M35A2 Advice

[gunboy1656]

That is a clean truck. Like I said I would go get it. 220 mile is not much for that thing. It took me years to find the right truck for me, so I can understand.

If that was here, I dont think I would hesitate on having that in my parking lot.

 

[clinto]

There is very little there that I don't like and nothing that would scare me off.

I prefer air shifts and they aren't a difficult swap. BFR and I did one in a single day and we are the Brothers of Imminent Disaster when together, so normal people could probably do it in 2 or 3 hours.

I don't like that homemade front axle brake line and it doesn't look like steel to me, so I'd fix that ASAP.

The tags on the diffs are the manufacturer tags, they all have them.

Dropside beds are really neato.

 

[Bob H]

To answer the sprague to air shift swap ?, it is just the transfer case.
No axle change. No transmission change.
The original registration # will reveal if it was Army, AirForce or Marines and the year.
Although data tags can be switched.
As far as "factory original" for a US military vehicle, that lasts about 30 seconds after the 1st unit gets the truck.

 

[cranetruck]

About the "triangular" hub features, according to the TM, they are tie points, used for anchoring the vehicle to a deck typically. The 8x8 shown below has them on all wheels. These trucks were almost all shipped to Germany and may have had them for transport reasons, although they are also shown in use when rigged for air drops. The center part is free to rotate.

 

[jimm1009]

I have also seen thse mirrors on e-bay (USA version) several times as well.
I purchased a used set of mirrors from someone parting out a truck and then purchased brand new mirrors (glass) from another S.S. member from Alabama.
A couple of holes in the cowl just to the rear of the hood area and since my door hinge bolts would not come out without detroying them I drilled and tapped the top of the bolts with a 1/4 20 SAE tap and inserted aviation grade screws there to hole them on.
I know that all reading are going to laugh but, are the "West Coast Mirrors" the ones that 85% of all the deuces have that are also called "elephant ears".
jimm1009 in Louisiana

 

[gunboy1656]

These are the "west coast mirrors".

 

[Stan Leschert]

Unfortunately Uncle Sam has prevented us Brits from purchasing trucks and parts from the US.

How about parts from Canada? Try a few of the places up here!

 

[saddamsnightmare]

April 20th, 2010.

M35A2:

I believe a few of the members here have answered your questions, perhaps better then I can. The Air Shift uses an independent air cylinder to pull in the front axle clutch, and a resturn spring incorpiorated in the unit releases the clutch when the air is exhausted. A switch in the cab which combines an air valve and an electric contact is under the drivers control. When thrown to the "IN" position, air is admitted to the slave cylinder to engage the front axle, and a light turns on by the switch to tell the driver that it is engaged.
When thrown to the "Out" position (the lever, that is) the air is vented to the atmosphere, the front axle disengages, and the light goes out and the truck is in 6X4 or only the rear axles driven.
The modification to air shift should be as a fairly simple kit, and I shall have to crawl around under my truck to see where it is situated, but it should be doable without a machine shop or machinist involved. As to the mirror, you should have no problem acquiring a new set of west coasts, or take offs, and I doubt that they are strategically significant enough to prevent them being exported. Eastern Surplus should be able to help you with the air shift and the mirrors if you can find them nowhere else. The older trucks started out with the Sprague clutch system and the small round mirrors, but as others have said, these trucks have been almost continously adapted over their lifetimes to perform many different missions and to fill many different needs.
My truck "Saddam's Nightmare", has the air shift, west coasts, and springer seat applied to it in rebuild, I have added the Air-O-Matic steering out of deference to my shoulders and age, and also the TACOM push button headlight switch system. It will likely get a cab heater shortly, something which it has never had, but which is needed now and then even here in Texas. The name was bestowed for her service in the First Gulf War of 1990, but she served in Vietnam also.
I can see where the BEdford would be missed, and I bet the gents with the really big Scammells are going to be hurt by the inspection requirements, too. Good luck on your truck, and do refer to me, if you can, as Kyle, as we aren't overly formal around here....

NB: Regarding the photos of the dashboard, the Alt seems to be in the yellow, could be low engine speed or loose drive belts,Normally it should be in the green band. As to the temperature guage, when the temperature is up, the temperature guage should run about 169-189*F, roughly, but it takes some time for these engines to warm up at low speeds or low ambient temperatures. We usually use a winter front, or front end cover, when it gets below the 40*F range, to help the diesel stay warm one just regulates the flap on the winter front to control air flow to the radiator.

 

[M35A2]

Thanks one and all for your advice!!!

Clinto,

I did notice those brake pipes and what looks like fibre clad rubber hose type brake hoses coming from the wheel cylinders.

To be honest it looks a bit of a dogs dinner. Would a TM describe the correct size pipes for the brakes and do you think I would be able to get them, made up? Not sure brake pipes would survive the journey from the States.

