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The 10x10 pls is home!

Chief_919

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I'm suprised Uncle Sam let that go. I also wouldnt be surprised if he asked for it back. No kidding. Someone screwed up somewhere with the paperwork..
The ones that sold had been training aids at the 63B school for the last decade or so. I know TACOM is pretty wierd about former training aids going back into operational service because there could be lots of hidden damage from constant part removel and reassembly, that is likely why they made it out.
 

paradeduty

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Progress

Progress Update:

Well, just a little one - but it has been a while and some folks have asked.........

Took a few hours this morning and finally got to putting the (4) 6TMF batteries in the big girl.
Good thing that I wasn't in a hurry as I basically stumbled on the problem with the dash guages not working - broken (small) battery cables/connections. Walk over to the friendly parts counter - consult with the conveniently located wiring diagram for the battery box (yes - so many wires on the batteries that there is a wiring diagram for the battery box!). Cut, Strip, Crimp, repeat......
Then grunt the heavy (but not as heavy as some I have seen) batts up the ladder to the battery box 5' off the ground (I hope there was a really good reason for it being up there!). Fire her up - YAY! Cool - guages are a go! The rest of the time was spent seeing if/letting the CTIS system reinflate the front 4 tires (I think the trucking company let out a but load of air to get the grapple hook down below 13'6" for the trip). Took a bit (they were really low) but it did it and stopped automatically when it was happy. YAY - the CTIS actually works! But the next revelation - HMMMM - no lights yet. Well, being an electrician, I might be able to work on that (probably a bad connection to the switch common feed or a bad circuit breaker - time will tell). But I got to my goal which was to get the truck conveniently operational enough for the shop mechanics to give her a once over before it comes home (without having to mess around with goofy stuff that I can take care of myself). Anyways, a few pictures for evidence:

Take care, Dave.
 

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paradeduty

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PS - the duct tape on the Battery Cables (actually on the "extra" battery connection terminals) was there while I put (2) 65's in the truck to get it started up and driven off of the RGN Trailer after shipping. Just didn't want those open ends flopping around and landing on something! Cut off/peel tape and install (4) batteries. Just in cast you were wondering what kind of cobling had been going on in there!

Dave
 
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plym49

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Just keep it up with this thread - I am already jealous as the dickens; please don't make it worse. :)
 

paradeduty

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Hey plym49 -

Trust me - nothing to be jealous of. It's a real easy equation:

1 - Work your A** off
2 - Don't go on vacation
3 - Don't eat out much
4 - Wear your work clothes/boots until they are not recognizable anymore as clothes
5 - Have a very understanding wife
6 - Wait until the kids are on their own
7 - Be patient for one to surface
8 - When one does, do not be gun shy
9 - Get a little lucky if you get one
10 - Take what is out there and count your blessings if not too much is wrong

That has been my formula, but I have been "playing" with MV's (from piles of **** to really nice pieces) for over 25 years.

Take care, Dave
 

plym49

Well-known member
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Location
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Hey plym49 -

Trust me - nothing to be jealous of. It's a real easy equation:

1 - Work your A** off
2 - Don't go on vacation
3 - Don't eat out much
4 - Wear your work clothes/boots until they are not recognizable anymore as clothes
5 - Have a very understanding wife
6 - Wait until the kids are on their own
7 - Be patient for one to surface
8 - When one does, do not be gun shy
9 - Get a little lucky if you get one
10 - Take what is out there and count your blessings if not too much is wrong

That has been my formula, but I have been "playing" with MV's (from piles of **** to really nice pieces) for over 25 years.

Take care, Dave
Well, I am covered on 1 thru 5 so I am half way there! :) :) :)
 

paradeduty

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Trust me, kids are MUCH more important than any hunk of green steel. With the bunch of folks on this site, should not be a problem to hook up at a show or rally to see anything the young ones might want to play with.

Dave
 

Karl kostman

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THAT is one mighty beautiful vehicle I am just thankful that it wont fit in my shop or I could be in BIG trouble!! I am truly in envy of that one!!!
KK
 

paradeduty

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Hey Ord22,

Yup - this is one of the three that were let go via GL.

Just getting my teeth into this one, but definitely not as much to do as on the wrecker.
Mostly cosmetic, I think, but I havn't tested all of the systems yet (winch, crane, loading system, and probably a dozen sub-systems that I havn't discovered yet!). I know that I have to tinker with the lighting for sure. Something amiss there - nothing at all coming on. Just have to start following wires. Was kind of surprised when I jumped into this one for the first time - no "three-lever switch" - everything is rocker switches on the dash - from the blackout lights to the transfercase differential lockup. Has a single row of about 30 (yes thirty!) pop-out circuit breakers on the side of the doghouse for all of the systems - should be interesting.

Take Care, Dave.
 

paradeduty

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Hey caliber1,

Ya, got lucky on this one - much that could have been wrong wasn't that bad.

Needs new tires one of these days (age cracking), but that is not unexpected.

Never thought this would come home when I ended up getting one of the PLS trailers. Funny how things can work out backwards!

Some fender straightening and stuff and a lot of mechanical testing/verifying. 17 years with only 8K miles takes a toll on the electrical, air and hydraulic systems sometimes - and sometimes they don't show up until you start putting miles on them.

Dave
 

paradeduty

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Tinkering

Well, had some time this afternoon to tinker, and with the Salute to Vets Street Rod Show next weekend, I figured I better do a few of the things on the M1074 PLS that I have been meaning to do. She has always needed a little TLC in the rearmost mudflap area. Did find some new ones of the right size from Oshkosh. The mudflap hangers are no big mystery part (looks like standard heavy truck equipment) so I could have gone out and picked up a replacement, but because of the mounting bracketry on the PLS, the "standard" hangers (including the ones on the truck) really do stick out from the frame too wide (to be legal on the road) and the attachment locations for the rubber flaps are intended to be for flaps for duel rims, not the super singles on this type of truck. So, if I am going to have to "modify" the hangers, I might as well see if these can be saved (I hate throwing anything away, I am such a pack-rat). Bent them back into shape with a 10' piece of pipe and some grinding, drilling and painting and it was mission accomplished (trust me, I know that this project was no where near difficult or rocket-science, but I feel good to have it done). While the coats of spray paint were drying, I had also been meaning to finally install a couple of the 12V (military version) Trucklite LED Headlights. Had one of the original incandescents fail about a month ago, and this was as good a time as any. If I have time before the show on Sunday, I will try to swap in some LED front turn signals (already has LED taillights). Hope some folks from southern Michigan can make the show! The more the merrier! Dave.
 

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