M1009 Heavy Maintenance Visit

[cucvrus]

lost power

Second day driving the 09 to work. Not good. Just barely got it home.
Pulling out of the employee lot it lost torque. Wouldn't accelerate up the hill. The engine revved high but it just wouldn't pull. Pulled over and checked transmission fluid, vacuum lines, no signs of a leak( as much as i could see at 4:30 am) Was the same in all gears. Limped it home, threw the keys on the counter. I'm going to bed.
Pretty frustrating.

I think that this one may be an easy one to fix but on the other hand it could be easy but a bit expensive.
First thing I would do is change the fuel filter. Do that and lets see what the does. Please report back. I will get to the easy but expensive part if I hear back and you get negative results. Please advise

 

[Skinny]

If it's not low on fluid, you more than likely need a transmission rebuild. Whatever you do, don't drive it like that. You may ruin some of the hard parts internally which will make your rebuild more expensive.

 

[maddawg308]

Love your work so far - subscribed!

Seeing work done as well as this gives me hope that I can refurb a CUCV in the near future, it's getting harder to find a CUCV Blazer that's without rust or other problems without paying a fortune on the East Coast.

 

[cucvrus]

That was going to be my next guess. And at this point with the vehicle not in front of me it is nothing more then a guess.
1.) Did you change the transmission filter and the fluid?
2.) when you check thetransmission fluid is it RED of dark brownish / RED?
3.) Does the transmission fluid have a strong burnt smell.
4.) Keep in mind you are dealing with a 30 year old vehicle. The 400 transmission is the weakest link in the power train at 30 years old. It has the most moving parts and the parts that are in the transmission are the most susceptible to failure. Seals and such. Don't give up now. You are in to deep to quit. Once you work the bugs out you will have a very dependable vehicle. I would deal with the little issues as they come up. Mostly minor things. The transmission not so minor. And don't put a used one in. It is not worth the effort.

 

[wreckerman893]

So.....will we get to see this restored beast at the GA Rally?

You can't have more fun without taking off your britches.

Come join the madness and meet the some of the kooks that inhabit this site.

Good folks, fantastic array of military vehicles and great food.

The madness has already started at Durhamtown Plantation.

The early birds are holding down the fort until the rest of us get there.

 

[Mg84648]

So.....will we get to see this restored beast at the GA Rally?

You can't have more fun without taking off your britches.

Come join the madness and meet the some of the kooks that inhabit this site.

Good folks, fantastic array of military vehicles and great food.

The madness has already started at Durhamtown Plantation.

The early birds are holding down the fort until the rest of us get there.

That was the plan and the reason why I was hitting it so hard but things changed in a hurry this morning.
Ok, so to answer some of Cucvrus questions. All the fluids and filters were changed on the vehicle over the course of the summer. I checked the fuel filter and it is still clean. I checked trans fluid and it is still pink and no burnt smell. The transfer case is pink and topped off. I did notice that fluid came out of the fill port a bit but I let it dribble out for a bit, capped it and still have the problem. I thought maybe it was over serviced, nope. Reverse is fine, when shifted into D it acts like its in neutral and if you gas it you just start creeping till you gain speed. Shift into 2 it pulls ok at first and as the truck accelerates it loses torque. 1 acts the same as 2.
All these symptoms were from last night and no I won't be driving this vehicle anymore.
It seems like I do need a rebuild.
Vaccum hoses are good, transfer case seems ok, trans fluid isnt burnt. I do remember that last night when I check the trans dip stick it was super hot but I would assume that's normal for driving 15 minutes no the highway. Would that be an indicator of a transmission cooler issue? Just thinking out loud I guess.
Anyway, thanks for all the support guys. I'll keep you informed.

