M543A2 finds new home

[F18hornetM]

Well finally found a wrecker after years of just missing them and finding plenty of junk. Transport Company is going to deliver here tomorrow.

Good old truck
1967 M543A2. Everything is there, runs and stops. Needs painting of course but no major rust. Parking brake cable is missing. tires are 30-40%. Couple hydraulic leaks. Bins are full of block, chains and all kinds of towing attachments.
Few Interesting things. it has a generator installed where passenger fuel tank would go. I've never seen that on pictures of others. Not sure if owners did that or not but if they did, did a good job. Has propane powered heater in cab which I've also never seen before.




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[M35A2-AZ]

Nice!!!

 

[BenRoberts]

Congratulations

 

[BKubu]

Very cool truck. Good score!

 

[Scar59]

As my neighbor would say, "that's handier than a two pecker'ed billygoat."

 

[dmetalmiki]

That is a gorgeous truck. And like 'my pitzas' has 'all on'. A great find, and a great acquisition. (now where did I hide that old huge generator...)

 

[clinto]

That does look good. Like the rear winch cover.

The genset is a civvy mod.

Looks like the wrecker floodlights are gone and some civvy spun aluminum ones in their place. ZiggyO has the right ones in the classifieds.

Mirrors are either bridge truck or ten ton, can't remember

 

[dmetalmiki]

Agreed..I did forget to say I was impressed with the 'N.A.A.F.I.' Candle on the oil tank. Do you also have the original vice on the front bumper?.

 

[F18hornetM]

No don't have the original vise, but I come across big nice used wilton vise occasionally since we use them on most of our trucks at work. i have 2 but both are mounted on metal working benches and would not part with them.
That flood light was off a fire truck i'm told. the previous owner was big in the fire Co. Checked out the generator a little, crank no start of course. Its an Onan twin cylinder, says 2.25 kw 18 amps, so that fine for running power tools. or some lights. I wonder if it was a surplus generator because it has water proof spark plug wires. Ive worked on many civilian generators and never saw those. Its fuel supply is from the 5 gallon can next to it with and adapter in the fillhole. pretty neat really.
The propane tank is plumbed to the back of the cab but is not hooked to anything nor do i see where anything was mounted on the cab wall. So have no idea what that did. The heater under the dash is a nice commercial coolant heater.
We did run it today some, ran boom, rear and front winches. Rear throttle is froze and parking brake shoes are missing. Of course it needs some work but overall in very nice shape for 1967.
I also found an invertor under the passenger seat 1300 watt. looks like a hydraulic oil leak at boom rotation motor, will have to pressure wash to find that as no drips just oil everywhere.
The tool boxs are full of tackle. Do have several adapters for the boom which I'm not sure what they are. Will dig around TMs some more for attachments. Seems to have been taking care of. Not like a collector would but like somebody who needs it for work. Which is still a good thing.

The fellow I bought the truck from does have a motor for it in the crate with a rebuild tag of 1989. Its all there minus the turbo. Looks not to be not used. He bought it with the truck in 1996 and has been in shed in crate every since. When he sends me a pic of the data plate I'll post in classifieds for him. probably good deal for someone

 

[swiss]

Wreckers Rule, welcome to the wrecker club. May your problems be small and your wallet full if they are not

 

[F18hornetM]

Thank you. Been looking for the right one for a long time.
lucky for my wallet, I've made a living working on aerial devices, hydraulic work and construction/truck equipment, so she's just like the rest!!

I have been looking through TMs and found some info on cable replacement, filter servicing and winch brake adjustment, no big deal. But have yet to find the right TM on the hydraulic system repairs/overhaul. Like removal and replacement of Hyd pump, or rotation gear box or motor. I'll keep looking.
Hoses no big deal can make most of them right here in my shop.
The hydraulic components on this look like some of the others I've worked on but just nice to read about it. Never know when something might be just a little different or hidden set screw etc.

 

[bigmike]

Nice to see another M543A2 on this site.

 

[rumplecat]

Of the two wreckers I have the 936 is faster and easier to handle but when it comes to maint. issues and ease of maint./repairs the M543A2 comes out way ahead, a simple, robust and just great all around machine!

