M52a2 shoddy repairs

[63Wfirefighter]

We recently received a M52A2 from another fire dept in our county and just got around to doin the oil change and service work to it yesterday. Shortly after adjusting the parking brake that hasn't worked for god knows how long I got started on hitting every grease Zerk I could get to. When I got to the jack shaft between the transmission and transfer I was rather stunned. At one time within the past two years a rebuilt transmission was put in this truck by a local mechanic. In his haste he dident torque the bolts holding the jack shaft flange to the transmission. So two bolts were gone, one was missing a nut, and the rest were loose enough you could see light between the flanges. This truck pulls a 5000 gal water tanker so if this had come loose and locked up the rear axles you wouldn't need much of an imagination to know what the aftermath would look like. So now I have to start a investigation on this truck and find out whose negligence could have killed one of my Firefighters. If one of the mechanics in my old unit had allowed something like this to happen they would be on toilet scrubbing duty for a very long time. This truck rolls on a call maybe 2 to 3 times a year so its no surprise the issue was undiscovered for so long.

 

[cornrichard]

That was probably installed correctly at the time of the transmission install. If you search around you will find several threads about that jack shaft getting loose all by itself. I locktite and torque every deuce I get before I even drive it the first time. Over half are loose.

 

[DeuceDad]

Missing bolts/Shoddy repairs

Got any pics of this area? I would be interested in checking them on my truck. Glad nothing happened here.

Thanks.

 

[73m819]

they were loose on the 819 when I pulled the trans

 

[Trango]

Before you start the witchhunt, loose driveshaft retaining bolts are a common issue on these trucks. That's why I replace all fasteners on the shafts (as I come to them) with new, grade 8 bolts and Stover nuts. For some reason, the stock "lock" nuts are anything but in this application.

 

[KsM715]

Got any pics of this area? I would be interested in checking them on my truck. Glad nothing happened here.

Thanks.

Climb under your truck and check out the really short driveshaft that is inbetween the transmission and the transfercase.

 

[deathrowdave]

Loose Bolts and Missing Nuts are common . Replace with prevailing torque nuts ( all steel lock nut ). Mine were installed with Nyloc nuts and were loose . Be safe ,Dave