M216 Cdn Australian restoration

[Ken S]

Good day,
I did an intro over on new member requirements.
My truck with Canadian registration # 54-56169 as explained was a step a way from being a garden ornament, tidied up and with its original markings re-applied. It was due to MLU that I found Steel Soldiers and I have learnt so much on this forum.
I would never do anything to damage the truck, I think the previous owners might have done their best to do that. I think the M211-M135 trucks are very pretty.

Now I know the rules about photos and I have checked out how to put photos on here so I will have a go soon.

I have had the truck for 20 years and 10 of those it spent at our local truck wrecker, for sale.
During the time the truck spent at the wreckers no damage was done to it, even the data and instruction plates and fuel cap stayed put. In the last few months some one took the passenger seat cushions, so I figured it was time to bring it home.
There is no dump body or any hydraulics, and the hood/bonnet looks like a tree fell across it.

When I bought the truck 20 years ago it was fairly complete, but before I could pick it up the owner sold the radiator and shroud and the transfer case including the transmission output hollow shaft. I figured that was it, as far as a restoration was concerned.

I have learnt on here that a G506 or G508 transfer case will fit in, I have both, so that was a start. I won't be putting in a drive shaft to the front axle. I have found a hollow shaft for the rear of the transmission, that I might be able to get to work.

I put a 12 volt battery in to see if the engine would turn over, it did, next step will be with 24 volt, but that will be after a oil and filter change.
The distributor is out of a 6 volt 1948-1956 General Motors Holden. I have purchased a 12 volt condenser from a 1963 Holden. I will see if I can get it running on that before I do anything else. I won't be putting 24 volts through the distributor and I will use a 12 volt coil.
Now I have no intention to do a full restoration nor do I have the money or time to do it. I think ITAR will stop me getting any parts out of USA, Canada will be my best bet.
What I would like to do is get the truck drivable, and poke around on my farm roads and put it in my annual ANZAC Day display.

I have searched on here for the last few days trying to find what filters will fit the transmission, or if it even has a transmission filter. The discussions all seem to end up talking about what oil to put in the transmission. Can anyone help with a picture or a filter number?
I have had a look through the TM,s on here and I have worked on my door latches and window winders using the excellent descriptions in the stickys.
I do have a US Navy M211 cab with fenders and grille that will be providing a few pieces including the passenger seat.
The M216 was converted nicely to right hand drive and easily converted back, the M211 was a really bad job, to the point it looks like it was never completed.

I have been a Caterpillar mechanic for ever, the last 8 years spent running our local council workshop looking after a huge fleet of trucks, graders, loaders rollers, utes and cars.
Looks like you have a lot of fun on here, and so I will finish this long winded story, because about the only thing I haven't told you is my underpants size.
Cheers Ken

 

[SturmTyger380]

Welcome! I don't have my manual handy but on the back of the transmission is a hex plug that you can remove that has a screen filter inside. That's the only filter that I know of.

 

[Ken S]

Thanks, I was poking around under the truck last night trying to get my internal splined shaft to fit and I saw that plug.
I thought it was a level plug for the rear housing.
Ken

 

[Ken S]

A couple of photos maybe.

 

[Ken S]

That was a bit optimistic only one came through. I will have another go, this is the spare M211 cab.

 

[Ken S]

Photos of some of the engine bay, it is all very sad no generator, regulator, compressor or radiator.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Aussie M216

No more wondering why I can't find a 216 up here. We shipped it South. Welcome aboard and let's get going. My little niece works for a salon company out of Australia. They love her and we're about to find out how efficient they are shipping truck parts.

There's another story to dig up too I guess. Which trucks got shipped when under what contract agreement. Cool stuff seeing a 216 still around.

Matching frame and dataplate stamp get me motivated so get a peak at the frame directly behind the front passenger wheel. She should be stamped 1216XXXXX.....or in a possible twist...1207XXXXX with dataplate that says it's a M216.

Pics of dash plates and frame stamp behind front wheel would be much appreciated.

Additionally, on the drivers side frame, on the top of the frame just in front of the rad support, you may find a second stamp, approx 3/16" numbers with 54-56169.

None of that helps us get it running but it does lock the truck in a database with many of her friends.....hopefully forever.

I read through the TM 9-8024 in the tub in just a few hours. Get reprint copies if you're going to do that because they don't like steam. You can borrow mine of you want but now that you know where they've been.....TM's can be found in the TM section https://www.steelsoldiers.com/forumdisplay.php?118-Korean-War-to-VietNam-War-Vehicles-TMs

I bought the books on line because the first time I took the laptop into the tub to read the TM's online.......we were glad we didn't plug the laptop into the wall.

