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What have you done to your CUCV today/lately - Part 2

Expendable

Member
53
1
6
Location
SoCal
I had purchased a k and n filter for it a few months ago. It never did fit. Ive had my hands on a parts suburban that has the 6.2 in it. Well took the filter housing off it. Cleaned it up painted it. And put it on the blazer. Looks good. But with that k and n filter it sounds louder. I can hear it sucking air. I dont know if its a bad thing or not.
This is an article for H1s / Humvees but same general idea.
http://flashoffroad.com/Maintenance/AirFilter/K-NFilter.htm

If you ever go off road I would go with a quality filter that filters well not a filter that allows a lot of airflow. If you only drive around town probably won't hurt too much but is the power difference and or engine noise worth it? I had a K&N in my H1 and swapped it out as soon I could.
 
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gottaluvit

Well-known member
Did you really start a Cucv at -20F? What mods have been done to help it start?
We havn't been but one or two degrees below 0°F, but I have started both my MVs in the lower single digits. With the CUCV, I just cycle the GPs once with zero mods to the truck. She is as the General originally made her other than using the AC Delco 60Gs. It (of course) don't fire like when it's warm, but I crank it about five seconds, getting a little fire in the hole, and not shutting the key off, I wait about two seconds and crank it over again usually firing right up and running pretty smooth. I think the PO had the IP rebuilt. Sometimes it takes a third cranking to fire but the way I burned up my GPs with a novice move of multiple cycles of the GPs, I will not even double cycle them anymore. The compression causes heat as well as the partial fires.

Edit: I have no block heaters or other "cheats". I want it as the military used it. If the soldier/marine that was issued the vehicle kept up on maintenance, it would start at any temperature. I know the 5 ton I was issued got one whole heck of a lot of hours of attention. It was a non GP Cummins 250.
 
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the skull

Member
289
12
18
Location
mt victory ohio
After checking some fusible links, I repaired one, found a burnt wire.
Repaired the burnt wire and discovered that the alternator that I had
rebuilt (Gen 2) wasn't isolated ground cause it made fireworks when
I hooked up the battery cables. Luckily Gen 1 hasn't been messed with,
after swapping them over the fireworks show ended. Next thing is to
continue checking links. That Gen 2 has never really worked right since
I got the truck. Too bad I still can't get the truck to crank. Maybe next
week when I get a couple more days off
 

tim292stro

Well-known member
2,118
40
48
Location
S.F. Bay Area/California
Stay the course, work through it :tank: - most of the problems I've seen, experienced, or read about on CUCVs are traceable to someone not reading the TM and not understanding the subtle but important differences from the CUCV line to the civilian Chevy's. You will pull this truck back, and the closer you get it to stock the easier it'll be to fix later (and the more useful the rest of us will be in troubleshooting it [thumbzup]).

The positive takeaway is that you are very obviously starting to see things in your truck that are incorrect, so you will be able to recognize similar issues later - this makes you a better vehicle owner no matter what vehicle you run :beer:
 

the skull

Member
289
12
18
Location
mt victory ohio
Tim, thanks for the encouragement. I've had 2 close friends tell me to
convert it to 12v, but I really hate to do that. I see the point, but I think
that the issues I have had so far are 12v Chevy problems, not the alternator
though. I sure wish I had a known good one close to me to do a West
Virginia Blueprint however.
 

MuleMac01

Military vehicle collector
Steel Soldiers Supporter
890
158
43
Location
Las Vegas Nevada
Installed some new floor insulation, And a new rubber floor mat... also took the dash pad off.. Got a new one coming soon12715785_10156489610490043_2306021845312409823_n.jpg12744259_10156489610605043_2557931576042933987_n.jpg
 
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Drunkle Scuzzy

New member
115
1
0
Location
San Francisco, CA
Had a lot of work done on the truck since the last time I've posted. Dando's Automotive in Fremont Ca, as per Tim's (tim292stro) excellent recommendation, has done outstanding and meticulous work. (sorry, I did not do the work myself... I am not much of a mechanic and have been putting all my spare time into remodeling and adding a new bedroom in the rafters of our loft)

-Steering box brace welded in.

