Picked up an M715 recently. Can't find the TM here, though.

[Ratch]

I checked the TM section and this one, could not find one for the M715. Anyone have a link, or maybe better eyes than I?


No pics on the PC I'm using right now, but I will try to get a few up soon.
I was offered it in trade, and had never heard of it. I was talked into it...
It's pretty much a mess. I'm still not sure if it was a good deal for me or not.

It sat in one spot for maybe 20 years (I'm guessing, I forget what the previous owner said). It has 1968-1970 tires on it in very bad shape.
Lots of rust, but I'm a little amazed at how everything is freeing up with some time soaking in oil. The hood hinges would barely move, but a few shots of fogging oil, and I can open and close it with one arm now.
One tire was stuck when I got it, but I freed it up and the thing rolls way too easy. No parking brake, so the wheels are chocked. It's parked on a hill. That was a lot of fun...

The cab has holes all over the place, but the rest of the truck is not terrible. The top is rotted and torn, so it lets in rain, thus rusting from the inside out.

The fuel pump was sort of swapped at some point in it's life, and never completed, so there's a mess of steel lines I'll have to figure out. As I learn more on the forum, I might just leave the current pump in place for it's vacuum function, and install an electric pump on the frame or tank.

The brakes are non-existent; the pedal goes to the floor as if it's not even connected. I ordered a new dual circuit MC, and 4 new wheel cylinders, we'll get those on first...

I was afraid to turn the engine before getting the plugs out and squirting some oil in the cylinders to soak for a few days, but I got one plug out and it looked almost fresh, with no corrosion, so I gave the fan a light twist, and the motor turns freely. I'm glad for that, because the mil plug wires are a *nightmare* to get a wrench on. This thing might keep it's plugs forever...
So I'll check the wiring, hook up a battery, and tap the starter a few times to circulate the oil, then give it a split second of ether to see if it will actually run.
If it doesn't, that's ok, I have a good history with Chevy 350's, and I like that the transfer case is divorced, makes transmission choices a little wider.

My kids love it. Wife hates it. I'm still on the fence, but definitely warming up. This is the kind of vehicle that you can really do anything you want with.

I'm not a purist, and I don't see much value in restoration to original for this vehicle. If we keep it, the intention will be to make it a street legal offroading truck that the boys and I take on trips. And it will no doubt haul a few sheets of plywood, etc, from Lowes on occasion...

 

[Flingarrows]

Congrats! You can get manual here http://www.m715zone.com/vb/view.php?pg=manuals

 

[67Beast]

Congrats, the good news is that if the cab is the only thing in bad shape, there are many common parts in the cab of the M715 from the Jeep Gladiator pick-ups. Things like floor boards, rockers, cab corners and even the door shells are the same or can be modified slightly to fit the M715. As for the plugs, more than likely it has the old longer 2344 plugs which was the common replacement, but after some research we've determined that the 2407 plugs are the proper shorter length and greatly help with getting the plug wires on and off. check out this thread about them over at the M715Zone, http://www.m715zone.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26295

 

[bcowanwheels]

jerk the stock t-case,there not good for todays road speeds. I,d get a 350 sbc,th350 or th400 with a married np205. change the r&p gears to 4:56,s or better yet swap in gm 1 ton axles. jmo

 

[dmetalmiki]

jerk the stock t-case,there not good for todays road speeds. I,d get a 350 sbc,th350 or th400 with a married np205. change the r&p gears to 4:56,s or better yet swap in gm 1 ton axles. jmo

Agree with this. Ours needs the modification, as it is fitted with a 5 ltr perkins diesel, is slow and very noisy.

 

[Ratch]

Thanks guys. I did sign up at the Zone a few weeks ago, but forgot all about it.

I like the divorced tc, but yeah, I would like to replace it and get a little more highway speed.

I'd love to put a diesel in it, too.
I have thought a set of CUCV axles would be great, but that's farther down the road. I'd rather swap over some tires right now and deal with other issues.

Good to know the gladiator cab is similar, I'll see if I can find some panels and floorpans the right shape.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 14th, 2015.


Sir:

Do what you will, but too many of these old warriors have been bastardized by people who neither really respect the truck, or care anything about its history. You bought an M715, whatever gave you the idea that it could exceed 55? The military designed these trucks, like most of the later M880 Dodges and CUCV chevys for convoy speeds of 45, anything above that was pushing the trucks much too hard.

We had one that could hold 50-55 on the level with 4 pallets of common paving brick and do it all day long! If you wanted more speed you might have wanted to be the guy who imported the KIA copy into the US. They were an excellent truck for a civilian conversion, and long lived, but none to numerous today because of former owners beating theirs to death. Oh, and the KIA already comes with a diesel and AC......


You might guess I have a soft spot for the original trucks, some of the others will end up being scrapped in about 15 years or the new owners will try to de bastardize them as is happening now with may 19650's hot rods.