My M35A2 Project aka Big Betty

[TMNT]

Made a bit more progress with the heater. I had already cut about 5.25 inches out of the blower box and this evening I got it mostly reassembled.

While the paint was drying, I replaced the hydraulic brake light switch. Clinto, that was definitely the problem. The brake lights now come on with just a slight touch of the brake pedal.

I also replaced my driver side mirror with a new one from Erik's. The old one was rotted out at the bottom. The new one looks great.

Michael, my 10 year old, wanted me to shoot some green on his latest Lego creation while we were in the garage.

If I didn't need to work tomorrow, I'd keep at it tonight until the heater was installed and working. As it is, I have to stop and get some sleep.

 

[TMNT]

My cab soft-top has been missing the metal clip that connects the rail above the passenger door to the windshield frame. I decided tonight to fabricate one out of the metal pieces that I cut from the heater blower box. I took the clip off of the driver side and used it as a pattern to fab up a mirror image piece for the missing one. I'm no Jesse James, but it came out pretty good and it seems to work. I fixed a couple of rust spots on the top rails while I was at it.

I reassembled the blower box and it is ready for installation in the truck.....as soon as I decide exactly where I'm going to mount it.

I relocated the air diverter control cable panel and installed the On/Off switch. I still have the wiring and ducts to install, but it is slowly coming together.

While I was doing all of that, my son asked me to try to paint his Lego Deuce camo to match Betty. I gave it a shot and it looks pretty good.

Now its back to work on a couple of job bids that have to be submitted in the morning. Gotta stop burning the candle at both ends!

 

[TMNT]

Well, I was too danged worn out to go anywhere this weekend. After sleeping in a bit this morning, I got started working on Betty. My passenger side wiper motor arrived sometime last week, so I figured I would get that swapped out. One thing led to another, and before you know it, I had the passenger side windshield out and stripped. I attacked the rust, primed it, painted it (Rapco 383 green), installed the new rubber seals, and finally put the new wiper motor on.

Me and the boys took it for a test drive this evening in the rain, and the wipers worked great. The new seal around the passenger side windshield is a vast improvement over the dried out broken seal that was there before. We drove about 6 miles in the rain and the passenger side of the dash was dry, but the drivers side was streaming water down the the dash. I can't wait to get the driver's side done now.

While waiting for the paint to dry on that passenger side windshield frame, I test fit the heater core/blower box in a couple of different places and I decided that I'm stuck with mounting it on the driver side inner fender. With the box cut down, I can squeeze it toward the fire wall a bit and keep reasonably good access to the IP and oil filters. Fuel filters will be kind of a B***H though.

I ran the 5/8" water lines from the petcocks to the future position of the heater core, but that's about it for progress on the heater. Sure could have used that defroster on that test drive tonight!

 

[joeM62]

Where abouts in Canton area are you I pass by there a few times on 20 and see one guy
on the right that has a nice looking duce didn't know if that was you or another member.

 

[TMNT]

I know the truck you're talking about. That's not me. I pass by it almost everyday and sometimes give him a honk, but I've never met him. He has a great looking truck.

I'm about halfway between canton and Cartersville, a little west of the hwy 108 junction.

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

When you take something apart to fix it and you start to feel like you've opened a big ol' can o' worms, just chalk it up to a good fishing trip and keep in mind how nice it'll be to know those things won't be a problem for a long time to come. then smile and admire all the looks you'll get from the fascinated and the curious. That's half the fun!

 

[TMNT]

Just a video my son took with my iPhone this morning while we were driving through town.

Drive a Deuce In The Rain - YouTube

 

[clinto]

I wish the sound on videos taken with my Evo sounded that good.

Those wipers are so much better than the stock ones or the "upgrades" (i.e. Saturn).

 

[TMNT]

I have both wiper motors changed out with the good, metal ones. The worked very well in this rain we've had. I switched and swapped wiper arms and wiper blades so many times, I'm not even sure which ones I have on there now. I think I have the ANCO arms with the Saturn blades. In any event, I'm satisfied with them for now.

Yeah, I was surprised at the sound quality in that video. The last time we took video with my Sony camera, the audio was awful with overload.

You could tell the boys were happy. I take Michael and his little buddies with me when I can. The neighborhood kids love the truck. Dylan is actually Michael's uncle even though they are both 10 years old! He is my wife's baby half brother.

 

[joeM62]

I didn't know if that was your duce or somebody else, everytime I go by there I never see
anybody outside look like he has civilain mud tires on it still a nice duce. Me and Twright are in Polk county if yah want swing sometime.

 

[TMNT]

I intend to stop and talk to that guy in the next few days. I've seen him outside a couple of times and sometimes I go by there and that deuce is gone. I think he pulls an RV trailer with him when he goes, but I've never actually seen him driving it. He's got a camo blazer there also, but I'm not sure if it's a CUCV or just a K5 with a camo paint job.

Maybe we could meet up in Cartersville sometime. PM me a phone number or an address and we can start planning to swing out your way sometime soon. Can you make it to the breakfast gathering that a few of us are doing at the 57th Fighter Group on March 11?