Filters and maintenance and new gaskets you'll use doing maintenance are around in diminishing quantities. Your list expands as you do work on it so keep that needs list up and ongoing here. We must have shipped parts too so finding some of those real good 'big barn' hoarders locally would be a great story to discover.

To get at this transmission filter you'll need to get good at hooking up the tough to get at oil cooler lines. Spanner wrenches are the only thing we could reach them with and reassembling with those lines leaking is a tough experience. Engine coolant and a full transmission full of brand new expensive 30wt non-detergent oil.......or in some cases hy-trans .......or in some cases automatic transmission fluid get mixed together and we get to start over.

Torque those lines like a good mechanic would.



Since you've already got mechanical experience this will be a breeze for you. Just keep us in the loop before you buy anything. We've seen the market take $800 U.S. for an exhaust manifold and $750.00 for a muffler. Let's get that girl going!

 

[Aussie Bloke]

G'day everyone,....




Ken S,.....



Why would you think ATAR would give you any trouble getting parts?

I just got a 'C' Whistler turbo not long ago,...

I just have any parts I need posted out to me.

I have NEVER had any issues.



Aussie.

 

[Ken S]

m1010plowboy, I think this truck came to Australia as an import because it has Canadian markings. The markings gold Maple leaf on red background show that the truck belonged to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, and it has markings white 17 on blue background that show it was in a engineer squadron within a Infantry Brigade Group. This information was courtesy of a MLU member.

I have always thought the M216 would be rare in Australia, but I thought there would be lots in Canada. Here is the chassis number. I do have to remind myself that the truck is 64 years old and dump trucks would have been worked hard.
I think of it as a very modern truck.

Aussie, I am just going by what I have read on various forums. I wouldn't like buying a part and then find I can't get it, or my money back.
You have a nice collection of trucks going by your signature.
Ken

 

[m1010plowboy]

1216xxxxx

Thanks so much for doing that. Not many folks have seen that number. Frame cracks could be evident if the truck took a beating. We've seen a few cracks around the suspension mounts but if they're not obvious, maybe you get lucky.

These pics are compliments of 1 cer grp, TP and DM.




The girls say there's no reason that 302 won't work fine on 12 volts. Just check the oil.

 

[rustystud]

Why do you want to replace the transmission filter ? They are a fine metal mesh and don't go bad unless the screen gets torn.
So if your oil looks good in the transmission, and it shifts fine don't mess with it.
So your a "CAT" mechanic. That's good to have around here. What do you think of the latest series of engines they came out with ? I know the C-9 almost put CAT into bankruptcy due to all the warranty claims against it.

 

[Ken S]

Good day rustystud
Thanks for your comment.
I don't want to change the filter if it doesn't need it. I was looking up from underneath and there is a fairly big vertical cast housing on the right rear of the transmission, if it was a Cat, that housing would hold a transmission filter.

The C9 isn't much good we have about 15 of them in the fleet and they are always a bit troublesome. We have a 2005 Mack and a 2006 International Eagle both roadtrain prime movers with C15s and they have been perfect. We have kept both trucks in the fleet 3 years longer than normal, because we can't get anything as reliable as the C15s. We are replacing them this month with automatic shift Freightliner Coronados with Detroits.
I get a dealer service and tune up on the 2 Cats every year, just to keep them at their peak. We do the other services in house, just in case you think I only get one service done a year.
I still think the 3306 and the 3406 were about as good as you can get.
Cheers Ken

 

[Aussie Bloke]

G'day everyone,......


Ken,...

Unless your importing armour or a weapon system you won't have any issues with getting parts from the US.

I've bought lots of parts and accessories for my Deuce and haven't had a single issue so you will be just fine.

Just so you know half have been from business's and the rest from private sales.


Oh and I am wondering if your M216 may have been one of those brought out here for the construction of Pine Gap?

I read somewhere that the US had bought out their own vehicles for the construction and support operations.


Some were scrapped but not all of them,.....

Wouldn't it be good to find out yours may have a connection,....?



Aussie.

 

[Ken S]

m101plowboy
Thanks for the photos I have been searching the internet for M216 photos, they appear to be as rare as the trucks.

I was scratching away at the blue paint on the truck this afternoon, and noticed the weights listed on the door.
So a quick calculation to see if she was overloaded. Remember a Imperial ton is 2240 pounds. A hundred weight is 112 pound.
Tare weight 6 ton 1 hundred weight =13552 pound
Gross weight 12 ton =26880 pound
Which equals a load weight of 13328 pound = 5.95 Imperial ton and = 6.664 US tons. So not stupidly overloaded.

 

[Ken S]

Aussie, I might try with purchasing something little to start with, just to give it a go.

