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

[kastein]

you simply stock 2 spares on board your 2.5 or 5 ton 6x6 one on a front rim and one on a rear rim, then become religious and pray ya don't need to buy/order one on the road $-)

 

Run modern duels and be done with it failure rate is lower, stock ability is higher demand is steady supply is high price is low . . .

 

an 11R24.5 44" is every were you wanna be ;) the 12R24.5 46" might take some digging but can be found easier n cheaper in stock . . . find out where the City n county boys go for tires and you'll find the 12R24.5's . . .

 

12.00R24's = 49" are are made to be dueled most big truck/HD equip. shop's stock 2-6 of them.

 

14.00R24's = 54" used by 10ton's the M123/M125 and road graters also a stocked tire for any big truck/equipment shop.

 

16.00R24's = 56" tho made to be ran single they will fit dueled on the M123/M125 10 ton's ;)

 

Mike

I'm trying to keep it under 50" because I really don't want to murder my already terrible mileage too badly. Getting this many rims is gonna bend me over and ream me out :(

 

EDIT: A guy with access to some military equipment databases looked things up for me - my M54A2 was originally an M54 (knew this already) with an NSN of 2320008358348, serial number 3396 (same), registration number 5B5126, manufactured in 1958!

 

Originally used by the 1186th MP Company in Salem, OR, was then surplused and shipped east to Lakehurst NJ by DRMO to be sold by GovLiquidation. Was sold by them in late 2000, went through a number of private owners (at least two) before getting to me. Originally sold by GL for $13561 (not sure I posted that already.)

 

I am going to see if I can get it retitled as a 1958 so I can get antique plates. We'll see how the Mass RMV responds to that...

[AMC-MJ]

For super singles ya only need 3 Front rims and 5 Rear rims . . . 8 rims 8 tires . . .

 

I'm skeptical as to the MF's ability to pull the SS tires myself, only seen the Cummins powered 5tons running the SS's, Tho the MF in the 2.5T dose but its got 6.79 gears not 6.44 gears . . .

Sadly we raced another deuce against mine, My lil'Gasser out ran the MF deuce :cheers:

Yes we were running the same tires and he was also bedless . . .

 

Maybe they do better in the heavier truck with less gear ?

 

didn't i say that it may have started life as a 1950's jeep or 60's Mack ? . . . anywho you have yourself a 1958 Kaiser Jeep 5ton 6x6 . . .

 

Mike

[over2land]

Since this thread is kinda hi jacked anyway...

 

Cool score Kastein.

 

I've looked at deuces and 5s for years, haven't had the guts to pull the trigger. My M715 sees so little use and it drives me crazy.

 

Any way they guy who looked stuff up for you could be persuaded to look up either my M715 or M38A1? I'd love to know the background on them.

[kastein]

Since this thread is kinda hi jacked anyway...

 

Cool score Kastein.

 

I've looked at deuces and 5s for years, haven't had the guts to pull the trigger. My M715 sees so little use and it drives me crazy.

 

Any way they guy who looked stuff up for you could be persuaded to look up either my M715 or M38A1? I'd love to know the background on them.

Probably. Sign up on steelsoldiers.com and check the 2010 VIN info thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/members-ri ... hread.html

Post up your info and within a couple days he'll hopefully have an answer for you. He can only look up stuff that was in certain branches of the service though.

[AMC-MJ]

Them stealy boys got some decent info and they do seem to be open to modification it seems.

I like the other site better tho they are into restoration keeping it and making it as it was.

 

But I have pretty much learned all I needed to know.

 

I like you wanted to put my Mil-Spec 6x6 truck to work such as you plan to, with living and learning I'm glad I steered you into a 5ton the 2.5ton tho fun as toy really isn't all that functional as a truck.

 

Mike

[kastein]

Them stealy boys got some decent info and they do seem to be open to modification it seems.

I like the other site better tho they are into restoration keeping it and making it as it was.

 

But I have pretty much learned all I needed to know.

 

I like you wanted to put my Mil-Spec 6x6 truck to work such as you plan to, with living and learning I'm glad I steered you into a 5ton the 2.5ton tho fun as toy really isn't all that functional as a truck.

