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Coulda, shoulda, woulda. The three most defeatist words in the English language.

What I witnessed wasn't attributed to the harmonic balancer failing, said by the old mechanic. It was a dynamic fault in the design. I don't now if Hercules ever really did any research, or maybe later Continental did. There were at least 4 iterations of the MAN-patent engines; 427, LD-465...

The stock wiring for lighting is #14, and will support 70/75 Watt H4 halogen headlights along with a bunch of tail & marker lights. BTW, the numbering system on the wiring in M-series tactical and armor vehicles is the same, regardless of the vehicle application. Once you get used to it, it...

I'm curious as to why you need all the 'extra' stuff in the wiring...

You can buy a complete front and rear harness for your truck easier than going thru that mess of wiring a bit at a time. An example...

Years ago, I was at the Yermo USMC base in Barstow, Ca to pick up an M37 I bought from DRMO. I talked to a mechanic there, and the topic went to the Multifuel engine. He escorted me to a fenced acre full of hundreds of pallets, each with a multifuel with the center web blown out. The story...

Shredded a front tire on my M54A1 in slow driving around the property. It split, giving a hiss hiss hiss. By the time I got it where I wanted it, the entire carcass was in pieces. Luckily I have a fresh Goodyear AT-2 14.00-20 to replace it with. Still, a royal pain in the ass.

Get Kevlar thread for the job. Seal the seams ahead of sewing with a tiny bead of OSI Quad Max caulk. Best flexible glue ever.

Another small-diameter circuit is that feeding the F-R selector valve on the transmission that controls the transfer. That is if you have the M39 series or the 800-series.

Truck supply houses sell gladhands with valves built-in. Not expensive, DOT approved.

I've found the old style ferrules work fine with the plastic tubing. Just make sure to use the proper 'internals' for plastic.

If you do go for a 12V unit, don't be tempted to draw the power from a tap between the batteries. (Unless you run a newer hi-amp alternator with dual voltage outputs) It is a short course in ruining your batteries...

Die-hard duners carry a set of off-road tire & wheels, and run highway rubber getting there.

A regular military hot-water heater kit was fielded for G744 5-tons many years ago, and kept in the supply system. Comes with everything to set it up, check with the larger surplus dealers like Memphis or Eastern. Otherwise, just about any DIY system will work, if you flog it a bit and have a...

Never be surprised when sanding down old MVs. Oddities abound!

You'll go a lot further in sand with tires @ 10-15psi, rather then a lot of contrivances. Good old non-directionals really shine in that application, on both M37's and 5-tons. Learned that in the largest dunes in North America, the Yuma Dunes.

A tip for those changing their own military tires, the part that makes getting the wheel out of the tire difficult isn't obvious. Over time, the flap will bond to the wheel, so you need to put your spoon in between it and the wheel. Tap it down in there, rare back on it a bit and you'll hear...

I've seen what can happen to a 5-ton (and a vehicle next to it n the road) when one of those comes apart at speed. Luckily, it wasn't my truck. When they get some 20 years on them and the rubber is tired, they will come apart. They are a maintenance item.

Air wipers are more powerful than any electrics, helpful if you encounter ice. That button needs to be 'popped' out for them to work right. The newer plastic motors are not repairable, all glued together. The best were the vintage alloy Trico ones, easy to fix.

The only reason to run combat rims on an M37 is you like the look. A dumb holdover from WW2 3/4 tons. They are just as much work to dismount as the lockring type, and a LOT heavier. Harder to balance, too. Stick with the LTS wheels and learn to do them yourself, the tools are about the...