Now the rebuild starts

Build and Restoration Threads Belong Here

Moderators: Cal_Gary, T. Highway, Monkey Man, robi

NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Done!

Post by NAM VET »

Buffalo Burgers on the grill, a craft beer each, good salty potato chips, and comparing our truck experiences. And what to do next with them. Good to finally meet someone in person who has one of these old Vintage trucks. UPS brought the pintal mount and ammo can bracket for my soon-to-come M1919 30 cal, the shaft itself will come in two more days. It will hold both a 1919 and the new FN 240 gun, and has a locking pin so it doesn't need the travel bar. What a nice piece of machinery.

have a great Labor Day.....

NV
Cal_Gary
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 4236
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:51 am
Location: Draper, Utah

Re: Done!

Post by Cal_Gary »

Sounds like a great time! Meeting forum members is the best part of being with this group: like-minded and always helpful!
Gary
Cal_Gary
1954 M37 W/W
MVPA Correspondent #28500
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

Anyone who has embarked and then hopefully completed a vehicle's restoration understands the anxiety and concern, fear even, when the engine is first cranked, and then when the anxious owner first ventures out onto the road. Will the brakes work, will the oil pressure suddenly go South, will the transmission seize up, will there be flashes and even fire when this or that electrical circuit is first actuated? And now, rolling over 500 miles, and learning how my truck shifts, brakes, turns and steers, and seeing the same reassuring oil pressure as when I first cranked it two months ago, I no longer say a quiet prayer when the stop light ahead turns yellow.

I am "getting the hang" of my M37, and am gaining confidence in my daily driving. I had changed the Comp Cams break in oil at about 50 miles, so will soon put in the appropriate synthetic lube. Virtually no leaks from the drivetrain, starts instantly, brakes straight and true, comfortably cruises at 35-40 mph, accelerates smoothly, and as others have found out, gets all sorts of waves and questions from passerby. Just finished painting the windshield and dash, and putting in new door window wipers and guides. This morning put in all new wiper vacuum hose, and a new metal line at the driver's hinge. Ordered a canvas top. While I doubt these vintage trucks are ever really "done", my own 18 month saga is about to be about as complete as it is going to be. Will need new seat covers, and one or more NDT's eventually. Just stars and numbers to paint.

Was out with some friends setting up our Falling Steel range targets for tomorrow, and while there let several of them drive my truck. Over ruts, logs, steep hills, a big pile of dirt, and thru some washouts. We had fun. Made up a linked belt of 30-06 for my M1919 30 cal gun just before dinner.

So, here are a few pictures.

[url=https://postimg.org/image/g7tdcu73 ... .jpg[/img][/url]

Image
06boblee
SFC
SFC
Posts: 593
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by 06boblee »

Nice looking truck! Could you post a pic of your front lights? They look interesting.
'54 M37 wew
MVPA #16921
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

here, a front view. I think the turn signals were some Army field modification as my truck was fitted (since removed by me) the controller unit mounted on the transmission pan. The prior owner had replaced the headlights; the old ones were in a box with other removed components. He driver's BO light works, but I went ahead and mounted non-functional driving lights on both sides; I may replace them with working ones at some point. I replaced the army turn signal arm with a Signal stat 900, and it works fine, the wiring for the turn signals was already in place. The marker lights work fine.
[url=https://postimg.org/image/em6afnwx ... .jpg[/img][/url]
Image
Marmalute
PFC
PFC
Posts: 78
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 11:45 am
Location: Northern Vermont

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by Marmalute »

NV- your truck is looking good!
Sure is nice to go from the apprehension of a newly restored rig to the assurance of a trusty and reliable “driver”.
One of my tasks professionally is to road test the newly restored (90 year old) Rolls Royces; often putting 150 miles on them in a few days. Our philosophy is that if we can’t break them then the client/owner won’t be able to when they receive them back from us!
I am a little curious about the picture showing the pioneer tool rack on the tailgate. Seems to me that you might want to consider flipping it over, seems like gravity will then help to hold the tools in better. At least that is the way they were typically set up.
Keep up the good work!
Doug
06boblee
SFC
SFC
Posts: 593
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by 06boblee »

Do you know what the holes in your front bumper are for? Interesting turn signal/marker setup.
'54 M37 wew
MVPA #16921
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

I too have wondered why my truck's passenger side bumper has such symmetrical holes. My truck is a factory original M42, and would have been a HQ or commander's truck. So I wonder if at some point a motorpool made up some sort of "pass-in-review" platform for a reviewing commander. I remember that my first active duty unit, after assignment to Germany as a rookie 2nd Lt in '69, had a WWII era halftrack that was used for ceremonial activities. If only these trucks could talk.....

NV
Cal_Gary
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 4236
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:51 am
Location: Draper, Utah

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by Cal_Gary »

For sure, Nam Vet! Most of us have experienced the apprehension of getting one on the road and wondering what might happen? I sure did once I started driving mine, carrying a full set of tools, jumper cables, tow chain and a phone "just in case". Left-turn lanes in particular caused a lot of anxiety-just the thought of stalling in the turn lane and unable to restart, with no way of pushing it to the side of the road was weighing heavily on me until the engine showed that indeed it would steadily idle w/o dying. Fortunately the few times it did stop running I was able to quickly troubleshoot and get it running again.

