Deuce as daily driver?

[Wolfgang the Gray]

IS there any MV that U would use as a DD?

CUCV/LSSV could do it, so could M880/M890. I would call them quasi-MV at best. I drove a CUCV around on my duty shifts when I was in Saudi. It got me where I was going.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I've been DD mine for years now. I had a small coolant leak once, which was a loose clamp, and the other day I lost the water pump belts ( napa belts with 10k miles on them) lost all three belts within two hours of each other. Replaced with Gates green stripe, good to go now.

I did have some slack in a pinion bearing once last year, but fixed that by removing a shim or two.

Put the work in and the deuce is fine for a dd.

 

[71DeuceAK]

So basically just keep up on the maintenance and I should be fine? (18y/o Deuce "newbie" considering one as their first vehicle and daily driver).

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yes! Do ALL of the maintenance and brake system replacement before you ever drive it anywhere, then it is much easier to keep up with the small issues that crop up as they come along.
Here is what I did:
1: Pack all hubs, replace all wheel cylinders, front axle inner shaft seals, and boots.
2: Replace all soft brake lines, and any rusty hard lines.
3: Replace brake master cylinder
4: Rebuild/ adjust park brake if needed
5: Clean fuel tank/ system, and replace all filters.
6: flush cooling system with CLR until water comes out clean after short ( 6 mile) drives with engine at operating temp.
7: replace all cooling system hoses, then refill with Fleetcharge sca additive coolant from Napa, this will keep the system clean and clean out any crud and rust left over time. Very good coolant.
8: Change all fluids and applicable filters.
9: Fix any major leaks that may be present.

 

[Jeepsinker]

And I forgot to mention, this all assumes your airpack is in good working order. It is a good idea to replace it, or buy and keep a new spare available. You should also completely flush the brake system when you are going through it. Do this after you have replaced the master cylinder and wheel cylinders, as that is where most of the contaminants live.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Yeah, I've gotten the do-the-brakes-first-thing advice from multiple sources, and it makes sense. Did you do the dual-circuit brake modification to yours? (Or was yours a USAF truck to start with anyway?). Just curious, how long did it take to get yours on the road as a daily driver, and what kind of shape was it in when you first got it?

 

[71DeuceAK]

And I forgot to add...I might have a 200 mile round trip/each weekend commute too. So maintenance would be really key in my situation.

 

[Jeepsinker]

It was in fair shape when I got it, but the brakes were poor. It wasn't falling apart, but all the things I listed HAD to be done, other than the air pack. I've never touched it.

It took me a week or two to do all that once I got it home, which was a 500 mile drive.

My truck was, and still is single circuit. I go through the hubs and check/ replace wheel cylinders twice a year, or whenever a hub starts leaking, whichever comes first.

200 miles is nothing. I do 100 miles a day in mine almost every day, sometimes more. Depends on how many times I have to go to town.

I've done many road trips well over 1k miles with no real issues.

 

[71DeuceAK]

OK, good to know I'm not the only one considering attempting such a feat. Are you running alternative fuel by any chance, doing that much driving?

 

[Jeepsinker]

If you are asking if I burn used motor oil, the answer is no. I can't afford to have an injector pump failure when I'm 800- 1200 miles from home. I do burn mostly kerosene and diesel, and occasionally I burn some peanut or soybean oil, all very clean of course.

There are guys who do venture far from home burning motor oil with no problems, just not me. I don't carry a spare injector pump with me, nor do I want to have to change one on the side of the road or in a parking lot.

Lots of guys run umo with little or no issues, I won't tell you not to. It's up to you. It will wear and foul your injectors faster and wear your hydraulic head faster though.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Interesting. I knew it was somewhat harder on things already, but it might be worth it anyway. I'm planning on also finding a second truck for parts anyway...
I don't think it will work too well in the winters in Fairbanks, Alaska though, so during the colder months I expect to run straight diesel. It gets pretty hot there in the summer (triple digits even) so it will be fine in the summer.

And I've also considered road-tripping between Alaska and California a couple times a year in the Deuce. I'd rather that than fly any day...

Does thinning down WMO help in terms of not wearing out injectors, etc. as quickly?

 

[drivebymashing]

Thats wierd. Because when i first bought my truck had only diesel in it. I started running 100 percent burned oil. The engine is quieter smokes less and feels like it has more power. Ive been running 100 percent oil for a year and half now. I guess if im wearing it out prematurely hopefully it last a couple more years. Ive saved almost enough in fuel to buy another engine.

 

[71DeuceAK]

That's really interesting that yours likes it better. I know they like biodiesel better, at least from what I've heard. I suppose if it saves that much, having to rebuild/replace an engine is worth it. Are you daily driving yours then too, drivebymashing?

 

[drivebymashing]

I did daily drive it for about 3 months until wife bought me a z06 corvette. Its hard to get in the deuce over the vette. I do drive the deuce probably 3 times a aweek.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Thinning it has little to do with the wear it causes, except that it does help some of the trash fall out of suspension.
The wear is caused by metals and carbon that are dissolved, for lack of a better term in the oil. These particles are so small that you can only get them out by distilling the oil, that is why you can't get it to turn amber again instead of black.

It will run better on oil, because it is a more energy dense fuel than even diesel. That also means that exhaust gas temps run higher too, so keep that in mind. I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just telling you what may happen on the road, and what will happen eventually to the pump and injectors. It shouldn't reduce engine life, unless you melt a piston. It only reduces pump and injector life, and it really gets the injectors more than the pump.
Used motor oil actually * slightly* improves fuel lubricity, it's just the metal and carbon particles that will wear the hydraulic head over a period of time, but the injectors suffer much more, because it fouls them and the barrels and plungers get scored more easily then the hydraulic head does.

You'll also will be replacing fuel filters more often.

 

[71DeuceAK]

So in theory one would just have to replace injectors and rebuild the hydraulic head more often, but other than that it wouldn't be that bad?

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yeah, more like rebuild injectors and replace the hydraulic head. The hydraulic head really takes extreme precision machinery to properly rebuild.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Just curious, what's the price tag usually run on that sort of job? (rebuild injectors, replace hydraulic head, etc)?

 

[Jeepsinker]

Hydraulic head is $300-$400, injectors are $25-$45 each for rebuild, or $50-$90 each to replace.

Fuel filters, depending on how well you thin, settle, and filter your oil will last anywhere from 200- 2000 miles normally. On clean fuel, and with a clean system, they last 6000-10,000 miles, at least that has been my experience.

I have noticed drastically improved filter life since I converted all my fuel filters to spin on.

 

[drivebymashing]

I might do the spin on filter deal. I filter my used oil to .5 micro before going in truck I let it settle for a few months first too.Maybe it will live.