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Slow deuce

67_Gladiator

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Spokane Valley, WA
First off I know these things are slow. However I think mine might possibly be underperforming. Based on videos I've seen and other trucks in person mine seems to be a real dog compared to them. It's a 1972 non-turbo fire truck. On flat ground 40-45 is the most I can get out of it and 45 takes forever to hit. Small grades it's chugging 15-20mph

I am wondering what I might check to see if its making full power or if that is just the nature of the type of truck I have. Is the lack of turbo impeding it that much? Do turbo trucks have better acceleration?

I was also wondering how much more my truck weighs considering it has a PTO pump and fire box on it. I think I read it weighs about 5000 more than a flat bed truck. So maybe I'll get the pep I seem to be lacking when I remove it?
 

Slate

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Ozona Texas
Mine was doing that, till I bypassed FDC and man It felt like a sports truck after that. Make sure you put in a pyrometer and boost guage if you do that.

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cattlerepairman

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Common causes are air restrictions (dirty air filter) or fuel restrictions (clogged primary or secondary filters, crushed fuel line underneath radiator crossmember, clogged fuel line somewhere between tank and injection pump).
Bypassing the FDC will help because it is akin to "turning up the fuel".

Check the routine, easy things first.

Does it rev to redline at 2500?

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67_Gladiator

Member
27
25
13
Location
Spokane Valley, WA
Common causes are air restrictions (dirty air filter) or fuel restrictions (clogged primary or secondary filters, crushed fuel line underneath radiator crossmember, clogged fuel line somewhere between tank and injection pump).
Bypassing the FDC will help because it is akin to "turning up the fuel".

Check the routine, easy things first.

Does it rev to redline at 2500?

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
Yes it reaches 2500. I planned on doing filter and fluid changes next paycheck.
 

m715mike

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Montgomery, Texas
Yes, what they said above. Also, how long has your truck been sitting?

My first Deuce sat in private hands for 2.5 years after sitting in Uncle Sam’s possession for who knows how long. When I got it, she was a dog! Once I got it, I drove it regularly. In less than a year of driving, there was a noticeable improvement in performance.
 

67_Gladiator

Member
27
25
13
Location
Spokane Valley, WA
Yes, what they said above. Also, how long has your truck been sitting?

My first Deuce sat in private hands for 2.5 years after sitting in Uncle Sam’s possession for who knows how long. When I got it, she was a dog! Once I got it, I drove it regularly. In less than a year of driving, there was a noticeable improvement in performance.
Title shows PO bought it about a year ago. Definitely ran better by the time I got it home after 40 miles, fresh diesel and half a gallon of howes. Pretty sure it sat the whole time. He ran a museum and has 40+ military vehicles.
 

m715mike

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Montgomery, Texas
Title shows PO bought it about a year ago. Definitely ran better by the time I got it home after 40 miles, fresh diesel and half a gallon of howes. Pretty sure it sat the whole time. He ran a museum and has 40+ military vehicles.

Yeah, I'm still drooling from the pictures in your other thread.

Glad to hear that she started running better by the time you got home. Let us know how your truck does with new filters and fluid.
 

67_Gladiator

Member
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25
13
Location
Spokane Valley, WA
Yeah, I'm still drooling from the pictures in your other thread.

Glad to hear that she started running better by the time you got home. Let us know how your truck does with new filters and fluid.
Payday is tomorrow. So I need to figure out my priority of spending. The generator is throwing out 38 volts so I'm thinking alternator swap before I boil my brand new group 31's. Luckily between my work discount and buddy discount who is a district manage at napa I can get filters on the cheap. I tried to tighten the compressor belt as its howlijg but I cannot get that dang pulley to budge. Sounds like a banshee driving around the neighborhood. Day 3 of PB soaking, thinking I should order the correct wrenches instead of crescent and channel locks
 

V8srfun

Well-known member
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Location
Altoona pa
I have a non turbo and it will do 55 on the flats but any grade at all and speed starts to drop fast. If you have not changed fuel filters I would suggest that first. It is hard to diagnose problems when you have delinquent service items because you will always second guess yourself. My truck started to run better after some tank cleaner and fresh filters but the tank was pretty bad (algae growing in it) and I am going to charge the filters again here. I have a strong suspicion they are getting pretty dirty because my idle is about 100 rpm lower than normal
 

Merc1973

Active member
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Location
Sykesville, MD
Get the correct wrenches for the compressor pulley. Real easy, it splits in half...you'll see. I paid $20 on ebay for mine 2 months ago. Be careful to loosen all the bolts for the generator when removing those belts.


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67_Gladiator

Member
27
25
13
Location
Spokane Valley, WA
I pulled the air filter late last night and it was dirtier than my initial thought. It was also the napa filter which I read has quite a bit less flow than the mil spec.

So today I ordered air, oil and fuel filters. Compressor wrenches and the alternator kit.

I will also be doing the FDC bypass once I gather some new lines and fittings.
 

sandcobra164

Well-known member
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Location
Leesburg, GA
I haven't had a Deuce in a few years but my friend, Welder1 has one that will get aggravated with my 5 ton (M923A1) on long hills if I drop below 45 mph. His truck does have a turbo and is a W/W (with winch). It's completely stock with the exception of 11R20 radial tires and the FDC bypass. The injection pump was refreshed to help prevent the o-rings leaking fuel into the crankcase from the hydraulic head. He's an engineer so he puts his equipment back to stock specifications. My truck is turned up just a little but his Deuce gets real big in my mirror when I'm towing a trailer on the way to the yearly camp out. He's comfortable but wound out at 60 mph.

Run it, bypass the FDC and post back.
 

Bulldogger

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Location
Quantico VA
I'd inspect the fuel tank for algae or other gunk as well, in addition to the items mentioned. Sounds like she just needs cleaned in (cleaned out, inside).
Congatulations!

BDGR
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
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Location
Effort PA
Sometimes I'm glad my Deuce is slow. I've had people cut me off a bunch of times and that scares me to death. I got sideways in rain once when a guy in front of me decided he had to make a full panic stop for Burger King. Thought I was going to do some unscheduled off roading for a few seconds. I plan ahead for stop lights, which in the Poconos are usually found at the bottom of long steep downgrades. Moral of the story is to always look way down the road and try to anticipate what other drivers might do. Expect the unexpected. Do not tailgate ever. Did my front brakes last fall.
 

cattlerepairman

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Location
NORTH (Canada)
How exactly do you fix cattle? Do they have TMs?
They do, but they don't read them. So they never know which symptoms they are supposed to show, according to the book!

That leaves me to figure out why they don't feel so good and what we are going to do about it.

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davidb56

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Location
Bonners Ferry Idaho
You stated your truck will reach 2500 rpms. Is that while sitting in the driveway, or running down the road in each gear before shifting? When you are up to 45mph, how many rpms are you running? The extra weight will make it more sluggish, but you should be able to get to speed on flat ground. Ive never had my truck up to 50mph, but Im 140 miles north east of you, and people don't seem to care what speed Im driving....they just pass politely if they want. Never flip off a Idaho driver, or a deuce with air/hydraulic brake system.
 
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