• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

M1009 Little Red Riding Hood.

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I carefully choose the bumpers and pintle assembly I am going to use. Bumpers are already sealed and painted in 383 CARC and the hitch is ready to be scuffed and painted again. I didn't want a rusty beat-up set of bumpers and a rusty seized hitch to work with. These were part of some of my prized parts, but I am willing to use them on the M1009 rebuild. DSCF8783.JPG DSCF8785.JPG I used a dust brush just to make sure it was a clean rust-free hitch assembly. DSCF8786.JPG Looks much better. And I still have the OEM inner fender aprons that came on this truck from new. they have been powder coated and in the barn for 20 years. DSCF8784.JPG A little soap and water and they will be good as new. I was measuring the body to frame to get the body mounts tightened. the hood gap looks great, and it needs to stay that way till I get everything tightened down. I was doing some other non-vehicle related work today after my job, so I am happy to just get parts together. time well spent while I had a friend here to hand them down from the second floor of the barn. I will be using all new fasteners for attaching the bumpers and bumper braces. Beats the PITA old rusty stuff that you get a 1/4 turn on and it binds. Even clean used hardware gets the job done. I promised NOT to use the 5/16" torx bolts on this job. Even if they are easier to work with and get the job done. Take care. Thank you for the support. Negative support is always welcome also. It helps keep the haters happy.
 
Last edited:

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
301winter cover.jpg
The bumpers, brush guard, and hitch assembly came off this truck. I drove it 10 years like this and then painted it 686 tan. The bumpers, brush guard, and hitch assembly were so nice I used another set and eliminated a crusty rusty set of parts that needed refurbished anyway before they became scrap and unusable. sort of like this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Not much good for anything anymore. 128069389_3816893898330909_3979488029897726779_n57.jpg It was just as easy to refurbish used rusty parts and smarter then repainting nice clean unrusty parts. In the end they were both nice. back up lamps.jpg Take Care and Be Safe.
91109025_2637926873000347_9160172310353674240_nNice M1009.jpg
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I was in the process of getting the body square on the frame and I need a helper. I cannot crank the strap and measure at the same time. I pulled the right inner fender apron out of storage and washed it off. Looks like new. It the OEM inner fender from this M1009. I had it powder coated black 25 years ago. DSCF8792.JPG DSCF8793.JPG It is a bit glossy, but I think it looks great.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I have a conundrum here. I looked closely at the firewall insulation, and it is crisp and missing at places. I have reached a critical point in the build where I must decide if I change it or not. The right side is knarly and very crisp to touch. 38 years this month since it was installed. The next question is where I find one that fits? I don't want a generic knock off one size fits all. It looks like a real in-depth operation to get that firewall completely cleaned off. I can handle the work but want premium replacement parts to work with. I completely removed this insulation on a few of my builds and I never seemed to have any more noise. it's a CUCV I expect and want the noise. If I want a smooth, rattle free, quiet ride without katydids I drive a new truck. But I am putting these out here for conversation and recommendations. DSCF8795.JPG DSCF8796.JPG DSCF8797.JPG DSCF8798.JPG DSCF8799.JPG DSCF8799.JPGDSCF8800.JPG DSCF8801.JPG DSCF8802.JPGLook what I see an OEM starter relay. Worked all these years without being cut out and replaced. Imagine that. That darn thing works. DSCF8803.JPG The brushed in CARC has been the killer on this project. Now this. Take Care. I have managed to waste another day on going backwards on my project. That's fine. Time is on my side. Doing it right the first time is critical. Imagine that Barrett Jackson was just in Harrisburg 2 weeks ago and my M1009 was not ready.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
OK. I slept on it and after considerable thought and availability of resourses/parts that will look and fit properly I have opted to totally remove the firewall insulation and leave it out. Really this is no set back. I had several CUCV's that I removed it totally from and drove them year-round in Pennsylvania climate. That varies from 100* in summer to -10 in winter. I do not recall it being an issue. I will probably be scuffing and painting the entire interior of the cab. That will save the coin of the Line X and make for a more OEM interior. The rear gate is already spray with black Line X and I think that will be fine as the gate gets a lot of abuse sliding things in and out of the cargo area. This is the original gate that came with the M1009, so I want to keep it with the truck. Nice gates are hard to come by. Take Care. I hand sanded a lot of parts yesterday and I did manage to get the bumpers sanded. Only thing is that darn brush guard. But like the bumpers it is clean and rust free so a scuffing of 180 and it will be good for CARC. Take Care and have a Great Day.
 
