So I went to the beach the other day with friends and with my M923 and got stuck. Shamefully a Tundra with mud tires got me out. I guess as a newbie I did not realize the front wheel drives do not engage when still rolling in gear even at 10 mph. Then again, when in neutral, I hear the pressure up and the pressure release when flipping it but no way of telling if it really works. Not my first time, I similarly got stuck with a F250 when the front wheels would not engage readily, having to flip between 2 to 4 wheels 3 times. My Titan was more consistent.
Anyways, she seemed to sink the next day in mud in the woods next door and I think I almost got stuck there again despite this time having a positive engagement by the sound of it but could not tell if the front wheels were actually working it too. I am a bit shy too on the gas when going through, I think I lack skills. She is quite heavy too and just bought a valve stem tire deflator kit for next time trials.
Also, I tried 4 low (I know, not going backward with it), and I released some air pressure to engage it. Usually it is no problem while in neutral. However this time it finally engaged when in 4th level gear. Did not seem like the front was engaging either, I do not know. Basically I was wiggling the gear while actuating the Low setting and when it popped it pulled the gear to 4th and I could not put it in 5th nor neutral, let alone in reverse (safety feature?). The rear wheel spun but I still was stuck and no way of telling if front was engaged. The washer is there and actuating the switch, though.
Another issue is my parking brake. It used to have a sort of detente that put it in tension to keep it up, but now it is loose and I have to put a heavy bag in front of the break handle for it to not flip down on its own before I put the wheel chalks.
I also did a coolant flush, pulling all the hoses out and hosing down water wherever, and there was a lot of rust. It seems like black coolant reservoir on the NHC gets rusty at the bottom. The guy who sold it to me had no visible coolant level to it, just a moist puddle of rust (ugh!). He told me she got fixed by a diesel tech last year and then kept in a garage and not moved around, saying she was ready to go. So I left with the truck and drove it like that for 300 miles without checking the coolant situation , trusting him (aouch). So at home I put back in about 4 gal of pure antifreeze and 2-3 of distilled water, but still get a bit of rusty water for a couple seconds at the bottom of the radiator drain when opening up. I think I am going to get some of that red diesel antirust coolant from amsoil. That reservoir tank looks hard to replace because the bolts holding it in place also hold the exhaust to the exhaust manifold, and I do not want to mess with that yet.
Anyways, was good fun. Next is going to oil and transmission change.
www.bigmikesmotorpool.com
