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M109A4 Sub-Zero Oil Field

BadMastard

New member
392
5
0
Location
Duvall, Wa.
When you check the leak, you may have to look from the top to see the front main bearing area. I am hoping that is not it because the oil pan seal is a breeze to change. Mine was the factory stock, still had paint on the bolts. You can get the seal from any cat dealer, about 25 bucks I think. You can try tightening the bolts on the pan. Good luck!
 

dittle

Well-known member
1,582
72
48
Location
Albia, IA
Good luck on your trip. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the 3116 in your truck is not a very cold weather friendly engine for starting. I'm sure you're going to have it plugged in all the time since you had the block heaters put in it but just wanted to make sure that fact about the CAT was mentioned.
 

shotgunner

New member
2
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Location
California
We're making good headway, got our oil leak to a more manageable level after tightening up everything. We think the pan gasket was the main culprit. We've moved 600 miles and haven't needed more oil, just have a slow drip evident. We're well into Colorado en route to Denver to overnight, celebrate the new year, re-supply, and move out. Unfortunately I'm headed back to Cali for work so Jason will be officially co-pilot-less and traveling solo up to the northern hinterlands of Montana...unless there are any adventurous volunteers...

Gladys has been treating us well, keeping us warm and dry, and chugging right along. Good news for any of ya that are following along, the GPS SPOT tracker will be picked up in Denver and updating progress real-time.

We've assembled an odd assortment of tools and have a list of the few we are missing. The most handy so far have been the strap wrench, allen set, crescent wrench, and socket set. We've needed many extensions to reach things, up to 4 sometimes and a small jack handle as a makeshift breaker bar for most bolts. We've mastered the 5 minute oil check, comprised of a 5 minute idle to cool the turbo before shutdown while we pop the hood, wipe clean the dipstick, then kill the motor and check the level. We've have not been tightening up the oil filler plug or the dipstick plug as we suspect venting some of the crankcase pressure has helped abate our oil leak. We have confirmed the rumors that consistency when checking the oil level is paramount. We check within 30 seconds of engine shutdown, and check twice to prevent Murphy from playing. We've noticed that even a minute later the oil level reads a couple quarts higher, probably a function of the oil draining down from the upper reaches of the valve train and higher motor valleys. A quart of oil appears to equate about 3/16" of dipstick. What we're missing and wish we had are some flare nut wrenches and a large assortment of various standard wrenches of various offset and angle for the hard to reach places.

Duct tape has been valuable in securing the trailer electrical connection and sealing the cold air leaks in the cab. Bungees and zip ties have been valuable in locking the ladder down in it's rack in the back and securing the hood up when we're under there to keep the wind from decapitating us. Giant carabiners have been awesome for hanging our jackets and backpacks strategically around us in the cab keeping us warm and organized. El cheapo window hanging cup holders from a truck stop keep the caffeine close at hand. We noticed that from the rear at night Gladys is pretty stealth so we added a couple short strips of reflective tape to augment the two tiny and dim rear facing driving lights.

We're running just a single wiper as little as possible in the rains and snows and the Rain-X has helped.

We assembled a new air hose quick connect at a truck stop and have been using it to inflate a leaky tire on the passenger front rear axle. We've been running 65 in the front, 45 in the rear, and 40 on the trailer to good effect so far.

We haven't experience super low temperatures yet but of the freezing temps we've weathered overnight the ether squirt has gotten Gladys fired up, albeit rough and smoky at first.

Our big air leaks have been at the door windows, the rear frame of the cab appears shifted slightly back and we think if we can jack it back forward about 3/8" the doors will fit as tight as our knees to the dashboard. The air leaks are tolerable in 25 degree weather with the heat on high and a knit cap on, but in 10 degree or below the leaks may be uncomfortable. The thin canvas cab has been pretty **** wind and water tight except for the very back behind the shoulder blades where we could near hand a chihuahua through to the outside while driving.

Signing out,

Seth the "shotgunner"
Co-Pilot / Mechanic
 

BadMastard

New member
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Location
Duvall, Wa.
Tell Jason to keep us informed. Rescue teams are standing by! Hope it's just your oil pan.

