Allison M916 + Mk48 Cab = 6x6 "FEMTT"

[M1075]

I bet you have more money in batteries than a lot of people paid for their trucks! I just replaced two yellow tops in my LSSV and they are spendy. You are first rate, first class. Carry on.

 

[wreckerman893]

I was going to take the cab off today, but it was apparently to cold and despite extensive begging, pleading, the excessive use of starting fluid and then finally cursing, the "trusty" 10 ton (crane) could not be conviced to come to life....

All machinery and electronic devices have souls and are equipped with a "Critical Need Detector". The more you need a particular piece of equipment the more likely it is to fail and leave you in the lurch.

After fitting all the cab mounts, installing the bumper / armor / brushguard and the ROPS, there are a bunch of areas that can't be accessed for welding and painting. Being the slightly "anal" person I am, I could not possibly live with myself, if I did not take care of those "troublesome" areas....whether anybody will ever see any of it or not....

Why not make it a tilt cab so you can work on stuff you know is going to break?

 

[M920]

All machinery and electronic devices have souls and are equipped with a "Critical Need Detector". The more you need a particular piece of equipment the more likely it is to fail and leave you in the lurch.

So very true!!!!!

Why not make it a tilt cab so you can work on stuff you know is going to break?

Good point, but there is really nothing under the cab that would not be easily accessible with it installed (other then welds and paint of course) and......it might be a little late at this point for that option.

 

[srodocker]

uhm wow....

 

[Hoefler]

Cooling. With the large doghouse in front of the radiator, what are you planning for cooling? MK cab and doghouse provides plenty of opportunities here.
Pete

 

[M920]

Cooling. With the large doghouse in front of the radiator, what are you planning for cooling? MK cab and doghouse provides plenty of opportunities here.
Pete

I guess I'm not entirely understanding your question. Are you worried about the air flow to the radiator being insufficient?

Please let me know your thoughts; what kind of opportunities are you suggesting on the MK48 Cab?

Thanks Soni

 

[Hoefler]

Airflow to radiator. There must be a lot of space in front of the radiator to rear of doghouse. If there isnt enough airflow to cool, you could add airflow through the top of doghouse. With a large squarish hole in cab directly above doghouse-and a mesh screen with maybe a discrete scoop on roof of cab, you would be able to direct air down through and extended (to inside roof of cab) doghouse. You would not be giving up any real cab space as the doghouse. Could also go with a large MK48 fan or a pair of smaller ones on the roof of cab to force air down through doghouse.
My suggestion is a way for me to build by proxy!
Keep up the great fabrication work. You do nice work.
Pete

 

[M920]

Airflow to radiator. There must be a lot of space in front of the radiator to rear of doghouse. If there isnt enough airflow to cool, you could add airflow through the top of doghouse. With a large squarish hole in cab directly above doghouse-and a mesh screen with maybe a discrete scoop on roof of cab, you would be able to direct air down through and extended (to inside roof of cab) doghouse. You would not be giving up any real cab space as the doghouse. Could also go with a large MK48 fan or a pair of smaller ones on the roof of cab to force air down through doghouse.
My suggestion is a way for me to build by proxy!
Keep up the great fabrication work. You do nice work.
Pete

Pete, thanks for the good imput! I have looked at that when I first fitted the MK48 cab. As you know, the Mk48 FPU has the radiator mounted horizontally above the engine with a big hydraulic fan sucking the air through it. The reason for this arrangement is the fact that the engine is mounted really far forward, due to the extreeme shortness of the Mk48's detachable "Front Power Unit" design. The engine is mounted forward to leave enough room for the transmission. So despite not having the radiator in front of the engine, the MK48 cab has a large cavity protruding in to the cab above the actual doghouse. The HEMTT on the other hand, has the radiator mounted in front of the engine, right behind the cab. Because of the high location of the radiator in relation to the cab, it has an air inlet through the roof, as well as a duct from the doghouse below.

Since the engine is mounted way lower in the M916 then in the HEMTT/Mk48,I feel pretty confident that the low mounted, long, tall radiator of the M916 protrudes far enough down in to the large doghouse cavity of the Mk48 cab, that there should be more then adequate air flow to keep things cool.
There are only about 10 inches of the top that are not directly in the air stream from the grill. There is still enough room in front of that portion though to provide effective cooling when the fan is running.

