Mulemac01 M275 2 1/2 ton Gas truck tractor ON-GOING restoration and rebuild tread.

[tommys2patrick]

I have a 1968 Kaiser Jeep M275 that sometime around 1986 was converted to a diesel LTD 465 1-d. It may have interim work but I suspect it was a gasser previously due to some of the acetylene torch work in cutting exhaust holes in fender and similar things. Anyway, no winch and it has the low headlight configuration. Bumper is also narrow center down rather than up for winch mount. my two cents FWIW.

 

[MuleMac01]

I believe, on the winch trucks, the headlights were mounted higher like they were on the later trucks. Maybe someone else will chime in to confirm my suspicion. I have not had many of the older deuces, but I did have a truck that had a winch and was converted to multi-fuel. It had the higher headlights.

Yes you are right about the headlights. There going to be fliped in the next coming weeks.

 

[MuleMac01]

Winch update winch installed on truck today.

 

[Another Ahab]

Winch update winch installed on truck today.
View attachment 819674

Outstanding!

 

[Tracer]

Mule, nice clean work.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I think the coolest part of the winch deal is the fact that you found one from a gasser with the correct drum lock knob. Looks outstanding.

The pic is a gasser M275 I bought from Dave at Eastern Surplus in 2001. It ran and drove but it was real early in my collecting and I sold it to buy a cargo truck. It was fairly decent but not as dry and rust free as yours was. It wasn't the cheapest deuce I've ever owned but might have been the cheapest deuce Dave ever sold. $750

 

[MuleMac01]

I think the coolest part of the winch deal is the fact that you found one from a gasser with the correct drum lock knob. Looks outstanding.

The pic is a gasser M275 I bought from Dave at Eastern Surplus in 2001. It ran and drove but it was real early in my collecting and I sold it to buy a cargo truck. It was fairly decent but not as dry and rust free as yours was. It wasn't the cheapest deuce I've ever owned but might have been the cheapest deuce Dave ever sold. $750

The winch was from a 1952 gasser M35 from reo. My M275 happens to be a 1951from reo I thought about putting the later knob on the drum lock but I seen nothing wrong with it. So I keeped it. I seen later winches also have 3 data plates on the top plate. So I keeped the original 2 top data plate style.

 

[MuleMac01]

Update 12-13-2020

Christmas came early for me this year I decided to treat myself.

I've been looking for a set of decent rear fenders for my M275 since I started the project years ago. Being unable to find any for months during the restoration I had my originals bent back as best I could. I tried my best but it never looked correct and I didn't like it, it was bugging me the circumference or radius was off. So a month ago I went looking again. After calling a bunch of places again I decided to call memphis equipment about them. I've called them before about other stuff but never the fenders. A nice lady picked up the phone and said yeah we got 2 left I was like whats the price? She said $275 a piece I was like sold haha. Finally the last piece of the puzzle is done.


Got them in today going to clean and paint.

 

[Another Ahab]

we got 2 left I was like whats the price? She said $275 a piece I was like sold haha. Finally the last piece of the puzzle is done.

Like a dream come true:

- Maybe it's Karma

You must have unawares said something kind to a stranger or something.

Whatever it was, Congratulations!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Wow, that is quite a find. I would have loved to find them when I had my 275. Might want to hold onto the ones you straightened. Would be great for an M48 project.

 

[MuleMac01]

New rear fenders painted and winch drive shaft painted going on the M275 soon.

 

[Another Ahab]

New rear fenders painted and winch drive shaft painted going on the M275 soon.

View attachment 821134

Excellent!

 

[MuleMac01]

Welll it's another update.

A new job requires me to travel alot so my M275 has taken a back burner but I've been doing what I can when I can on it.

A month ago I replaced the rear fenders on the back
Makes it look so much nicer.

Last few weeks and today I put the rest of the winch stuff on the truck like PTO.. then the shifter lenkage today, and drive shaft today

Also tested it today and miraculously everything works haha.

Just a video to see it working.

More to come.

 

[cattlerepairman]

It is a wonderful feeling when you surprise yourself with stuff that actually worked out! It always makes me suspicious when Murphy is nowhere to be found. He is here, somewhere....

 

[MuleMac01]

Got the cable spooled up on winch today.



Note yes I know the paints look different but they're not that's what the sun's does to paint out in Las Vegas.

Haha

More to come grill and front fenders are next and to flip the headlights.

 

[cattlerepairman]

@MuleMac01 All your fault. Now I am itching to re-spool my winch cable and it is pouring outside. Mine is ok...but not laid as perfectly as in your pic!!

 

[MuleMac01]

Started to replace the front fenders and flip the head lights.

Reason why the front fenders because a person hit it with a forklift.
oh wells had extras ,stripped and primed and painted also new rubber spacer and anti squeak strips.

 

[ldmack3]

Started to replace the front fenders and flip the head lights.

Reason why the front fenders because a person hit it with a forklift.
oh wells had extras ,stripped and primed and painted also new rubber spacer and anti squeak strips.

Beautiful. Nice and clean.
Don't you love the engine access when the fender is off? Trying to figure out a quick disconnect!

 

[MuleMac01]

Im sorry everyone for not posting on this for a awhile. Life has gotten in the way.

Alot has happened to me since I last posted on this but im hopeing to get back to work on this truck soon.

I got married, got a house, a new job so everything is looking up. Besides the fact that my M275 is sick. A year in a half ago I went to Colorado for work for a year. I left the truck with a buddy of mine. One day they tried to start it and they Hurd a knock.. it turns out to be a bent push rod. I haven't touched the truck since.I don't know what to do? Should the head be taken off and looked at? Could it be a bent valve also? Should I just replace the lifters with new push rods? So it sits picture because it's sad..

 

[NDT]

Im sorry everyone for not posting on this for a awhile. Life has gotten in the way.

Alot has happened to me since I last posted on this but im hopeing to get back to work on this truck soon.

I got married, got a house, a new job so everything is looking up. Besides the fact that my M275 is sick. A year in a half ago I went to Colorado for work for a year. I left the truck with a buddy of mine. One day they tried to start it and they Hurd a knock.. it turns out to be a bent push rod. I haven't touched the truck since.I don't know what to do? Should the head be taken off and looked at? Could it be a bent valve also? Should I just replace the lifters with new push rods? So it sits picture because it's sad..

My thoughts are that a valve has gotten stuck. I would pull the valve cover and remove the rocker assy and see if you can work it loose by pressing down on the stem. Maybe you can break it loose by soaking in WD-40 or something like that.