Deuce Recovery Gone Good

[IronPig]

RhinoMike - sorry to hear of your troubles. We picked up a GL deuce this morning from Indiantown Gap PA. We expected the worst (more or less your situation) and drove my 1970 M35A2 up with tow bar all the way from Fredericksburg, VA (long, loud ride!) just in case. Got lucky this time, truck ran great. Worked through the "great list" and drove home without problems.

When I was checking the oil I noticed it was warm. I asked if they had pulled the truck in from another lot earlier today and Mike, the GL rep on site, said "No, we've just been using your truck to start all the others because yours starts easy."

He seemed embarassed and I said, "no problem here, I'm glad you're using mine to start the others instead of the other way around!" All said the truck was clean and functional. Topped off axles and trans but couldn't get tcase plug out because someone had stripped out the square drive. (does anyone make a normal square drive or hex nut for these to replace the goofy 9/16 square drive?)

Brakes could use adjusting, and the truck doesn't run as strong as my other deuce, but I'm happy. I need to figure out how to bypass the multifuel viscosity device and turn up the injectors for a bit more umph.

Pics...

 

[IronPig]

Okay, so we did have one minor problem. In the last 5 miles of my trip home in Deuce #1 I had to downshift for a steep grade. The engine didn't over-rev or anything, but that's the last time I remember looking at the tach with it functioning properly. Now it just bounces off of the bottom as if the truck isn't running. (it runs fine)

Any ideas what to look for with a non-functioning tach following these events?

Also, the horn stopped working early on in the trip. Any known issues I should check?

Thanks!

 

[FreightTrain]

actually,all the drain plugs and fill plugs are 1/2" drive.Standard ratchet works perfect or a breaker bar.......as long as someone didn't go nuts.As for the tach,your cable broke.Take it lose from the tach its self and start the motor.If it turns,grab it with your finger tips.Put a little pressure and see if it stops.If it works and doesn't stop then your gauge is shot.

 

[IronPig]

Another question - deuce #1 shows 2800 rpm at 55 mph (Sheriffs speed camera says speedo is accurate!), deuce 2 shows 2400 rpm at the same speed. Which one is right?

 

[maddawg308]

Perhaps both, but I would say the chances are the tach is closer to actual. They seem to vary a little bit, due to variations in wear and manufacture. I've had deuces that read 2500 rpm and 50mph, and I've had some over 60 mph at 2400 rpm. Not sure why. But I wouldn't push beyond 2600 rpm or so.

Very nice trucks! Congrats on a good trip home!

 

[rhinomike]

Maddawg
my buddy Ray and i picked his up today at 8:45 this morning, topped off fluids, checked brakes and truck over then drove it home no problem.
Mines gonna cost me a tranny and some brake maintance i'll be on the road by next weekend, i hope
rhinomike

 

[IronPig]

actually,all the drain plugs and fill plugs are 1/2" drive.

I must have a couple odd balls then, both of my trucks have 9/16 fill/drain plugs on the tcase, as does the spare tcase I have. (the tcase has larger fittings than the axles and trans)

Is there a retro-fit kit for the tcase or something? I'd love to have 1/2" plugs throughout.

Thanks for the tip on the tach, I'll try that tomorrow.

 

[FreightTrain]

Not sure on the plugs then.Mine are all 1/2" drive.I pulled them all one day at offroads shop to check the fluids.Fun crawling from Pintle to pintle on your back.I went under the rear of the truck to check the rear rear then under the axle to check the front rear,then under the front rear to the transfer case,then to the trans,then to the front axle and then just rolled out from under the truck.Thank God for good ground clearance cause I am vertically blessed when laying down........if you know what a mean(and for those with dirty minds....Shame on you.Not that way....I am sad to say!).....

 

[FreightTrain]

Also,I would say the 2800RPM was way off.The Gov shuts it down at around 2600RPM.....unless you have a 5 ton pump or someone has screwed with the gov....2400RPM is around 50MPH or about where I cruise.

 

[IronPig]

Perhaps both, but I would say the chances are the tach is closer to actual.

Thanks Mike. Just to clarify, at a known 55 mph one truck shows 2800 rpm and at that same known 55 mph rate of travel the other truck shows 2400 rpm. (for example, with trucks driving side by side one shows 400 rpm higher than the other)

I've always trusted Deuce #1 because the max speed is 56mph (and it really won't go faster even with the pedal on the floor, unless you're going down hill and allow it to over-rev), you can hear and feel the motor peaking at that point, and the "danger" sticker is set just above that. I know the speedo to be accurate in this truck.

Deuce 2 has a crazy speedo that shows 60+ at anything over about 2200 rpm indicated. I'm concerned that neither the speedo nor tach are working properly, though I'm not sure how the tach could function and not be accurate - are they not just geared mechanisms?

 

[IronPig]

Also,I would say the 2800RPM was way off.The Gov shuts it down at around 2600RPM.....unless you have a 5 ton pump or someone has screwed with the gov....2400RPM is around 50MPH or about where I cruise.

That may be likely, I bought the truck from a SS member - AMGeneral. Brandon was a super knowledgeable and super nice guy. He did say that he had turned the pump up a little for more power. To his credit, it certainly does have more power than the deuce fresh from the GL lot.

Your hypothesis fits well with the known good speedo in one truck matching what the tach in the new truck shows.

Looks like I need some parts...

 

[M1075]

Thumbs up on the good recovery.

I don't know what to think about GL using your deuce to jump start all the other trucks before you get there. Suppose something were to happen from the time you bought it until the time you pick it up. Then what?

 

[AMGeneral]

Glad to see you're still enjoying the "whistler Deuce" Lance.The tach has always registered high on that truck,I suspect it has a weak pointer spring.BTW,It will run 63 mph with it "flat footed".I really didn't turn the pump up that much,about 3 or 4 flats of the adjustment nut,(about 1/2+ a turn).

 

[jasonjc]

Just bypassing the compensator will give you alot of power. My M35a2 has (by the tag) LDS pump and my M109a2 would out run it. It had the FDC bypassed. The m35 does now and I can tell a big diffrence.

 

[Stretch44875]

I also had the goofy sized drain plug, and it was REALLY stuck. Ended up welding a nut to the plug to get it out, then used a standard plug to replace it.

 

[renovate7]

My drain plug on tranny or transfer, can't remember which, is a 9/16" hex. Look closer at it and make sure your's isn't the same.

 

[IronPig]

My drain plug on tranny or transfer, can't remember which, is a 9/16" hex. Look closer at it and make sure your's isn't the same.

Definitely 9/16" square drive. You can see here that someone has tried to use a 1/2" drive on it by the dimples mid-way across the flats.

 

[IronPig]

More pics of the new Deuce...

 

[IronPig]

Few more pics...

 

[Recovry4x4]

Lance, you should never have made that comment about the light switch! LOL