cckw repaint and stuff

[bradcckw]

Ive begun the test of my life ! Starting a project that will hopfully be road worthy by next summer. It is a 1944 GMC CCKW 353 A1 2 1/2 TON TRUCK (G-five O eight)
im not the museum restor guy so please be forgiving in my methods. i work construction for a living and have three children all under the age of 5 so my time and $$$ is limited to the weekends. but ive waited 3 1/2 years to start this project and have gathered all parts and intell to start. shes getting a tear down and a cab off a doner truck to start along with some other odds and ends.

I have demounted all drums last winter And RE-Packed all bearings and resealed with new felts front and rear along with rear axle shaft seals.
then i replaced all wheel cylinders with new SS sleaved ones and new shoes and springs front and back along with hoses and new steel lines plumbed front to back.

I also purchased a new series III Hydrovac and master cylinder
Also all new tires,tubes and flaps 7.50x20 NDT.

The engine is a 270 gasser with a 5speed warner and H/L transfer case. upon inspection inside and out and also by the way she ran sooooo good Ive determined that there is maybe a few hundered miles on the engine. when the valve cover and pan are off it seem to have just come out of the machine shop cleanest internals ive ever seen. so im not rebuilding it I have another for that when the time comes. I just put new gaskets on in except the head.

I have checked and resealed the transfercase and gearbox, also replaced all pinion seals.

But i have alot of work before shes done will keep things updated as i finish steps.

Brad

 

[bradcckw]

heres some more pics of the steps of Restore. Im useing a Degreaser and pressure washer first then whire wheeling the scales the applying Petite Steel Primer (urethane base) its a paint over crap marine grade coating that can be painted over, then im applying (TM9-ordanance) lusterless olive drab shade number 8 synthetic enamel.

 

[bradcckw]

When i found this truck it was in a field and the owner said I could have it if I removed it soon or else he was going to have it hauled off by the scrapper.
It appears to have been made by the factory as a frame and Cab only And had something like a compressor or shop body on it,according to the serial numbers. It was painted blue in side wich indicates Air force use at some point was also in service longer which indicates it probly was not just a cargo version cckw, the fule tank mounting hole in the frame are spread out farther than the standared LWB Fuel tank will fit, which says it had a narrower longer tank as to fit under a shop body or commpressor set up? Is still a mystery to me as it hand nothing on the back of it but a homemade hand winch and pole?

Im just going to put a m35 bed on iy for now till i find an original....

 

[BBoomerBootCamp]

Thanks for saving those fine Trucks

 

[bradcckw]

1944 gmc cckw 353 a1 open cab

hers some pictures of what it looked like when i first saw it.
It has and after market (1946) hard top cab cover on it(Artic Cab) I have removed it since and will be putting canvas back and correct windshield outer inner frame as well. heres a video of me hauling loggs for my lean2 for parking the truck under to keep it dry!
and also a picture of my doner cab that i drove to Idaho Just to pick up from a scrap yard in Black foot.

 

[Welder Sam]

Wow! Heck of a price! Good luck to ya! The history of that truck may suprise you(and many of us)!

 

[srodocker]

Nice!!!

 

[bigmike]

nice job so far. keep the pics coming.

 

[bradcckw]

I got the engine to run today,primed the fuel system and she fired off pretty quick. Oil pressure came up quick too. I just hooked up the pressure gauge to the engine 65 PSI. Now i just need to install the radiator and she can run longer than 35 seconds. I also repaced a number of zerk fittings in the front quarters of the truck.

following the radiator install i will flush out the gear box and T-case then put the 80-90 sae in one more step to road worthy.

 

[CatMan]

CCKW Repaint and Stuff

Hey Brad,

That's a **** of a project. I've been there and done the CCKW thing. We love those big GMC trucks. Keep up the good work. I know how easy it is to get discouraged by a big project. You are doing great.

The 270 engine is a tough old horse. I've dragged CMC's out of fence rows and gravel pits, cleaned the points, dumped in some clean gas and off she runs.

Keep sending the pictures. It lets these young kids with drive' em home M35A2's know what a real project is.

I finished off my CCKW trade up collection with a 1945 open cab dump truck with winch and ring mount. They are never "done" but demand some maintenance from time to time.

Cat Man

 

[lacoda56]

Good save! You've already got a good start and looks like you're on a roll. BTW, the gas tank for the compressor truck was mounted at the back of the compressor but there was an extra running board on each side behind the cab.

 

[SETOYOTA]

looks like your doing a great job. Love those CCKWs. I hope your sitting down when you price your new tires.

 

[bradcckw]

looks like your doing a great job. Love those CCKWs. I hope your sitting down when you price your new tires.

I already bought them,2300.oo pls 360.oo for shipping and 470.oo for the tubes

Attached is a few pictures of my brake and hub work also you will notice some of my new tires on back of the truck(they are currently in my warm shop sitting upright like a tire store not getting sandwitched)

 

[raeme]

Brad your just as crazy as me, if you like some pictures of my rebuild, let me know?
raeme

 

[maddawg308]

Lookin' good so far! Keep it up...

 

[SETOYOTA]

you seem to be moving rather quickly. Your doing the old girl some justice. The fact that any of the GMCs survived their post military lives is amazing. These truck were rhode hard and put up wet. Ran into the ground and then used some more.

 

[nattieleather]

Nice work so far. Your doing a great job! I did a late 45 CCKW with another guy about 20 years ago and I know it can be a lot of work! Keep at it your doing a great job! Wait till you get to the body work....

 

[Flyingvan911]

Nice project. Glad it's going well.

 

[135gmc]

Its always amazing how many WWII trucks there atill are out there - and even more in Europe. You have the advantage that the CCKW is a fairly straightforward truck with nothing very unusual to deal with. The only challenge will be finding sheet metal parts, but there are still a lot of them out there - most will probably need a little tin pounding,t hough. The canvas for the cab will be spendy, though.

You're doing a good job - Best Of Luck!

 

[Wolfen]