 

Mike

Quite glad you did! :cheers:

 

I'm kinda splitting the difference on the modification vs restoration bit - I refuse to do any kind of irreversible modification, i.e. no welding to the frame / cab tub / bed, no drilling, etc. Bolt-on stuff I'll do IF it improves performance or utility. For instance I added two cigarette lighter sockets up under the dashboard so I can plug in a cellphone charger and a GPS unit but I didn't drill any holes or modify the wiring harness to do it, I ran separate wires and hid it as best as I could. I would also love to convert the transfer case (Rockwell T138 iirc) to air shift but not if it means modifying the housing significantly, and refuse to bob it.

 

Speaking of which... it now has windshield wiper blades (had one really dried out one before), a roof, a functioning tach, a functioning temp gauge, a fully functioning headlight (lowbeam is burned on the right hand bulb still), new battery terminals, new hood hooks, and I vacuumed the pile of potting soil out of the cab and scraped the residue off the windshield.

 

Latest:

(that's where I park it - my apartment is the one you can't see because the truck is in front of the windows, but it's immediately below the two windows behind the tree)

 

EDIT: and I completely forgot - I changed the diff fluid all around. Took ten gallons of new fluid :eek: two five gallon pails, only a tiny bit left in the bottom of the second one when I was done.

[AMC-MJ]

Yup that sounds about right on par for that truck.

Would did ya use ? 75-90 ? 80-90 ? 75-140 ? 85-140 ? . . .

 

Mike

[kastein]

I used 85-140. Wanted to go with a better brand than Coastal, but even Coastal cost me 100 dollars :eek:

 

The old stuff came out frothy and black, so I am glad I changed it. I was probably the first person to do so since the military surplused it out.

[AMC-MJ]

Given the shape of the old fluid running a few short services on the costal would be perfect to clean it out then put in some good stuff, then make sure to keep it changed after you switch.

 

Mike

[jpnjim]

I used 85-140. Wanted to go with a better brand than Coastal, but even Coastal cost me 100 dollars :eek:

 

The old stuff came out frothy and black, so I am glad I changed it. I was probably the first person to do so since the military surplused it out.

 

 

All I ever use is Coastal.

 

It's cheap,

smells just as horrible as the other stuff,

and it hasn't let me down, or caused any issues for me yet.

 

 

I started using it when I was changing my diff fluid more often (lots of wheeling & water crossings).

Even though it's been a few years since I've seen a trail, I've stuck to Coastal, and all is still well.

 

 

Back on topic,

I am really liking this truck. :yes: :cheers:

[freakjeep93]

i love how this thread has been totally hijacked by the buying of a 5 ton lol. this should be made into kastiens build thread lol

[AMC-MJ]

There ain't nothing wrong with this thread ;) I started it we discussed AMC truck's then it fizzled out, so it was revived by a Genuine 5er which turns out started life as a Jeep brand truck so its well within Spec to be here anyhow :cheers:

 

 

Mike

[freakjeep93]

i never said there was anything wrong just stating a point lol

[kastein]

speaking of hijacking (sorry, I'm good at it...)

 

bad news :(

 

apparently military head gaskets are not made from unobtainium.

 

military engines are though :brows:

 

I have been hearing a rhythmic hissing/sneezing sound from the front/top of the trans or back of the engine for like a week now. I tried to track it down but couldn't find where it was coming from. Figured since it was not leaking significant quantities of fluids and seemed to have air pressure and function properly it was likely just a normal noise I hadn't heard before.

 

Well I drove it 70-80 miles to a friend's house last night, and noticed it was more of a dog accelerating on the highway than normal. When I got there the noise was a lot louder, so I investigated... saw something hanging off the back of the engine block. Stuck my hand back there and... it's a 2" long piece of head gasket that was ejected from the back of the motor. I can feel air from the #6 cylinder blasting out every compression stroke. I have probably put 5-600 miles on it like this :eek:

 

No coolant in the oil, no oil in the coolant, great oil pressure, just got a dead hole venting to the atmosphere. I'm figuring out what gaskets and parts I need to order and planning to pull the heads, have em milled probably (it did overheat after all) then reassemble with new gaskets and keep on truckin'.

[AMC-MJ]

Have them mill it down a Touch extra for more compression.

 

Compression = More Torque and easier cold starts.

 

Mike

[kastein]

It's already at 22:1 (multifuel ftw!) and I've seen 3 different threads on steelsoldiers with exactly the same head gasket failure I had :ack:

 

I would very much like more torque :yes: but I don't want to do anything that will increase my chances of puking out another chunk of head gasket.

 

I'm hoping they don't have to mill the top of the block (deck the block? not sure on terms) because I don't really want to take it out of the truck for this project, it weighs 1800lbs. Hoping I can get away with pulling a few hundred pounds of manifolds and heads, throw some gaskets in, get the heads milled, and put it back together.

