M887 is finally home (my trip)

[Recovry4x4]

Well, the M887 contact maintenance truck is finally in the yard, albeit still on the trailer. Saturday I loaded my trailer with bartering stock and loaded the truck with wife and baby and headed 8 hours up the road to GA. I got this truck as part of a deal with Wayne Harris. I'm not a Dodge guy but the M880 has always had a spot somewhere in my heart, maybe because they're cheap. Anyway, made the trip up and got there yeaterday around 11am. Wayne was helping another guy who just picked up a few items so I went poking around his yard. Now Wayne lives along a tree line and has a wealth of stuff you can see in van bodys, shelters, sheds, lean tos, trailers and so on, Besides that, the stuff goes equally as far back in the woods. You could literally walk around there for days and not see everything. I only had a short time so I took in the sights and went back to the truck. Now the M887 supposedly has a valve train problem but does run (somewhat). I took a look at it and was suprised to see 11,000 miles on the clock. A quick look at the pedals confirmed that it's probably original. Had a little rust on one of the fender bottoms but looks surprisingly nice. Now I knew that the bed was off the truck and that I would have to slide in back on but I didn't remember that the big M816 wrecker Wayne has was not running. With 2 bumper jacks, (I now have a new respect for the almost extinct bumper jack), a supply of concrete blocks and some 12' 4x4s Wayne and I proceed to jack up the body off of another crippled M880 and pull the truck out from underneath it with his M151A2. I backed the running (barely) M880 under the bed and lower it right down on the frame. We had to take a break about 3/4 of the way through. It was pushing the mid 90s and humidity over 90%. I now know I'm not as young as I used to be. Got the body on, lined it up, dropped 2 bolts in it and threw a ratchet strap around it to keep it on. Pullled it up on the trailer and off I was on my 8 hour journey home. When I was panting and faint while installing the body I was thinking that I don't like the truck too much. But 8 hours of looking at it in the mirror makes you think of different thing. Being an off roader at heart certain things pop into your head. I kept seeing the 37" HMMWV tires in my visions. I shouldn't be lifting this truck but darn, it sure sounds cool. Today, I'll unload it, bolt the body down, put the back bumper back on, hook up the lights and start troubleshooting the engine. I think I have a diamond in the not so rough here! Now if only I could find a righteous deal on the welder/generator that goes in the back!

 

[Desert Rat]

Ken;
Ok, I'm dying to see some photos! Your ordeal sounds similar to mine with getting the dolly set bolted to the shelter. Enjoy your "new" project!

 

[Recovry4x4]

OK DR, here's a link to Wayne's pic site and the truck as he got it from the Gov't. then it shows the removal of the bed. Stupid me, I should have taken a pic of it on the trailer this morning but wanted to get something done before the heat of the day. I took it off the trailer and bolted the body down, hooked up the gas tank filler, lights and put the bumper back on. Its really cool. I'll post as progress continues!

http://imageevent.com/wharris19/contactmaintenancetruck

 

[McGuyver]

Hey the truck looks great! Looks like you got a killer deal on this M887. And only 11,000 miles on the clock!! So you mentioned putting Humvee tires on it, I assume that means a suspension lift is in the works?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Yanno, I'm kind of a purist for my MVs but this truck screams for bigger tires. I don't do much 4 wheelin anymore but still like the look. The can of worms I open with the 37" radials is then everything else will need updated. If I find a screamin deal on a 6" lift, I'll probably do it. The 318 is sick and I need to resolve that issue first. Would like to put a 6.2 or a Cummins it it. Maybe a 4BT or a 6BT. For right now I'm going to sneak up on getting the 318 right or popping in a replacement.

 

[Desert Rat]

R 4X4;
WOW, nice truck! I was bidding on a truck similar to that one but dropped out when I realized I'd need to haul it home. I did not have my vehicle hauler then. Needless to say, I'm hunting for another one!

 

[McGuyver]

Ah, ther you go. Now you're talking. I'd like to put a Cummins turbo Diesel under the hood of my M880 as well. Mate it up to an NV4500 manual five speed transmission. One day, one day...

 

[Recovry4x4]

Rat, if you're serious I know where a nice one is/was for sale. I think it's MVHardware.com. The guys name is Rick Thiers. He has a pretty nice one with some work done on it. He was asking $1500 and nobody was buying. Last I talked with Rick he was going to part it out and put the Maintenance bed on a CUCV. He also has, listen up M880 guys, canvas seat recovers. These aren't slip covers but actual seat covers that are to be hog ringed just like original. He has them for the CUCV series too. Tell him Kenny from FL sent you. Won't get you a discount but it's nice for him to know whos sending customers.

 

[Desert Rat]

R 4X4;
As soon as I finish my Masters program ($14,600 tuition) and get my $6,000/yr pay raise I'll be on it! I'm beginning the fall selling season in about 5 weeks so maybe the company can help me too........

 

[Recovry4x4]

It's alive, It's ALIVE! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_tongue.gif" alt="Tongue"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_jawdrop.gif" alt="Jawdrop">]. After a brief troubleshooting session and $18.00 spent, the M887 is going down the road. Still have smoe maintenance to do (I hear U-Joints squeaking) but it actually carried me to a couple of stores this morning. Found that it had one slightly bent pushrod, one severely bent pushrod and one broken pushrod. Probably a result of someone starting it up after a lengthy sit and had stuck valves. I found 2 of them were reasonably stuck but freed up without haste. I ended up pulling the intake as one of the lifters had jumped out of its bore. All in all, not bad for 2 hours work. Need to adjust the kickdown linkage as well, the 2-3 shift is a little high. I'm off for another ride! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

 

[dilvoy]

Hey Recovery4x4, I have an M887 with the body still on and the welder generator is still there. The wisconsin engine had a carb fire and the carb and its tubular manifole were removed and are not present. I was going to take the body off and install a regular bed until I realised that this vehicle might have been sent to Saudi arabia in desert srorm. It has the blacd Greek lambda painted on each door. You may not have to lift your vehicle to put on those Humvee tires. My truck has had the lower corners of the front wheel wells crudley cut and hammered out. One of the reasons I bought it was that it was cheap. The other was that on the rear folding doors it says. "George Bush Diesel and truck repair. If we can't fis it DX it". I'm located in San Francisco Ca. Where are you? George

 

[Recovry4x4]

Dang George, I'm a bit fer away here in S Fla. If you do get rid of the welder stuff, let me know, I might can get it hauled here. Gotta love those Dodges!