"Rescued" M816 Wrecker

[Valence]

The two best days of my M816 ownership was the day I got it and the day I sold it. It was a self-inflicted wound since I didn't preview it and bought it from Shelby (a known rebuild facility with a history of cannibalizing trucks). It's the only truck (out of over 200) I ever bought from GL that had a bad engine.

The day I read this, I, sadly, knew that Wreckerman was pretty prophetic! I've sold this one here to my good friend red. Not that I didn't want the truck (far from it!) or still don't REALLY want a wrecker, but I think I'd enjoy it more if I had a very large building to store it and more inside of. I could then work on it, and the trucks I tow home with it, in doors.

I know red will love and feed it well, but work it too. Hopefully all safely

 

[wcuhillbilly]

Where do we send the flowers for your wrecker ownership funeral????? the condolence fund???? the emotional support group???(wait, SS is the emotional support group...)
all kidding aside... at least we know it went to a good home.... Red seems like a very ambitious and energetic guy.

 

[red]

My poor body tries to keep up with my mind, emphasis on tries haha.

 

[red]

Currently working on these 395's. Removing the run flat inserts to make install easier.

 

[dmetalmiki]

We've been following this saga with great interest, but rather sorry you had to let the wrecker depart, I keep saying I will cut down..but when one starts and I drive it...you KNOW the score....And THAT sound!
https://youtu.be/crZYusP0P88

 

[painter paul]

Congrats on the wrecker purchase. I'm fortunate, on my 8th one, and only one needed major (rod thru the block) repairs. They have made me more money than anything else I have ever done and they are lots of fun.

 

[Another Ahab]

I know red will love and feed it well, but work it too. Hopefully all safely

The M816 was just made for work; I mean look at them.

You KNOW they're happiest when they're working:

 

[DanM7890]

That whistle

 

[Another Ahab]

So sweet.

 

[red]

Finished installing the 395's onto some wheels today, planning to mount them on the truck this week as each hub is inspected/serviced.

For those that aren't aware the front winch hasn't been operational. Owner before Valence had a bolt for the shear pin and retracted the cable tight enough to break something. Few months ago we found that the PTO will spin but wasn't turning the shaft to the winch. Used my 60" prybar and a hammer to remove the shaft from the PTO today. Found a few remnants of a broken key but no other damage. Going to remove the PTO, replace the gasket, then reinstall and try to power out the front winch cable.

 

[red]

Take 2

 

[red]

Pics loaded woohoo! First few pics are from before the PTO was removed from the transmission. As yall can see, it was leaking pretty badly. One of the 3 worst leaks on the truck. The other 2 big leaks are from the PTO shaft running to the crane. Can't find new boots for that shaft so nothing I can do about it.






PTO removed. Gears look great and the shifter operates as it should. Gears in the transmission appear to be in good condition and the old oil was clean.




Installed the PTO with a new gasket of the same thickness, new key in the keyway and Valance and I reconnected the PTO shaft running to the front winch. First time that winch has moved in years. Powered out (fingers crossed that it just needed a new key on the PTO shaft) and success!



Cable came free and we were able to eventually get the winch into free spool. As yall can see the cable was wound up incorrectly, kinked, lines crossed over each other..... No bueno.



So, cant pull it by hand in free spool, little extra oomf was required. Before a safety nazi complains the truck was in idle and the cable was unrolling this way. No way to unroll it by hand (or with my 60" prybar) with how the cable was overlapped.

 

[red]

There's still more kinks in the cable that's on the drum. Pulled off around 80ft so far.

Greased all the joints on the truck saturday as well, about 5 tubes worth of grease between the truck, crane, and 2 winches. Needless to say there was alot of grease required for the truck. Easy to do though with an air powered grease gun!!



Was planning to begin the super singles conversion and servicing the wheelends this weekend. Can't yet, the aluminum wheels I have require longer wheel studs. So decided to take care of some other little things today. Plumbed in and mounted the EGT gauge, changed the mud/coolant along with a new filter. The old filter weighed about 5 pounds, after the coolant was drained from it. Mounted the coolant filter, before it had been plumbed in but was just hanging by the muffler. Finished securing the new passenger seat. Mounted the johnson bar for testing trailer brakes. Not plumbed in yet, just mounted.






