m35a3 engine colors

[big camo truck]

why are some of the cat motors in the m35 a3 green and some are yellow?

 

[BKubu]

I thought, incorrectly apparently, that some were newer motors while others were older runs. I know that the color of the original motor in an M939A2 series, for example, denotes the rough year of the truck. In that case, at some time in 1991, they started using Cummins tan. Before that, they used black. Both black and tan were new motors, not rebuilt. As I said, with the M35A3s, I thought it must have been the same. However, I was corrected and told that both colors came out side by side. I owned an M35A3 with a yellow motor. I like the yellow motor better because it LOOKS like a CAT motor. With that said, I would not care what color the motor was.

 

[Monkeyboyarmy]

I wonder if it has something to do with A.M. General built trucks vs. U.S. Army built trucks.

 

[CatMan]

Why Cat Yellow Engine in M35A3

Oh the stories I could tell you from the Cat military engine business......

The 3116 mechanical engines supplied for the A3 program were built on the same single production line as the civilian truck engines and the industrial and marine models. The Cat factory has a limited number of options for production line painting. The contract engines for the A3 program were intermixed on the line. The factory is not set up to spray CARC for a few engines and then switch back to enamel.

In order to be supplied painted with mil spec CARC green, they would have to be sent off site to a sub contractor for special paint. They do the same with the bright white color for plesasure craft marine engines.

The current electronic Cat engine models being supplied to Oshkosh truck for several Army and Marine Corp programs are also Cat yellow.

They are "ENGINES" by the way, not "Motors". Motors have a cord that plugs into a wall outlet.

Cat Man
30 years in the Cat engine business

 

[rwonsala]

So if i have a green engine it does not mean it was a replacement

 

[big camo truck]

looked today at a yellow cat engine (sorry im an mechanical engineer who has been around customers too long) it had a rebuid sticker on it on the valve cover. my green one has no such sticker. and by the way you are right my set of 3126e' s are white and in a boat.

 

[BKubu]

My yellow ENGINE did not have a rebuild sticker. A friend has multiple A3s...one with a green motor and two with yellow...no rebuild stickers.

 

[lonegunman]

Why would it need to be rebuilt? Mine had 400 hours on it when I bought the truck. I had the overhead done at 500 like the warranty recommended and it purrs. My brother is a heavy vech mech and prefers Cummins, he likes my truck a ton and swears it is the best running 3116 he has ever seen.

 

[shovelheadmike]

I went to the local Cat dealer here by Ft Brag. They had a guy who just retired from the motor pool. He said that all yellow engines were original and all green ones were crate replacements in the A3.

 

[CobraCDR]

Mine is green, no rebuild stickers.

 

[Rustygears]

Ditto. Original equipment with green and the original EPA sticker indicating date built.

 

[Bob H]

I was told by someone that has been dealing with A3's since they first started auctioning them.
The 1st 500 A3's had the green motor, the rest got the yellow.
He also maintains there was a change (fix) after the 1st 500 engines. Don't recall what that was though.
but he stay's away from the early ones.

So let's see, those of you with vin's 500500 and under what color is yours?
and any one with a vin of 501 & higher have a greenie?

 

[M35A2-AZ]

My motor is green and my s/n 500601.

I was thinking the yellow ones were replacement motors, but that is just my thinking.

 

[Karl kostman]

Hey guys After reading all this and there is mention that the later engines have some improvement over the early ones if this is true how do I identify a new and apparently more desirable engine from and older less desirable engine? I am asking because I am in the market for and A3 as I write this.
KK

 

[jaymcb]

My M109a4 has the CAT yellow engine, and 137 hours on it (so far). Runs well.....

 

[Bob H]

500003 = Green, no rebuild tag

 

[CobraCDR]

501600 - Green engine (no rebuild tag)

I have never heard anything about the engine being changed after the first 500 vehicles. Where did this "information" or rumor come from?

As for the First 500 being green, then the rest yellow, I know of several vehicles that proove that theory incorrect, so I'm not sure how reliable the "guy" is or his information that he provided to you. This is the first I have seen or heard anything about either of these issues. Any supporting documentation?

Thanks,

 

[Bob H]

Pete,
Just his experience with about 40 of them. Had me wondering though.

 

[CobraCDR]

I could see a theory like "all of the earlier engines were CARC green until the Army stopped paying they extra money for custom paint jobs", but the one about the first 500 vehicles having engine issues was new to me. I'll take a stroll down to our maintanance yard if I have time in the next few days and see if I can find some old grease covered mechanic or contractor who may have worked on these back in 'the day' and see if they have any thoughts on the color issue as well as the "first 500" rumor.

I haven't been in a unit that has had M35s since the mid 1990's, and even then, they were all old A2s. Current unit has had LMTVs for the past decade and a half, so never an A3 in my motor pool to go down and check out. I did see one at Bagram Air Field recently, but didn't think the Air Force wanted me digging around under the hood of their truck.

 

[SFGABN@5th]

I have a M3 SN SN 501389 And a green engine all original SO there goes your 500 Rumor.


Kevin
M35A3 W/W For sale