FLU419 SEE HMMH HME Owners group

[The FLU farm]

What I mean by searching out a part #, is where does EI or Porsche source theirs from?

It's a Bosch part, as I recall. And older NOS may well be better than recent production. Then again, maybe not.

 

[BigBison]

Yeah. I'll take made in Brazil over made in China any day, it wasn't that long ago that lotsa Bosch stuff in the US market was Brazilian, now it's mostly made in China (or at least the knockoffs are, and how can anyone tell) like everything else, so NOS is well worth it if you can find it. Having a 40-yr-old AC Delco battery isn't something I'm going to rave about, as it's just a fluke of manufacturing tolerances and such, not the result of rigorous quality standards. I'll save my rave testimonials for stuff that doesn't just work, but seems like it'll work for a long time to come, for everyone not just the lucky few. That series/parallel switch I got yesterday is one solid chunk of Made-in-USA metal, for sure, compared to cheesy foreign-made high-current relays. Which are likely at the heart of more-expensive solutions like that dolly-mount 24V starter I linked to, or even a new tractor.

A year ago, I was happy to have a Russian hydronic heater installed on my HMMH. Now? My reasons for replacing it with a Webasto like my other trucks have, are more political than practical.

 

[The FLU farm]

Almost forgot. I'm nearly done with cutting down a Pewag chain to fit a 12.5R20. Basically, removed one section of cross chain and quite a bit of the choker chain. Still need to attach the spring tensioner to the choker. True, the result doesn't exactly look like Pewag's promotional photos, but it should work every bit as well.
Why cut too-large chains down instead of using the correct size? Because choprboy (find his For Sale listing over on BW, a few months old by now) sells these chains for dirt cheap.
Buying snow chains now when it's spring may seem dumb, but trust me, it's a lot more pleasant to work on these things when the weather is nice. Besides, choprboy will likely be out of them by winter.

 

[Another Ahab]

No, all FLUs are definitely not the same. That's why I can't get to the fuel lines on top of the tank, or get the tank out for that matter, on the parts SEE. Meanwhile there's plenty of room (up to 2.75 inches more) on the ones I don't need to access the fuel lines on.

The FLU gods are full of humor.

 

[patrol578]

TM 5-2420-224-20-2 pg 4-171 says different.

Don't take the TMs as gospel when it comes to the preparations necessary to do a certain task. I can recall many instances where a -20 did not mention all pre-work which had to be done before replacing a certain part. Granted, I had a motor pool full of tracked vehicles, not SEEs, but the people that write the manuals are the same.

 

[patrol578]

No, all FLUs are definitely not the same. That's why I can't get to the fuel lines on top of the tank, or get the tank out for that matter, on the parts SEE. Meanwhile there's plenty of room (up to 2.75 inches more) on the ones I don't need to access the fuel lines on.

Hmmm. Now I'm curious. Does the parts SEE have a rebuild plate? How about the other two FLUs? The kind of difference you describe is pretty unusual for a military vehicle with a low production run coming off (I assume) a single assembly line.

 

[The FLU farm]

Hmmm. Now I'm curious. Does the parts SEE have a rebuild plate? How about the other two FLUs? The kind of difference you describe is pretty unusual for a military vehicle with a low production run coming off (I assume) a single assembly line.

No, that one does not, as I recall. From the looks of it, several parts and pieces were replaced (the backhoe's cylinders and hoses, for example) but then they must've stopped somewhere before the painting process. The hood's bare metal (well, rusted) , but the lack of new paint makes it easy to see what was worked on.
The tank-to-bed clearance is only one of the things a bit out of whack. Hydraulic tanks vs. ROPS and ROPS vs. cab being the most obvious.
I had hoped to have this one ready for backhoe duty by last fall, but other things got in the way so at this point there are still issues to take care of. The most important being to make it run more than 10 to 30 minutes at a time (but it sounds SO sweet when it does run). Installing a new fan on the hydro cooler to replace the one I stole and put on the other SEE is also on the list. As is making the Zerk fittings on the backhoe that wouldn't take grease operational (the dipper sounds terrible now).

With the important stuff taken care of, hopefully I can get around to fixing the (new) door latches and other minor things at some point.
Then, sometime in the future, I'll try to figure out how so many things got crooked. Unless I roll it over before that.

 

[The FLU farm]

The FLU gods are full of humor.

I sure wasn't when fighting that tank. And to make the issue even more irritating, after installing the 24 Volt fuel pump I'd bought to help find the air leaks in the line, it turned out to be dead. My bad, I KNEW that I should've bench tested a $14 pump before plumbing it in.
So now I'm waiting for a more expensive 12 Volt pump, better weather, and time.

 

[jstark45xd]

All good ideas, thanks. It looks like the dipper cylinder has already been replaced, since it's a different color. What would you recommend cleaning the rods with? Something like WD-40? I've used hydraulics before, but never had to maintain them.

EDIT: That's the bucket cylinder that's been replaced, not the dipper.

One thing I learned the hard way as a kid was WD40 removes all existing lubrication. Especially on skateboard wheels. Lol better of using hydraulic fluid or gear oil to treat exposed portions of the rods.

 

[The FLU farm]

One thing I learned the hard way as a kid was WD40 removes all existing lubrication. Especially on skateboard wheels. Lol better of using hydraulic fluid or gear oil to treat exposed portions of the rods.

Right you are. I use hydraulic fluid, engine oil, vaseline, or whatever is handy to lube the rods. But for cleaning them first, WD-40 actually works.

 

[peakbagger]

For surfaces that are exposed for the long term I usually use a product call Boeshield. Its a lube but it also leaves a thin waxy film on the surface that keeps corrosion in check. I haven't used it on a hydraulic cylinder but expect the seals will wipe it right off when its being operated.

 

[johnjohn]

I posted a few months back about looking for a passenger seat. Does anyone have one they are not using. I am also looking for a fuel cap for the FLU.

 

[Foxyjosh]

I posted a few months back about looking for a passenger seat. Does anyone have one they are not using. I am also looking for a fuel cap for the FLU.

A plumbing supply house might be able to get you 4 1/4 -8 pipe cap but, then you will need to machine NPT to NPS so the cap won't seal. Or, keep the taper of the threads and drill and tap a vent in the cap. Mcmaster-Carr has threaded vents.

 

[The FLU farm]

A plumbing supply house might be able to get you 4 1/4 -8 pipe cap but, then you will need to machine NPT to NPS so the cap won't seal. Or, keep the taper of the threads and drill and tap a vent in the cap. Mcmaster-Carr has threaded vents.

I thought the cap is not vented, and that's why there's a vent on the tank. Either way, I've seen fuel caps for sale, probably on Expedition Imports' web site.
Finding a seat may be a bit trickier, especially if they are FLU specific.

 

[peakbagger]

https://www.expedition-imports.com/02212017

Its not in FLU19 listings but this looks to be it

 

[The FLU farm]

Its not in FLU19 listings but this looks to be it

Yup, that looks like the real thing. A bit pricey with the strainer attached, though.

 

[Migginsbros]

Yup, that looks like the real thing. A bit pricey with the strainer attached, though.

Think its worth to safe the cap not only the diesel.

 

[peakbagger]

Thanks for the photo of your locking arrangement, I was considering buying a cap just to modify it so it could be locked. I like your setup.

FYI for others on this thread, it looks like the cap is equipped with fusible plugs that would melt out and vent the tank if the tank was in a fire. Finding one with similar set up might be very difficult even if you match the thread.

 

[Foxyjosh]

View attachment 669862Think its worth to safe the cap not only the diesel.

Just put a "Gasoline only" decal on the tank. A thief with a Diesel vehicle will leave it alone. And a thief with a gasoline vehicle won't get very far after they siphon Diesel into their tank.

 

[peakbagger]

I don't worry about someone stealing the fuel, up in the woods, it far more likely someone will fill the tank with dirt.