Last edited:

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I have my Flea market friend here and he is going to give me a hand getting the body centered and tightened down on the M1009 project. I did not trust attaching the inner wheel well aprons with the body loose. They do have a bond between the core support and the main body, and I need to keep the hood seams in alignment. I will report back later. Nice Day today.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
The body is centered and tight on the frame. Everything aligned fairly easy with ratchet straps front and rear. The Energy Suspension body mounts do not collapse and tighten as easy as the old school rubbers. I think they will need to be tightened and checked on occasion after being put into use. I will give it a thorough test drive after it is completed and work out any bugs should they exist. After I had the body all tight, I looked at the firewall insulation and decided it was time to address that and see of any nasty things were behind that. DSCF8816.JPG DSCF8817.JPG A family of mud dabblers must have thought the accelerator pedal would be a great place to set up house. DSCF8818.JPG DSCF8819.JPG Unbelievable. You must check everything. No stone unturned. Dust and dirt were coming out of the body as I impacted the bolts tight on the frame. Not a lot but it is still in there in every nook and cranny. I will scrub the base for the accelerator and lube it up. Here are some overall pictures of the inside. DSCF8821.JPG That is all dust on the dashboard. The overhead area is not perfect but dent and rust free. DSCF8822.JPG The gun area is clean and will need scuffed lightly for paint. DSCF8823.JPG The firewall insulation basically broke to pieces, and I discarded it. DSCF8820.JPG I must remove the heater box to get the insulation completely out of the cab. I used GM Dex cool antifreeze when I was working on the truck years ago. It still looks clean, and I guess it is time to change it. While I am there I may as well add a block heater. Take Care. I will get back on task again. Maybe not today but soon. Be Safe.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Just in for lunch. I am going to go out and get the left inner apron cleaned up and ready to install. I was going to do the right, but I will be removing the heater box assembly. This will make things easy. pictures later. My goal is to get the heater box out and get the speed clip nuts into the left fender. Pictures later.
066.JPG
Lesson here is never attaching the Bubba Rope to the stock pintle hook of an M1009. My friend was stuck, and he was pulled out, but I told him to hook the strap onto the pintle. I had 2 and he choose the wrong one. This is the result. Nothing was hurt and it needed attention from years of exposure and pulling shrubbery and trees. This was the last job. The gig was up after this. Old picture and just sharing the experience. Never use that as the hook point with a kinetic nylon strap or chain really.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Here is a strange attachment I removed from a CUCV many years ago. It was attached at the lower ashtray bolt area and up to the dash bracket on an M1009. I just have it hanging here near the place it belongs. DSCF8824.JPG DSCF8825.JPG It is a heavy-duty anti ashtray using bracket. I don't like the smell of cigarettes so I would put this in place, so you don't smoke in a CUCV. Strange, curved cut. I am sure it goes for some winterization kit or something. Cool bracket. DSCF8826.JPG OK. Back on task. Heater box. DSCF8827.JPG The Black Hole. DSCF8828.JPG Thats better. I had this out when I bought the truck, I changed the heater core just to change it. It still has an OEM brass/copper unit in it. Not that I cared I used many aluminum heater cores with the same results it throws heat and don't leak its good. Heater box out. DSCF8829.JPG Insulation all out and trashed. DSCF8830.JPG The firewall is dusty clean. Nice with a nice coat of paint and no rust. Looks good. I sprayed it with DX330 wax and grease remover. It looks great. I will clean the entire dash area. Again, I blew compressed air under the dash and dirt came out. Not as much with the insulation gone. Nice thing was I found no mice nests. DSCF8831.JPG
I will be putting new hoses on the heater core. i had to cut them to get them off. They had bonded to the brass that hard even with the little use it has had since being replaced. Time weather's everything eventually. Have a Great Day.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Great Progress. The bracket is part of a radio equipment. Nice 👍🏼 I like military radio equipment as you know. Don’t scrap it. It is a hard to find item. Take care.
It is yours. I stored it for the past 25+ years and came across it during a few searches. Over winter I am going to do more organization to my parts. It is never ending and I must follow thru putting things away as I acquire them and as I disassemble vehicles. The last parts CUCV I have is basically a frame and axles. So the disassembly part is over. I do have a few M1010 bodies with many parts that I haven't even scratched into yet. The ashtray block off plate was just a fast guess and humor on US government expenditure. I would not put it past them. Take Care.
 
