M936 Wrecker Recovery in PA

[Timberwolf22]

So why start small...... buy the M936 Wrecker first and then you can haul anything else out that you ever purchase right?

Good plan in theory but that does make the fist one "interesting". So off my brother [MadCat2] and I [Timberwolf22] go to pick up the new "company vehicle".

With a mini-van full of fluids, safety equipment and laptop with MiFi Hotspot we were off to Mechanicsburg, PA.

One of the batteries has a "bulge" and will not take a charge so a jump was in order.... The M936 runs great..... starts with the jump no issues looks like 30 minutes in the yard and we are ready to leave.... then we put her in drive and white smoke starts pouring out the stack......not looking good.

Checked everything we could find in the engine compartment..... and after 3 hours of working on her things started to look bleak. But wait.... I had my laptop with Internet access [for work email access of course] so we pulled up Steel Soldiers and downloaded the TM for the wrecker..... Troubleshooting section and "Excessive Smoke".... pulled the air cleaner assembly apart and dumped out a gallon of water from the canister....

Put it all back together and we were ready to roll - the Wrecker sounded great and was ready for the trip home.

The good news is she made it the entire 4 hour trip home...... then blew a coolant hose overnight. Nothing that can not be fixed and I must say the M936 driving down the road turns a head or two.

The moral of the story.... paper or Electronic.... HAVE the TM for the vehicle.

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

Nice looking wrecker! Were you fortunate in getting all the BII equipment? My avitar is my M936 wrecker I picked up out of MCLB Barstow. Added around 900 hundred miles to the odometer bringing her home. Yep they sure do turn alot of heads!

 

[Timberwolf22]

The M936 came with most of it's SL-3 not sure about all of it... The box on the passenger side was full of chains while the back of the wrecker still has the tow bar and extensions. I laughed since even the chock blocks were thrown up on the back of the vehicle.

Even the fire extinguisher was mounted inside the vehicle.... no TM's, Manuals or vehicle records but that's minor compared to what was still on the Wrecker.

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

Well thats good! I like the horns on the hard top! Did yours have the vice on the bumper?

 

[Timberwolf22]

Yes the large vice is installed on the bumper.

I have to admit were having some issues working thru all the PTO winch operations and hydraulic controls for the boom.... would appreciate some insight into those details since you also have an M936 if you have the time.

 

[smoke]

Nice lookin truck. I see you are from Kennett. My grandparents live there. I live down in Oxford. If you need a hand sometime give me a shout I maybe able to help. I know enough to get me into trouble anyway.

 

[MadCat2]

OK, it took me about 3 try's and a few late nights of reading the manual but I finally found all the levers and controls to turn on the winches! the biggest issue was that I had the front winch in the correct possition but it was stuck on the drum- had to hook it up to my truck just to unspool it- must have sat- but now everything on it works! GREAT and we are back in business.
SO, I went to recover my bulldozer that I was digging my pond and hooked up the Wrecker w a chain, got it half way out- and then it got super stuck and I snapped 2 chains in the process, so this am I figured out how the boom worked, picked it up and drug it right out! I LOVE my new toy!!!

 

[cattlerepairman]

Yes...I am CARC 383 green with envy! I 'd like one of these!

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Nice looking truck and glad you got her going and got her home safe!!!

 

[MadCat2]

Thanks, We will be at the Oaks Gun Show Dec 14-16. We will have our wrecker there set up in the parking lot, make sure you stop by and see us at the show- we will have our tables set up at the show and a couple of models in santas helpers outfits selling ammo can- so we will definately get some pictures too!

Chad