New member with 5 ton question

[Andrew259]

Hello all I have been looking into buying an m923A2 for quite some time now I have found one that I have been looking at pretty seriously I chose the A2 because of the 8.3 Cummins and p pump. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and have worked on many 12v cummins engines the Allison auto would be something new to me do they have any problems or are they a good trans?
My first question is the truck I'm looking at still has the CTIS system that works but the guy says the truck is fine while running but after sitting all night one of the rear tires goes flat and the truck doesent hold air pressure he says its a air water separator under the dash that has a schrader valve that he thinks is leaking does anyone have experience with this if so how hard is it to fix the tire going flat isn't a huge problem as I could just disconnect the CTIS from that wheel but I want the truck to hold pressure

My second question is the guy is asking $8000 is this a good price it has a canopy and he says only 500 miles on the tires the steer tires are the meaty looking Michelin and the 4 rears are Goodyear I believe the spare is the same as the front 2 truck has21000 miles it is a 1990 model the truck is also tan but I can live with that even though the camo is way cooler

I think I will need a class B non CDL here in illinois to legally operate it if any owners from illinois could chime in that would be awesome.

Also has anyone ever got a bank to loan out on one of these just curious.
Thanks to everyone in advance and I hope to be a 5 ton owner by the end of this week!

 

[603hellmutt]

Ctis is easy as long as you follow the proper PMs its easy enough to cap off if you cant find the problem, Where its leaking out overnight id say the tire has a bad check valve not a big deal at all. Spend some time with a spray bottle of soapy water and look for the bubbles. . There is a small air water separator under the passenger side dash that i had to replace, you can grab a small air compressor separator at HD for about $15 it is as easy as it gets. Also check the tires to verify that they are not michelin X, or XL you should stay away from those 2 tires as they are notorious for blowouts. Its worth it to do a few meaningful upgrades such as swapping the alternator for a civilian one($400), updating the air dryer to the newer mrap style ($120), Coolant filter($50). Then just do all the fluids so that you are starting fresh. The MT654 is a great transmission in my eyes, it shifts very strong its worth it in my opinion to swap out the 10W the military used to a heavy duty ATF. I know a few guys that have gotten personal loans for them but most banks wont finance this type of thing. Rule of thumb is that if you cant afford it you should save until you can.
The mileage/hours may or may not be correct since it was so easy for the military to just swap gauges. $8k is a very fair price for a A2 in the market right now.

 

[Coffey1]

The statement all or none is incorrect say you have a hub seal leaking on one wheel you can take feed hose off the axel going to that wheel and cap it off and plug axel to keep dirt out until repair.
Ctis does not care if you have six tires or two.
So if you were to do this you can still have Ctis air down or air up 5 tires and you manually air the one

 

[99nouns]

In my humble opinion a.k.a. IMHO A2 model with Turbo 8.3 is awesome as far as fuel economy versus to A1 or A variants so I would definitely support you on that choice.
About the Allison Auto, in my journey owning my truck, I have spoken to some Dodge guys and they swear by Cummins engine is the best thing in a Dodge truck except it would be dream come true if they had an Allison Trans because normally Dodge Trans sucks, I tell them go for an M939 Series is their dream.

Disabling the CTIS is easy there is a air tank right after the Water Separator and all you need is Pipe plug and CTIS doesn't get any air anymore which will make your truck hold air whole lot longer and build air quicker, and you also have to plug the air lines at the hubs too which there is a kit for it for sale. Or there is a cheap way to do it which is also as effective.

Now if the rear tire is loosing air it doesn't necessarily is the CTIS, there actually a small hose you can unscrew which will disconnect the CTIS from the wheel completely, but the problem might be the Wheel or rim O-ring is bad and leaking air from the tire because there actually a check valve at each tire which only allows air to move one direction so if the CTIS system has a leak the tires would hold air though dont think that it might not be faulty also, problem with that is no tire place will touch it, and you need a heavy duty Semi truck impact gun and sockets to be able to brake those nuts and I tried with 6 foot breaker bar with no hope. So you have to do it your self and forget about heating the lug nuts with a torch to loosen up, I made that mistake and had to replace all the lugs which are like $8 each or more, the tire it self is like 400 lbs and if you make mistake it can kill you... Yeah sorry to scare you but I seen some friends who has the same trucks will shiver around those tires specially when got air in it, but I did it, so you can too but please google 14.00R 20 tire safety before attempting. It is a heavy work you have to disassemble tire and reassemble, I have to say that I liked the experience, but again that's just me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKlJJqHFfoQ

Now as for as the price it depends how much time and work owner has spent on the truck it self since he has gotten the truck if he got it from the auction or bought from another person, if he got it from an auction and selling as is I think 8k is a bit a lot, if he can explain all the work he has done and cleaned it up and if everything is working on the truck in my opinion 8k could be fair, there are front axle seals needs to be checked which consist of braking down a part the entire front axle, it is a hardcore work which I like but again it is me, there are front axle boots if they have tears depending how you replace them is another cost. Does the transfer case high and low work, does front axle engage and does it work, if so how much rust is on the body, I never been at one but I truly feel bad for the Army's mechanical division for the amount of rust they have to inhale through their service.

I am from Florida and when I checked you can use a straight truck for personal non-commercial with out a CDL.

My bottom line and the way I look at it when it comes to these trucks are all about LOVE, once a wise man told me...

"Love is not a search, love is a sacrifice." So it is all about up to you to determine how much are you willing to sacrifice for your truck. Some of us has sacrificed the house, wife, friends and even jobs for our trucks, I pretty much personally don't know anyone who has looked back yet.

Ok I am tired typing who wants to warn him about addiction part.

 

[Andrew259]

Thank you everyone for the useful info

 

[74M35A2]

It's not a Bosch P-7100 pump. It just looks like one. It is still a Bosch inline pump, known as an MW pump. Does not have a fuel plate in it or 12mm plungers.

 

[Andrew259]

It looks like it has delivery valves and plungers

 

[74M35A2]

Because it does. But that does not mean it is a "P" pump. The injection pump on the military 6CTA8.3 is a Bosch MW pump. An MW pump is widely used in agriculture applications, DT466, and Mercedes engines, amongst others.

Numerous Bosch injection pumps look like a "P" pump, including an "A" or "M" pump. Then, even when it is a "P" pump, that does not mean it automatically has the coveted 12mm plungers, some are 10mm, etc.... Then some are reverse rotation, like needed for the DT466.

The military 8.3L in the M939a2 series trucks does not use a "P" pump.

 

[Andrew259]

Thanks for the good info

Are the trucks with the hard top prone to leaking in the corners and some edges the truck I'm looking at has some surface rust it doesent appear to be a big deal

 

[Coffey1]

They all leak

 

[Coffey1]

Ya want to stay dry, you have to go Fmtv.