TornadoGT's M977 "Name TBD" Mods

[Tornadogt]

Officially Day 2, Invoice paid and EUC filled out. patiently waiting.

 

[Coffey1]

Me too first thing new paint then eye con kit
Cover and bows and I'll come up with something else lol

 

[NDT]

TornadoGT, is this sitting at TX-RSMS? Did they go through it?

 

[Tornadogt]

TornadoGT, is this sitting at TX-RSMS? Did they go through it?

It is on North Ft Hood (Gatesville) I was there last a few weeks a go picking up 2 semi trailers (with the M915a1 I got from you) and actually sat in this truck.. Didn't think at the time it would be something I could pickup but it worked out...

 

[Another Ahab]

Now that's sweet.

What you got planned for it?

 

[dk8019]

Very nice, and you got it for a song. Any idea why the water separator assembly is disassembled?

 

[agazza2]

Nice score. One of these days I will buy one

 

[Tornadogt]

Very nice, and you got it for a song. Any idea why the water separator assembly is disassembled?

I didn't see any damage or any other missing parts on the truck, I am "assuming" it had a leak and they (Reservist) started to remove it. Luckily the truck is close and I am going up there in a few weeks before the EUC clears to look it over, plan is to take a new water separator with me, get it started with fresh batteries and have it ready when the EUC does clear.

Ahab, I have no specific plans for it yet, but the location, clean interior, price, and devil on my shoulder made me do it.

Ideas:
put a tarp in the bed and fill it up with water (Cheaper than a pool)
try to break the physics and park it in a sub-compact parking spot at the mall

Really though I am thinking I would love to re-power it, first thought would be a hoped up 8.3, HX55 turbo, Big Air-Air inner cooler, injector-injector pump upgrades. It may not be enough power but I don't plan on loading it up and hauling heavy with it.. also couldn't go wrong with a IXM Cummins. I sure would drive it more if it got more than 3 miles to the gallon.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

I didn't see any damage or any other missing parts on the truck, I am "assuming" it had a leak and they (Reservist) started to remove it. Luckily the truck is close and I am going up there in a few weeks before the EUC clears to look it over, plan is to take a new water separator with me, get it started with fresh batteries and have it ready when the EUC does clear.

Ahab, I have no specific plans for it yet, but the location, clean interior, price, and devil on my shoulder made me do it.

Ideas:
put a tarp in the bed and fill it up with water (Cheaper than a pool)
try to break the physics and park it in a sub-compact parking spot at the mall

Really though I am thinking I would love to re-power it, first thought would be a hoped up 8.3, HX55 turbo, Big Air-Air inner cooler, injector-injector pump upgrades. It may not be enough power but I don't plan on loading it up and hauling heavy with it.. also couldn't go wrong with a IXM Cummins. I sure would drive it more if it got more than 3 miles to the gallon.

hehe.. If you end up yanking out that 8v92, feel free to send it my way.. For free of course

 

[Another Ahab]

Ahab, I have no specific plans for it yet, but the location, clean interior, price, and devil on my shoulder made me do it.

Those two on the shoulders, they're a pesky lot.

 

[mkcoen]

I'd recommend some new paint on the nose. Those red spray paint items are offensive and we all know that site rules don't allow offensiveness.

 

[AZK9]

Nice looking new pool... er... um... I mean truck!

 

[JDToumanian]

I didn't see any damage or any other missing parts on the truck, I am "assuming" it had a leak and they (Reservist) started to remove it. Luckily the truck is close and I am going up there in a few weeks before the EUC clears to look it over, plan is to take a new water separator with me, get it started with fresh batteries and have it ready when the EUC does clear.

I think you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to get the engine started without a priming pump of some sort. Wreckerman's experience with HEMTTs was that they pressurized the fuel tank to bleed the air out.... and with the filter-separator open, air is probably all the way up to the engine. The procedure in the TM for bleeding the fuel system is to remove a small pipe plug on top of the secondary fuel filter housing on the engine, screw in a barbed hose fitting, and connect a hand priming pump. The output of the pump goes into a "suitable container" (bucket or whatnot) and you pump until you get fuel flow with no air. After disconnecting the pump and replacing the plug, "the engine should start."

Preparing for my HEMTT recovery trip next week, I was paranoid about getting stuck somewhere because I got air in the fuel system... What if I ran it out of fuel? What if the fuel filters need to be replaced? So I rigged up the "fuel priming kit" shown in the pictures. The pump is a genuine Detroit Diesel priming pump, the kind that would mount in the dash, or instrument cluster of a generator. I got it on eBay for about $60, just search for "Detroit Diesel priming pump." I bought the two 90 degree 1/8 pipe x 5/16" hose barb fittings in the pump, clear fuel-rated 5/16" hose, and 1/8 and 1/4 pipe x 5/16" hose barb fittings (since I don't know the pipe plug size) from McMaster. It put my mind at ease that priming will be easy if it becomes necessary.

Regards,
Jon

 

[Another Ahab]

I think you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to get the engine started without a priming pump of some sort. Wreckerman's experience with HEMTTs was that they pressurized the fuel tank to bleed the air out....

Preparing for my HEMTT recovery trip next week, I was paranoid about getting stuck somewhere because I got air in the fuel system...

What would be the thinking that leads HEMTT'S to be so "ornery" to operate? You'd think you'd want equipment subject to combat to be plain-a** simple and reliable (because clear thinking isn't likely the first reaction when subject to incoming rounds of ANY weapon).

Is this part of the "low-bid award" syndrome or something?

 

[JDToumanian]

What would be the thinking that leads HEMTT'S to be so "ornery" to operate? You'd think you'd want equipment subject to combat to be plain-a** simple and reliable (because clear thinking isn't the first reaction when subject to incoming rounds of ANY weapon).

Is this part of the "low-bid award" syndrome or something?

I think it's just that the engine is so high above the fuel tank, and there is a lot of feet of fuel line from the tank to the engine. Most diesel engines that don't have an electric fuel pump are hard to start if you get air in them... I don't think the Detroit is worse than any other would be under the circumstances.

Jon

 

[Tornadogt]

JDToumanian That is a good looking pump set up. My plan is to pressurize the fuel system. I am going to take my small generator and air compressor with me, I already have an extra fuel tank cap and am going to install an air nipple on it to prime the system. One bonus to pressurizing the system is I should be able to see if there are any bad hoses if they start dripping or seeping under pressure.

 

[Another Ahab]

Good luck with the recovery!

 

[fuzzytoaster]

JDToumanian That is a good looking pump set up. My plan is to pressurize the fuel system. I am going to take my small generator and air compressor with me, I already have an extra fuel tank cap and am going to install an air nipple on it to prime the system. One bonus to pressurizing the system is I should be able to see if there are any bad hoses if they start dripping or seeping under pressure.

Ditto, they share the same fuel cap as the M939 series trucks so you can pressurize the system.