The American Motors Corporation's truck's . . .

[AMC-MJ]

2500 ! ? ! . . . Around a rough condition 5ton that runs drives is 5000-7500 all day long !

 

But it before he changes His mind and don't look back ! ! !

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

2500 ! ? ! . . . Around a rough condition 5ton that runs drives is 5000-7500 all day long !

 

But it before he changes His mind and don't look back ! ! !

 

 

Mike

Holy crap, didn't know that! Now I almost feel bad about the price.

 

I offered him 2500 via CL, as I had no idea what it was worth (said that I was open to negotiations and honestly didn't know if I was insulting him or not, and to choose accordingly.) He accepted. He got it as a package deal with the deuce he wanted and it's been sitting since then, apparently. Had a friend of mine test drive it today and it started up on the first crank (been sitting for years) and shifts great!

 

He said the steering is a bit loose and it needs some paint, but otherwise seems good. I'm just hoping I don't get pulled over driving it ten hours from smalltown PA to central MA.

[AMC-MJ]

You offered he accepted sounds like all involved are happy, now that you got a killer price on great truck you'll always be money ahead.

Post photos of it when ya get can.

 

Do add a shot or 2 to this thread as well !

 

Now some advice on tires I know the super singels look cool but they are expensive, the 11R22.5s are shorter then the 11.00*20s. I strongly recommend the 11R24.5s for any 5ton.

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

I don't own a camera... got it back to Mass though!

 

Cliff notes:

Broke down halfway, a belt let loose and shredded the tach cable, then shredded the other belts, overheated, got it running again and drove it home.

 

Full story:

Started driving down around 8-9pm Friday night in the MJ, with a friend (Chris) riding shotgun so we could get both vehicles back. Nine to ten hour drive... add in an hour of random 15 minute naps so I could keep it on the road. We arrived around 7AM.

 

Suffice to say the previous owner is an AWESOME guy and I wish there were more people around like him. I showed up to find a pair of manual transmissions with d20s behind them sitting in his yard, a 97+ XJ on 30s, an entire stack of axles, a J10 with no drivetrain and no bed, a CJ on 2.5 ton Rockwells and 38s, a couple spare engines, a stack of tires none under about a 36, and about 50 spare driveshafts for anything from a deuce and a half down to FSJs and XJs stacked in an open front shed.

 

Screwed around in town for a few hours getting food, looking at the truck, etc. Owner was nowhere to be found and didn't answer his phone. Around noon, he showed up with ANOTHER J10, beat to hell, glasspacks, with a set of 48 inch supersingle boggers on deuce rims in the back. Apparently he was expecting one more email from me and thought I bailed on the purchase, and just happened to be around.

 

So we spent a while going over the truck. Temp gauge didn't work, I figured there wouldn't be a problem so I said screw it, who cares. We took it out for a test drive... good lord that thing hauls. It doesn't go very fast, but the butt dyno sure says it does, mostly due to the insane torque and M/T.

 

Oh, it has a straight pipe... no nothing, just head -> header -> turbo -> big @$$ pipe. Straight 6 LDS465 engine that leaks less oil than my MJ.

 

Problems we found and fixed - one tire had absolutely no air in it. The steering box bolts all had about a turn to a turn and a half of slack in them. The 1/2" rivets holding the steering box bracket to the frame had stretched, so the bracket had about 1/16" of play in it. We ground/pounded the rivets out and put in 1/2" grade 8s instead, steering was MUCH improved. Let's just say that death wobble at 40mph in a 20 thousand pound vehicle that rides like it doesn't have any springs is interesting... :scared:

 

So around 4PM we finished going over it and headed for a notary (after calling around for 45 minutes to find one that was open on Saturdays past 4 AND had temp plates) to get the bill of sale squared away. The result was that I have till the end of August to actually register the thing... it's got PA temp plates on it!

 

We get ahold of Jack (the guy I bought my MJ off of) who was on his way back from an airplane festival in Wisconsin. Met up in Pittsburgh and got some food with a couple friends from the area. Did some practice driving stick in the Macy's parking lot at a mall (yes, I mallcrawled in a 5 ton camo cargo truck.) Then he headed off and Chris and I started the drive to Rausch Creek. As soon as we were on the highway we switched vehicles so I could get a bit more stick time...

