REO M275 truck tractor

[johan77]

thanks !!!!! do you guys know if it causes damage to the engine if instead of SAE 3 monograde oil, 15W40 is used ?? its a non turbo LD-465

 

[Tracer]

Johan77, Refer to Lubrication Order LO-9-2320-209-12-1 for the lubrication information for your truck.

 

[Scrounger]

The original lube order called for straight 30 weight oil for warm weather. However once multi viscosity oils became available the military changed to using 15W40 for these kinds of vehicles.

So, to answer your question. 15W40 is fine for the engine and I would recommend its use.

 

[johan77]

did anybody do a rebuild of the hydrovac brake system used on the reo m35-m275 ? the master cilinder is ok, the vent hole is open, pedal freeplay is ok, pedal return spring is present, filled with silicone brake fluid...still when building up pressure all brakes lock on, when shutting down you hear inside the hydrovac clearly a noise that sounds like when you hold an air hose under water and open it, so i think the problem must be in there, i open one gladhand on the rear so there 's almost no air and than i'm able to move it back and forward but with or without air pressure the brake pedal is super hard (it does brake a bit when pressing the pedal )
I have the older model air pack (the long one) with the brake light switch screwed in on the front, since there's air leaking into the air pack somehow i assume it passes trough the valve in the side of the air pack about halfway (between the cilinder and front end of the pack)

the buzzer is also connected again , and it works just fine, i'm not sure for what you should wear hearing protection in that truck, must be for that little buzzer and it made sense why it was disconnected

thanks

 

[cattlerepairman]

Yes, the symptoms you describe point to the airpack (hydrovac) needing to be rebuilt.

 

[frank8003]

About the air and brake problems .............
Take a service air compressor of almost any type and connect it to the right rear gladhand and pump up the system. All will be quiet except for the compressor then one may find all the air problems. No need to go over 100psi, I have used a cheap little battery powered compressor and that worked good too.


I had built mine so I could hook anything to anything that is why so many fittins in the photos.

 

[johan77]

thanks !!! what a great idea, is there a reason why the right rear gladhand ? is it the one that's the most far in the system? like with bleeding the brakes i think that's also the place to start or is there another reason ?

About the air and brake problems .............
Take a service air compressor of almost any type and connect it to the right rear gladhand and pump up the system. All will be quiet except for the compressor then one may find all the air problems. No need to go over 100psi, I have used a cheap little battery powered compressor and that worked good too.
View attachment 766503View attachment 766504

I had built mine so I could hook anything to anything that is why so many fittins in the photos.

 

[frank8003]

thanks !!! what a great idea, is there a reason why the right rear gladhand ? is it the one that's the most far in the system? like with bleeding the brakes i think that's also the place to start or is there another reason ?

Left gladhand is for trailer brakes. Right gladhand is emergency air. Use the right side glad hand.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?28023-Adapting-the-gladhand-to-an-airhose

So put a gauge on the left glad hand in the rear ..........
The drivers side is the service Brake and the passenger side is the emergency air. The passenger side should have air all the time the drivers side should have air when you hit the brakes, so hook up air goeintah to the right side and put a gauge on the left side and watch the brake air that would have gone to a trailer.

 

[johan77]

Next issue untill my airpack rebuild kit arrivés.....the air horn , there are 2 cables connected, one is ground that comes from the button on the steering collumn, on the other one is constantly 24 volts , thats the one thats broken and i can not figure out where it came from, all the wires are taped together and i checked all the numbers on the wires werever possible, the only place were i found some leftover from a wire is on the generator gauge in the dash, (wich has also 24volt constant whenever the master switch is turned on) does anyone knows where the horn gets its power from ? (getting crazy from electric schematics)

 

[davidb56]

does this help?

 

[johan77]

thanks !!! the circuit breaker is automatic if i'm right ? i mean if there is or was a shortcut is shutting off and on again without doing something with it ? this must be easy to find, i dont have much breakers in the engine bay , a few wich are bolted to the firewall.