P1120995.jpg

-Speedometer gear switched to a 38 tooth so the speedo reads correctly.

P1120991.jpg

-Switched the instrument cluster to a used OEM instrument cluster from a deisel suburban with Gauges instead of dummy lights. Now has Water Temp, Oil Pressure, and 12 volt voltage meter gauges. and a functioning analog clock which is never accurate because when I park it the kill switch shuts it off. Had to have the Oil pressure and water temp sending units switched out, along with some additional oem circuitry and rewiring to make the instrument cluster function completely.

P1120978.jpg



-Transfer case full overhaul. It was trashed inside.

P1120986.jpg

-Removed the heavy radio mount and had the transfer case shifter switched with the civilian straight shifter.

P1120975.jpg

-New Aluminum core radiator.

P1120998.jpg

P1120989.jpg

-New parking brake and cable, along with some extra work to make it function. Looks like when the truck was re geared to 3.73, they swapped the entire axles with corporate 10 bolt front and Corporate 14 Bolt rear (9.5" ring gear I believe).... but from a '82-'83 instead of an '84-'87 truck. The entire parking brake system was missing, except one metal bracket I found in the back of the truck. Had to have the correct year backing plates on the drum brake switched out so it would function.

P1120984.jpg

P1120980.jpg
P1120972.jpg P1120971.jpg P1120973.jpg

-New brakes, cables, shoes.

-New belts.

-New front crankshaft seal installed.

-New axle seals.

Now it may be time to have the head gasket done and the restoration is more or less complete. When the radiator was replaced I found out that there is cavitation. I'll need a compression test to prove it, but I think the head gasket is leaking compressed air into the cooling system and over pressurizing it, causing the coolant to over flow and drain out the overflow reservoir at an alarming rate. Approximately a half gallon in a few miles...

I am considering having the truck hauled to 'Those Military Guys' in Rancho Cucamonga and have them tackle the engine work. Dando's Automotive have done great work and I would highly recommend them, but for the Head Gasket I would prefer a diesel specialist tear into the motor.
 
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Mg84648

Member
201
6
18
Location
Cumming, Ga
I checked my 30 amp headlight fuse today after cleaning the fuse block contacts several days ago. It shows signs of heat damage again.
I went through the headlight circuit sticky, thanks all who contributed BTW, and started looking for areas up stream of the fuse block. I took apart the diamond bus on the firewall and cleaned the contacts and terminals. I also disconnected and cleaned the hi/lo beams switch connector, it looks good.
I'm just looking for any areas where there is a possibility of poor connections which could raise resistance.
If the heat damage is at the fuse, could the poor connection be down stream or most likely at the fuse?
I've got a feeling I'll be cleaning connections all over this truck for a while or maybe I'll borrow a megohmmeter from work and nuke it:-D See if I can't narrow it down!
 
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tim292stro

Well-known member
2,118
40
48
Location
S.F. Bay Area/California
Have you done a head-light harness or a horn relay under the hood? You have to understand that EVERYTHING that signals outside the truck goes through that fuse to the blackout control switch. IMHO it's the single biggest weak point of the electricals in a CUCV, the second being the lack of a blocking diode on the 12V battery tap to feed the entire fuse block - that allows backfeeding power the wrong way through 12V devices if you leave the upper battery connected and have any 24V devices turned on.
 

Mg84648

Member
201
6
18
Location
Cumming, Ga
No headlight or horn mods. The electrical is stock with the exception of a manual glow plug push button and advance idle toggle switch. All of which were done by the previous owner 2 years ago.
 
