oboyjohn
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- Quebec , Canada
Hello everyone. I thought I post some pictures of our Canadian version of the M35 deuce, otherwise known as an MLVW (medium logistics vehicle wheeled). This workhorse has been retired and are rapidly disappearing from bases and units. I joined up in 1984 when it made its first appearance in the Canadian Forces and was being phased out when I took my retirement in 2011 from my Reserve unit,51 Service Battalion. I worked on these trucks almost my whole career and got to know them very well. When the Forces adopted the M35 from our American neighbours, they made well over 75 modifications, some small, some not so.
At first glance they look pretty similar. On the front end we added frame extensions to make a walking platform for drivers and mechanics. Inside the cab is similar except ours has one less pedal and an automatic shifter instead of a stick. All of our trucks came with an air shift 6X6 engagement lever. Our tires are 11.00 X 20's Michelin XLS singled out on the rear axles. I believe the spare tire mount is also different from our Southern cousins.
The wheels are combat style split rims. The truck first came out with the split ring style, but over the years in our winters and plenty of salt on our roads corroded the locking rings and grooves to the point they became dangerous. Now we start to see some big differences. The first is under the hood. The American Deuce had a in-line 6 multi fuel, with or without turbo (the classic M35A2 ) where the Canadian version went with an 8.2 litre Detroit Fuel Pincher V8. It looks like a tight fit under the hood but it is laid out pretty well and it stood the test of time. A turbo would have been nice ( especially in the Rockies) but it worked well. The redline of the engine was 3250rpm and it would run all day right there. In my career as a mechanic I replaced only one engine, not because of over speed damage but a blown oil cooler. The next big difference is the power steering. I have driven American deuces at Front Drum and Camp Blanding and it is not too bad on the arms. But once you have driven a deuce with power steering, you don't want to go back. And the last big chance is the Automatic transmission. It is an Allison MT 643. This is a great transmission, tough, reliable, and simple. There is no computer controlling it, only a modulator cable for shifting. The only thing electric on it is the neutral start safety switch.
There are other differences but I have shown the major ones. I hope you have enjoyed seeing a rare beast.
Cheers!
At first glance they look pretty similar. On the front end we added frame extensions to make a walking platform for drivers and mechanics. Inside the cab is similar except ours has one less pedal and an automatic shifter instead of a stick. All of our trucks came with an air shift 6X6 engagement lever. Our tires are 11.00 X 20's Michelin XLS singled out on the rear axles. I believe the spare tire mount is also different from our Southern cousins.
The wheels are combat style split rims. The truck first came out with the split ring style, but over the years in our winters and plenty of salt on our roads corroded the locking rings and grooves to the point they became dangerous. Now we start to see some big differences. The first is under the hood. The American Deuce had a in-line 6 multi fuel, with or without turbo (the classic M35A2 ) where the Canadian version went with an 8.2 litre Detroit Fuel Pincher V8. It looks like a tight fit under the hood but it is laid out pretty well and it stood the test of time. A turbo would have been nice ( especially in the Rockies) but it worked well. The redline of the engine was 3250rpm and it would run all day right there. In my career as a mechanic I replaced only one engine, not because of over speed damage but a blown oil cooler. The next big difference is the power steering. I have driven American deuces at Front Drum and Camp Blanding and it is not too bad on the arms. But once you have driven a deuce with power steering, you don't want to go back. And the last big chance is the Automatic transmission. It is an Allison MT 643. This is a great transmission, tough, reliable, and simple. There is no computer controlling it, only a modulator cable for shifting. The only thing electric on it is the neutral start safety switch.
There are other differences but I have shown the major ones. I hope you have enjoyed seeing a rare beast.
Cheers!
