What to look for when purchasing a Deuce and a Half

[sargent43]

Hey guys i'm going to look at a deuce and a half (M35A2) later today and i was wondering what should i look for when looking at it? what are the crucial things to inspect and make sure they are operational?

 

[rtk]

WOW , that's a tall order , top down or bottom up , doesn't matter , but like anything else , body , engine , driveline , look for rust under the fenders , cab , windshield frame , cargo body . Check for obvious oil/fluid leaks and CONDITION , brakes , lights working . Check front axle boots , all backing plates for leaks . What has current owner done to the vehicle ? tire condition ? . Engine/transmission , operation condition , clutch operation . We can go on and on , read the Military Drivers TM , it will help a lot . Not to pry , but a lot depends on your mechanical ability , try to take some one who has knowledge of MV's even if you have to pay for his time , money WELL SPENT . good luck on your quest , bob k

 

[Scar59]

Look for leaks; oil, coolant, brake fluid. Listen for air leaks and engine idle rattles/knocks. Condition of tires. Condition/quantity of lube oils. Hoses/belts. Rust under cab, doors, windshield frames, floor board/corners, hard top, if equipped, bed rails and supports. Tooling and BII equipment. (Spare, jack, lug tools). Instrumentation functions w/ engine running. Then take it for a drive and get it up to operating temps and check for abnormal smoke,smells, sounds and correct/smooth shifting of transmission, transfer case and parking e brake. How about lights and correct operation from the 3 lever light switch. I'm sure I forgot something and one of my fellow SS members will jump in and add on. Treat it like a big used truck because that is what it is. Buy it if you find half of the list above to be working, the other half can be fixed. Real easy to maintain. Have fun and welcome aboard. Let us know how it turns out.
JC

 

[hndrsonj]

Rust.

 

[rtk]

Can't say enough about RUST ! plus a PITA to repair , IMHO better to find a good cab ,fenders and body .

 

[sargent43]

First off thanks everyone for the help! i kept as much of it in mind as i could remember while i was inspecting the truck. The truck was painted (outside) fairly recently, it ran pretty good from as far as i could tell. it was loud, and it was dang fun to drive, unless you were trying to park it.. Overall i liked the truck. The problems with it, which is keeping me still in a struggle on whether or not to get it. FYI it will be my daily driver if i get it. the problems or possible problems are as listed.

Passenger window is cracked pretty bad
it will need new windshield wipers and an electric system to run them
E brake handle is hard to pull up, as well as a little bit of rust on the rod going from the inside of the cab down and around the E Brake handle has quite a bit of rust around it (one of the only places in the cab with rust that's not just minor surface rust).
Window holders are rusted (prob. need replaced).
bits of debris from trees and such on the floor, causing rust behind the seats i assume, i couldn't see all the way back there but i could see some old leaves ect.
Seatbelts old and possibly weathered?
It will need all new Belts, a new air filter, and filter cap, new airtanks (within about 6 months or even 9)
I didn't lookin to the radiator the outside had the paint coming off and a tad bit of rust on a small part
The hood was slightly missaligned i think? it was a little off to the passengers side.
there was slight surface rust on the leaf springs in the back 2 axles, and a little bit on the undercarriage, and the rubber bushings on the steering arms were compressed and had a quarter size gap inbetween the bushing and were the arms link in.
Fuel guage jumps when driving (i heard thats common)
and the gauge said the Alt/ Gen was just outside the green into the red.

 

[sargent43]

I'm still deciding and would really like to know what u guys's take on it is.

 

[Chevracer87]

It really comes down to price and your mechanical ability. Anything can be fixed with enough time and money. If your looking for a daily driver a deuce probably isn't the best choice. I have had mine several years and love every second I drive it but would never want to depend on it as a daily driver.

 

[Floridianson]

Little late but check for blowby at the road draft tube.

 

[sargent43]

Sorry I forgot to post my decision guys. I decided that it was just to much of a project for me, and I'm just going to keep looking. Thank you all for your help! (sorry it was on such short notice).