 

[johan77]

whats the easiest way to remove a broken u-joint ? remove clips and punch the cups out from the inside out ? or removing the complete shaft with yokes, the one on the front drive shaft (transfer case side) is broken.

does someone have some pics how the rear taillights and mudguards should be insstalled ? mine are not original and like that i cannot use the right gladhand

 

[davidb56]

Ive never changed a u joint on the vehicle. I suppose it could be done, but I just take the shaft off and use my press. Before I had a press, Id use a hammer and sockets, because my vice wasn't big enough to press them in. Be careful you don't loose or pinch the new needle bearings, the blue grease they pack them in is thin. I always put a dab of heavier grease in the cups when installing them to keep the needle bearings from falling out while assembly.

 

[fasttruck]

This used to work with 5 tons. Take the cap bolts off the journals and block a jack up so it would bear on the drive shaft which would lift the cap on the top side. Rotate the shaft 180 degrees and do the opposite cap. I guess if you take the clips off that would work here. The issue would be if the u joint caps are really stuck you might lift the whole truck by the drive shaft. As suggested in post 73 a press would be better. I also recall that a hand tool was devised to press the caps out and was popular with wrecker operators who had to take u joints apart on the road. You can also beat on it with a big hammer but you are risk of damaging the drive shaft this way. U joints need greased. I hope you have looked after them. The grease gun is your friend. Grease is cheap. Parts are expensive. be guided accordingly.

 

[Tracer]

whats the easiest way to remove a broken u-joint ? remove clips and punch the cups out from the inside out ? or removing the complete shaft with yokes, the one on the front drive shaft (transfer case side) is broken.

does someone have some pics how the rear taillights and mudguards should be insstalled ? mine are not original and like that i cannot use the right gladhand

Johan, most of the M275 trucks I've observed do not run mud flaps. But here is a good picture of an M275 with mud flaps and rear tail lights. Personally I like running mud flaps.

 

[fasttruck]

I don't know what the situation is in Europe, but here in North America you can get grief from crime fighters if you run the tractor without a trailer coupled to it. Ones shown in post 75 appear to be commercial products with the reflective panels added.

 

[johan77]

I don't know what the situation is in Europe, but here in North America you can get grief from crime fighters if you run the tractor without a trailer coupled to it. Ones shown in post 75 appear to be commercial products with the reflective panels added.

yes !!! like that one on post 75, with the delineators on it, looks much nicer, thanks !!!!

 

[johan77]

This used to work with 5 tons. Take the cap bolts off the journals and block a jack up so it would bear on the drive shaft which would lift the cap on the top side. Rotate the shaft 180 degrees and do the opposite cap. I guess if you take the clips off that would work here. The issue would be if the u joint caps are really stuck you might lift the whole truck by the drive shaft. As suggested in post 73 a press would be better. I also recall that a hand tool was devised to press the caps out and was popular with wrecker operators who had to take u joints apart on the road. You can also beat on it with a big hammer but you are risk of damaging the drive shaft this way. U joints need greased. I hope you have looked after them. The grease gun is your friend. Grease is cheap. Parts are expensive. be guided accordingly.

thats one of the first things i did, cleaning and check all possible grease fittings and pouring nice new grease in them….however few fittings from the front spring leaves are stucked….the front driveshaft on my tractor does not have any journals, with a flange on the transfer case straight to the front axle.

 

[johan77]

the horn is working just fine with the repair kit installed, everything that shoud be on the steering wheel was missing...and some wiring was not connected where it should (thanks to davidb56), now its loud…..just loud

 

[johan77]

next issue …..gauge does not read any oil pressure, maybe the sending unit is stuck ? however its running fine, no strange noises or so….is there a way to determine if there is some pressure ? i m going to take out the sending unit in a minute and checking the wiring, is that one working with resistance instead of 24volts to indicate any pressure ?