600+ miles, home now

[NAM VET]

So..... We have a beach cottage on Seabrook Island, sister to more famous Kiawah, just south of Charleston. Near 3 weeks ago, I left early in my M37, all of our family arriving later from KC and Columbia, SC along with a girlfriend of one of my KC nieces. I drove down with my 17 year old KC nephew. We had a great time, off shore fishing one day, surfing, beach every day, Caleb and I surf casting almost every day, he caught some fun fish, plus some sharks. I had my truck in a C&C, every body just loved it, esp with the 30 cal mounted in the bed. Then a big parade around the island on the 4th, had about 5 kids and one adult in the back with big water guns. Just a great time. Was so easy to toss all the beach chairs and cooler and other beach stuff in the back.

Came back yesterday. The trip down was the first 100 miles to Columbia, my son's place then the next day the remaining 150 miles. Coming back, I was rolling by 0600, to take advantage of the cooler morning, and much less traffic. I drove only on the very , very rural back roads. Yesterday, did it in one near 9 hour stint, just me coming back.

Some observations: It was near 100 both days. My truck, with the rebuilt TC by Charles T was leak free, and I did add a little tranny oil before I left, and a little more down at the beach. I am going to replace the shaft seals as soon as my new parts get here. Engine water temp would creep up to just under 200 degrees, with my 180 T stat. I ran my self installed full flow oil filter system the whole way, noisy but I wear ear plugs anyway. By the way, when I inspected the filter media before I left with an oil change to RedLine 5-50, there was NO metal glint or particles in the filter. It comes out at the drain plug, so it will catch from the lowest part of the sump.

I have an electrical temp sending unit in the fill plug of the TC, and the oil, Charles' 50 wt Amsoil trans lube, will get a lot hotter than the case temps, up to 220 degrees! He put in Viton seals for that reason. I had changed my engine oil shortly before I left, so after about 700 miles on the new fill, I was surprised and very happy that my engine now has used virtually NO oil on this fill. New Rings must be perfect. I have the stock gearing and NDT's, which was just perfect for the 30 or so miles of hills on the back roads, at my 40 mph cruise, I would accelerate at the bottom and have plenty of power to run up the oncoming hill. I would find places to pull over for trucks, but usually left following cars to find their own place to pass. On the flat and level roads, I could take my hands off the wheel, and my truck would continue straight as an arrow, no pulling to either side.

As I have found previously, in hot weather, it can be an hour at cruise before the engine and TC temps finally reach what they are going to be, and nearly the same for my oil pressure to drop to what it has been for the past several thousand miles, and is very responsive to even a couple of minutes of slowing down, or a stop light, or flat roads. It is the same 34 pounds HOT for since the rebuild. I have an Auto meter oil pressure gage which is much more precise than the dash OEM one.

Caleb just loved the drive down, just a great experience mostly partly out of the passenger window, watching rural SC go by, waving at all the townspeople and road work crews.

For me, it was hot and tiring, but still rewarding in its own way. Each way was right at 250 miles, doing it in one hot, near 100 degree day was not something I would want to do every day.

It was challenging to drive the back roads, at intersections, there were often no road route signs, often they were covered by Kudzu, or broken off and down in the weeds. And often no cell service, so we had to back track occasionally and just trust to luck other times. Long years ago, I learned that when in doubt, go straight. But when that choice ends in a dirt road, time to try another way. And there are a lot of stupid drivers. Follow me for long distances, not passing when they could, then at the last moment, pull out to pass going up a hill with oncoming cars already closing. I would ease up to let them swerve back into our lane. Dumb....

Rural SC tiny towns and villages are struggling, often unsuccessfully, to survive. Very patriotic communities, but so many empty store fronts, and abandoned homes. You know a town is dying, when the most important store sells bail bonds and fresh sushi. Not for me...

Now, I plan on replacing the PTO shifter shaft seals in a few day.

I will put some pics up later.

Hal aka NAM VET

[sturmtyger380]

Glad to hear you had an uneventful trip and what an adventure.

[Cliff]

Sounds fantastic to me. I’m an old man but I would love to have some old back roads and country towns to drive through. That is where you get to see the real America similar to Route 66 which I have driven a few times but not with my M-37. Thanks for sharing your drive!

[m-37Bruce]

What a trip, Glad the M had a wonderful parade. Surf fishing everyday, hopefully eating steamed crabs a few times and plenty of family time.