Should I drive a deuce home from the auction?

[KaiserM109]

I'm amazed at the info I have gotten on this web site!! Having met you guys on the net, I hope I can shake your hands one day soon. Take a look at the link I included above and let me know what you think about a rally in Colorado in ’08. Yesterday I was 90% in favor of driving it home, now I’m 99.99%. I’m stoked!

Builder77, thanks a bunch for the pic’s; the rest of you thanks for the info. Recovery4x4, the prices on that page are about an hour before the bid closed. I don’t think that any deuce went for over $1000, though, which really surprised me. I low bid it because of the lack of info. I wasn’t going to bid again if someone topped me.

ARMYMAN30YearsPlus, what tells you that it was Technical Inspected in 2005 and what does that do for me? I can deal with a warped floor. Other trucks in the same auction that had parts pulled had detailed photos showing that, so I’m taking no engine pic’s and no parts tossed into the back to be a good sign.

Recovery4x4, I’ll check ALL the lug nuts; what size wrench(s) do I need? Are the nuts on the left side left handed?

Once again, thanks guys. I’ll buy the first round.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

I am so glad you are enjoying the site it is my favorite place to go on line. The marking on the windshield shows it was T/I'ed 05 this means a mechanic at unit level or above went over the truck with the unit/ds level maintainance manual. If the T/I showed up some critical fauld most of the mechanics I have had work for me would have put an additional mark there showing it was deadlined. So no mark makes me hope it was good to go. These trucks are being sent out of the inventory, mine had less than 6,000 miles on it and it still starts in less than a second of cranking. Check your PM too and thanks for serving.

God bless

 

[Recovry4x4]

Left side lugs should be left hand threads. You will need a 1 1/2" socket for the nuts and a 13/16" square for the Budd thimmbles on the rear should you need to get in there. Make sure you have these critical tools along with at least a 6 ton (preferrably more) bottle jack and some cribbing blocks. This is just for your tires should they need attention. The rust running down the RF wheel is tell tale of looose lug nuts. I would do a search of the site for brake bleeders and seroiusly consider having one of these with a gallon of BFS (available surplus). Nothing is more important for the ride home than brakes.

 

[Elwenil]

Hmmm, I don't think the floor is warped. It just looks to me like the weatherstrip is loose.

 

[JRBAMATEX]

Good looking truck. Great buy! Only thing I see is the spot under the truck in the area below the tranny or t-case. Might just be an old spot from another vehicle. I bet it will start and take you home. I would take a couple of new batts basic hand tools and the parts cross refference. Bring a five gallon of 80/90 gear lube with the pump and two Gallons of rotella motor oil. Bring a quart of fuel treatment and some water(few gallons) Also, program the telephone numbers for places like Memphis Equipment, OD Iorn, Saturn Surplus and Adirondak into your cell phone. Get there climb under the truck and SLOWLY look at everything as Closely as you can. While the looking is going on have someone check the oil level in the engine and the coolant level. Use a (i think its 1/2 inch drive) breaker bar to remove the filler hole lugs in the tranny, T-case, and all 3 axles. if you can reach your finger in the hole and touch oil within the depth of the end of your index finger in each of these units(tranny, t-case and axles) then you are in good shape. Try to start the truck. Flip the ignition switch to on and then bump the starter. Not enough to start the truck but enough to start slowly and one (bump) at the time turning the engine over. you are doing this to make sure that there isn't any water in a cylinder. If it makes a hard stop when your ore doing this you may have some water in a cylinder. if so stop and let your deseil mech look at it. If you can bump the engine all the way around one time then lean on the starter and start the engine turning. don't pump the pedal until you have the engine turning with the starter. its not a chevy 350. the engine needs to beturning prior to providing the cylinders with fuel. When it starts (and it will) give it about five minutes to warm up and keep and eye on the guages. If everything iis good go ahead and drive it off the base. Go about 10 miles and then stop and crawl underand give it a good visual inspection. If it's good go fiftey miles and then do the same. If its good drive it on home.

Good luck!! and Congratulations.

PS don't forget to make sure you have good air pressure for the breakes and to check the oil level in the steering gear box.