 

It started to rain around when I got on i81N. Did I forget to mention that I don't have a roof on it yet? That was interesting, driving along I81 in a truck I'm not used to yet, with no roof, in a pouring rainstorm, in the dark. Halfway there, I lost the guy in the MJ (who had been tailing me to make sure we'd have parts, tools, another vehicle etc in case of a breakdown, since the M54 was an unknown truck at the time.) So I doubled back and tried to find what the hell happened, I figured he fell asleep at the wheel and I'd be picking up the pieces. Turns out he somehow lost me at a tollbooth and thought I got behind, so he pulled over to wait for me and then fell asleep for a couple hours by accident (we were both running on about an hour of sleep since Friday morning, and it was approximately midnight Saturday/Sunday by this point, so I'm not really surprised.) When he woke up he figured I was WAY ahead, and my phone was dead AND broken, so he hauled @$$ to Rausch and hoped for the best.

 

I finally got to Rausch at approximately 5AM. It was STILL raining, so I got in the passenger seat of the MJ for a couple hours of sleep... woke up around 8AM (still raining.) I figured what the hell, we're AT Rausch, I might as well find out how this thing does, so I got a sticker for it and headed for the new property. Sorry, no Rock Creek pics, I figured I should take it easy since I had another 10 hours of driving to do and still wasn't sure it was going to make it. We hooked up with a couple guys with huge tubed-out Broncos who were heading for the new property. They were doing reds/blacks and the trails were way too narrow, so we split up. You know the washed out, ditch filled area at the downhill end of N4? The M54 went straight through that... I barely had to steer. Just pointed it and hit the pedal and it went.

 

Halfway back up N4, it suddenly stopped. Wouldn't even crank. I feared the worst... but after a few seconds of head scratching I realized that a manual transmission, non-computerized military turbo diesel would only behave that way if it didn't have a battery. Sure enough the negative battery terminal had popped off... pushed it back on and it started right back up, so we headed for X1 and X4.

 

You don't realize it driving an XJ but those trails are darn narrow AND darn short. We were eating trees every single time we went under them, they kept hitting the hood. Got about half a mile down X4 and nearly busted the mirrors off, so I had to reverse back out of it...

 

Trail carnage: 1 hood latch completely destroyed (tensioning spring blew up, so the latch just flops around now, it's a CJ style one just much larger); battery disconnected (reconnected and kept driving); d30-carrier-sized chunk of granite wedged between rear dually tires (had to beat it with my 4lb hand sledge till it broke and fell out.)

 

Figured at that point I was pushing my luck, so after a quick checkup we hit the road again. Made it as far as that really long hill / pass in NY on i84 and suddenly realized I had no air pressure (thus, no brakes - they're compressed air over hydraulics instead of vacuum over hydraulics), no tach, no alternator... :eek: FAWK!!!!!!!! :grrrr: not good at all!

 

Not only that, when I tried to stop, I discovered the parking/e-brake was worn out too! It worked when I left Rausch, WTF! :eek: It took me about a half mile to stop with no air assist with both feet on the pedal pushing as hard as I could.

 

Pulled over at about mile marker 23. The truck IMMEDIATELY overheated to the point that it blew the oil fill cap half off. Having been used to 4.0L engines that don't like overheating, I feared the worst... Turns out the air compressor belt got eaten pretty hardcore, whipped around the engine compartment and shredded the tach cable, then had the decency to jam itself into the fan/alt/water pump belts and shred them as well. The entire engine was WELL above boiling point, it was raining still and the manifolds and valve cover were sizzling.

 

We didn't have any belts to measure and buy new ones, nor any idea of how to put them on, nor much of anything... and this is why smartphones are awesome. My phone was dead (battery) but Chris' phone was still working. So we googled a bit (still on the side of the road) and found the NAPA part numbers and the specs (36 degree V-belts, 47.38" and 51.36" long, .47" wide at the top) and headed to the nearest town to hit up Advance Auto Parts. They didn't have any of the 47.38" ones but we managed to get some of the next size down and made them fit by adjusting the alternator all the way in, squeezing the belts over the pulleys, and then adjusting it back out a little. Had to "bump" the air compressor belt on because there is no adjustment, you're supposed to unbolt the front of the compressor pulley and use a massive wrench to unscrew it from the shaft. I don't have a massive wrench so we said XXXX it and bumped it on.

 

It started up... and not only that, it ran great still! Apparently they make military head gaskets out of unobtainium.

 

Drove it the rest of the way home and passed the hell out at about 1AM (having had 4 hours of sleep since early Friday morning.) Woke up at 9AM, showered and drove it to work...

[freakjeep93]

Awssome story lol :needpics:

[AMC-MJ]

Sounds like a beast man !

 

The 465 is a good power plant, now all ya gotta do is swap out them 11.00-20 split rim tube type widow makers with some nice 11R24.5s and enjoy the safety savings and the 5-7mph in road speed.

 

The 11R22.5s will do the same but they'll slow ya down 5-7mph.

