contemplating LMTV or FMTV purchase

[snowtrac nome]

there is absolutely nothing wrong with the a-0 models. I own one I have worked on a few and the warrant officer I worked with on deployment said the a-0 was the better truck for reliability. The problem with the non electronic motor is finding some one old enough to know how to diagnose and repair it with out a computer, some times the nerds still cant fix them just replace sensors thinking the problem is electronic not a mechanical problem causing the sensor error. Schematic wise the fmtv is frightening compared to a duce or m151 but the a-0 is still much simpler than the a-1 with the 3126 0r c-7 engines same with the first gen Allison transmissions the 4 and 5 th gen transmissions can feed you a lot more information for diagnostics and even run prognostics to tell you when to change your fluid. that however comes with a price more wire and more complex tcm. I was happy to get what I wanted an a-0 mechanical engine, but I own my own cat software and wouldn't be afraid of a 3126 or c-7 all the early problems wit the a-0 models like drivelines and bell housing bolts should have been fixed while in service. If you are looking for being able to ramp up horse power the processs is a little more simple with the electronic engine as long as you can get some one with cat e-t and access to factory passwords to do it, it takes a little more work on the mechanical engines for real hp numbers above 275, but up to 275 all you have to do is remove the valve cover and adjust rack travel after that one must start thinking about injectors and induction mode or melting a pistion becomes a real possibility.

 

[wandering neurons]

snowtrac, I'm gonna thread-jack for a moment, or you can PM me if you like. I'd like a few more horses on my M1081 A0 225HP 3116. How much is safe to tweak the rack for more power, and would adding the turbo from a 275 or 290HP model be easier? Both? Thx...

there is absolutely nothing wrong with the a-0 models. I own one I have worked on a few and the warrant officer I worked with on deployment said the a-0 was the better truck for reliability. The problem with the non electronic motor is finding some one old enough to know how to diagnose and repair it with out a computer, some times the nerds still cant fix them just replace sensors thinking the problem is electronic not a mechanical problem causing the sensor error. Schematic wise the fmtv is frightening compared to a duce or m151 but the a-0 is still much simpler than the a-1 with the 3126 0r c-7 engines same with the first gen Allison transmissions the 4 and 5 th gen transmissions can feed you a lot more information for diagnostics and even run prognostics to tell you when to change your fluid. that however comes with a price more wire and more complex tcm. I was happy to get what I wanted an a-0 mechanical engine, but I own my own cat software and wouldn't be afraid of a 3126 or c-7 all the early problems wit the a-0 models like drivelines and bell housing bolts should have been fixed while in service. If you are looking for being able to ramp up horse power the processs is a little more simple with the electronic engine as long as you can get some one with cat e-t and access to factory passwords to do it, it takes a little more work on the mechanical engines for real hp numbers above 275, but up to 275 all you have to do is remove the valve cover and adjust rack travel after that one must start thinking about injectors and induction mode or melting a pistion becomes a real possibility.

 

[Nomadic]

Heh. You get lots of attention driving a large ex-military vehicle like the LMTV. Lots of folks want to ask questions, or regale you with stories of their experiences involving military vehicles. Hence, if you are not comfortable talking with strangers who approach you and your truck and want to talk, you might want something a little more mundane than an LMTV (or HEMMT, Mk48, HMMWV, M-35, M900, etc). It's part of the fun of having a unique vehicle!

Ah-ha. I've been eyeing a M934 to live out of in the country. People would probably stop as they explore the country. I did get lots of that kind of attention you speak of when I had late model Corvettes (4 of them). The last one, a 505 HP C6 Z06, people either wanted to race or a burnout show. Each rear tire was $550 Each. I thought that was an expensive tire back then, but in context of these M939 trucks it isn't that much

 

[wandering neurons]

I just saw an M9xx on Hwy 50 this weekend outside Fallon, had a camper mounted on the bed, pulling a trailer. Couldn't get turned around to chase down though.
Can't wait to get my M1081 and my Zombie Outbreak Response Vehicle out here in a couple of months. Do some real exploring!
Corvettes? Never had one, but had to have been a real hoot till you had to get tires. There's no replacement for cubic displacement!

Ah-ha. I've been eyeing a M934 to live out of in the country. People would probably stop as they explore the country. I did get lots of that kind of attention you speak of when I had late model Corvettes (4 of them). The last one, a 505 HP C6 Z06, people either wanted to race or a burnout show. Each rear tire was $550 Each. I thought that was an expensive tire back then, but in context of these M939 trucks it isn't that much

 

[Nomadic]

I just saw an M9xx on Hwy 50 this weekend outside Fallon, had a camper mounted on the bed, pulling a trailer. Couldn't get turned around to chase down though.
Can't wait to get my M1081 and my Zombie Outbreak Response Vehicle out here in a couple of months. Do some real exploring!
Corvettes? Never had one, but had to have been a real hoot till you had to get tires. There's no replacement for cubic displacement!

A M9xx camper is a rare find. In 2017, way off in the distance while camping in the mountains near Ruth, NV I spotted what looked like a M109 literally driving across country. No roads out there, just vast mountain views and pure bliss. I don't think I'll see that again in my lifetime, unless it is my own rig. There was some clean looking M1081 (ish) trucks out near Ely in a convoy on-road, but they looked like they were being driven by the military and not so much by recreationalists.

 

[Floridianson]

Is it possible to get one with functional CTIS and no air brake problems around 9 grand? I can live without CTIS, provided the tires stay inflated and there are no air leaks that interfere with brakes.

I went without the CTIS system on my 1088. Very easy to convert the rear axles to full oil floating both bearings. The rear with CTIS is outside bearings oil and inner is greased.

 

[wandering neurons]

Well, I think it was an M900-series, may have been a 5-ton. It was going the other way, both of us doing about 50mph. I had about <-----> that long to look at it without hitting another vehicle or driving off the highway. But it had something like a modified Airstream mounted in the bed. The camper was painted dark grey, I think, with rounded corners. Not a standard mil-spec box or such, not a cab-over pickup camper either.
Going cross-country would be great where you could, and there's lots of NOTHING in Utah and Nevada! Would love to, and plan to do some, when I get my M1081 out here!
I've seen some newer A1R vehicles on flatbeds on the interstate and truck stops. Not often, but enough to notice and want to take pictures. I got interested in the FMTVs after passing a small convoy headed south on Hwy 5 from DC several years ago.

A M9xx camper is a rare find. In 2017, way off in the distance while camping in the mountains near Ruth, NV I spotted what looked like a M109 literally driving across country. No roads out there, just vast mountain views and pure bliss. I don't think I'll see that again in my lifetime, unless it is my own rig. There was some clean looking M1081 (ish) trucks out near Ely in a convoy on-road, but they looked like they were being driven by the military and not so much by recreationalists.