1995 M1078 Cranks But Won't Start

[Phoenix77]

I hear you @coachgeo , I did some serious soul-searching when the numbers hit me this morning.

The rest of the truck is in pretty great shape, aside from the cab not raising, as far as I can tell.

Haven't had a chance to get to know every inch yet, since I drove is just far enough to require a tow...

Engine sounds good, brakes work etc., driveshafts are good.

I think if I do a swap and pay labor and end up ~$16 - $17k, there's still meat on the bone if I want to sell it.

Plan is to completely do up the inside (dynamat, new seats etc.) and use it primarily around the property as a work truck, but make it nice enough to get my wife & daughter willing to ride in it to tow our camper to the mountains.

 

[Phoenix77]

M1078 and M1081 home at last!

HUGE thanks to simp for the new-to-me transmission and all his knowledge in isolating the T-case as the issue post-swap.

Another HUGE thanks to wheelspinner for driving to Fayetteville yesterday to diagnose the remaining issue with the truck (isolated T-case as issue).

Need to tear down rear brakes on M1081 to get them freed up and install a driver's door. Mercifully it wasn't raining today for a change. Wife isn't happy about the slit trench the rear wheel left in the yard, but whatevs. Are the wives EVER happy when we get cool toys?

 

[Third From Texas]

Outstanding !

I'm facing a trans swap on one of my trucks and I'm not exactly looking forward to the job.

 

[Phoenix77]

Outstanding !

I'm facing a trans swap on one of my trucks and I'm not exactly looking forward to the job.

Just to give you an idea of costs (prepare for pucker factor), places charge ~$140/hr for labor, and Fayetteville charged me 15 hrs though it took "28 hrs".

If it makes a God awful grinding noise at the top end of 6th and all of 7th gear, that's a transfer case issue, not tranny, FYI.

 

[Third From Texas]

Mine doesn't make any noise.

I'll be doing the swap myself (cuz that's all I can afford).

Here's a sample from the trans and t-case. Some silly private filled them with chocolate milk.

 

[simp5782]

It's not hard. Especially if you have a wrecker or crane. I can have em out and on the ground in 2hrs.

 

[Phoenix77]

It was bad enough standing there with my two (2) pseudo-functional LMTVs when wheelspinner showed me a pic of his with a crane, but now you just have to pile it on, eh?

 

[Phoenix77]

I absolutely want one with a crane, but I have to balance with my strong desire to remain wed to my wife...

 

[Third From Texas]

It's not hard. Especially if you have a wrecker or crane. I can have em out and on the ground in 2hrs.

Speaking of which, what is roughly the weight of trans and t-case?

 

[Phoenix77]

Speaking of which, what is roughly the weight of trans and t-case?

Supposedly 1,600 lbs

 

[Phoenix77]

***UPDATE***

The transfer case swap is complete, and the M1078 is running!

Thanks again to @wheelspinner and @simp5782 for their help.

Huge thanks to @Suprman who offered his expertise on the issue and navigated me through the final straits. I cannot overstate how amazing it is that people who have no financial stake in my endeavor like Suprman and Wheelspinner took time to provide counsel and expertise to help transition a 17k lbs+ yard art paperweight into a working truck.

Truly amazing.

I am now transitioning from troubleshooting to enhancements.

 

[Third From Texas]

***UPDATE***

The transfer case swap is complete, and the M1078 is running!

Thanks again to @wheelspinner and @simp5782 for their help.

Huge thanks to @Suprman who offered his expertise on the issue and navigated me through the final straits. I cannot overstate how amazing it is that people who have no financial stake in my endeavor like Suprman and Wheelspinner took time to provide counsel and expertise to help transition a 17k lbs+ yard art paperweight into a working truck.

Truly amazing.

I am now transitioning from troubleshooting to enhancements.

So true.

I'm going to be doing a swap here in the coming months. I've pulled car transmissions before even 4x4, but never anything of this scale. I do have a small crane that I can swing above the trans and I've ID'ed all the lines and bolts for disconnect to do the drop. But I ain't in my 20's anymore and some of the places that need to be reached look pretty tight.

My big question is how high do you have to lift the truck to roll the trans out from under it. I don't have access to a shop any longer so stuff like this isn't as easy as it used to be for me...

 

[Phoenix77]

So true.

I'm going to be doing a swap here in the coming months. I've pulled car transmissions before even 4x4, but never anything of this scale. I do have a small crane that I can swing above the trans and I've ID'ed all the lines and bolts for disconnect to do the drop. But I ain't in my 20's anymore and some of the places that need to be reached look pretty tight.

My big question is how high do you have to lift the truck to roll the trans out from under it. I don't have access to a shop any longer so stuff like this isn't as easy as it used to be for me...

If you separate the transfer case from the transmission (make sure to undo 6 o'clock bolt on rear housing), and remove the long stretch of exhaust, including the muffler (clamps at joints: 1/2" ratchet works), then there should be enough clearance to get the transmission out from underneath with the truck resting on the ground.