Rebuild progress all in one thread

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Josh
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Post by Josh »

Built Jan 15th, 1954, for the army. Not sure what the serial number is, I can look and see if its on the dash. Cant read any of the hood numbers anymore...


Just one thing done tonight... The harness diagram:


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k8icu
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Post by k8icu »

I'm not trying to be critical, but the army did the wiring diagram for you 50 years ago....number it and everything. Like 22 is stop 23 is tail light etc. I just don't understand why people try to reinvent the wheel. Again I'm not being critical, just scratchin my head.

And if you want to see rust...go here

http://www.leathernaturally.com/m37project take a look at my cab...now there is some major rust. Tomorrow my son-in-law and I are going to weld some braces in the drives door opening so that we can safely remove the cab with out it crumblin on us.
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
Josh
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Post by Josh »

Link doesnt work. Only part of the original harness being used is the headlight wiring. The entire rest of the truck had to be rewired for 12V and the V8's electronic ignition (that, and I wanted a few unique things, like, the Blackouts lights tied into the running lights, etc).

the cab is worse then it looks. The entire body is rotting from the inside out... I have a new cab tub, fenders, and complete bed from an AZ truck sitting at my parent's house in the barn. Almost 100% rust free, so, I'm not going to waste my time fixing this cab tub tub, fenders, or bed.
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k8icu
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Post by k8icu »

http://www.leathernaturally.com/m37project.htm

I'm not so lucky with my truck to just throw another cab on it. I'm going to have to repair it...
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
Josh
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Post by Josh »

k8icu wrote:http://www.leathernaturally.com/m37project.htm

I'm not so lucky with my truck to just throw another cab on it. I'm going to have to repair it...
WOW!!!!
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Josh
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Post by Josh »

So, about this green thing... Could you guys live with something like this... Id do it up EXACTLY like that. All of the body that is currently brown would be green, and all of the black would stay black, and, it would be glossy... Thoughts? I know, its not OD green, but, I think this looks fantastic!!

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k8icu
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Post by k8icu »

It's your truck make it what ever color you want. Make it purple with pink pokadots if you want... :) I was just bustin chops on the color, though I think the brown is well blah.

That green to me looks a lot like WWII green only glossy.
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
Josh
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Post by Josh »

My idea for a color changes weekly, Im sure next week it will be something else! :lol:

A bit more done. I got the bed rails off, as well as the fuel tank out (man, was there some nasty stuff in it! It's in pretty good shape though).

I also started writing my "Build diary". I'm obviously behind, but, I figured it would only be appropriate to start at the very beginning. I'll move it to the original post once I get it current to date.

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Parts storage:

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And, the secret to good preservation:

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As she sits now:

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the build diary:

I Love old trucks. I Love everything about old trucks. I really don’t care who builds them. This might come as a pretty big shock to a lot of people who know me as I have a pretty extreme hatred for General Motors. However, one truck I have loved since the first time I saw one was the 1947-1953 Chevrolet pickup, frequently referred to as a “’53 pickup” as they were and still are the standard for 1950’s pickups, and are probably the most celebrated old truck today.
It was in search of one of these that lead me to the discovery of the Dodge Power Wagon series of trucks. A series of trucks originally conceived to help the Allied Nations defeat the evil forces that spawned World War II. I remember flipping through a book of antique pickups, looking at the Diamond Ts, REO’s, and, of course, the ’53 Chevy, my favorite, when, on the next page was a teal and black 1948 Dodge Power Wagon. I remember staring at that picture for hours, thinking it was the most beautiful piece of machinery ever conceived. The proportions were perfect. The broad fenders, round lights, industrial grate grille, the tempered steel bumpers, all of it meant one thing. Business. In a strange way though, the trucks, as rough as they are, are extremely handsome. They have a look that, while often imitated, cannot, and has not, been copied with the same persona as the original.
To top it all off, as good as the truck looks, it works twice as well. Dodge developed the modern day 4 wheel drive system, and even today’s pickups have a hard time comparing with the abilities of a flat fender power wagon, WC, or M-37. From the first time I saw that picture, I knew I had to have one.
I was 15 when I got my truck, a 1954 Dodge M-37. While not quite as handsome as a civilian Power Wagon, “M’s” Are handsome in their own right, and arguably, even more capable then their civilian brothers. My truck was built on the fifteenth day of January, Nineteen Fifty-Four, and is a date that is, and will forever be burned into my mind: 0-1-1-5-5-4. The Truck was a nice mix of civilian and military. It still carried its original drivetrain, but, it was an interesting shade of brown, with black fenders like its civilian brothers. Waxed up, the brown shined like liquid copper in the sun. It also had the coveted disc brake conversion, and the 4.89:1 gears, instead of the manual drums, and 5.83’s. Sadly, even with the better gearing, the old 230 six had a hard time passing 52 MPH. I loved my truck, even though others were not shy about letting me know what they thought of it. My schoolmates’ favorite thing to do was see how fast they could pass me on the way home, or, to school. I loved her anyways though, and she could go anywhere!
Maintenance on the truck wasn’t too terribly bad, but, was constant. Many bottles of 75-90W gear oil were heated in my mom’s deep pot to the point where you could barely hold them to make it easier to squeeze the oil into the differentials in the middle of February. Then, one day, a little over a year after getting the truck, on a very, very cold day, the clutch blew. One of the hub springs broke, and jammed itself in the pressure plate, making it impossible to disengage the clutch, and making one hell of a racket. My dad and I spent almost 3 days changing the clutch, working on it 15 minutes at a time before having to go inside from the cold. We got the clutch in, and it worked great! One of my few friends, Brandon and I decided to go to the movies the following weekend. It was almost an hour from our house to the movies, and, we drove there, watched the flick, and, on the way back, we started hearing the same sound… “Oh no! my new clutch disc is bad!” Or so I thought. I decided to limp it home and give my dad the bad news that we did something wrong, or, the new disc did the same thing from the cold. About a mile later, I found out the hard way, that, in fact, it was a rod bearing, and not the new clutch making the noise. The drivetrain locked up hard at 45 MPH, and we skidded to a stop. I tried the starter, pushing the pedal button, but only got a groan out of the starter as it struggled in vain. Brandon’s mom picked us up, and the next day my dad and I surveyed the damage. The “X” shaped crack in line with the number 4 rod told the whole story. I had lost oil pressure, and she blew (The gauge in the truck didn’t work, to my credit).
Along this time, I began going on The Big Electric forum, the original M-37 forum, asking about a V8 swap, and was told all sorts of things, mainly, that it couldn’t be done, and certainly couldn’t be done by a 16 year old kid. That’s all it took (and I’m still that way today!) to cement my resolve to make it V8 powered.
My dad and I found a rough looking, but great running 1983 long box, 4 door, 2 wheel drive, stick shift dodge truck for $300. We brought it home, and I went to work. I measured it all, and verified my beliefs… A V8 swap was possible! It wasn’t going to be easy, but, anything worth doing usually isn’t.
I started the next day by pulling the M into the barn with the lawn tractor. That worked, until I hit the edge of the concrete, and realized she was heavier then I thought. A Come-a-long worked to get her the rest of the way. The next issue to resolve was the lift needed to get the engine out. I took a 6” maple log, 2 foot long, and carried it up to the second floor of the barn. I drilled 4 holes in the floor, 2” apart, in a square pattern, connected them with a hacksaw blade, right over where the truck sat below. I chained the come-a-long through the floor to the log, as it lay across 4 beams. I had the drivetrain out of mine in a day. I’ll never forget my dad’s reaction that night: “So, did you work on your truck?” “Yup.” “Get anything off of it yet?” “Yup, I got the radiator, engine, and transmission out, and the entire engine wiring harness.” He almost fell out of his shoes. I had the drivetrain out of the 83 the day after. I carefully pulled the wiring harness out of the 83, but, not taking the time to mark or tag anything, assuming that I would remember how it came out! Boy, was I brave! I spent the next few weeks cleaning up my new baby, getting her and her transmission ready to go in. We didn’t have a welder, so, I made templates of what I wanted for engine mounts from cardboard, and gave them to my dad. He came home the next day with our new mounts, and it was officially bolted into the frame.
The next issue was the radiator. The bottom spout hit the fan. I took to into town to the radiator shop. The old man that ran the place took it to his work bench, I explained what I wanted (I wanted the lower spout flipped over) and he eyed it up, and said “Yup, I can do that.” And then, without me prompting him “Military dodge truck, right? It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen one of these. They’re a real pain in the ass, but, I can do it. Come back tomorrow.” He smiled as he said it.
Next issue was the stub drive shaft. One end was U bolted, other was flanged. And it had to be short. Really, really short: 6” from flange to cap centerline. A great machine shop, Machine Services Inc. in Green Bay, WI (A shop I still recommend, and, will use to make my new driveshafts) made us up a shaft that worked. While they were making the shaft, I wired the truck. I promptly realized what a mess I had made, but, did my best, and dumped some gas in the carb and grabbed the key. It started. The very first time, the very first turn, it started. I was elated!
The shaft was finished, and bolted in, and worked perfectly. The truck was LOUD, as it didn’t have an exhaust, so a trip into town one afternoon fixed that. It took all summer to get her running again, but she ran, and she had power. 3300 RPM was 60 MPH, and even a smog head 360 with a 4 barrel Holley 650 with haul some ass with 4.89:1 gears.
The first day of my junior year I was on my way to school, and saw Shawntel (a classmate) bearing down on me like I was standing still (I, of course, was only doing 52ish MPH). As soon as she pulled out to pass, I let her get right up along side of me, and snapped the secondaries open. The 360 growled for a moment, and then belted out a roar as the second set of barrels went vertical. I watched her drop back behind me. Try as she might, her 4 cylinder cavalier couldn’t out accelerate a 6,000 lb truck with 4.89:1 gearing and eight pistons! That was the day a lot of the jokes about the truck stopped.
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rixm37
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Post by rixm37 »

Josh that is a GREAT story!!
1952 M37
M101 trailer
1942 Chevy G506
Josh
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Post by Josh »

so, I test fitted the NP203, and it fits magnificently! Perfectly centered under the cab, 6" shorter then my current setup, and I can even use the 203's crossmember and mount to mount it!! Full time AWD with lockers is going to give it some awesome grip!