 

[KaiserM109]

More great advice! I will make a long check list, starting with one from this forum, and including items like the latest form JR. It will be late Aug. or even Sep. before I go to get it. I will takes lots of photo (digital is cheap).

I have driven old 4x4s for years and see the wisdom in these suggestions. Five Gallons Of Gear Oil??!! Now that's a scale I'm not used to (yet). I have seen hydrolock in gas engines and know it can be bad if not detected. Old flat head Jeeps were notorious for head warpage and leaks into cylinders. I junked my last flat head a couple of years ago after dealing with those problems. I kept the cylinder head for a wall hanging.

Thanks,
A. Whit

 

[jasonjc]

Well if this helpmine is the one just to left of yours. And I got it droped off last night. Had to jump start it. Then backed it right off the trailer. Had I had time and a ride/chase crew I would have gone and tried to drive it home. After seeing it I whish I had driven it home. They seem to have come from the unit so I hope yours is as good as mine. Good Luck

 

[Michael]

The only thing I would add to all of the fine recommendations is to have a contingency plan in case you get there and it won't run or worse yet runs just long enough to get you out on the road and then dies. If it is a hazard to traffic the local law enforcement will call a local wrecker to move it and he will charge you out the a$$. Now would be the time to get the names and addresses for people you know (or who are on the list) alone the route. That way you could have it towed or drive it there if need be. I would also get a firm price quote from a local wrecker to come and get it, it just might be cheaper than one on the road moving it and storing it. I would take some safety equipment alone also. Flares or triangles, fire extinguishers etc.

 

[madsam]

In The title "WITH DIESEL ENGINE". I would guess there is an engine too. I hope to have my wrecker here by the end of august. I have it at a diesel guy in MS. He is getting it running before I try to drive it back to Colorado Springs. If you find yours not run-able, When I get my wrecker here, give me a call. I would be willing to go out there if you paid for fuel.

 

[KaiserM109]

Madsam,
Sounds like an offer I can't refuse. Your wrecker is in MS? Does your route home pass anywhere near Ft. Riley which is 60 mi. west of Topeka, KS? I have some leeway in my schedule, and I think I will have the EUC either the end of Aug or early Sep. If Mapquest knows anything and depending upon what part of MS we're talking about, it wouldn't be very far out of the way. I would definately cover your fuel costs!

 

[madsam]

i will call the shop that has my truck tomarrow. then I will know more about what timing might look like.

 

[madsam]

Well, today was a bust at work. Never got time to call the guy about the truck.. Too many databases blowing up.. I will try on Monday to figure tings out.

 

[KaiserM109]

No problem, there's time on my side. My son and I have been comparing our calendar to the hours that the yard is open and we aren’t doing well. He’s on a new job and doesn’t have much flexibility in his hours.

What model is your truck? Where in MS is it?

 

[madsam]

Mine is an m816. It is in Hattiesburg MS. Depending on timing, don't know if I could go through KS.. Maybe could start from Denver depending on timing.

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

I feel your pain with the price those haulers give ya! they wanted $1580 to go 300 miles with mine! I laughed at the guy when he quoted me the price. My good friend hauled mine for me on a step decktrailer. but i see what you mean about the hieght problem. But anyway I could have driven mine home to. I was looking at the listings for those fort riley trucks and they were some nice units. I hope you are as happy with it as i am with mine. I won the bidding on april 20th and had my euc approval by may 30th so they are turning the euc around pretty quick.
Good luck my friend and hope the trip goes well!

 

[oifvet]

If it cranks and runs well and the brakes work I would not be afraid to drive it. Check all fluids. The most likely problem you will have is dirty fuel system. Drain the filters to get rid of any water and see what the fuel looks like. Take extra filters and the tools to change them with. That way if the tanks are dirty and the trip shakes it up you can change on the road and go.