 

[F18hornetM]

Thanks, Those are great looking trucks you have. The guys that hauled this truck for me have a M936 and M816 they use for winching farm equipment etc. They like the M816 better than the M936. Just like you said the M936 has faster road speed and nice to drive, but they are not crazy over its off road performance. They also like the shaft driven winches over the hydraulic ones. Both still good trucks I'm sure just depends on what its used for I suppose.

I dd find the TM on the boom/hydraulic system. Its TM 9-2320-211-34-2-3. I think that one is missing from the listing in the TM section on here. I saw 2-1, 2-2 and 2-4 but no 2-3 unless I'm just blind which is possible, my wife accuses me of that anyway. That TM covers the boom and hydraulics pretty well. I just wish it had more data like pump/motor brand, model etc. I havent looked yet but hopefully marked on them. Would make easier getting seals etc.

Found a used Vise at work today, swivel is broke but I'll either mount solid or or make some parts for swivel

 

[F18hornetM]

Drug out that vise today. It was welded around the swivel base. We cut the weld off to see what was wrong with the swivel. Found the center bolt was a bit short and stripped out a couple threads. Long story short, threaded center bolt, shortned center bushing, glass beaded whole thing and good as new. Just a little paint and will work fine.

 

[Tracer]

You nailed it. I'm jealous.

 

[F18hornetM]

Dug through the bins today and found all kinds of stuff. There is a bunch of good blocks, some double.
I did have some questions about the attachments on the pallet. I looked through TMs and found I think is called B2 list for a wrecker. I didn't see anything that looked like this. The one attachment looks like some kind of spreader bar. The other 2 pieces not sure on.. Was wondering if hooked together made some kind of tow bar?? I couldn't figure out where the attachment with a pintle hook on one and Lynnette eye on the other went unless it attached to that other piece for towing. I'm sure some one on here knows.

 

[rumplecat]

I think at least two of them are tow adapters, the one with the pintle is an extension, maybe for a tracked vehicle? Nice haul on the blocks, they come in handy!

 

[F18hornetM]

I looked some more last night an still not found anything like it. I know some of the wrecker guys on here have to have seen them before.
I'm wondering if the second one on the pallet goes against the front bumper and has chains hook to the axle?? Lifted from the top ring. Then the bar with pintle hook hooks to it? I also wondered if the grab hooks welded to the sides of that extension , with chain hooked, would keep it from swinging, left or right. Sorta of like old commercial wreckers had back in the days when they had good front bumpers and wheel or frame lifts didn't exist. I could be way of guessing but who knows.

 

[zebedee]

Dug through the bins today and found all kinds of stuff.

Always nice to find the little toys .......... that go with the big toy!!

I looked through TMs and found I think is called B2 list for a wrecker.

What TM are you referring to - is it the specific one for the 543, as I don't recall seeing anything like that for the 816? I'm sure there would be real interest by the other wrecker owners to learn about more kit!! Over the generations of wreckers and Bii, there has been changes and depletion of kit - although I'm sure that "Hotel 8's" kept stuff that they thought handy when it got dropped from the inventory, case in point - ground anchors.

I didn't see anything that looked like this. The one attachment looks like some kind of spreader bar.

Probably right - for power pack changes.

The other 2 pieces not sure on.. Was wondering if hooked together made some kind of tow bar?? I couldn't figure out where the attachment with a pintle hook on one and Lynnette eye on the other went unless it attached to that other piece for towing. I'm sure some one on here knows.

Looks like the other two are a combination - like you say, a way of making a suspended towing frame similar to the Holmes gear. The grab hooks on one would stabilise the extension Right/Left on the wrecker and the grab hooks on the other attach to the casualties chassis/bumper. Lunette eye on one to pintle on the other then flat loop to crane hook.......
.....But why - if the wrecker carried a whiffle tree and towbar. Did the 543 carry a whiffle tree? Not sure when that came in - the M1A1 Ward laFrance had a whiffle tree on the front bumper but I am not sure if it was used for suspended towing. M62 - don't know, ditto M543.

Do any of those 3 pallet parts have any ID numbers?

H.