Check your leaky tire around the fittings going from the big valve stem to the ctis valve. Mine had very loose connections with no teflon tape. Pretty easy fix.

Keep plenty of water with you (a couple of gallons at least) just in case of trouble, and maybe a gallon or two of antifreeze. Water for you, antifreeze for truck. You're heading into cold dry zones, keep hydrated. Gladys too.

Get a wobble head extension for your socket set. helps on those bolts. well worth it.

We stuffed some rags into that big gap behind the seat. two chihuahua's should work as well.



Keep on trucking!
 

alohajeff

New member
2
0
0
Location
Lake Arrowhead, CA
Jason and Seth made it to Denver. I got a text from Seth last night around 2am Pacific time. They were at a bar. Got another update this morning that Seth was sitting on his plane in Denver... he said the leak isn't nearly as bad but there are still a few drips. Seems pretty manageable.

Aloha
 

roady

New member
304
1
0
Location
Greensboro MD
Seth,

Thanks for the update and congrats on getting the oil drip slowed down. You are quite the writer and have a great way of explaining things....

Jason,

Hang in there and be safe. Try not to drive while being to tired. If you need someone to talk to to help you stay awake you got my number. Hopefully someone will tag along with you the rest of the way. If it was closer I would do it in a heartbeat.

I cant wait to see some pictures and video of this adventure.....
 

jmoneysmithmas

New member
72
0
0
Location
Montana
Happy New Year everyone. It's been a long week... but a great adventure. I can't thank Seth enough for coming along and helping out. I'm with some friends in Denver, and I'll probably stick around here for a couple days to rest and work out a few minor tweaks with the truck. Seth and I did a lot of night travel- turned out to be a lot easier (and less traffic) than daytime. Hopefully I can get back on a regular sleep schedule soon.

I'll get some more photos in the AM and download the other photos I've already taken. ...I'll get them uploaded later today. Seth took a few video updates along the journey, and hopefully he can can get something uploaded to youtube this week.

I dropped Seth off at the Denver Int'l airport this morning, and drove around in a circle to pick up my friend Leah at the same terminal. I learned a valuable lesson: 9'6" clearance for arriving flights. Unfortunately, there is no notification of this height restriction until you are 500 feet down the ramp... I caused a bit of a commotion backing the M109 and M101 trailer out of the ramp. It's a 2-lane ramp, so traffic could get around, but it seemed like it took forever. My friend Leah saw me, and notified the police standing nearby that I was 'stuck' and backing up the ramp- but I managed to get myself out before I needed their assistance. One thing I am learning: If you can't see the M101 trailer- it's going straight.

I've got my SPOT gps, so everyone can track me on my journey north. I will probably leave on Wednesday, but I'll be watching the weather closely. I've been lucky so far, and hope to continue good weather for the last 1000 mile leg of my trip.

Besides getting some detailed photos tomorrow, I'm going to try to figure out the electrical system in the van compartment of the truck. Leah's dad is an electrician, so I anticipate some good advice and we'll try to get the rear compartment checked for safety, and more importantly- figure out what all these switches do. When i picked up the truck, the evacuation fan and 2 interior lights would work- now, they do not. I think Seth and/or I have switched something to make them inoperable... going to bust out the TM's tomorrow.

Also before I leave: I hope to bend/adjust the rear-view mirrors and perhaps locate a hard top in the Denver area. The rag-top is incredibly noisy and has lots of air gaps. Worst-case, I will spend some time cinching the top down more securely and tighten it up. The sloppy/loose-ness of it can make popping sounds like a gun going off behind your head.

Photos coming soon...
 

roady

New member
304
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Location
Greensboro MD
Jason,

Happy Near Year to you also. I bet that was quite the scene at the airport.... Is Leah going to finish the adventure with you?

Well I hope you get all your little issues straight while there in Denver and get some needed rest. How much further is it until you reach your destination? Cant wait to see some pictures.
 

shenkmen

Active member
1,107
12
38
Location
Lancaster, PA
The thin canvas cab has been pretty **** wind and water tight except for the very back behind the shoulder blades where we could near hand a chihuahua through to the outside while driving.
The rag-top is incredibly noisy and has lots of air gaps. Worst-case, I will spend some time cinching the top down more securely and tighten it up. The sloppy/loose-ness of it can make popping sounds like a gun going off behind your head.
Insert a piece of PVC pipe to close the air gap at the rear of the soft top as shown here - http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/64395-soft-top-question-i-havent-seen-before.html#post764096
 

swbradley1

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Dayton, OH
Jason, Glad you have made it so far with no major problems. Get some rest and get her ready for the next leg.