 

[cucvrus]

Sounds grim. I am in the same situation at this time with one of my M1009's. It shifts late and I tried everything. I dropped it off at the transmission shop and told the guy I am in no hurry for it. That has been 1 week. I made that mistake again. I say that to releave the pressure and not make a rush job of it. But it still makes me wonder what the issue is. I just had a transmission redone on an M1028 and it cost me $1900. It shifts like new of course and it made a world of difference in how the truck drives. It was going out for a while and so slowly that the driver never took notice till it wouldn't go anymore. Rebuild the one you have. They have the HD trans case. Putting in a used one is a waste of time and money. These are 30 years old and what some people call rebuilt 6 months ago can end up being a quicky seal and pump replacement. Go somewhere where they will give you a warranty and flush out the transmission cooler and stand behind the warranty for a year or 2. I know that is not what you want to hear. But I am being as honest as I can be. I have several take out transmissions that I would not just put in with out having them looked at the trans shop. I have taken a few in and the bill was only $450. -$500. Rarely but it has happened. No easy fix wallet wise but piece of mind for true reliability in the future. Stick with it and let us know how things go. And yes I bought a NOS in a GM crate and put it in and it had no reverse. It was a NEW not rebuilt. Cost me $650. to have it fixed. It is definetly the weakest link in the CUCV powertrain. Good Luck.

 

[Mg84648]

Ya that's what I was afraid of and I appreciate your candor Cucvrus.
I guess she is going to sit for a while until until I can find a shop close by who is trustworthy. This will give me time to trouble shoot the fuel guage and heater issues.
I might have pressed her into service slightly sooner that I wanted but I seriously thought I could have her ready for the Ga rally hense the long highway trips to and from work.
I originally told my wife it would take 12 months to have the truck completed. It's only been 6 months so I guess I'm back on the original schedule
Thanks for the help guys and sorry for sounding like a diva this morning. 12 hour midnight shifts all week tend to make me bloated and irritable

 

[Another Ahab]

Ya that's what I was afraid of and I appreciate your candor Cucvrus.
I guess she is going to sit for a while until until I can find a shop close by who is trustworthy. This will give me time to trouble shoot the fuel guage and heater issues.
I might have pressed her into service slightly sooner that I wanted but I seriously thought I could have her ready for the Ga rally hense the long highway trips to and from work.
I originally told my wife it would take 12 months to have the truck completed. It's only been 6 months so I guess I'm back on the original schedule
Thanks for the help guys and sorry for sounding like a diva this morning. 12 hour midnight shifts all week tend to make me bloated and irritable

Your rig looks great, and I hope you'll keep at it. I'm enjoying your thread.

Got all of Winter to work on her!

 

[Mg84648]

Well my O.C.D took control today and I had a wrecker come take the truck to the transmission shop. Last night the wife and I had agreed to wait till after Christmas to get it fixed,,,,,, oops. I just couldn't wait. I feel like I've invested so much into this project and I'm so close to having it complete that letting it sit in the driveway would be the wrong thing to do.
She obviously wasn't happy when she got home but when I told her that it probably won't be ready for a month it seemed to smooth it over a bit. This will give me time to work some overtime to help pay for the rebuild. She was ultimately happy with that.
So now it's hurry up and wait time I suppose, what am i going to do now? Guess Ill mow the lawn tomorrow.......

 

[cucvrus]

I know this is what you would like to hear from your transmiision shop. But I am sorry to say probably not. I received a voice mail that the M1009 was completed at the transmission shop. Now take into mind i know the man and he has done lots of work for me in the past 20+ years. But he left a message and said "Hey the trucks done. Bring me cash you owe me $20. bucks" I did not go to get it yet but I wish you the same luck with yours. I guess it was something very minor that I was overlooking. I will let you know. I can't imagine what he fixed for $20. IDK. I will let you all know. $20. Bucks. First I must drive it and see if it is fixed then I will report back and boast of the wonderful inexpensive repair.

 

[Mg84648]

I know this is what you would like to hear from your transmiision shop. But I am sorry to say probably not. I received a voice mail that the M1009 was completed at the transmission shop. Now take into mind i know the man and he has done lots of work for me in the past 20+ years. But he left a message and said "Hey the trucks done. Bring me cash you owe me $20. bucks" I did not go to get it yet but I wish you the same luck with yours. I guess it was something very minor that I was overlooking. I will let you know. I can't imagine what he fixed for $20. IDK. I will let you all know. $20. Bucks. First I must drive it and see if it is fixed then I will report back and boast of the wonderful inexpensive repair.

That's great news! I hope I'm that lucky but I highly doubt it. I checked everything I could think of and all the stuff you guys could too. Everything seemed fine so now it's in the hands of professionals who do these for a living. Hopefully in three weeks she be back in the fight!
i wonder what he did on yours,,,,,,,,,,,,20 bucks? Let us know.

