

 

[The Wazu]

Hello All,

Update on the Unicorn.

I got it running under its own power! New batteries and sourcing a few lines and it runs like a top. Starts up perfectly.

I found out the Turbo on this rig is actually a 2003-2005 Porsche GT2 turbo. Very impressive turbo if you guys take the time and look it up. Also not very cheap.

The power steering issue I sort of resolved. Since the VT275 is so close to a 6.0 Powerstroke, I order a power steering pump and high pressure line from my local auto store that would fit on a 2003 F250 6.0 Powerstroke. What do you know, the power steering pump bolts straight up. The line though gets a little tricky. Obviously the line would fit on the pump perfectly but on the booster on the truck itself, the fitting was to small. Luckily whoever took the pump off the truck originally left half of the original high pressure line. So I cut the Powerstroke line in half and clamped on the original line. Line bolted up without an issue. Then I need a reservoir. I typed in on Google a generic power steering pump reservoir and I got a few results that looked promising but on stuck out to me. A 99-2004 Ford Mustang 4.6L reservoir. I called up my local salvage yard to see if they had one, 20 bucks later the reservoir fit bolt to bolt perfectly. Filled the reservoir, started the truck and shortly after letting it run I noticed a massive puddle of oil underneath. I quickly shut the truck off and looked every where on the power steering system to find the cause but come to my surprise its engine oil leaking out of a turbo line. I got the numbers off the Turbo and that's when I found out it was a Porsche turbo. I was pretty shocked and rather impressed really when I found that out but I quickly realized I had a big issue. There are 2 lines that leave the turbo, a vent line an a oil return line. Oil return line goes to a fitting in the valve cover and the vent line looks to have a line that fed to the intake but it was hacked off too. Not a big deal because its purpose is to solely receive air. However it was doing the opposite. The truck was shooting oil from both lines. Started looking for a solution and decided to strap a rubber line to the vent line and run it to the dipstick for the time being. Found out the scavenge pump took a crap on me. I'm going to try to rebuild it. Not trying to spend so much on a new pump. Besides the pump looks brand new. Might need some lube. So finally I got in the truck to move it over so I can clean up the oil and the high pressure line to the power steering completely exploded and shot a massive rooster tail of power steering fluid all over the parking lot. I moved the rig as far as my little arms could turn the wheel and now it sits. Today I'm going to take the power steering line off and send it out to be professionally made. Tomorrow I'm going to take the scavenge pump off and figure out the issue with that. Soon it'll be fully operational!