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I just got back from a lube run with the M135 and couldn't count the up thumbs the old deuce got. I built it so I could drive it but I think it's the general population that gets the biggest kick from seeing the Early Deuce. Mine will keep up with traffic and although a little tough to turn, the steering wheel spins back to center after a corner and I can't get this smile off my face. Lotsa guys would be real happy with a fire-truck or a deuce and you might have both so I'm excited for you.
The brakes won't be an issue once you get a few big tools for the wheel and axle nuts....or a friendly heavy duty mechanic. A mechanic friend of mine loves the truck so much he can't stop working on it. Heavy jack stands and hydraulic jack will get it in the air and either big impacts or Archimedes levers will get it apart. I did my last wheel seals and bearings in the field, off-grid so even the lowest level echelon hoser can maintain these trucks.
Testing the trani......after you've checked levels, smelled the oil, looked for leaks,......testing can be done in 100ft. The shifting time between 2nd and 3rd....if delayed or very hard....can be as simple as an external adjustment for the front band. From the 4 I've driven, they all behave a little different but you should feel all 4 gears, in low, within 100ft, near full throttle.
The RPM is what gets me and they can hit around 3600 before a shift so they sound like they'll come apart. Without a tach you need to trust your ears on that but don't be afraid to let it wind up at the top of a shift. The caveat to that is don't blow up an engine, gigity.
You're not just buying a truck, you're saving a piece of history and hopefully bathing it, greasing it and tightening things so it's in a preserved state for the next guy, once you've stretched the smile across your face to the max. These trucks are different than the M35's that get mudded and bounced off-road. They're the Grannie Cadillac of Deuces.....and we're very lucky to get to know yours. Thanks for sharing the story, regardless of the out come.........but I bet a bottle of crown you own a deuce!
The brakes won't be an issue once you get a few big tools for the wheel and axle nuts....or a friendly heavy duty mechanic. A mechanic friend of mine loves the truck so much he can't stop working on it. Heavy jack stands and hydraulic jack will get it in the air and either big impacts or Archimedes levers will get it apart. I did my last wheel seals and bearings in the field, off-grid so even the lowest level echelon hoser can maintain these trucks.
Testing the trani......after you've checked levels, smelled the oil, looked for leaks,......testing can be done in 100ft. The shifting time between 2nd and 3rd....if delayed or very hard....can be as simple as an external adjustment for the front band. From the 4 I've driven, they all behave a little different but you should feel all 4 gears, in low, within 100ft, near full throttle.
The RPM is what gets me and they can hit around 3600 before a shift so they sound like they'll come apart. Without a tach you need to trust your ears on that but don't be afraid to let it wind up at the top of a shift. The caveat to that is don't blow up an engine, gigity.
You're not just buying a truck, you're saving a piece of history and hopefully bathing it, greasing it and tightening things so it's in a preserved state for the next guy, once you've stretched the smile across your face to the max. These trucks are different than the M35's that get mudded and bounced off-road. They're the Grannie Cadillac of Deuces.....and we're very lucky to get to know yours. Thanks for sharing the story, regardless of the out come.........but I bet a bottle of crown you own a deuce!