Congrats on your fine body of work-the pix look great!
Gary
Cal_Gary
1954 M37 W/W
MVPA Correspondent #28500
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

Thanks CG. I think one of the aspects of my life ever since I started driving in the early '60's, was that when one is "out on the road", stuff happens. Not so much with modern cars, but my first car was a '63 TR4. I was at Nebraska at the time, far from my home in the DC area. English sports cars were just not made for temps well below Zero. In order to get to class in winter mornings, I would put on some clothes and go out several times in the night and start it to warm it up. And then after a breakfast, go put several Sterno cans under the sump, avoiding the oil drips, to put a little heat in the oil. And ran an extension cord to my electric battery warmer wrap. And another to the heated dipstick. And even then, when I would drive to some social function, my friends would greet me with "look, its Hal, he made it." Once, had to drive in the winter from NE to DC with no oil pressure, stopping along the way to put in four cans of STP, then drain and fill with 50 wt motorcycle oil, then a hundred miles from home, drained that and filled the crankcase with 90 wt gear oil. Made it, slapped in new bearings over Christmas, and drove it straight thru the 1100 miles back to college. Had to use a shoelace to tie on a plug wire. Then, my '65 MGB, had the adventure of my then wife falling asleep, me sleeping in the passenger seat, she running off I 80 in Iowa, and running off the road, the car then flipping 360, landing down in a ditch, tearing off the top, pulling all four tires off their rims, and the big plywood box I had strapped on the rear staying put the whole time. Trucks stopped to help, dug the mud out of the tires, and wrecker remounted them, and we continued on. Close call.

On the MGB, was reminded several times to never wipe a heated dipstick with your palm, as it will leave a 3 inch blister that takes weeks to heal. Then to a '69 Dodge Charger R/T, my first new car, and replacing the heavy intake manifold with an Offenhauser, and making up intake gaskets out of cardboard shoe box paper, taping it up with masking tape, and it was working fine 33K miles later. Replaced the Dodge's water pump in the parking lot of my quarters in Germany. Then, with my beloved Superformance 427 Cobra replica, after much modifications, always carried two spare alternators, and a starter, and had the pleasure of swapping them in on far away Interstate Rest stops. Drove it over 140K miles.

A thousand miles from home, on the way to an Open Road Event in Western Nebraska several years ago, my Porsche GT3 lost a cylinder due to a mechanic's mistake. Had it flatbedded three times to a race shop in KC, paid $7K to fix that, and flew out later to drive it back. Only hotel that night was in a seedy part of east KC, my wife and I had to stay in a room where someone had steam cleaned an engine in the shower, the door had bullet holes in it, and dogs had been amorous on the bed spreads. The owner behind her protective glass would only give us a single stained towel. We both slept in our clothes, and continued on at dawn in her Mini.

So long ago, I learned to "be prepared", carry spares up to a replacement Camshaft, and that no matter what, somehow, you can always get the vehicle home.

Now, off to Charleston for Thanksgiving. All the best, guy's. And now for a picture of the good times.
[url=https://postimg.org/image/ojo7bc6l ... .jpg[/img][/url]

NV
just me
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1195
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:25 pm

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by just me »

Look like a couple of Boy Scouts in that picture!
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

yeah, sometimes it sorta seemed like a hike. Just with the potential for occasional excitement.

NV
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: over 500 miles, all is well

Post by NAM VET »

at about 600 miles post-rebuild, and after one very early oil change, changed the Comp Cams break-in oil to Amsoil Z rod 10-30 and the Baldwin oil filter. I had put in a magnetic oil drain plug, and was reassured to find only a trace of the "smudge" commonly found on such plugs. Not enough to even wipe on a finger nail. Then wiped out the oil filter canister, and again, virtually no debris on the rag. Took precisely 6 quarts, as the TM says. Drove out into the country yesterday, for a Steel Challenge shooting match at a rural range. Had a good shoot, ended up fifth out of about 60 shooters, used my Ruger 10/22, which I bought back in '65, one of the very early rifles. Haven't shot it in probably several years, and the .22 Ammo I chose to use, Norma Match .22, was wax coated, and it really gummed up my action, and had several malfunctions. So I think I will clean it really well, clean my mags, and get out to a range and practice rapid transition shooting (which is what Steel Challenge is); my rifle has an inexpensive "dot" sight on it. Of course, some of the shooters used assorted pistols and iron sight weapons, so an optic firearm does indeed give an advantage.

On the way back in my truck, the 1919 30 cal proud in the bed on its pedestal, after having lots of interest from the other shooters at the range, noted a woodsy field, so drove into it and took some pictures. Then per our custom, some of us met at a gun shop with a lunch counter. Parked, and a couple came up and asked to take some pictures, so dropped the tail gait, he climbed up and draped my belt of dummy 30-06 around his neck, and his wife shot some pictures. I am well aware of not causing folks to panic when they see my truck with the MG, so to drove on home with the canvas cover on the gun. I don't mount the gun on often, not looking for trouble.

I carefully watch my two oil pressure gages, esp the Autometer on my steering column, so I continue to be please and reassured that my hot cruise oil pressure remains 54 psi, the same as it was at first start 600 miles ago. Time to crawl under and re-lube about 56 zerks. Milstencil is sending me the number and stars stencils. Driving around with the top off now, so not anxious to get out in the rain, a new canvas top coming in mid Jan. Running my wiper vacuum off the intake manifold, not having the mechanical fuel pump mounted, they seem to work well except on long hill pulls. Will drop by a local auto upholstery shop to inquire about new canvas at least on the driver's seat, getting a split there. By the way, my local machine shop put in new valve springs and other parts, as I don't have a spring compressor. Then, with my motor on the engine stand, I set the cold valve clearances, (new valves, and he removed the tiny circular ridge on the lifters, which were fine), I just kept turning the motor over and checking and checking the cold clearances per Charles Talbert's suggestions for cold clearances, until they stayed precisely per his setting. All I can say it must work for my motor, as I have no ticking or other valve train noises.

Quite pleased at how well this 3 ton beast accelerates and stops, and just drives. So all well so far here in UpState SC. Wishing all of the very helpful folks on this forum a wonderful and blessed December.

NAM VET
Post Reply