Parts to add heat to m51a2?

[SandBar]

Now that it is colder I am thinking about adding cab heat to my m51a2. I'm surprised they all didn't come with heat but it is a 50s IH that was retrofitted to diesel in the 80s. What all parts do I need to source to get some heat going?

 

[G744]

A regular military hot-water heater kit was fielded for G744 5-tons many years ago, and kept in the supply system.

Comes with everything to set it up, check with the larger surplus dealers like Memphis or Eastern.

Otherwise, just about any DIY system will work, if you flog it a bit and have a resistor in the fan circuit so you don't smoke the motor on 24V.

The Southwind Co. also made military fuel burning heaters, those work almost too well South of the Arctic circle.

 

[SandBar]

Thanks! Looking for one that looks like it goes in the truck.

 

[Jbulach]

If you dont need room for a passenger, a rear school bus heater is an easy addition that will provide all the heat you need.

 

[Wreckclues]

Now that it is colder I am thinking about adding cab heat to my m51a2.

Been thinking about the same thing for my M813, which started life with the Air Force in Georgia...so, no heat. Found that the drivers side tool box will fit this
12 V Diesel Air Heater Haven't dropped the hammer on it yet, just musing.

 

[G744]

If you do go for a 12V unit, don't be tempted to draw the power from a tap between the batteries. (Unless you run a newer hi-amp alternator with dual voltage outputs)

It is a short course in ruining your batteries...

 

[GopherHill]

Check the internet, Vintage Air comes to mind. A heater for old trucks will do for your purposes. You can source a 24v blower motor.

 

[Wreckclues]

If you do go for a 12V unit, don't be tempted to draw the power from a tap between the batteries.

I'm running a 24V to 12V 40Amp Step down off a 24V dual battery bank switch to a 12V fuse block. The only thing I have on it are LED reversing lights and a beeper.

 

[msgjd]

If you dont need room for a passenger, a rear school bus heater is an easy addition that will provide all the heat you need.

yeah, a bus heater would be excellent, or a decent box heater mounted underneath the pass seat, such as the rear-seat heaters one would find in some higher-end cars like chrysler's and lincoln's in the 70s-80s, the ones that were mounted up high under the rear deck in the trunk, their own self-contained unit .. I had put one in between the seats of an old ragtop jeep in the 80s and it was great.. Being that the poster is in FL/GA , the GI heater should be satisfactory.. All I know is back in the 70s-80s the GI heaters, what very few trucks had them in the units I was in , were worthless unless engine was up to temp, wind wasn't blowing, and you were sitting still at least 10 ten minutes.. Only then, if the door windows weren't too leaky, you wouldn't see your breath anymore and maybe the windshields would start to defrost by themselves.. But in less than a minute of moving down the road the heat would be pretty much gone .. This "wonderful" performance was in temps below 28F .. I have 1950s commercial trucks here with larger/better heater cores than the GI ones , sad to say

 

[pmramsey]

Terry Neal, (703-631-1333) has a complete, new NOS hot water heater that was made for the M139 series of trucks. I am confident he is willing to sell.

 

[Jbulach]

.. I had put one in between the seats of an old jeep in the 80s and it was great..

Yep, thats how I had my first gen Bronco set up with a school bus heater in the 80’s as well! Even with the extra large, automatic beer can disposal holes in each of the floor boards, I didn’t need to put the junk hardtop on until January…