Will need to tear apart the level wind on the front winch. All the joints are frozen stiff right now. Debating possibly just pulling it off, unless they actually do the job correctly (when working correctly).

 

[Another Ahab]

You got to take the "Safety Nazis" with a grain of salt:

- They ultimately mean well (+/-)

It's just a real drag if somebody gets hurt where they didn't need to is all.

 

[red]

True. Difference between safety aware, and a safety nazi. Awareness is appreciated (like when yall pointed out the crane support legs). For now the cable is just rolled up around the bumper. Front winch will need cable and the level wind assembly rebuilt because nothing moves in it, even after greasing.


Back on track. The new seals are here for the work on the hubs, and the 395's are mounted on the aluminum wheels. So yesterday we removed the wheels from one side of the middle axle to test fit the wheels on the rear axles. The stock studs are just a little short to get full thread engagement, so will need new lugnuts for the rear axles. These, in particular, 40 total



The rear hubs are getting flipped, making the wheels mount properly so that the track width is wide/stable, easier access to the valve stems, and easier wheel install/removal from the hub. I have longer studs for the front axle on the passenger side, need to order them for the driver side LH thread.


Another item that I picked up was a cold weather front. It's meant for a deuce, but is a close fit for the 809 series trucks. Figure it would be useful for the cold and for when the truck is idling for extended periods to help prevent 'wet stacking' concerns. Will be stored on the truck somewhere, not sure which compartment yet.

 

[Csm Davis]

Red I believe a standard constant velocity boot will work

sent from my decrepit fingers

 

[zebedee]

<<snip snip>>
Will need to tear apart the level wind on the front winch. All the joints are frozen stiff right now. Debating possibly just pulling it off, unless they actually do the job correctly (when working correctly).

I've done a rebuild thread for both level winds (which do a wonderful job when working) - they are easy enough to strip and service, even a little modification if appropriate grease fitting is missing. Spare parts will be the issue if you cannot rejuvenate the damage. Though stuff like felt washers can be fashioned from WallyWorld/fabric store sheet felt. Needle rollers were sourced from Fastenall too.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...nance-anomoly-Front-Winch&highlight=levelwind

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...Level-Wind-Servicing-Tips&highlight=levelwind

 

[red]

Red I believe a standard constant velocity boot will work

sent from my decrepit fingers

Last fall when I was looking for a replacement CV joint for that shaft I had zero luck getting my hands on a replacement boot at the local shops. Will try again. The joints that are in it currently work, but the boots on both sides leak.


Went to the local heavy truck dealership and picked up 40 of those lug nuts for the rear, along with the remaining studs needed for the front (longer studs). Studs were about $4 each and the lug nuts were roughly $5 each.

Started off with the passenger side #3 axle. Pulled the old duals off followed by the hub/drum/axle shaft. Brake shoes look great, wheel cylinder rubbers appeared new as well (pliable, no signs of cracks or leaking). Wheel bearings in good shape, just packed with the military grease. So I pulled the drum off, drove the wheel studs out with the air hammer, flipped the hub, drove the studs in from the other side. Packed the bearings with green Primrose grease, new seals, locktite on the bolts, and finished reassembly on that hub.







Tire pressure is at 65psi. For offroad use I'm thinking 55psi at the lowest with the wrecker.

 

[red]

Made some more progress today, despite setbacks. Damaged 3 of the studs when removing them from the middle axle hub on the passenger side, so they will need to be replaced. That hub had a bad seal, oil had washed out most of the grease, and the wheel cylinder had seen better days so took it apart and rebuilt it. Bearings are good.

Front hub went together well but ran into a clearance issue between the aluminum wheel and the dust cover that goes around the drum. Had to remove part of the dust cover (the edge that overlaps the drum) but the tire/wheel is on now and spins with no binding. Front wheel cylinder on passenger side looked great so I didn't tear it apart.






As you can see in the last pic the exhaust has been corrected again. I'll admit, when the exhaust was turned the other way I got a kick out of watching the cup fly across the truck when I would start it hahaha.

 

[Another Ahab]

I like the contrasting color of the wheel. That looks sharp.