 

[cucvrus]

I am almost ashamed to tell you the truth. But I will. When I first bought the truck 9 years ago the double rubber connector at the VCM on the injection pump was dry rotted beyond use. Well I removed it and just connected the vacuum lines directly to the VCM. It was flawless for 8 years. This summer I experienced a shifting issue. The M1009 would be in 1-2 drive at 30 MPH. I checked the vacuum pump and everything was fine. I diagnosed it as the VCM on the injection pump. I put a brand new one on and when the lines were disconnected I just put them back on. I am not 100% positive I did it. But I will take the blame. After all we are only talking 3 hours 2 cases of beer and a lot of cussing. But low and behold the vacuum lines were reversed. The top was on the bottom and the bottom on the top. I felt like the Bugs Bunny cartoon when the man told me that. You know the one that shows the wood screw and the baseball. And the one that shows the donkey standing there with its back to you. You get the picture. I told Rick at the transmission shop that I knew that it was like that and I was just testing him. But it drives like new again and is in A1 condition. Good luck with your transmission project. In the end it will be worth it. I gave him a crisp new $20 American a left with a whisper. He was amused.

 

[Mg84648]

Wow, that's a good find. Glad it was something simple. Oh and don't sweat the crossed connections it happens. I've been a mechanic for 20 years and I will never ridicul a fellow mechanic for making a mistake, lord knows Ive made my fair share. The first time I do the ever vigilant Karma will certainly even the score.
So either way, congratulations on an easy fix and from now on Ill pay particular attention to those connections when working in that area

 

[Warthog]

Just remember "T"op hose goes to "T"ransmission

i have screwed it up myself. I was always going back to the TM.

 

[Mg84648]

Just remember "T"op hose goes to "T"ransmission

i have screwed it up myself. I was always going back to the TM.

Thats good, I like it.

 

[M1009 NEWBEE 2013]

Just saw the thread, looks really nice. good job.

 

[Mg84648]

Ok, so I picked up the truck from the transmission shop on Monday of last week. They had it for 3 weeks. The technician said that the bands were burnt and the clutches were shot. He also said that the plastic accumulator was blown out which likely caused the bands and clutches to give out. When they were test driving it they found that the vacuum pump was only putting out 4 at idle when it should have been something like 18-20. I may have my numbers backwards, I'm obviously not a transmission guy
Either way it is now shifting perfect. 1st to 2nd at 20 mph and 2nd to 3rd at 35 mph.

I also used the time it was in the shop to order some parts so I could install them when I got the truck back. I installed a metal fire extinguisher bracket and a 2.5 lb bottle. Its one of those things that I hope I'll never need.
I installed the door threshold aluminum trim which was way too super shinny when installed so I hit them with a red pad to dull them up a bit.
Also installed two new mufflers from rock auto. I used a 90 grinder to cut the pipes at the old muffler weld then installed the new ones with U clamps on the inlet and butt joint band clamps on the outlet side. I did have to add a layer of 3 inch aluminum tape under the pax side tail pipe band clamp to hold it the way I wanted. This should be fine till I have someone weld them up for me. So far I think that the exhaust was the single best and most noticed repair outside of the body work. Its so much quieter and feels like it has more power. I don't have to wear hearing protection while driving on the highway anymore!

As far as appearance items, I added bumper numbers to the front and rear. I used my old Chinook unit from Hunter AAF in Savannah. 2/159th AVN "Hercules". When I got there in 1997 they had already gotten rid of the CUCV's and had the soft top HMMWV's so I never actually drove one at that unit but I thought it would be cool looking. I think they are attached to the 3rd ID now, not sure.
It will stay OD green with these markings until I eventually paint it three tone and put my Panama unit markings on it.

I was having a problem with no heat. I replaced the thermostat with a hockey puck style 190 degree and properly bleed the system and suddenly I was baking myself out of the cab! I guess the old T-stat and and a bubble being in the system since I changed my water pump was causing the no heat issue. Don't ask me why I didn't change it when I did the pump because I have no idea. Its fixed now so I'm happy.

So that should pretty much get you guys up to speed. Next week my fuel sending unit and tank straps come in so I'll do an update when that job is done.

 

[Another Ahab]

When i get to a key board ill write more but until then here are some pics of the beast fresh from the transmission shop.

Clean, and Mean, Gene.

 

[Mg84648]

Thanks Ahab. Its turning out better then expected to tell you the truth.