M923A2 came home with me today!

[steelsoldiers]

RE: MORE PICS!!

Thanks Bjorn! It was a huge chore just rolling the wheel/tire/hub/brake-drum assembly down the road from the tractor-trailer to where the truck is sitting. I'm sure it would be a little easier without the hub and drum, but still a chore. I need to get the spare off of the truck to put on the front right. That will be a killer job without the davit boom. Good thing my buddy has a forklift where the truck is sitting!

Chad has volunteered to help with some intensive work sessions to get it road ready. I'll need him too! Especially for tire/rim changing and wrestling that big pig of a radiator into position.

 

[jeli]

RE: MORE PICS!!

The last 5 ton I was assigned to was an M930A2. The 8.3's run good but I second the need to keep spare fuel filters. I will say with the tires aired down to the sand setting it will go almost anywhere. I'd put it up against a tracked vehicle anywhere. Just remember no reverse in low range.

 

[TheBuggyman]

I have a thought on the whole performance/power thing and I may be way off base here.

The 900 series have automatics, correct? Since the HP and torque ratings are close to the same I would think that the torque multiplication characteristics of the auto are what is making the difference as I've read that there is as much as a 2.5 multiplier to the torque figure when running through a converter. A 60 lb-ft increase is substantial (10% or so in this case but not in a 20k pound truck) and I suppose that the weight savings and the torque increase do help a little bit, but I think that the auto is what really gives these trucks the kick that they are said to have.

 

[Oldvw2]

Thanks Bjorn - this is going to be a fun project. Like Chris said good thing there is a Lull parked next to the barn for the heavy lifting. The tilt up front is nice but we might have to fab up a work stand to hang on the tires for easier access to the steering lines and cooler.

 

[Recovry4x4]

You know what surprises me is the bed. I would have thought that a truck as new as this one would have the ISO bed. This has the same bed I had on my old M54A2C. Thats not a bad thing just kinda surprised me.

 

[steelsoldiers]

I have a thought on the whole performance/power thing and I may be way off base here.

The 900 series have automatics, correct? Since the HP and torque ratings are close to the same I would think that the torque multiplication characteristics of the auto are what is making the difference as I've read that there is as much as a 2.5 multiplier to the torque figure when running through a converter. A 60 lb-ft increase is substantial (10% or so in this case but not in a 20k pound truck) and I suppose that the weight savings and the torque increase do help a little bit, but I think that the auto is what really gives these trucks the kick that they are said to have.

Well, if you are talking about the difference between a M813 NHC-250 5-spd manual truck and a M923 NHC-250 5-spd auto truck, I'd say you are right. The torque mupltiplying effect of the auto tranny in the 939 series truck probably has a lot to do with the kick in the rear. In my previous post, I was speaking of the differences in accelleration between the 939/939A1 trucks with the NHC-250 and the 939A2 trucks with the 8.3 CTA. With that said, I haven't driven an 800 or 900 series truck so it is a lot of speculation on my part. I am going with what I have read in the manuals and from what other owners have told me. Once I get my 923A2 on the road, we'll have to get together and do a little truck swap for a few hours to see what the differences really amount to.

 

[steelsoldiers]

You know what surprises me is the bed. I would have thought that a truck as new as this one would have the ISO bed. This has the same bed I had on my old M54A2C. Thats not a bad thing just kinda surprised me.

Yep, all of those trucks at GL had the same bed as mine. May have something to do with them being Navy trucks? I dunno.

 

[TheBuggyman]

I have a thought on the whole performance/power thing and I may be way off base here.

The 900 series have automatics, correct? Since the HP and torque ratings are close to the same I would think that the torque multiplication characteristics of the auto are what is making the difference as I've read that there is as much as a 2.5 multiplier to the torque figure when running through a converter. A 60 lb-ft increase is substantial (10% or so in this case but not in a 20k pound truck) and I suppose that the weight savings and the torque increase do help a little bit, but I think that the auto is what really gives these trucks the kick that they are said to have.

Well, if you are talking about the difference between a M813 NHC-250 5-spd manual truck and a M923 NHC-250 5-spd auto truck, I'd say you are right. The torque mupltiplying effect of the auto tranny in the 939 series truck probably has a lot to do with the kick in the rear. In my previous post, I was speaking of the differences in accelleration between the 939/939A1 trucks with the NHC-250 and the 939A2 trucks with the 8.3 CTA. With that said, I haven't driven an 800 or 900 series truck so it is a lot of speculation on my part. I am going with what I have read in the manuals and from what other owners have told me. Once I get my 923A2 on the road, we'll have to get together and do a little truck swap for a few hours to see what the differences really amount to.

My bad, yes I was speaking of the M813/NHC-250 combo. I can tell you this though- if I had one of those 8.3's I would ABSOLUTELY turn it up. I have a 5.9 24v in my Dodge with a Banks Powerpack, 100 Hp injectors and 43 pounds of boost and it is fabulous! Does your truck have a mechanical injector pump? If so, a turn-up would be easy. We'll have to get together when you are done, I've got 31 acres, a dozer and excavator, we'll have a blast! One thing I did notice is that the underside of your axle housings are shaved flat for clearance, that's a trick we've been doing for years with our 2-1/2 ton axles in our buggies. Cool truck, can't wait to see it at Aberdeen!

