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Finally got me a deuce!

Balalala

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Welcome to the Deuce club's M35A3 room! That is a nice truck! What's its serial number? I suspect the trucks built before 1998 had green Cat motors while the rest got yellow Cats (mine's a 1995).

As for tire air leaks, I agree with checking the brass fittings first. When I did a tire swap on my truck, I was originally going to keep the CTIS wheel valves on, but discovered that several of the wheel valve pipe and hose fittings were cracked and leaking air. Of course I discovered this after re-doing the tire, suspecting that I screwed something else up in the rebuild process. But nope, it was a cracked brass pipe/hose fitting. I made the CTIS wheel valve go away and the leak went away too!

If after that you still have a leak, then it's probably what @glcaines mentioned and maybe the turret valve seal on the rim is loose or worn out. Those are hard to install and torque properly without a modified socket, or else the brass nuts get rounded off very easily.
Thanks for the welcome! I will have to get back to you with a serial number. I'm away from the truck at the moment.

I just purchased a m104 trailor to go with it!

Most of the bows are in decent shape but it is going to take a few parts and some labour to get the cargo tarp put back on. Anyone know where to buy the bungee cord that is like a ⅜ rubber string?

Thanks to everyone for the welcome and for stopping by! 👋
 

cattlerepairman

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The technical term is "Super Rope" and it is 5/16 EPDM. 3/8 will work as well. If you can get it locally from a trailer or tarp supply it would likely be more cost efficient, methinks. You need about 50ft to do the whole truck. A bit more if you need to do a soft top, too.

Otherwise, the usual vendors stock it, such as Erik's, Eastern Surplus and even the well known auction site has it at times.
 

Balalala

Well-known member
113
292
63
Location
Canada
The technical term is "Super Rope" and it is 5/16 EPDM. 3/8 will work as well. If you can get it locally from a trailer or tarp supply it would likely be more cost efficient, methinks. You need about 50ft to do the whole truck. A bit more if you need to do a soft top, too.

Otherwise, the usual vendors stock it, such as Erik's, Eastern Surplus and even the well known auction site has it at times.
Thanks for the quick reply. It sure feels like super rope.. haha
 

Balalala

Well-known member
113
292
63
Location
Canada
.
Your truck will be happy with 80w90 in the rear ends and in manual transmissions and transfer cases.
I believe gl-4 for the transfer case.. due to yellow metals.

Gl-5 does better in the differentials, but is not acceptable for transmission or transfer case.
 

msgjd

Well-known member
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Location
upstate ny
Hauled it home with an f350 on a rental trailer.. came home via back roads.. half ways down a forestry trunk road, the boost tube for the Ford gave out.
well you threw me for a second ... I guess most all of us were expecting the A3 to have had the break-downs bringing it home :ROFLMAO: ..

I should know better ... I headed out late one night with a borrowed tractor/trailer with sleeper (and a younger new GF in the other seat) on a long haul to pick up a M109A3 long ago... Three nights later we unfortunately wound up unloading the M109A3 in a walmart parking lot around 0100hrs, tossing all belongings into the back of it and driving the remaining 100 miles home.. We had just finished the interstate hwy portion of the trip at that point.. Famous words of a pal : "Hey, don't go renting a sleeper. Take mine, it's sat almost all year and it needs the exercise.. Don't worry, it's not gonna break down".

Every time I fire up the M109A3 I remember that long ride home, how it performed flawlessly with plenty of pep, and saved us from being stranded.... No plates, no cab heater, freezing cold november night, her wrapped up in a blanket with feet up on the dash, and the whistler screaming through the dark wee hours and the few little towns along the way, in between dozens of miles of black emptiness... In the army I had no choice but suffer the cold and noise alone.. But this time I was in my 50s.. What the heck was I thinkin' ? o_O

Oh, and welcome to the green disease !! Enjoy your truck
 
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Balalala

Well-known member
113
292
63
Location
Canada
well you threw me for a second ... I guess most all of us were expecting the A3 to have had the break-downs bringing it home :ROFLMAO: ..

I should know better ... I headed out late one night with a borrowed tractor/trailer with sleeper (and a younger new GF in the other seat) on a long haul to pick up a M109A3 long ago... Three nights later we unfortunately wound up unloading the M109A3 in a walmart parking lot around 0100hrs, tossing all belongings into the back of it and driving the remaining 100 miles home.. We had just finished the interstate hwy portion of the trip at that point.. Famous words of a pal : "Hey, don't go renting a sleeper. Take mine, it's sat almost all year and it needs the exercise.. Don't worry, it's not gonna break down".

Every time I fire up the M109A3 I remember that long ride home, how it performed flawlessly with plenty of pep, and saved us from being stranded.... No plates, no cab heater, freezing cold november night, her wrapped up in a blanket with feet up on the dash, and the whistler screaming through the dark wee hours and the few little towns along the way, in between dozens of miles of black emptiness... In the army I had no choice but suffer the cold and noise alone.. But this time I was in my 50s.. What the heck was I thinkin' ? o_O

Oh, and welcome to the green disease !! Enjoy your truck
Haha that is a most excellent story. Thanks for sharing
 

cattlerepairman

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Steel Soldiers Supporter
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NORTH (Canada)
Thank you so much! This forum has been a great help. Is coolant going to come out when I remove the old one?
I missed that you have an A3. My info is for the A2. In any case, the coolant temp sensor will look similar. Yes, coolant will come out, but if you are quick, you won't lose much.

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk
 

seano11

Active member
878
103
43
Location
Edmonton Canada
Hello guys,

Just to make sure I go with the correct gear oil.. 80w90 gl-5 is what I want?

I found a 5 gal bucket for a decent price.

International has pales of oil on right now for 69 bucks. Motor oil and gear oil. And coolant is on for 8.95 a jug. Bunch of us are in the Edmonton area also if ya ever need help
 

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Balalala

Well-known member
113
292
63
Location
Canada
So.. putnthe new temperature sending unit in, and my rpm guage started acting up.

It was off.. then by the time u made my way around to the passenger side to check the transmission fluid it was working.

I drove it about 40miles, rpm guage would come and go..

Temperature guage still not functioning, now the hour meter and rpm guage went out.

But I did manage to make it to a shop.

I'm guessing maybe a grounding issue, with the instrument cluster?
 

HDN

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Location
Finger Lakes Region, NY
The tach sensor might have to be adjusted - mine does the same thing and I haven't messed with anything on the gauge cluster. The tach sensor is a magnetic unit near the flywheel. I think the best way to get to it is to pull the dog house. There's a sensor adjustment procedure in volume 1 of the maintenance TM you can try:

1684180088436.png
 
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