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cucvrus

Well-known member
11,469
10,417
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Removed the injection pump from my M1009 Crown of Thorns. Oh no the pictures will not up load. Oh well see ya later. I hope to get the rebuilt injection pump on tomorrow if the weather holds out. I towed the M1009 from the field to my barn with my Honda lawn tractor.
 

rsh4364

Active member
1,372
15
38
Location
greensprings ,ohio
Ordered a set of new injectors and return lines for the 86 1009. From Badger Diesel /KR services.The 85 1009 patiently waits for me to get back home in April.
 
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NovacaineFix

Member
662
1
18
Location
San Diego, California
My 1009 is starting to get me a little hot under the collar this weekend. It seems I have hit that mark where once I fix one thing, something totally unrelated starts to give me trouble. Then once I fix or figure that out, the 1st thing starts all over again.

I recently changed out the entire cooling system, radiator, water pump, heater core (on my 3rd in a month), upper and lower radiator hoses, heater hoses, cross-over tube. Everything but the engine and t-stat have been changed and yet my cooling system still gives me some issues that I am having trouble figuring out.
After the radiator chang out, I went through 2 heater cores within a couple of weeks. The 1st one blew a header seal, the 2nd had a core tube leak, the 3rd so far has been working out okay.
I have been having an over pressurization issue that I cannot seem to track down the source. I checked the cooling system for a combustion/compression leak, nothing. I just changed out the 16lb pressure cap for a 13lb to see if that will offer any relief.

The new radiator had a tiny hole for the pressure relief to the catch can, but it looked like it was way too small, as if the gasket for the cap would cover it, making it useless. So I enlarged it to the size of the nipple that goes to the catch can.

Now the truck doesn't overheat, I have checked the temp at several times to see what it is running at, it always seems to be at the highest, 190°-200°, but the hoses just seem like they are about to burst.
I went out this morning only to see a small puddle of coolant on the ground that got my blood boiling. That set the tone for the dayaua

So, I started to look at other things, my mistake.
Wound up removing the drivers door, to replace the worn out hinge bushings. While I'm doing that, may as well do the striker too!
Oh, and I found out why my headlights keep blinking on and off from time to time, the common overload of the headlight fuse issue. So I have to look at that as well, removed added circuits from that fuse and pending an LMC conversion kit.

Just glad I didn't really have any plans for the weekend.

The only good thing is that I really made some progress on my super high power LED light bar that will assembled and installed soon, pics to come. If everything goes right with that, should be pushing about 80,000 lumens out the front of the truck, enough to scare the sun.
Anyway, good luck with yours as I pound away on mine.

This calls for a beer or 2
:beer:
 
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gottaluvit

Well-known member
My 1009 is starting to get me a little hot under the collar this weekend. It seems I have hit that mark where once I fix one thing, something totally unrelated starts to give me trouble. Then once I fix or figure that out, the 1st thing starts all over again.

I recently changed out the entire cooling system, radiator, water pump, heater core (on my 3rd in a month), upper and lower radiator hoses, heater hoses, cross-over tube. Everything but the engine and t-stat have been changed and yet my cooling system still gives me some issues that I am having trouble figuring out.
After the radiator chang out, I went through 2 heater cores within a couple of weeks. The 1st one blew a header seal, the 2nd had a core tube leak, the 3rd so far has been working out okay.
I have been having an over pressurization issue that I cannot seem to track down the source. I checked the cooling system for a combustion/compression leak, nothing. I just changed out the 16lb pressure cap for a 13lb to see if that will offer any relief.

The new radiator had a tiny hole for the pressure relief to the catch can, but it looked like it was way too small, as if the gasket for the cap would cover it, making it useless. So I enlarged it to the size of the nipple that goes to the catch can.