 

Mike

[Pete M]

I don't own a camera...

 

 

:eek:

 

um, why? you can pick up a decent digi camera for under $50.

[terrawombat]

That has got to be one of the crazier stories I've heard about obtaining a vehicle. Nice work!

 

That thing must look pretty funny parked in your driveway/on the road. What the heck are you planning on doing with it?

[kastein]

I don't own a camera...

 

 

:eek:

 

um, why? you can pick up a decent digi camera for under $50.

I had a nice one, it got stolen. Then I bought a complete piece of crap that took grainy, blotchy, washed-out looking pics and used it for a while, then it also got stolen (or I lost it during my move, I'm honestly not sure.) I really don't care about the second one getting lost/stolen, I cared more about the memory card + pics and the pair of rechargeable batteries that were in it honestly. I haven't gotten around to buying a new one.

 

That has got to be one of the crazier stories I've heard about obtaining a vehicle. Nice work!

 

That thing must look pretty funny parked in your driveway/on the road. What the heck are you planning on doing with it?

Oh it does... :rotf:

Uses:

* tow rig - my XJs and MJ fit in the back no problem. I have to leave the tailgate down to get the MJ into it, but that's it. I will be much less nervous thrashing the XJ knowing that I can just winch the carcass into the 5ton and drive home at the end of the day... and tow a friend's broken rig home at the same time. Even with a rig on board and another in tow, I'll have more than 7 tons surplus cargo capacity plus ~15 tons towed capacity remaining. All I need to do is build a set of ramps and get a winch or comealong and I'm in business.

* part-out rig - I'll be able to pick up complete turd XJs that can't be driven for ultra cheap on CL and part them out without them ever leaving the vehicle, then drive the shell to the scrapyard and get paid for it.

* moving - never talk to uhaul again

* cancelling my AAA shortly

* when I buy a house, I'll be redoing a roof and all the drywall internally and probably building a chimney. Shingles, drywall, bricks, cement, and demolition waste are all very bulky and heavy.

* my dad bought a bunch of land up in Maine and is building a house, I figure it'll probably help out with that.

[AMC-MJ]

Year ? Make ? Model ?

 

Is there any AMC Logos on this truck ?

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

No idea really... holding the title right now, haven't looked carefully at the plates on the truck.

 

It's VIN 3396 (which is the serial number off the vehicle, really, but that's how they handled it, try putting THAT into a VIN decoder! :rotf:) and is titled as a 1990 Mack truck. Odometer disclosure exempt by fed law, unladen weight 19122 GVWR 39122. That's about all I know right now.

 

Rebuilt at some point from a straight M54 to an M54A2.

 

I'll get unit numbers off the bumper and see what the nameplates tell me when I get home tonight.

[Automan2164]

:needpics:

 

COME ON MAN!!!! FIND A CAMERA!!!!

 

Rob L.

[terrawombat]

Seriously! Your phone has to have a camera...

[AMC-MJ]

1990 M54A2 Mack ! Whoa you got a truck of trucks.

In mint shape its worth $20,000-$35,000 the macks sell high.

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

Seriously! Your phone has to have a camera...

Nope... my old one doesn't anyways. Switching to a new one tonight (if I have time to convert my contacts list over) which has a camera of sorts.

 

1990 M54A2 Mack ! Whoa you got a truck of trucks.

In mint shape its worth $20,000-$35,000 the macks sell high.

 

 

Mike

It's not *actually* a Mack. That's just what the government person slapped on the title when it was demil'd.

 

It's not really in mint condition - decent amount of rust (nothing structural) plus some repairs I need to do. Still, it was an "unknown unknown" truck (PO got it as part of a package deal with a deuce he wanted, and had only driven it about 15 miles when he sold it to me, he knew nothing about it and therefore probably know even less!) that had been sitting since about Christmas, and it made the 550 mile drive home with only a "minor" setback.

 

Some pics from the CL listing so you guys don't eat me alive before I get home :D :nuts:

 

EDIT: when I rolled the driver side window up for the first time I got a surprise, found a sticker on it that said the person who bought it off the government paid $13531 (if I recall correctly, last few digits may be wrong.) I think I got a pretty good deal.

 

For reference - the floor of the cargo bed is 55 inches off the ground if I recall correctly. The top of the front bumper is around waist height and I'm 6 foot 4. The roof of my stock-height 91 2wd MJ is about even with the bottom of the bed side.

[terrawombat]

That thing is hilarious and it's even funnier to me that you actually own it. How much property do you live on? For some reason, I picture you living in a relatively populated area and this thing is parked out on the street towering over your neighbors car.