Thanks for your indepth answers KYLE!!!

 

[Kohburn]

you should be able to buy a roll of raw metal brake line and a flare tool to make your own hard lines.

this pdf explains some of the different flare shapes
http://www.fedhillusa.com/webnuts/common%20flares6.pdf

the company also sells brake lines, parts, and tools
FedHill Brake Line - Where to buy brake line, fuel line, brake line flaring tools, brake line nuts and brake line fittings

there is a write up here showing flaring brake lines using the cheap flare tool that is easy to find. I never had much luck with this kind without heating the tubing end first to soften it.
Brake Line Flaring - 1

 

[M35A2]

Guys, here are the pictures of the engine bay. It does look like its in pretty good nick and looks fairly clean. What are your views?

He says the engine is clean burning and starts immediately even in the cold. Its got a manifold heater, but he has never used it. Is there supposed to be something bolted to the firewall?? There looks to be a square bracket that should have something on it. Can't see any airhorns?

Can you tell by the data plate how old the engine is?

Thanks

Andy

 

[gunboy1656]

Looks pretty good under the hood.

And as for air horns, you will not see them. That era truck had an electric horn. If you go back to your original post and look under the right (passenger) head light, you will see the horn. (the circle thing right under the headlight)

 

[FLYWHEEL]

Hi M35A2
i'm 99% sure that i saw this truck for sale on milweb a few years ago, it was listed as a low milage truck due to it being an ex water truck so this may explain the hubs, when i saw the ad it had got the cargo body on it but this may have been added after release .
truck does look good

 

[M35A2]

Hi M35A2
i'm 99% sure that i saw this truck for sale on milweb a few years ago, it was listed as a low milage truck due to it being an ex water truck so this may explain the hubs, when i saw the ad it had got the cargo body on it but this may have been added after release .
truck does look good

Hello mate,

Nice one, thanks for that mate. Are you the "other" interested party that the guy mentioned??


So any comments on the engine guys? As in my previous post, can you tell the year of the engine by the engine data plate? Looks like it's been rewired looking at where the cable ties are? Can you see anything missing that should be there?

Cheers Guys

Andy

 

[FLYWHEEL]

Hi im just another brit interested in M-series trucks, unfortunatly i have no storage for a vehicle of this size at the moment . I hope that my info was of use to you mate

 

[M35A2]

Hi im just another brit interested in M-series trucks, unfortunatly i have no storage for a vehicle of this size at the moment . I hope that my info was of use to you mate

It was mate. Was the truck a water purification unit when you saw it for sale, or was it a water tanker? I wonder who took the purification/tank body off and fitted the dropside?

 

[martinsaunders06]

heater assembly is missing from drivers side under hood and you can the blanking plate from where the pipe carrying the hot air entered bulkhead..If its a ex airforce truck it certainly aint 1958 with a dropside, i had an ex air force with dropside and these are much later models made by AM GENERAL tho mine had airshift axle and like this one had the same twin armed mirror brackets ?dont think you will find any "original" trucks as they are all a mix up of various aged bits. martin

 

[FLYWHEEL]

if i remember correctly it said in the ad that it was originally a water tanker, but i would of thought this would of been stated on the data plate in the cab unless these have also been changed. as Martin said in the previous post most of these trucks are probably made up of a jumble of vehicles whether done whilst in service or after release is anyones guess

 

[M35A2]

Thanks guys.

I've noticed in picture 5 of the engine that I can see what looks like a sensor hanging loose by the air filter and above that on the firewall is a pipe that has been bent over and crimped. Can anyone tell me what these are for?

Cheers

 

[saddamsnightmare]

April 23rd, 2010.

M35A2:

RE picture 5 of the engine bay. At the 3:00 position on your auir clearner is a capped line after what appears to be a bourdon loop, with the plugged tip pointing forward....(My truck doesn't have this particular line, but there is a goosenecked copper vent line in the same general area that leads down to my transmission, I believe) I will have to look on my truck to see what, if anything, that line is meant to go to. At 12'o clock above your air filter is a crimped off line after a tefloned connection to a "T" joint on the firewall air line, the stuff to the right of the "T" joint is the air compressor governor and safety buzzer connection, the crimped off line to the left of that "T" connection normally supplies the air horns mounted inside the right fender in the engine bay....(on my truck this IS the air horn feed line, and it makes a 90* downward bend to pass under the air cleaner to get to the air horn solenoid.)
I am at a loss, I think I see the sensor, and the line may or may not be to the air filter impingment gauge in the cab (EG. There is a guage or unit below the steering wheel on most diesel deuces that turns red when the air filter becomes too blocked, alerting the drivers and mechanics to clean the element). The line that goes close to the center of the air cleaner can top at about the 3'O clock position is the air filter element blockage gauge line referred to heretofore. It's been raining cats and dogs here, but when the rain breaks I'll lift the bonnet and see what goes where.