[AMC-MJ]

Those head gaskets when installed properly should hold 13-15PSI boost at 22.5:1, OEM setting was only 5-7 / 7-9psi Some body might have at some point tweaked it and got 9-11psi top's given it had to be able to fire on Gasoline . . .

 

Just guessing on the boost numbers based on the compression ratio, most diesels are 16.5-17.5:1 when turbo charged except the GM 6.5 the turbo was 19.5/21.5:1 so it was a low boost turbo 6-8psi max the non turbo diesels tend to be 20-22.5:1 . . . Again GM deifies the norm the Toro Flow Non turbo diesels were 17.5:1 tis why they were doggy sluggish and low powered . . .

 

So glad GM went to out of house Diesel's ;) tho i'm still stuck with a GM-In house diesel :fs1: anywho . . .

 

Any Milling of the heads and/or decking of the block will = More compression :banana:

Now the head Mill will only add.1 giving you 22.1:1 then a block decking would give ya 22.2:1 ish compression, unless you tell them you want to kick the C/R up then they can get you .5:1 netting you 22.5:1, crank the turbo up to 15psi boost Shazzam you got big truck power out of your 478Ci I-6 MF engine . . .

 

now if ya really wanted to get some power, make it into an M54A1+ instead of an END-T673 Mack turbo diesel 205-225hp you could go with the ENDT 675/676 and get 237-315hp all 3 engine will rev out to 2,400rpm tho they'll only cruise 2250rpm . . .but the ON's in the 5-7spd Manual trans and some 12R24.5's and your set for a 65+mph truck that'll tow 120-150K LBs not to mention the MPG and life span increase :thumbsup:

 

Mike

[kastein]

I might consider doing that once I have some land and a house, but I'm still living in an apartment with one parking space right now :rotf: I don't have anything that can lift 1800lbs of engine and projects have to be done (or visibly done) in a single day or weekend. This sounds like an excuse to buy a 5 ton wrecker as well and use it as an engine hoist... :dunno:

 

for now I am fighting the urge to get a set of 46" Michelin XMLs off 100dollarman and super-single it. I have at least one probably two badly flat-spotted tires and a couple others are onto the wear indicators, got RFQs into 100dollarman (for the XMLs), TNJ (for 11.00x20s in case nothing else pans out), and I'm looking for a semi truck wrecking yard somewhere around here that might have decent takeoffs on single piece rims.

 

damn truck... I just want it to run and stop eating my wallet! :fs1: so much fun to drive though, it's totally worth it, the roof keeps much more junk from flying into my eyes while I drive but unfortunately means more people think it's an active military vehicle so the cute girl attention factor has dropped somewhat. I never picked the truck up intending to use it as a chick magnet (frankly I figured it'd be quite the opposite!) but I'm not about to complain, that is for sure.

[Automan2164]

Chick magnet thing aside, I don't know about you, but I would have to resist the urge to find a nice restaurant and try to have them valet park it... :rotf:

 

Rob L.

[kastein]

You're giving me ideas :eek: :nuts: :hmm:

 

On halloween this year I'm definitely driving it to work wearing my standard G-man costume (dark suit, dark sunglasses, aluminum briefcase with my laptop in it, some years I even manage to find my almost-invisible radio earpiece and wear that too)

[AMC-MJ]

Well to the first post, nothing cooler then having two 5tons.

 

Now the valent parking thing very cool DO IT !

Halloween costume idea again I say DO IT !

 

One time get your self some camo fatigues and a gas mask then drive through town with a "tarpped" load.

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

back on topic...

 

I am presently attempting to help convince a friend of mine to buy a J10 for 600 bucks instead of a cage for his XJ.

 

EDIT: already got the camo fatigues, and a camo vietnam era radio helmet, only need a few more things for that idea :brows:

[terrawombat]

And I'm looking at an '88 MJ Pioneer that has a rubber mat in the bed with an AMC logo either tonight or tomorrow after work :brows:

[AMC-MJ]

1. See we think alike, Now convince him a J10 is better then a roll cage !

 

2. Buy it up my 88' MJ has AMCs logos all over it !

Tis why I had no choice but to use an AMC V8 for the repowering ;)

 

 

Mike

[kastein]

I told him if he needed the money to buy the J10 I would lend it to him so he could do both and pay it off at some point in the future.