I don't know much about Pine Gap and it would be really good if my truck was part of it. The truck is Canadian though, I will have to check and see if Canada had a part in the construction.
Following your thought, the truck isn't rusty very much, except for the usual Australian bottom of the doors and one tiny piece on the back of the cab and a little bit on the bottom of the guards. Somebody else has said that this truck looks like a early disposal from the Army. I would have thought that if it had have been in snow it would have been rusty from road salt.
More stuff to google.
Ken

 

[rustystud]

Good day rustystud
Thanks for your comment.
I don't want to change the filter if it doesn't need it. I was looking up from underneath and there is a fairly big vertical cast housing on the right rear of the transmission, if it was a Cat, that housing would hold a transmission filter.

The C9 isn't much good we have about 15 of them in the fleet and they are always a bit troublesome. We have a 2005 Mack and a 2006 International Eagle both roadtrain prime movers with C15s and they have been perfect. We have kept both trucks in the fleet 3 years longer than normal, because we can't get anything as reliable as the C15s. We are replacing them this month with automatic shift Freightliner Coronados with Detroits.
I get a dealer service and tune up on the 2 Cats every year, just to keep them at their peak. We do the other services in house, just in case you think I only get one service done a year.
I still think the 3306 and the 3406 were about as good as you can get.
Cheers Ken

That vertical housing holds a big spring. I totally agree with you on the 3306 and 3406 engines. I would also add the 3408 in there also. Those engines where what CAT used to be all about. Tough and reliable, no nonsense engines. I think it was the whole "ACERT" emissions crap that destroyed CAT's reputation. That and trying to get the most fuel mileage they could out of every engine. Some engines should never be fuel miser's. Especially engines that need to perform at peak power all the time. Just my opinion.

 

[SCM35A2]

Nice project!

 

[Ken S]

Drained the engine oil today, first out came 20 litres of water, then 10 litres of oil. Some diagnosis of water entry.
The engine turns over nicely by hand, so not through the head gasket although that might change when I put a cooling system on it with water in it. The oil filler was missing the cap as was the distributor, so both of them are suspect, the dipstick was pulled out so the 2 "o" rings were out of the tube. The huge crease in the hood doesn't hold water, as it runs into the engine bay through the small rust holes it has created, so I am guessing one of my possibilities has lined up with a drip and let the water in the engine. The oil filter oil is clean and no sign of the engine having been run with water in it.
I let the engine drip gunge for a couple of hours, then put a 30 litre mixture of oil and diesel in so that the level was above where the water level had been.
When I am ready I will drop that out, and pull the little sump off and give everything a good cleanout.

I found a correct Ryco brand HDR102P filter in my stock, Ryco don't make them any more so I ordered 4 Baldwin P52 filters to top up my stock.

Tomorrow is taking out the brake and accelerator pedal left to right conversion.
Ken

 

[rchalmers3]

Tomorrow is taking out the brake and accelerator pedal left to right conversion.

Hiya Ken,

From the first photo, it looks like the truck was properly converted for road use in Aus. Are you intending to convert it back to LHD? If so, why?

Rick

 

[Ken S]

Good day Rick,
Yes I am converting it back to left hand drive for these reasons,
# 1, because the previous owner had done such a gentle job of the conversion that it will be a very easy job to change back, it is almost as if the person doing the job wanted to keep the old girl as original as possible or had me in mind converting it back, either way I would like to shake his hand.

#2, little things like you can't close the cover over the transmission oil filler because of the brake pedal cross shaft, all the controls/switches are still in original positions and hard to reach.

#3, When this conversion was done it was illegal to drive a left hand drive vehicle on the road, that is why lots of our Studebakers, CCKWs, Jeeps were converted. If a vehicle in Queensland had been registered left hand drive before 1949 (and you could prove it) then it could stay left hand. The M216 conversion would have been done in Victoria in the late 1970s I think. Now the rules in Queensland are so relaxed, you can drive your LH 69 Mustang to work as a daily driver if you pay full registration. New vehicles entering Australia still have to be converted I forget what the cut off age is for not having to convert.

# 4, It seems the right thing to do, and this won't affect me but if in the future somebody wanted to restore it back to road legal it would be easier to register LH rather than this RH drive conversion, which wouldn't pass current Queensland modification laws.

I think in Queensland there was a something about if a vehicle was engaged in oil exploration or such it didn't have to be converted, in 1968 Halliburton had a workshop behind ours and they had beautiful big 1960 6X6 GMC cab overs that were LH and in 1980 I used to drive on the road, a 1960 something Ford F800 4X4 ex oil truck that was still LH.
I do get off the subject a bit don't I.
Cheers Ken.