Another One Bites the Dust ... New M37 Owner

[68t]

Mark, i am going to repo the spot light stand for the m37, I got 2 of the lights, The number on my lights are 52681, so i hope there right.

 

[1943ht]

Backed her out today so that I could shoot some paint in the shop .. as you can see have a little body work to do on the fender and the hood .. snapped a couple of pics with the service / headlights on and to show the spotlight ..

 

[1943ht]

Progress Slow but Sure!

Managed to get my wood measured up, cut and drilled out for the rails, seats and headache rack .. Dry-fitted everything will now strip it off, round my corners on the router table, seal and paint everything up so I can reinstall and bolt it home after the beast is painted.

Ordered some 2 and 4 inch upholstery foam Friday so that I can finish-up my seats … have the covers, just need to replace and add missing foam to the springs etc.



Some Pics.

 

[dispatcher1011]

I am interested in seeing whatever you do to hold down the Optimas. I have the exact same setup; same batteries and box. Let me know if you have something custom made, I may be interested in doing the same thing.

 

[papabear]

Managed to get my wood measured up, cut and drilled out for the rails, seats and headache rack .. Dry-fitted everything will now strip it off, round my corners on the router table, seal and paint everything up so I can reinstall and bolt it home after the beast is painted.
Ordered some 2 and 4 inch upholstery foam Friday so that I can finish-up my seats … have the covers, just need to replace and add missing foam to the springs etc.
Some Pics.

Did the airline give you any grief for having the seat springs and other stuff in your luggage>>

 

[jets1959]

Backed her out today so that I could shoot some paint in the shop .. as you can see have a little body work to do on the fender and the hood .. snapped a couple of pics with the service / headlights on and to show the spotlight ..

In picture two looks like you have a trailer to match!

 

[1943ht]

PB .. got a couple of looks from the TSA Fellers .. but they let me clear without any hassle ..When I checked that little suitcase .. the gal at counter just about passed out when she lifted it ..

Will machine out a tray for my batteries .. use aluminum stock for a base and then fabricate a typical battery hold-down frame for my Optima's .. They fit so nicely right now that if I let them be, the only real issue I could see is if they bounced up and shorted against the battery box cover .. that could easily be handled by fabricating some covers over the terminals.

I do have a M101 trailer ... that is the next project for the ALCAN Trip, Have my wire harness and other goodies already made up ( Built it when I did the M37 Harness) and set to install .. Have all of the original rails and hardware to include doors/gates and the bows .. will replace the wood as required

 

[1943ht]

Seat Set

Seats completed with new foam and materilas and fitted into the cab. Driver’s seat now slides real nice on the rails, and overall the seats pass the "Feel's Pretty Comfy Test" with the CINC-W. Will break the seats in and after a little time in the sun, readjust a couple of the draw-cords to tighten them up a little more

Found a OMS #18 Manila Cardboard Tag under the driver cushion still attached to the old canvas seat cover, has the Vehicle USA Number on the tag so I know what I'll stencil on the hood. Had a unit marking too, but all I could make out was X#$%%& Admin # 4 .. Might have been a S-1 Vehicle back in the day

 

[1943ht]

Trailer Work to!

Found a drop down support leg for the M101A trailer (Thanks Mark!!!) .. It shipped in last evening so I threw it on this AM .. and finished up the pioneer rack and tools before calling it an early day .. Realized after I took the Pics that the protective ring on the shovel needs to be painted .. Will correct ASAP. Just waiting for my straps to come in and then I can check the block on this project

On a unrelated note, I decided to sell my Harley (2007 Road King Classic) this week .. 1st gent that came to see it at 8AM bought it on the spot .. It only had 4384 Miles on it and was priced right... Its been siting in storage since 2008 .. With back to back deployments and time at the Wounded Warrior Unit I had no opportunity to ride and my messed up legs are just not up to the punishing weight especially when I have a passenger on board .. Thinking of a CAN-AM as a possible replacement


Need a little time with the CINC-W and have some chores to do around the homestead

Later!

 

[1943ht]

Update

Interior is now painted and the truck is stripped down for paint ...Have some items, rear fenders, inner fenders, etc laying in the back-end for paint .... running it into the shop next Monday for a little body work and then paint !!!!

 

[papabear]

Interior is now painted and the truck is stripped down for paint ...Have some items, rear fenders, inner fenders, etc laying in the back-end for paint .... running it into the shop next Monday for a little body work and then paint !!!!

Mark...PLEASE don't fix that small dent in the hood...you promised!!

 

[1943ht]

PB, was my intent along with a few small rust holes up by the fresh air vent .. can you refresh my very poor memory regards those dents

 

[papabear]

PB, was my intent along with a few small rust holes up by the fresh air vent .. can you refresh my very poor memory regards those dents

OK, I lied...you didn't promise.

I just think the little dent gives it character

 

[1943ht]

Wiper Motor

Not any significant progress to report on the M37 .. Have blasted, primed and painted every piece that came off the body before the truck went in for paint, to include light buckets, hitch, grill, spare tire mount etc etc etc ..

One project that I had put off was to go thru my wiper motors .. when I rebuilt my windshield frames I painted up the motors hoping they would work as there was no apparent damage to them .. hooked them up to the new vacuum lines, pulled the switch and they immediately did one sweep and then locked up! Needless to say I disconnected them and then finished other projects on the truck getting it ready for paint.

Tore into the wipers yesterday and was surprised to find how it easy it was to get them broken down (Disassembled). As others had mentioned in other threads, the lubricating/sealing grease on the paddle was like hardened wax, and both valve felts were hard and inflexible as well. Was shocked that the wipers had even completed one sweep when I tried them out.