Last edited:

Boat Guy

New member
18
24
3
Location
Springs CO
It is yours. I stored it for the past 25+ years and came across it during a few searches. Over winter I am going to do more organization to my parts. It is never ending and I must follow thru putting things away as I acquire them and as I disassemble vehicles. The last parts CUCV I have is basically a frame and axles. So the disassembly part is over. I do have a few M1010 bodies with many parts that I haven't even scratched into yet. The ashtray block off plate was just a fast guess and humor on US government expenditure. I would not put it past them. Take Care.
Been looking for the whip antenna mount. Any ideas? Mine is missing and I don't like holes in my truck.
Getting the vehicle registered in the new home station. Hoping the DMV people are understanding.
Then getting the new tires mounted and balanced. Thanks for your help on selecting repacements.
Photos to follow -someday.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
I have been rained out on my barn painting job for today. I went down to the assembly barn and installed the inner fender aprons back into the M1009. These are the OEM fender aprons that I had powder coated 25 years ago. I have procured a set of used batteries just to get the project rolling along. I will be doing a few things today as I spend my day in the shop. I have a few hundred things I could be doing so I will never run out of work. But having the inner fender aprons installed makes less parts I must store and walk around. Pictures to be posted later. Quick question if anyone knows. How much lateral play is acceptable in the front driveshaft at the slip joint? I noticed a small amount and greased the joint and it had gone away. I need to locate a slip joint cap seal. This slip joint seal leaks grease as I put it in. I know dozers use grease connections to adjust the track tension, so this isn't really an issue if small lateral play is acceptable. New U joints and all were installed back in the beginning 25 years ago. Moving right along.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
After I had both of the inner fender aprons installed, I wanted to get the parts attached to the inside of the fenders. DSCF8850.JPG DSCF8851.JPG DSCF8852.JPG DSCF8853.JPG I dug out some wire harness retainer clips and cleaned them up and installed the headlamp wiring harness to the left inner structure of the fender. DSCF8856.JPG There are some parts on the stock CUCV that cannot be found anywhere. DSCF8857.JPG This nylon hood release cable retainer is one of them items that I substitute a metal insulated P clip. DSCF8859.JPG DSCF8860.JPGAlso the metal oil cooler lines had a steel bracket that bolted the hoses to the left inner fender apron. I have seen these over tightened and I could not locate one of these brackets after looking for hours. I went to an alternate bracket. The double hose bracket I chose was a hose bracket from a newer Freightliner truck. I have a lot of them my son gave me. DSCF8858.JPG One bolt to attach the bracket just like the OEM bracket and this one cannot be over tightened. Next, I moved onto the front bumper braces. DSCF8861.JPGThey are frame mounted with 2- 7/16" bolts on each bracket. I had these powder coated in 1997. They have been stashed in my barn. Reassembly is good at this point. I am moving lots of parts and that is a good thing. It is like cleaning up and making room. If things go well, I plan on painting a few green items in the next few weeks. Also next to the bumper braces is a rebuilt front driveshaft. I am not taking any chances with this lateral play issue I discovered while pulling myself under the truck on a creeper. When I greased it, the play is gone. I don't like questionable issues. I have the parts I will use them. Have a Great Day.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,554
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Rebuilt front drive shaft. DSCF8862.JPG Washer bottle and wiring harness properly secured. DSCF8863.JPG Right inner fenderDSCF8864.JPG And I replaced the wires from the resistors and removed the resistors so I could check them for mud and insect nests. They are clean and I reinstalled them with a new wire from the left side. DSCF8865.JPG I dug up some right inner fender structure battery brackets. DSCF8866.JPG I have them installed and used new flange lock nuts. DSCF8867.JPG DSCF8868.JPG I will keep rolling on this project as time permits. Take Care and thank you for the positive support. And negative is also welcome. I am slow and that is what makes it my hobby. I can multitask all my life.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks