Mule Misshap

[WillWagner]

The Museum has a Mule we use to transport parts, tools or whatever around the grounds. It sure is a handy toy to have when you gotta go and heft a large part from the back 40 to the shop. Well, the last few times we used it, it has been puffing black smoke at idle and not running as good as it should. Yesterday, I needed to go get a hood for another project out back. It fired fairly easy, but was doing the black smoke/blubbering at idle thing a bit more than normal. I figured it was the carb, so I gave it a bit of an adjustment. Had to turn the mixture screw all the way in..hmmm that's not right , guess it needs a carb clean out. We went ahead and started out to the back, got 60 or so yards from the shop and it started blubbering and smoking blue ! We stopped, and it smoothed out and started running fine again..hmm wonder what that was? Went ahead and drove it about 20 feet and it did the same thing. Decided to shut it down and give it a peek. Pulled the cover and found the boot between the intake elbow and the venturi on the carb dripping in oil. We went on an got the hood off of the donor 715, put it on the 274 and pulled it back to the shop..nice to have a tow bar on board that a single person can easily handle. Got it up into the shop and started giving it a look. Pulled the intake pipe off and found the venturi full of oil..WAIT..gas...no, oil...no, GAS and OIL! Pulled the dipstick and found it 4 inches over full. Pulled on the starter and oil/gas was comming out the tube from the CC to the carb inlet. Well found the reason for the black smoke at idle! Just a bit of reenforcement here. Even if you KNOW the fluid levels are good at the start of things, if your stuff sits and you see no leaks, CHECK THE FLUIDS! I have been wrenching on stuff my whole life. I KNOW one of the first things I am supposed to do is check fluids. Shame on me for not doing what I know is right . It would have been horrible if I smoked an engine at the place where I am trusted to take care of things. We all get lazy and say to ourselves..."AAHH, it was all good the last time I checked it and I just gotta do this little thing, it'll be ok" Well mister, it can happen that fast. Here are a few pics...oh yeah, the cause of the failure? The fuel pump took a dump from the crappy gas we have now and filled the engine full of gas. Parts are on the way. The pic of my fingers on the stick, right finger is the "full" mark, left is the level of the fluid in the engine.

 

[clinto]

Mules are cool!

 

[toddm]

They are very cool indeed!

 

[Speddmon]

excellent "pre-flight" reminder checks. Even though I haven't heard of too many deuces having the problem, I have heard of diesel getting into the crankcases and such, so every time I take the deuce out, I always check the oil level before I start it.

Thanks for the reminder. It always pays to check over your equipment!!!

 

[AceHigh]

Dead mule!

 

[WillWagner]

Dead mule!

Well it isn't dead, just in parts now. It will be good to go in a week or so.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Great advice Will, hope you get her up and running soon!

 

[Dieselsmoke]

Very very common with the Mules! Hoepfully you found it early enough because it doesn't take long to trash the bearings in the mule, found that out the hard way once
Bill Watson has the best price on the pumps, and great guy to deal with!
It's an easy replacement, just time consuming since ya have to tear the blower and shroud off.

 

[WillWagner]

I got it out w/o taking the blower and stuff off. I used a long extention and went up through the bottom. Pump came right out!

 

[nickd]

Looking at the pictures, you had one of the old style flat top fuel pums on the engine. It is a good policy to change them out as soon as possible as they have been known to fail and fill the crankcase with fuel.

Any time I see one on someone elses mule I remind them to change the pump and trash the old one before it trashes the engine.

 

[gbooth]

When I first got mine it ran ok but would leak oil like crazy we are not talking just a few drips but running down the side. I pulled the covers off and found that the oil was leaking from the fuel pump. Installed a new fuel pump and gasket thinking it was fixed but it still leaked just as bad. So I am standing over this thing while its running and I notice that one of the shipping valves is closed I open it and the oil leaks stops. It was building up crankcase pressure and leaking at the weakest point the fuel pump

Greg

 

[WillWagner]

Got it all back together Saturday and took it out for a putt. I love these things!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE2JIcGm7XA[/media]

 

[bigmike]

Will,

You're hooked now. I can see it in your squinty, sun glared, sun burnt, eyes. You just need to get yourself one of those.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Glad to see Her runnin' again Will!

 

[AceHigh]

I love the sound of a mule! Sounds like new.

 

[Marines42]

I spy what looks like an M48 or M60 near the gate at the end of the video. What is it?

 

[WillWagner]

It's an M47. It is one of the ones that has a modified M46 hull. It has failed oil coolers so it can't run ...right now

 

[papabear]

Will...congrats on the mule...glad ya got that issue resolved. You guys rock steady!

Wonder how a poor feller could get that M548 in your avatar??

 

[WillWagner]

Well, if you come out tho the Museum this Sunday, you can ride in it!

 

[cranetruck]

Good job Will!
Funny, to this day with all the fancy computerized gadgets on the cars, you still have to check the oil with a dipstick....should be a gauge for this, like the fuel gauge, even if it would show the level only with the engine off....