 

[Heavysteven]

Next time your going up highway look on the left next to Cherokee Pawn, there is a small armored car and another MV I think behind it. Those two pieces have just been sitting there for years.

Ah good old Canton, took my driving test on that stretch of road. You have got the Pizza Hut, Rock barn, Cherokee High School, and the old Sparkles. Video stops at Williams brothers....I lived here since I was 7.

 

[TMNT]

Steven, I go past Cherokee Pawn at least twice each day and I see those MV's you mentioned. One is a like a small rubber tired tank with a gun turret. The other one is bigger, painted white and has a heavily protected front end. Looks like it could ram through pretty much anything. Maybe a UN vehicle of some type? I've seen UN convoys and all the vehicles were white.

 

[TMNT]

My son, Michael, told me last evening that Betty needed some exercise so, we did our pre-trip inspection and drove her over to Lowes in Cartersville. That's about a 20 mile round trip. We did the whoe ride at about 48 MPH except for the steep hills where we dropped to about 35 MPH. I try to run her at 2200-2300 max and I really like 2000.

Afterward, while she was doing her cool down idle in the driveway, I walked around her checking hub and tire temps. Nothing unusual except right rear hub felt warmer than the rest. I grabbed my laser thermometer and shot all of the tires and hubs.

Air Temp: 71 degrees

Front Tires: ~120 degrees
Front Hubs: ~88 degrees

All Rear Tires: ~84-85 degrees

Mid axle and left rear hubs: ~104-105 degrees

Right rear hub: ~115 degrees

Nothing major but it is definitely running a bit warmer than the rest. I'll be keeping an eye on it until I can service it in the next few weeks.

 

[clinto]

I don't think I'd be terribly concerned about that. I know when I drove your truck to my parent's house (30 miles, mostly interstate) I checked them and I wasn't concerned.


There was a good thread (I thought neilhendrix was the author but I can't find it now) that had the actual temps and what the acceptable range was.

Here are a few that cover the issue:

Very good thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/31749-hot-hub.html

Good discussion of temps: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/41796-wheel-bearing-temps-high-grease-preload-qs.html

More: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/37188-drivetrain-operating-temperatures.html

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/25987-heat-hubs-pics.html


If you want to service all of them, we could probably do them in a day. My parts washer and bearing packer on a 5 gallon bucket of grease make short work of it. Just give me some notice, I need another bucket of grease and I've been putting it off since my cost at NAPA is something like $120!

 

[TMNT]

Thanks Clinto. I'm not really concerned about it. 115 degrees is not "hot" but it is the first time that I've noticed that hub feeling noticably warmer than the others. It's also the first time I've done any highway driving with the ambient temperature in the 70's.

At this point, its just one of those curious little things that I noticed and that I pay attention to.

I'll check out the links you supplied and I'll just keep checking the temps to see if the temperature delta increases or if that one hub just tends to run 10 degrees warmer for some reason. Tomorrow should be a good chance to check it again with the run over to the Tlted Kilt in Gwinnett and back.

 

[TMNT]

I drove Betty over to the Tilted Kilt in Buford, GA to be part of the FJ Cruiser meet. Daniel, my brother, drove my FJ over. Betty was a star. We had a great time checking out all the trucks and meeting everyone.

Betty did great on the road. Only two problems developed. My turn signals failed on the way over and I discovered the flasher unit was starting to fall apart. This evening after returning home, I fixed the wiring and hopefully I got the flasher unit functional again. I won't know for sure until in the morning when the epoxy sets up and I can give it a try. I think I have a 50/50 shot at this point.

Second problem is the tach has started being very unstable. I think the cable is going bad. The needle rapidly swings up and down by 500 rpm or so. Hopefully I can take a look at that tomorrow as well.

No problems today with hub temperatures. I'll check them again in warmer weather and see what happens.

 

[joeM62]

Where abouts is the fighter group meeting at?

 

[TMNT]

Where abouts is the fighter group meeting at?

The 57th Fighter Group restaurant at Peachtree-Dekalb airport on Clairmont Rd.

Atlanta's 57th Fighter Group Restaurant, Located on DeKalb-Peachtree Airport's South Runway

See my thread at http://www.steelsoldiers.com/military-vehicle-road-trips/81698-57th-fighter-group-restaurant.html

we plan to meet there March 11 at 10:00am. Come on out.

 

[TMNT]

I intend to stop and talk to that guy in the next few days. I've seen him outside a couple of times and sometimes I go by there and that deuce is gone. I think he pulls an RV trailer with him when he goes, but I've never actually seen him driving it. He's got a camo blazer there also, but I'm not sure if it's a CUCV or just a K5 with a camo paint job.

Maybe we could meet up in Cartersville sometime. PM me a phone number or an address and we can start planning to swing out your way sometime soon. Can you make it to the breakfast gathering that a few of us are doing at the 57th Fighter Group on March 11?

I stopped by that guys house on Saturday afternoon but he didn't answer the door. The truck was there as was the other vehicle and there was smoke coming from the chimney but all I got was dogs barking at me. I get the feeling that he is not very social, but I'm going to try again in the next few days.