M882 making me crazy!!!

[Hal_VT]

DISCLAIMER!!!! I realize that this is a thirty year old truck, and that is it bound to have problems. I am just ranting because they all popped up at once.

I got this rig several years ago for free, towed it back from Massachusetts, and parked it. Last summer I had it towed to my local garage, they got it running, fixed some of the electrical problems and I brought it home. Added power steering from a donor vehicle, mounted a snowplow on it and thought I was doing great. This would be my back-up truck for my snowplowing business. Then I added a wing for pushing back snowbanks. The springs aren't heavy enough to mount the plow and wing at the same time, but that is a project for later. I used it for several storms and really like it.

So last week things started to turn sour;

First, sudden increase in oil consumption,up to one gallon in ten hours, mostly idling around and cleaning up after a bucket loader. Turned out to be the oil pressure sender. Got that fixed. Then...

Started losing transmission fluid. It looked like it was from the line connection to the radiator, on the radiator side. So today I tried to bypass it with an add-on cooler. It turned out that the leak was actually in the cooler line. I should have patched it and left well enough alone. However...

I went ahead and installed the add-on cooler as an auxiliary. It mounts by threading PLASTIC ties through the radiator core. You guessed it, I stabbed the radiator with the plastic tie, and anti-freeze started pouring out. Careful examination revealed that the radiator was pretty tender. No problem, I'll get a new radiator, called the shop,"Yep we'll have it by four o'clock". WRONG. They sent the wrong one. Apparently, even though the truck isn't air-conditioned, it uses the AC radiator, which is not even the same size, so the standard one won't bolt in.There is one in Spokane Washington and it is not likely to get here before next Tuesday. So...

I am back to one truck, and they are forecasting "up to" a foot of snow over the next two days. If my other truck goes down I will be spending a lot of time on my bulldozer. I have 40 plus driveways to take care of, as well as everything of my own around the farm.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Free M882? Where do I sign up? Seriously though, probems come in 3s and 4s with older trucks.

 

[tractorfix]

Call Jay at Saturn Surplus. they have the correct rad new old stock. And the price is good!

 

[acetomatoco]

4036927 is the MoPar # for the rad. I have a NOS torque convertor for $100 right here in VT.
rampartsllc@aol.com

 

[AJMBLAZER]

You've probably already got the idea but those "zip tie" cooler mounts are a crappy idea. Fab up some brackets and mount it to the radiator mounts or the body of the vehicle, not the radiator fins.

 

[chimesickle]

That truck is much better shape than either of mine. I got mine out of a junkyard (non running) for $350, and $400. I thought it was a decent deal for a 4wd
truck
That truck is too small for that wing.

 

[pa.rich]

I saw a one ton pickup in Castle creek, N.Y. with one of those wing plows. Very rare for a small truck, but must be great when you have a small snowfall and a large lot to do.would save much time. Keep it. Its great. Good luck on the radiator. Let us know how it goes. Rich.

 

[Hal_VT]

The zip ties are kind of cheesy, but I have had them on a Ford F250 for twenty years. The problem was really the age and condition of the radiator, and trying to get it done in a hurry.

I know the truck is too small for the wing, but a one ton is beyond my resources right now, and wouldn't double as well for straight plowing. Eventually I will have to bite the bullet and get something heavier, but a deuce would be way too big. In general I wouldn't use the plow and wing together. I have a lot of steep, narrow, rural driveways to do, and the wing gets the snow back beyond the ditches where I can't go with the truck. There comes a point however, when the pickup just won't do it, so I call in the heavy iron. These pics are from two weeks ago, the day the oil pressure sensor blew out. JD 544 loader with a wing, on "The driveway from Hell"

 

[Hal_VT]

Back in service!!!

My M882 is back in service as of 4:30 this afternoon.

The new radiator actually came yesterday, but I was otherwise occupied. My other truck puked its clutch about two driveways short of finishing up Sunday afternoon. Pushed the throwout bearing right through the fingers on the pressure plate. I took that apart Monday, parts came Tuesday afternoon and it was going by 5:45 Tuesday afternoon.

And everyone says, "You must be really raking in the cash with all the snow we have had this winter". Yabbut, I am shoveling it out just as fast, fuel, repairs, and sand.

 

[majortom]

RE: Back in service!!!

We know your rich, afterall you got the truck for freeee

 

[M725]

:-dfree:-d

 

[goodbrewing]

Where in Vt are you guys? I am in the St. Albans area and have a 1 M886 that I drive, an M880 that I am putting a plow on and a few M886s that are parts rigs.

 

[wellesleyhighway]

Now that the snow is out of here, I'm attaching photos of a plow we bought here in the middle of last season. This is a "Housatonic Welding Co." plow sold thru SA McLean up in Limerick, ME. I gotta tell you it was a nice blade. It would replace or I mean mount up to a Fisher headset or even a Minute Mount set. 9'-6" cutting edge, trip style moldboard, power angle blade and weighs slightly more than a 9' Fisher. S.A. McLean claimed it to be easier on a truck (F-250 and up) due to it cutting thru the snow in instead of trying to "Bulldoze" it to the side. Our driver for this loved it, it got the snow up and over the banks we had this year. Good thing about it aside from the design, is parts are readily available due to being very similar to Fisher. Anyway, just throwing it out there. Also FYI I know he said it was available in 10' also...perfect for a M35 etc...