Working on the MKT

[Hasbeen]

Great Project !

I`m new to the site, and enjoy watching projects progress.

I`ve been working on an MKT 90 for a while....kind of a hybrid...
converted it to propane, L.E.D. lighting, and built a new "conventional"
running gear......a lot of work, but not even close to the level of detail
that you`re doing.

Thanks,


Hasbeen

 

[mkcoen]

Welcome to the site! It's great to have another MKT in the group, especially one in TX. We'll have to get together and have one big cook out.

Thanks for the appreciation but if you saw this in person you'd reconsider how good it looks. The tongue looks real nice and with the new travel cover it looks nice going down the road but you should see underneath.

I've got to get some smaller stencils before I try painting the side rails so I can get all of the lettering back in place.

One of the biggest problems I have now is a bent landing gear. Another reason it might be easier to replace the frame than continue trying to repair it.

Here's a couple of pics. The first with the original travel cover and then with the new travel cover buttoned up.

 

[Hasbeen]

I may be able to help you with a landing gear....I sold my whole running gear to my next door neighbor (he / she built a deer blind on it) for coupla hundred bucks...if your`s is functional or even "semi" I`m sure I could arrange a "swap"
My travel cover needs replacing too...it`s still "serviceable", but needs a little tlc...a local canvas shop said if I brought the trailer, and my old cover he would replicate for "estimate" $250.00 - $350.00 ...

I am building mine for the "Youth" kids at our church.....so I kind of like that idea....so I can have it "logo`d"....I have a several photo`s of our progress if you`re intersted....My youngest son (16 yesterday) have been working on the MKT, and his first car (64 El camino) for a coupla years...all are "nearly" ready....


Hasbeen

 

[mkcoen]

I may be able to help you with a landing gear....if your`s is functional or even "semi" I`m sure I could arrange a "swap"

Mine works fine in the "down/locked" position but won't go all the way up to lock so I need to strap it up in order to pull it.

My travel cover needs replacing too...it`s still "serviceable", but needs a little tlc...a local canvas shop said if I brought the trailer, and my old cover he would replicate for "estimate" $250.00 - $350.00 ...

If you could hold him to that quote that wouldn't be too bad. Mine came from SS member SCSG-G4 (who you should PM if you need stuff for your MKT) but it was expensive getting it shipped from SC.

My youngest son (16 yesterday) have been working on the MKT, and his first car (64 El camino) for a coupla years...all are "nearly" ready....

I know how that is. I have a '57 Ford F100 that I've been hauling around for 19 years. It'll be done any day now...any day now...yep, any day now.

 

[mkcoen]

Hooked up and ready to roll!

Still need to load the food but since I'm not leaving until Friday morning no sense letting it sit out in 85 degree weather (especially the chicken) - of course I'd have to have bought it to leave it out which hasn't happened yet either.

About 77 miles from my house to Camp Mabry in Austin. This will be the longest I've towed the trailer to date. I've PMCS'd it but you never know with a 26 year old vehicle how it'll do. I'll be stopping frequently to check the hub temperature.

 

[Milkman357]

Wow

I'd be a GOD to all the Boy Scout Parents if I had one of those..

Think how much better it would be feeding 30 hungry young men...

Thanks for posting!

 

[mkcoen]

I'd be a GOD to all the Boy Scout Parents if I had one of those..

Think how much better it would be feeding 30 hungry young men...

I know 3 different Scout leaders that do just that.

I'll find out tomorrow night how it is to feed 20 hungry not so young men (well young at heart maybe). I was making up the shopping list last night and just hope the store has enough bacon for this weekend.

 

[MitchG]

Hey Mark, one thing you might want to double check is the air brake valve. Mine locked up on me coming back from a cooking I did a couple months ago. Was working fine till then. Fortunately it was only a couple miles away, but man they got hot!! The brakes won't release or won't apply depending on how the valve freezes up. Wouldn't hurt to put some air tool oil in the service brake line and pump the brakes on the truck to cycle the valve. That's with the air up to normal pressure of course..

 

[mkcoen]

Thanks Mitch.