I bought my 71 M35A2 from GL. I rented a car, drove up to VT from OH with a buddy, and drove the deuce home, 780 miles. It was chancy, but I did 'er. What poppop says is EXACTLY what I should have done. In fact, my truck partner said, "If there's one thing we should have done, it would have been to give ourselves a good "day" to go over PMCS before we headed back. I have to admit, things went well. My truck was/is in GREAT shape compared to others I good have gotten. All I had to do was change the lower radiator hose and the brake light switch. Two fairly easy fixes at the site. Fortunately, being current military. I had an I.D. card, and got a little love. The guy at the armory let me cannibalize a dead deuce that was going to scrap. It had a BRAND NEW radiator w/ hoses! (I had time for one just the lower hose and brake light switch.) When I got home, I realized that the DOT 5 brake fluid (reservoir) was almost dry. The in-tank fuel pump was dead. One of the rear duals was flat, (my truck partner was in charge of tire checks. Said they were all O.K. Ultimately, my fault for not checking). But those fuel filters!!! Wow! PLUGGED! BAD! I would have made better time had those been changed out first.
Hey! Our Chaplain says, "Get in and go!" That's good enough for me! Believe me, that's good!
As you'll find in numerous threads, this comes up. And a few fairly recently. Keep in touch with the Steel Soldiers. You talk about a team?!?! This is it! This is what we take the time out to make sure goes well. These guys wrench, crane, sweat, swear, drive, muscle, bend, weld, work all day on these trucks, and their normal jobs as well. They drop it all to help out fellow soldiers. Without going somewhere else with this, I'd like to say, this is what Freemasonry is.
I'd drive that truck just based on how it looks. My back-up plan when I made the trek was, "Mastercard."

 

[KaiserM109]

oifvet,
I'm in the middle of job hunting. I'll probably give you a ring later.

I was an 82B (construction surveyor) and an 82C (artillery surveyor) in Vietnam and an 82H (instructor) stateside in the late '60s. Our best gun crews were NG. Read Col. Hackworth's Steel My Soldiers' Hearts and watch for references to 1/11th Artillery. I rarely had to work on my own M37 because I was in Battalion S3. My hobby before the Army and since is putting old cars and trucks back together.

Lately my hobby has included a ’70 F100, '70 Jeep Commando, '69 Bronco, '60 Willys wagon, and an '83 Jeep J20. Sitting in the back of the storage lot is a ’56 International shortbed 4x4 with the power train out of a ’78 F250 in the bed waiting for rebuild and installation. The J20 is a 2nd generation Gladiator which was the origin of the M715 5/4. If things get back on schedule, by the end of ’08 we (my daughter, my son and I) will have done a complete frame-off restoration on all of the above vehicles except the Corn Binder and the F100. The Commando and the J20 are presently stripped to the frame. I’m driving the Bronco, my daughter is hitch hiking and my son is now the 3rd generation to own our ’70 F100.

The question right now is where will the M109 fit in? It won’t go under the power lines to get into the storage lot. A lot of that depends upon what it needs to be road and mountain worthy. One thing is for certain, if I don’t give it a high priority, the presently understanding wife will have my head. Our plans are to clean up the inside and make a super off-road camper out of it. ‘Roughing it’ has always been an issue between us; she’s a city girl and I grew up in the mountains. If I had wanted to buy an M35, I’d have been out of luck.

You guys are all great. I hope I can sit and drink a couple of beers with you; I’m buying the first round.

A. Whit.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Hey, I'm not sure what plans you have "camper" wise, but I got my 109 as a tow vehicle/camper. I looked at installing a futon, putting up hammocs(sp?), and a suspended bed/air mattress deal. In the end, I think we have agreed on some foldable cots that I have customized. I have a fridge/freezer from an RV that has not been installed yet, but in doing some reading, they are very tempermental to how level they are. I am also looking into the power situaton. I'm sure the power setup was fine back when these trucks were made, but I'm thinking of relocating the 110 power input to the rear of the truck. Lots to think about and digest. There is alot of info on the net, let me know if you have specific questions.

 

[madsam]

Well, Talked to the mechanic who picked it up from the mil and now has mine, and he has not looked at it yet... Starting to worie. I hope he is not thinking I will sell it to him if he delays enough. He has had it 3 weeks, and not done anything. He said he was backed up, but was to get to it this last week. ?? I might have to have it shipped just because I can't get him to fix it. All the pics looked like the drive train was complete. Hmmm, so I have no better idea.
I will give him one more week.

 

[KaiserM109]

Hmmm, sounds like a convoy road trip! Maybe we should all converge on Hattiesburg MS and work our way westward. Perhaps there are some other trucks to grab up along the way, maybe even a trailer or 2!