I want a different engine and transmission for my M135?

[Like a boss]

My brother and I are looking to restore it for my dad's 60th birthday. My brother says he wants to put a diesel in it. Ours is an A1 (I believe. Maybe the original) and has the 'dinosaur' engine of the M35(not a lot of power, gas). We live in Colorado and go up into the mountains a lot so having a more powerful diesel engine would be nice. If you guys know of a specific engine model we could look into, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I was thinking of a new transmission that would get the thing up to highway speeds. The gearing on the thing only takes it to a top speed of 55ish. The rest of this I can handle, but I would love it if you guys have any suggestions. Thanks =D
I can post some pics soon. Don't have any handy right now.

 

[steelandcanvas]

With the vehicle being that old, and the braking system what it is, you probably wouldn't want to exceed the 55 mph top speed. Just my .

 

[wreckerman893]

If you can find one the LDS multi-fuel has around 200 HP and will fit right in......use the gasser tranny or switch to a newer one that went behind the multi.

Jumping up to 1100x20 tires will give you a few more MPH or you can single it out to 395's but it will spoil the original look.

Upgrading to the dual master cylinder (used on many Air Force trucks) will help with the stopping issues.

 

[Like a boss]

With the vehicle being that old, and the braking system what it is, you probably wouldn't want to exceed the 55 mph top speed. Just my .

Well now I can upgrade the braking system can't I? I'm not looking to restore this as close to original as possible, I just want to keep the look it has. I will do anything I can with the internals. (sorry if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. My brother handles most of the engine work)

 

[wreckerman893]

You can get as high tech on the brakes as you want to......SS member Steve6x6x6 will convert your axles to disc brakes if you are so inclined or sell you a kit (I think) to do it yourself.

 

[Truckoholic]

5.9 cummins and NV5600 tranny

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

5.9 cummins and NV5600 tranny

That would be an excellent choice or possible a Powerstroke.

Dig around on Google and you'll see at lot ofswaps that people do.

Tom

 

[porkysplace]

Well now I can upgrade the braking system can't I? I'm not looking to restore this as close to original as possible, I just want to keep the look it has. I will do anything I can with the internals. (sorry if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. My brother handles most of the engine work)

It all depends on how deep your pockets are , there are no low dollar upgrades to the brake system.

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

Well Ford F550 brake calipers are only $68 here locally and a $22 core charge.

Figuring out a rotor isn't that hard and the backets are really simple.

If your a crafty sort you could build your own disc brakes for less than $500

Tom

 

[porkysplace]

Well Ford F550 brake calipers are only $68 here locally and a $22 core charge.

Figuring out a rotor isn't that hard and the backets are really simple.

If your a crafty sort you could build your own disc brakes for less than $500

Tom

$68 + $22 = $88 x 6 = $528 for calipers only
now add 6 rotors unkown amount + fabracation of mounts + different master cylinder + unkown extras . I don't care how crafty you get your not going to do it for under a $1000 .

 

[F18hornetM]

While F550 brakes would most likely stop the truck, alot of F550s are 19,000 gvw and the M35 would have 6 of them instead of 4. I would still think there are alot of variables to be worked out. Master cylinder size, booster, mounting brackets and mounting angles as well as rotor mounting. Not that its impossible, as someone mentioned, its been done before. But I agree with porkysplace, lot more than $1000, money that could be better spent on restoring some other part of the truck. Unless you have 7.3s laying around, that alone will cost plenty.
I think I would go with wreckermans suggestions, very affordable modifications, things will fit well, without hacking up the truck, will perform better and you won't have emptied your pockets.
Of course its your truck, and you know what you want to do with it and how much you want to spend on it. So, have fun and post some pics.

 

[73m819]

By the way, it is a m35m ( a gasser) not a A1 (multi fuel), a GOOD running gasser will give you the power your looking for, also might be better at ALTITUDE in CO. You might want to ask your dad about the speed thing, when we were young, we had the GO FASTER mentality, now when we are at the AGE of REASON we RELIEZE that you you get to point B just about as quick no matter if you go fast or a EASY steady pace which puts a lot less stress on the vehicle and makes it a LOT cheaper to operate and maintain

 

[MWMULES]

As a MV owner who is the same age as your Dad and if my son was to upgrade my duce I would like the following.
1 dual brake system
2 air assist steering
3 better seating
4 11X20 Radials or super singles
5 light weight noise canceling head phones or intercom system
6 lighting up-grade front and back
Top end is OK like it is. It's amazing how much more you see of this country at 50 to 55 then at 70

 

[Like a boss]

Well I just found out the truck has air assisted brakes, so that should solve the problem of stopping at high speeds....

 

[Like a boss]

Also, I lied... It's a 1951 GMC M135 deuce and a half so... yeah

 

[porkysplace]

Well I just found out the truck has air assisted brakes, so that should solve the problem of stopping at high speeds....

They all have air assist brakes , but they are single circut systems ,so if any part fails everything fails . These trucks are what they are , and were not designed for high speeds.

Also you may want to search some of the threads by Gunfreak25 , he has post quite a bit of information on the GMC series deuces.

 

[Stan Leschert]

With a 135 you should have no problems stopping, unless you have a leak in your system. Download the TMs and start reading.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Well I just found out the truck has air assisted brakes, so that should solve the problem of stopping at high speeds....

Yep, that makes all the difference in a single circuit brake system. Too bad you want to take a fairly rare truck and make extensive changes to it. It should be restored.

 

[Like a boss]

Yep, that makes all the difference in a single circuit brake system. Too bad you want to take a fairly rare truck and make extensive changes to it. It should be restored.

Hold up, hold up. Did you just say rare? I thought these things were pretty common... In that case, I should just rebuild the original engine right? It's in terrible shape but can be rebuilt.

 

[M1031CMT]

They are not super rare, but are becoming harder and harder to find, so rare is a word that is becoming more attached to these trucks. So it can be a shame if you do a lot of extensive upgrades at times.

But in the end it is your truck, so you have every right to do what you want to it. Though sometimes it really isn't worth the trouble unless you have the money to spend on a truck like that.

The truck really isn't designed to go real fast. If you are driving an old military truck only here and there, what is the need to go faster? If it will be a daily driver, or you want to do something special with it, then it might be worth the expense.

But like my father and grandfather always said: if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

You can spend big $$$ changing things "just because" or spend a lot less just fixing it up and making sure it will continue to run well for another 50+ years. The truck may not have the latest features, or drive really fast, but that is because it is old, and that gives it character.

But like I said before, it is your truck so in the end it is your choice. Good luck on whatever you choose