[kastein]

That thing is hilarious and it's even funnier to me that you actually own it. How much property do you live on? For some reason, I picture you living in a relatively populated area and this thing is parked out on the street towering over your neighbors car.

It's even better... I live in an apartment in Worcester and have one allotted parking space. The MJ with the assortment of random stuff in the back lives in my parking space, I move the 96 XJ and 98 XJ around a bit every few days in parking spaces at a nearby strip mall, and the M54A2 (so far) gets parked in a parking lot next to a construction site.

 

Once I get the temp plates off the M54 and get it fully registered I will probably park it at work and hope they can't figure out how to tow it :rotf: I really have to install a fuel pump disable and a battery kill switch, I figure that (plus the fact that very few people will even be able to figure out how to start and drive it, and those are the ones I don't really have to worry about) will keep it sitting where I want it to.

 

Once I buy a house I'll probably have around 1/4 to 1/2 acre of land.

[AMC-MJ]

You going to restore this truck ? Up date it ? Or just run it as she is ?

 

Some M54 info:

M54 = 602Ci I-6 Gas engine, Manufactured by Jeep corp.

 

M54A1 = 672Ci I-6 Diesel engine, Manufactured by Mack inc.

 

M54A2 = LSD465 I-6 multiple fuel engine, Re-Manufactured by Mack inc & Jeep/AM-General Corp.

 

The M5XXXX along with the M8XX truck's were manufactured/Re-Manufactured 1955-1992.

The M800 Variants stopped production in 1992 and the earlier 5ton Variants stopped being re-manufactured in 1992 and started being phased out in 1981-83' the M900 series was introduced and added to work along side the other 5ton trucks, But in 1992 the 5ton M900's and 2.5ton A3's started replacing the older truck's due to longer life span and ease of operation, they ceased production in 1999, with one short run of A3's in 2001 for export.

 

I got this in an E-mail from a fellow Mil-Spec truck collector that spent many years in the military . . .

 

in I'm Chat he told me:

He said your truck is most likely an M54/A1 that was sent in for Re-Manufacturing and was Repowered by the Multifuel engine.

 

He said it's very possible it started life as 58' Jeep or 62' Mack and after the ReMan process become a 90' Mack, they got retitled after a reprocessing as the Gov viewed it as a "new" truck considering everything Mechanical and electrical gets rebuilt or replaced and updated.

 

i hope this help's under stand your truck . . . :ack: it sure confused :hmm: and educated :smart: me :thumbsup:

 

Mike

[jpnjim]

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

It's even better... I live in an apartment in Worcester and have one allotted parking space. The MJ with the assortment of random stuff in the back lives in my parking space, I move the 96 XJ and 98 XJ around a bit every few days in parking spaces at a nearby strip mall, and the M54A2 (so far) gets parked in a parking lot next to a construction site.

 

Once I get the temp plates off the M54 and get it fully registered I will probably park it at work and hope they can't figure out how to tow it :rotf: I really have to install a fuel pump disable and a battery kill switch, I figure that (plus the fact that very few people will even be able to figure out how to start and drive it, and those are the ones I don't really have to worry about) will keep it sitting where I want it to.

 

Once I buy a house I'll probably have around 1/4 to 1/2 acre of land.

 

and a few more :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

for having the brass balls to own THAT in an apartment complex,

with one parking spot.

 

:banana: :banana:

[GreenF350]

Ive been to Worcester many times ( New England Summer Nationals ) and that truck does not fit in with that city. Yet another reason it is awesome!!

[terrawombat]

I've always respected you, Mr. Kastein. Anyone who posts over 11,000 messages in a year (that aren't just drivel and BS) on an internet forum (NAXJA for those of you who don't know) earns my respect. But to have THAT truck in THAT place...you, sir, have just one-upped yourself.

[AMC-MJ]

Welcome to the world of real trucks !

Now I'm not the only one here with heavy iron !

 

Mike

[kastein]

You going to restore this truck ? Up date it ? Or just run it as she is ?

 

Some M54 info:

M54 = 602Ci I-6 Gas engine, Manufactured by Jeep corp.

 

M54A1 = 672Ci I-6 Diesel engine, Manufactured by Mack inc.

 

M54A2 = LSD465 I-6 multiple fuel engine, Re-Manufactured by Mack inc & Jeep/AM-General Corp.

 

The M5XXXX along with the M8XX truck's were manufactured/Re-Manufactured 1955-1992.

The M800 Variants stopped production in 1992 and the earlier 5ton Variants stopped being re-manufactured in 1992 and started being phased out in 1981-83' the M900 series was introduced and added to work along side the other 5ton trucks, But in 1992 the 5ton M900's and 2.5ton A3's started replacing the older truck's due to longer life span and ease of operation, they ceased production in 1999, with one short run of A3's in 2001 for export.