I'm having issues with the brake lights not working now. All the other lights are fine so I'm getting ready to pull them apart and check the bulbs.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Looks really good! I would just swap the whole fram if you can find a decent one for cheap. Much easier.

Man, all this MKT posting is making me crazy! I want to start cleaning and fixing up my MKT-75 so bad. But with no money and my wife running taskmaster over me, I can't do it until other pressing concerns are doen with. I have MV ADHD. Work on the m818, swing over to the tanker, work on the lowboy, then the m37, then the M109, without finishing a thing on any of them. So she is 'helping' me out by keeping me on task and working on something until it is done (or at least a part of the whole project is done) Right now, I have to get the volvo daycab on the road and making money. Until then, no MKT work.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Thanks for bringing this thread back up, I didn't catch it the first go around. Very interesting!

 

[mkcoen]

Thanks for bringing this thread back up, I didn't catch it the first go around. Very interesting!

Seems I remember you saying you were thinking about picking one up for the club. That ever happen?

 

[steelandcanvas]

Seems I remember you saying you were thinking about picking one up for the club. That ever happen?

We had one in the works, but I haven't heard anything lately. We also have a Member that has one and he's very generous about lending it out. We fed just over 100 people last year at a local air show, just Club Members and their families. The cooks (Guys and Gals) all enjoyed working in the MKT, I had the KP responsibilities.

 

[mkcoen]

Big weekend at Camp Mabry in Austin. I cooked 4 meals for our club while set up a the American Heroes event. Went pretty smooth but I'm shot physically so will probably be down for a couple of days.

Here's a couple of photos. I was able to set up next to the M60A3 in front of the museum. Last shot is of breakfast this morning - English Muffin breakfast sandwiches.

 

[reloader64]

Kudos to Mark for bringing the MKT and cooking this weekend. Everything was good. Thanks also to Charlie, and Mark's wife for pitching in. A team effort all around. I know it was hard work, but we appreciate it very much. A heck of a lot better than living off the vendors for an entire weekend.

Scott

 

[mkcoen]

I certainly couldn't have done it this weekend without help. It's amazing how much work it is compared to home (especially since there isn't any sink to leave the dishes in for a couple of days) and it's going to take some time to get the temp ranges down on the burners.

I had a married couple drop by that said they both worked on the MKTs and that their unit had gone back to the M2 burners because the MBUs were so unreliable. I was a bit surprised until I had 3 give me error messages after refueling and wouldn't start. After powering them on/off several times I was able to relight 2 of them but one kept giving me the error message. Guess it's time to dig out the TM and try and figure things out.

 

[scranch18121]

It was nice to visit with you this w/e.

So when I get my MKT and start working on it .... do I call my thread "working on the MKT revisited" or .........

It's going to be a challenge getting the needed stuff to complete it to make it easier to use.

Thanks Mark... I appreciate your help.

 

[mkcoen]

So when I get my MKT and start working on it .... do I call my thread "working on the MKT revisited" or .........

Well you can simply add you work on to this thread to keep it alive or create your own. I personally like seeing one thread that lots of people add to that way I can bookmark it and check for things on my vehicle that someone else has done to theirs without trying to find it with "search."

 

[mkcoen]

Bought some new goodies to work on the MKT with. First is a replacement frame. the current frame has severe (like 1/4" flakes) rust and all of the brake lines have rust through as well as a bent landing gear. Instead of trying to fix all of that I'm just going to jack the MKT body up, slide the old frame out, then slide the new frame in. I'll have to swap a few things like the lights but everything else looks really good.

Then I also picked up from the same gentleman the MBU battery pack, another griddle, and one of the leveling legs as one of mine is binding up quite a bit. I'll need to pick up a couple of batteries for the batt pack (fairly pricey items) but other than that a good days worth of MV salvaging.

 

[3dAngus]

OK, so theres the batt pack I was just writing about in another thread. Is it 24vdc? Will it slave jump a deuce?

MKCoen, I wish you had more pics of the kitchen so we could all see the components up close and how they work. I have read this thread with much interest. It is nice to get excited along with you on your project. Thanks for the writeups.