Now the truck doesn't overheat, I have checked the temp at several times to see what it is running at, it always seems to be at the highest, 190°-200°, but the hoses just seem like they are about to burst.
I went out this morning only to see a small puddle of coolant on the ground that got my blood boiling. That set the tone for the dayaua

So, I started to look at other things, my mistake.
Wound up removing the drivers door, to replace the worn out hinge bushings. While I'm doing that, may as well do the striker too!
Oh, and I found out why my headlights keep blinking on and off from time to time, the common overload of the headlight fuse issue. So I have to look at that as well, removed added circuits from that fuse and pending an LMC conversion kit.

Just glad I didn't really have any plans for the weekend.

The only good thing is that I really made some progress on my super high power LED light bar that will assembled and installed soon, pics to come. If everything goes right with that, should be pushing about 80,000 lumens out the front of the truck, enough to scare the sun.
Anyway, good luck with yours as I pound away on mine.

This calls for a beer or 2
:beer:
That don't sound too good, having that pressure. I hope it's just minor/external, but it may not be.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,469
10,417
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
My 1009 is starting to get me a little hot under the collar this weekend. It seems I have hit that mark where once I fix one thing, something totally unrelated starts to give me trouble. Then once I fix or figure that out, the 1st thing starts all over again.

I recently changed out the entire cooling system, radiator, water pump, heater core (on my 3rd in a month), upper and lower radiator hoses, heater hoses, cross-over tube. Everything but the engine and t-stat have been changed and yet my cooling system still gives me some issues that I am having trouble figuring out.
After the radiator chang out, I went through 2 heater cores within a couple of weeks. The 1st one blew a header seal, the 2nd had a core tube leak, the 3rd so far has been working out okay.
I have been having an over pressurization issue that I cannot seem to track down the source. I checked the cooling system for a combustion/compression leak, nothing. I just changed out the 16lb pressure cap for a 13lb to see if that will offer any relief.

The new radiator had a tiny hole for the pressure relief to the catch can, but it looked like it was way too small, as if the gasket for the cap would cover it, making it useless. So I enlarged it to the size of the nipple that goes to the catch can.

Now the truck doesn't overheat, I have checked the temp at several times to see what it is running at, it always seems to be at the highest, 190°-200°, but the hoses just seem like they are about to burst.
I went out this morning only to see a small puddle of coolant on the ground that got my blood boiling. That set the tone for the dayaua

So, I started to look at other things, my mistake.
Wound up removing the drivers door, to replace the worn out hinge bushings. While I'm doing that, may as well do the striker too!
Oh, and I found out why my headlights keep blinking on and off from time to time, the common overload of the headlight fuse issue. So I have to look at that as well, removed added circuits from that fuse and pending an LMC conversion kit.

Just glad I didn't really have any plans for the weekend.

The only good thing is that I really made some progress on my super high power LED light bar that will assembled and installed soon, pics to come. If everything goes right with that, should be pushing about 80,000 lumens out the front of the truck, enough to scare the sun.
Anyway, good luck with yours as I pound away on mine.

This calls for a beer or 2
:beer:
I went thru the same thing with the M1009 Mule and it held good for 6-7 years. It was the head gasket. As much as I wanted to be in denial I knew all along it was the head gasket. Then one blustery cold wet morning the steam jenny was running and it steamed the whole way to town and back. The sweet smell of coolant was in the air. Parked it and gave in to the head gasket and a total overhaul of the entire vehicle. But you just need to change the head gaskets and get the heads checked.021.jpg022.jpg023.jpgMinor failure causes a lot of work. But in the end it is worth it. I hope I helped and not deterred. Just trying to help. Have a Good Day. if I were closer I would assist. At least give you a set of heads to get done up front to avoid as much down time. That is how I planned my head gaskets change. you see where that went? Take care.
 
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Ford Mechanic

Active member
1,805
6
38
Location
Edenton, NC
We got Bobcat's cucv back running. Thanks to reading on this site and fresh experience, I now know that you can't replace a burned out fuseable link with a regular fuse.

So now that it's running we have another problem. It won't shift out of park with the engine running. Brake light switch and lights work.

Anyone familiar with the park lock or shift lock system on these trucks?
 
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