 

I got this in an E-mail from a fellow Mil-Spec truck collector that spent many years in the military . . .

 

in I'm Chat he told me:

He said your truck is most likely an M54/A1 that was sent in for Re-Manufacturing and was Repowered by the Multifuel engine.

 

He said it's very possible it started life as 58' Jeep or 62' Mack and after the ReMan process become a 90' Mack, they got retitled after a reprocessing as the Gov viewed it as a "new" truck considering everything Mechanical and electrical gets rebuilt or replaced and updated.

 

i hope this help's under stand your truck . . . :ack: it sure confused :hmm: and educated :smart: me :thumbsup:

 

Mike

It's getting updated / semi restored. You are indeed correct, it has a badge or stamp somewhere on the IP that says it was reman'd to an A2, I forget when. Spent some time working on it last night, was more working on functionality than figuring out what I had - put an entire large size tube of red EP grease into it (yow, this thing has a lot of grease fittings!) and I *think* I got the temp gauge working again, a connection was loose. Nearly drove it to work this morning to find out, I'm going insane from the curiosity. Also tested out my headlights, turns out both low beams are toast, going to have to find where I can buy new sealed beams for it... hmmm :hmm: and added new non-rusted bolts holding the mirrors in place.

 

It's definitely confused and educated me too! Heck, exactly a week ago (well, exactly in an hour or two) I didn't even know I was actually going to buy this truck, and was just thinking "ah the heck with it, I'll toss in an offer and see if he takes it or makes a counter-offer I can deal with."

 

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

It's even better... I live in an apartment in Worcester and have one allotted parking space. The MJ with the assortment of random stuff in the back lives in my parking space, I move the 96 XJ and 98 XJ around a bit every few days in parking spaces at a nearby strip mall, and the M54A2 (so far) gets parked in a parking lot next to a construction site.

 

Once I get the temp plates off the M54 and get it fully registered I will probably park it at work and hope they can't figure out how to tow it :rotf: I really have to install a fuel pump disable and a battery kill switch, I figure that (plus the fact that very few people will even be able to figure out how to start and drive it, and those are the ones I don't really have to worry about) will keep it sitting where I want it to.

 

Once I buy a house I'll probably have around 1/4 to 1/2 acre of land.

 

and a few more :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

 

for having the brass balls to own THAT in an apartment complex,

with one parking spot.

 

:banana: :banana:

hahaha, my neighbors think it's pretty funny. I moved in two months ago and there are "no automotive maintenance" signs in the parking lot, and security cameras :fs1: One of the other guys owns a delivery truck, I fixed his lift gate for him a while back, he came over and asked for help while I was messing with my 98 in the parking lot across the street (no signs or cameras there! I just clean up after myself.) I've fixed cars for 2-3 other people too, people just drop by while I'm working on my junk and it's usually an easy fix.

 

Ive been to Worcester many times ( New England Summer Nationals ) and that truck does not fit in with that city. Yet another reason it is awesome!!

Yeah... this city is a strange mix of ghetto and preppy/bro/flatbiller. I want to get out immediately but in the mean time I will settle for simply making things very interesting for the local police... they have no idea what to think when they see me fixing a 5 ton camo cargo truck in a parking lot.

 

I've always respected you, Mr. Kastein. Anyone who posts over 11,000 messages in a year (that aren't just drivel and BS) on an internet forum (NAXJA for those of you who don't know) earns my respect. But to have THAT truck in THAT place...you, sir, have just one-upped yourself.

it's not really that big a deal... it's just a number. I have learned more fixing my own junk with NAXJA's help, and helping others fix their junk by researching for them, than I ever expected to. Heck I didn't even know what a d30 was or what transmission I had when I showed up last year, all I joined the forum for initially was so I could download the d30 pinion seal replacement FAQ PDF.

 

I still haven't replaced that damn d30 pinion seal :nuts: fixed just about everything else though, and somehow ended up with another 3 vehicles

[AMC-MJ]

I know the Mil-Spec trucks ;)

Enjoy it man its great truck you got at a steal of a price for a 5ton . . .

 

Mike

[kastein]

Just drove it across town for the hell of it to drop off a tent we were gonna use on the trip... :rotf:

 

Drove by 5 Worcester police cruisers and a statey, got no reaction from most, wasn't pulled over or lit up by any of them.

 

Got my new phone working on my wifi, though not on the cell network yet. I'll take some pics tomorrow morning and see if I can't make imageshack work from my phone.