Of course only time will tell, if all my optimistic predictions and assumptions will actually turn out to be accurate!

 

[Hoefler]

Now I see-you have a great path for air here. Its stealthy-I likey. If she gets warm, you could easily add a couple of electric fans on the front. Man-thats going to be a way cool truck.
I am going to do a road trip to Arizona to pick up a Mule M274 from another SS member. If you are located on my route of travel, I would stop in a take a close look at what you are building. I own a company that manufactures a line of large industrial food process equipment. I see great design and welds in our shop every day-yours would fit right in. I am more than qualified to suggest you are very talented in design and fab. Nice job.
Pete

 

[FireFighterHill]

Looking at the pics a light bulb went off in my head. What about leaving the cab behind the engine intact, giving yourself room for 3 more passengers. Only bad thing is it would probably look out of place and stick up higher then the MK48 cab.

 

[MWMULES]

I see great design and welds in our shop every day-yours would fit right in. I am more than qualified to suggest you are very talented in design and fab. Nice job.
Pete

Pete you are no slouch either, I am waiting for an up-date of your Craig Systems Shelter Camper Build.
Having guys like Soni, you and others on this site that not only have back grounds in engineering knowledge, but also the talent and the skills to make it design art gives the rest of us knuckle draggers something to strive for. Thank you all on here that take the extra time to document, photograph and share your work!

 

[M920]

Looking at the pics a light bulb went off in my head. What about leaving the cab behind the engine intact, giving yourself room for 3 more passengers. Only bad thing is it would probably look out of place and stick up higher then the MK48 cab.

Funny you mention that! I actually left the old cab on when I first installed the new one. At one point, I even had to drive it around the yard from the "back cab", with the Mk48 "front cab" already mounted on the truck! Talking about hard to drive....

 

[FireFighterHill]

It might not look so bad once the mirrors and wipers are removed and the sheet metal connects everything. Would kind of remind me of the HEMTT Fire trucks. Stick the kids back there for a road trip and not have to listen to them complain

 

[M920]

Now I see-you have a great path for air here. Its stealthy-I likey. If she gets warm, you could easily add a couple of electric fans on the front. Man-thats going to be a way cool truck.
I am going to do a road trip to Arizona to pick up a Mule M274 from another SS member. If you are located on my route of travel, I would stop in a take a close look at what you are building. I own a company that manufactures a line of large industrial food process equipment. I see great design and welds in our shop every day-yours would fit right in. I am more than qualified to suggest you are very talented in design and fab. Nice job.
Pete

Thanks Pete for the nice endorsement. You are of course more then welcome to stop by here if your travels are bringing you in to my neck of the woods! Just make sure to bring boots....now that the snow is melting we traded it for MUD!!!!!

 

[M920]

It might not look so bad once the mirrors and wipers are removed and the sheet metal connects everything. Would kind of remind me of the HEMTT Fire trucks. Stick the kids back there for a road trip and not have to listen to them complain

OH HECK!!!!......I LOVE THE IDEA WITH THE KIDS.....

 

[M920]

Cab is off again....

Two things happened today thanks to the warmer weather: We had the snow from last week turn to mud and.....THE 10 TON STARTED!!!!
So off comes the cab (hopefully for the last time) and out comes the welder. Wow, I did not realize just how much welding was still left to do under the cab....

But the absolute high lite of the day was definately when the front axle of the FEMTT fell of the wooden blocking! Must have had somthing to do with the fact that the driver of the 10 ton got so excited that it actually STARTED, that he ran in to the back wheel of the FEMTT.
Well, having mirrors (they were removed for painting) might have also contributed in preventing this misshap.....

 

[patracy]

So there's only three body mounts for the cab?

Looking at the "bumper" it looks like you could probably hide a winch in there...

 

[pctrans]

Hmmmmm....would I be able to use my sailboat?

Got a dock behind the house!

 

[M920]

So there's only three body mounts for the cab?

Looking at the "bumper" it looks like you could probably hide a winch in there...

Yes, three body mounts! One large one in the front and two smaller ones in the rear.
Another nice thing about getting one of the new Mk48 cabs, is that it comes with the correct body mounts! They are pretty pricey if you have to buy them....

 

[Castle Bravo]

Looks good! Let me know if you want me to come out and paint!