At least you saw the sign before you ran the truck into the terminal. I started driving a big truck for a Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser the year after the last bozo went under and arch railway bridge and by the time he was done the box was totaled and he threw his passenger face first into the windshield.
 

roady

New member
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Location
Greensboro MD
Jason

Thanks for the pictures they look good. Hope you had a well deserved New Years Eve drink last night. If not I had an extra for you and Seth.....
 

kc2vwi

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Location
NWNJ
Van Body Switches

Jason,

Congrats on your truck and adventure.

Best of luck on the last leg of the trip.

I also have a M109A4- with only 686 miles! :beer:

The AC / DC system in the back is interlocked so you can only use one system at a time. Make sure the big disconnect lever switch on the AC panel is set to OFF to use the DC lights ect. Then check your blackout switches as they are tied to the interlock switch over the rear door---in one setting blackout mode kills the bright box lights when the rear door is opened. I keep the AC lever on as a battery disconnect for the 24VDC loads in the box when parked.

Took my dad and I a bit to figure that all out standing in the dark the night my truck was delivered.

Let me know if you have more questions and I can take pics, ect.

Drive safe and God Speed.

Nick
 

JarheadMtn

New member
356
2
0
Location
Anaconda Montana
SIt looks like you have been having an adventure. Montana has been getting a lot of wind and ice the past week. Watch the weather when you get back up here. I see that you have the standard steering wheel chain anti theft device. Since you will be leaving your truck out in the boonies you may want to lock the ignition. Check out the dash lock that I built for my truck. Have a safe trip back up here!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/77896-dash-ignition-lock.html#post985291
 

jmoneysmithmas

New member
72
0
0
Location
Montana
I'll be hitting the road here in a couple hours. I've got to run to the liquor store to pick up a case or 2 of beer (the local stuff I can't find in Montana), and I should be ready to roll. Gladys has sat for 72 hours now, and there's only a small oil puddle about 6-in in diameter. The puddle is located under the oil filter... but still difficult to tell the source. After a couple hours on the road, the engine oil should be warm, so I'll be checking the oil level again, and keeping an eye on it all the way home.

Yesterday I went to O'Reiley auto parts and picked up 6 stick-on reflectors ($6); 2 placed on the trailer tailgate, 2 on the top rear corners of the van body, and 2 for spares. If (God-forbid) I run into some weather, or low-visibility areas, I want to make sure I'm visible. I noticed an occasional vehicle flashing high beams at me as they approached from the rear to pass. I'm sure- this was because it was difficult to determine what i was driving. From a distance, the 2 small trailer tail lights could easily be mistaken for a small compact car. The additional reflectors should help.

In my first post, there is a link to SPOT GPS. I have the device, and I'll be 'checking in' with it every couple hours. You guys can watch my progress on the map.

JarheadMtn (or anyone else in Montana or N. Idaho)... I'd like to locate a hard top. Any suggestions in our area? The closest 'retailer' I have found is the Idaho Motorpool, which is down near the Oregon Border- a few hundred miles from home.

I hope to put in a lot of miles today/tonight... Billings, MT would be a good push (appx 550 miles). Wish me luck, and more photos and updates coming soon...
 

gsp45

Member
51
3
8
Location
Indiana
Jason,
The "additional reflectors" is a good idea. I've had that problem, seems the CARC paint is hard to see, or its really the lack of anything "reflective" on these trucks. I've found the best reflector is the yellow/red squares you find on our trucks coming back from Germany. They really show up at night.
Be careful, be safe, your're almost home. Great thread. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
 

roady

New member
304
1
0
Location
Greensboro MD
Jason,

As cold as its going to be where you are heading you may want to consider some Blackberry Brandy to go with them couple cases of beer....Good Luck the rest of the way and stay safe.
 
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