Ive got a lead on a local guy with a good running 400 big block/4speed/203 truck (1976) that I'm hoping he still has. This beast might end up being a 400 big block twin turbo before its all said and done!!
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Post by Josh »

Well, time for an update:
I picked up a Lysholm Screw supercharger. Thats right, Twin-Turbo, and Twin-charged. Why? Because I can, and, because it's fun. :lol: It moves 105 CID per rev at a 1.4:1 Pressure ratio, max speed of 14K RPM, and 82% or so efficiency. I'll probably gear it at 2.25:1 or so.

Got the cab off the frame as well, and am still trying to decide what to do about drivetrain. Im tossing around the three following ideas:

1. NP435 4 speed / NP203 T case / Dana 60 axles.

2. NV5600 6 speed / NP247HD / Rockwell Axles

3. NV5600 6 speed / NV242HD AMG / Rockwell Axles

I have to figure out a few things before I can decide one way or the other, as they all have pluses and minuses.

#1 is the cheapest, and easiest to do, but the 203 is not AWD, its open center differential full time 4x4, so, it will get more grip then RWD, but, it wont be true AWD.

#2 Uses the Trans and T case out fo a new dodge ram diesel. If its tough enough to hold up to that pissed off Cummins, It'll hold up to this monster. Driveshaft angles with the toploader rockwells will be much better, however, I have to do a buttload of work to make said rockwells work, and the insane 6.72:1 gear ratio requires the NV5600 overdrive, and even so, I still need 42" tires or bigger to keep Revs sane. Firestone makes a nice 42" tall, 12" wide tire, but, Im not sure how much it is, and, it runs on a 20" rim, which I would also have to buy. Brakes would have to be swapped to disc on the rockwells, and,then there are still the issues of unsprung weight (the bastards weigh 750 lbs EACH) and the issue of steering.

#3 is the same, except with the Military humvee T case, which, is AWD with a torsen center differential.

Obviously, #3 would be ideal, but, I'm guessing I'll end up doing #1 and putting some serious axleshafts in the axles.

Below are some pictures of the latest progress. Aluminum angle hanging over the engine is the approximate hood height.

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rixm37
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Post by rixm37 »

Wooooweee Looks like Frankinstine errrr....FrankinDodge is being born!!!
1952 M37
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1942 Chevy G506
Josh
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Post by Josh »

to the top again!

New updates. I've decided that I want it running in a year and a half. Seeing as how it's a bare frame right now, I've got my work cut out for me. :P

Drivetrain has finally been resolved, and, as I expected, it came down to the perfect deal:

a 1977 400 big block, 4 barrel, 4 speed, with the NP203 married T case, and full time 4WD. Got the whole thing, with the driveshafts, and the drivetrain mounts for $500. Got to drive it in the truck, but he has since removed the cab, and, it's sitting in the frame held in place by a few bolts. I'm going to go pick it up next weekend. It runs fantastic, as it has a rebuild kit in the engine. Measured a perfect 135 PSI on all 8, so, its got around 8:1 CR in it, which is perfect for about 15 PSI of boost. It lit right off at 17 degrees out, even after not being started for a few weeks. It needs some minor work, like, the ignition is the old twin points style, and, its leaking some oil from the pan, but, nothing serious. It has a factory 4 barrel low profile intake on it from a 383, and the relatively rare truck exhaust manifolds, so, I'll sell those parts, and use the coin to buy an aluminum single plane intake, and a electronic ignition kit. It has the cast iron bellhousing, so thats good, and, the drivetrain worked flawlessly in all gears and ranges.

The Dana 60's are here to stay for now, and, I crunched the numbers on the screw supercharger, and, at a 2.5:1 drive ratio, I should still be good to go with the blower on the 400. I just need my other Holset HX35 turbo and I'll be set to start laying out plumbing.

I took the cab tub up to my parents place, and took a look at the "new" body... It still looks rust free, except for the battery box. I'll cut that out, and weld in the battery box from my old tub, as that, ironically, is the only place the old one was not rusty.
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HingsingM37
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Post by HingsingM37 »

I was just wondering the other day "How is that Josh's truck doing?" Haven't seen a post in a while. Looks like you are moving along. Thanks for sharing :)
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Post by Josh »

The new drivetrain!

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Hoping to use the original engine mounts and transmission mounts with some minor work:

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initial measurements say that it will be about 14" shorter then the previous 360/divorced T case combo, meaning, a longer rear shaft, and better rear shaft angles. It's dirty, but, it runs good, and, most of the dirt it from the leaky valve covers drooling all over everything.
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