Used brake cleaner to dissolve the old grease in the sweep bucket and the top/valve body. I disassembled the valve body and degrease d and cleaned each piece to include the felt valves ...Hand polished the sweep surfaces and very carefully cleaned up the edges of the paddles as the felt and brass sheets are very delicate. I used a lithium based grease when I reassembled. Was unable to test them out on the truck as its being painted, but was able to pull enough vacume by alternate method (that will not be mentioned for fear of severe teasing from the CAMO Crew (PB)) and they work like a charm.

Am working on myM101 trailer right now and will post a thread on that forum.

Truck should be back from the body shop/painter by end of next week, I hope.

.

 

[papabear]

Not any significant progress to report on the M37 .. Have blasted, primed and painted every piece that came off the body before the truck went in for paint, to include light buckets, hitch, grill, spare tire mount etc etc etc ..

One project that I had put off was to go thru my wiper motors .. when I rebuilt my windshield frames I painted up the motors hoping they would work as there was no apparent damage to them .. hooked them up to the new vacuum lines, pulled the switch and they immediately did one sweep and then locked up! Needless to say I disconnected them and then finished other projects on the truck getting it ready for paint.

Tore into the wipers yesterday and was surprised to find how it easy it was to get them broken down (Disassembled). Has others had mentioned in other threads, the lubricating/sealing grease on the paddle was like hardened wax, and both valve felts were hard and inflexible as well. Was shocked that the wipers had even completed one sweep when I tried them out.

Used brake cleaner to dissolve the old grease in the sweep bucket and the top/valve body. I disassembled the valve body and degrease d and cleaned each piece to include the felt valves ...Hand polished the sweep surfaces and very carefully cleaned up the edges of the paddles as the felt and brass sheets are very delicate. I used a lithium based grease when I reassembled. Was unable to test them out on the truck as its being painted, but was able to pull enough vacume by alternate method (that will not be mentioned for fear of severe teasing from the CAMO Crew (PB)) and they work like a charm.

Am working on myM101 trailer right now and will post a thread on that forum.

Truck should be back from the body shop/painter by end of next week, I hope.

.

We would never tease you Sir!!

You proved your ways and methods to be sound during your short stay here!
There a few images that pop into my demented brain however...

 

[1943ht]

Beast is still not painted .. body man/painter was diagnosed with cancer and has been going thru treatment ..prognosis is good.. but he is just returning back to work and is only at half-days ..hopefully within the week I will have my project back so that I can finish up

Stencils are ordered, and all the peripheral stuff is done with the exception of the headlight buckets which I should have finished by Wed ..needed to do a little work on the shells as there were a few minor rust holes by the mounting bolts. There are so many little pieces and items that have had to be blasted, repaired/rebuilt, primed and painted .. that does not include the engine or interior which is already done ..most everything in these pics gets bolted back onto the truck when it gets back .. my body-work skills are limited or I would have done the truck myself .. I am teaching myself by doing the trailer.

I will be adding a couple of goodies on my M37 re-build .. going to install a pair of fog/driving lights and a pair of AV crew lamps for my ALCAN adventure .. figured to use the driving lamps as the daily safety light as they are very robust, and the replacement lamps were very cheap .. picked up a set of spare lamps for the price of one headlight lamp .. One AV light will be in the Vehicle and the other will be installed in the trailer as I will living out of it for about 70% of my trip

Have finished up all the trailer stakes, support bow's (sandblast, prime and paint) and have all the wood cut edged and dry-fitted to all the hardware. will pant and finish up those items as soon as the weather warms up ... we had flurries yesterday..Almost May and still snowing

Am almost done with the trailer .. have a little bit of body work to finish up .. will try to get that finished by Wed in case the weather changes and then I can paint.

 

[jets1959]

Amazing build! You do excellent work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[papabear]

Beast is still not painted .. body man/painter was diagnosed with cancer and has been going thru treatment ..prognosis is good.. but he is just returning back to work and is only at half-days ..hopefully within the week I will have my project back so that I can finish up

Stencils are ordered, and all the peripheral stuff is done with the exception of the headlight buckets which I should have finished by Wed ..needed to do a little work on the shells as there were a few minor rust holes by the mounting bolts.

Have finished up all the trailer stakes, support bow's (sandblast, prime and paint) and have all the wood cut edged and dry-fitted to all the hardware. will pant and finish up those items as soon as the weather warms up ... we had flurries yesterday..Almost May and still snowing

Am almost done with the trailer .. have a little bit of body work to finish up .. will try to get that finished by Wed in case the weather changes and then I can paint.

Sorry to hear about the painter. You'll get it done and it will be outstanding work...just like everything else you do Brother.

 

[1943ht]

Thank you PB and Jets .. almost to the finish line on the project ..

PB you might not remember, but 4 of the trailer stakes were bent and twisted .. I believe that trailer was rolled or tipped over on its side at one time .. was quite pleased with the way the metal worked out with heat, hammer, a couple of body work tools and lots of patience, which you know I am very short of .. maybe I'm finally learning a new way

As you can see in the pic with all the wood cut and fit, you will hard-pressed to pick out the four damaged stakes .. now if I can just get a couple of days of decent weather .. Patience Markus

 

[papabear]

Thank you PB and Jets .. almost to the finish line on the project ..

PB you might not remember, but 4 of the trailer stakes were bent and twisted .. I believe that trailer was rolled or tipped over on its side at one time .. was quite pleased with the way the metal worked out with heat, hammer, a couple of body work tools and lots of patience, which you know I am very short of .. maybe I'm finally learning a new way

As you can see in the pic with all the wood cut and fit, you will hard-pressed to pick out the four damaged stakes .. now if I can just get a couple of days of decent weather .. Patience Markus

You coulda had all the nice weather ya could use starting about 2 months ago, but NOOOOOOO!!!!

You had to move North!!