 

[steelsoldiers]

We'll have to get together when you are done, I've got 31 acres, a dozer and excavator, we'll have a blast!

Awesome!! We might need the dozer if either one of us gets buried up to the axles!!

 

[steelsoldiers]

Hey Kenny,
Here's the door close-ups you wanted. It looks to have had another door put on it at some point since the numbers don't match up and the paint is a little different. Also, the door in the bed had a 2.5-ton barcode sticker on it, but the 2 doors look to be the same size. Did the deuce and the 900 use the same doors? If not, maybe the sticker was a mistake.

The other photo is of my Dodge next to the 923A2 for size comparison. Makes it look like a compact

 

[steelsoldiers]

Finally got some stuff done on the truck today. Only had an hour or so to work on it, but I got the axle-shaft greased and in, the spindle bolted up and the brake spider mounted. The fitting on the CTIS line where it hooks to the spindle is rusted solid so I need to source one of those. Should be able to get it local. It's just a 45* line with a swivel on one end. Next I'll get the hub mounted and put the tire/wheel on. It'll be nice to have all 6 on the ground. Hopefully I'll be able to get my batt and start switches in and then have a chance to fire it.

 

[steelsoldiers]

Pulled the 4 batts out of the truck today. That was fun lifting them out of the batt box and then to the ground by myself. Ooof, my aching back. I brought them to my office to see if they would take a charge and then recondition them with EDTA if need be. I had a very pleasant surprise when I checked the voltage of the batts. 3 of them were above 12 and 1 was just above 10v. I figured they would be totally dead! I will hit them all with the charger and see what happens. It would be a great savings if I could use all four of them for a while! I plan on getting some more stuff done on wed. afternoon and then my brother is coming up saturday morning for a major wrenching session. Hopefully we'll get the wiring straight and a few other things and then get it started.

 

[steelsoldiers]

PS, is there any difference between a 6TL and a 6TMF battery? All of mine are 6TMF.

Ahh, never mind, a simple google revealed that the 6TMF are "maintenance free" batts. It seems they were all made in 2002 so they may be OK. We'll see.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Sounds great Chris. Looks like as long as it doesn't turn into a money pit, you will be ready for Aberdeen.

 

[ida34]

You know what surprises me is the bed. I would have thought that a truck as new as this one would have the ISO bed. This has the same bed I had on my old M54A2C. Thats not a bad thing just kinda surprised me.

Yep, all of those trucks at GL had the same bed as mine. May have something to do with them being Navy trucks? I dunno.

I know I am late to this subject but the drop bed you have was the bed we had on all of our 900 series five tons in the late 80's early 90's in the Army so it is not a navy thing. I never saw ISO beds when I was in and I got out in 1993.

 

[emmado22]

ISO beds were on USMC trucks, ONLY.. The Marines like their Tricons and Quadcons, and the ISO bed allowed them to carry them on the 5 tons.

 

[steelsoldiers]

Making progress here gang! Here's what I got done during the evening work-session today:

Hot water personnel heater installed
Tach/Tach cable installed
Flasher Relay installed
Warning Center Relay installed
Front clevis installed
Wiring under dash sorted out

Saturday will be the big work day. I will install the newly charged batts, check engine oil, check tranny oil, install PS ram, install PS cooler, fill PS system, install lower rad mount, install rad, fill cooling system, repair wiring in dash and install batt and starter switches, connect batt cables, energize system for the first time (watching for magic smoke) and after checking/rechecking everything I will attempt to start it. Woop-woop!

 

[ida34]

Good luck. I had alot of fun driving them in between unexploded ordinance in the middle of the night in Iraq. I especially loved the fact that the brakes would lock up most of the time towing the 15,000 lbs howitzer. Does yours have the ABS upgrade? I also love the Navy markings. This really makes it a rare truck.

 

[cranetruck]

Hi Chris, the transmission is similar to the one in my 8x8 and is suposed to use 10W oil. Could you check and see if that's what you have in yours? Also, you may want to replace the transmissiuon oil filter while you are at it.

Thanks,

 

[steelsoldiers]

Hi Chuck, yes it does have the ABS MWO applied and everything seems to be there so hopefully it still works. Were you driving the 939 trucks with dual NDTs or the A1/A2 trucks with radial singles? Just curious if the singles helped drving manners as suggested.

Hi Bjorn, my truck is currently filled with Dexron III. The manual specifies:

OE/HDO 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -4.° F .t o . +5.5 °.F (.- 40. °C. to. +.1 3.° C.) . . . .
OE/HDO 15/40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+10°F to +110°F (-12°C to +43°C)
Dexron III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-15°F to +75°F(-26°C to +24°C)
OEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-65°F to +40°F(-54°C to +4°C)

but all of the 900 owners I have talked to have seen only Dexron III in the pan. Bkubu had one of his trucks serviced by Allison and they filled it with DexIII.

I am definitely going to change all fluids and filters. Even though it only has 5400 miles on it, there's no telling what's in the fluids that isn't supposed to be there. Cheap insurance eh?