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What have you done to your HMMWV today/lately

suzukovich

Active member
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Gibsonton Fl
I thought about doing that. Decided to err on caution and did the PVC inserts. TreadWright was pretty good. 3 of the tires they sent me had issues. They sent me replacements right away.. Also interesting note they are true 37s the MTRs were 36s.
Looks good. I ran those Guard Dogs for a while before I went to 17 inch wheels. I really liked them. I ran them with no beadlocks on 12 bolts.
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Wire Fox

Well-known member
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Indianapolis, Indiana
So gents, it was a final hour mission. Myself and two friends were tearing into the HMMWV late on the night before the wedding. We finished up all the mechanical details and worked together to finish up the rest of the electronics. Lots of things that we skipped...but in the end, we had it running and driving before the night ended. Unfortunately, there still is some issue with the electronics, so my 4L80E was still stuck in limp mode with 2nd gear and reverse, but the call was made that it would be driven anyway. Chugging along at a blistering pace of 35 MPH, I crept along the back roads from Indianapolis down to Nashville, IN and made it to the park where my wedding would be about 4:15 AM, leaving me about 5 hours to sleep before I needed to be up and help setting up things for the ceremony. I did develop a coolant loss issue that I'm not 100% sure I've corrected, but I've definitely substantially improved it (was losing about 2 gallons of coolant every 15 miles or so and have been topping off with distilled water... reduced it to have only lost about a pint or two, which may have just been air pockets. I'm rechecking in a few to confirm if I've stopped the loss.)

I've got a bag full of tools again down at our honeymoon spot and am downloading copies of all the TMs...she wants to see if I can find the wiring issue and get us going at a proper 55 MPH, but if not, we'll continue to just take it slow for the next few days. I'll share some pictures with y'all when the photographers get them uploaded.
 

Bulldogger

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Quantico VA
I've got a bag full of tools again down at our honeymoon spot and am downloading copies of all the TMs...she wants to see if I can find the wiring issue and get us going at a proper 55 MPH, but if not, we'll continue to just take it slow for the next few days. I'll share some pictures with y'all when the photographers get them uploaded.
She sounds like a keeper!

Congratulations on your wedding. All the best.

Bulldogger
 

Retiredwarhorses

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Brentwood, Calif
So gents, it was a final hour mission. Myself and two friends were tearing into the HMMWV late on the night before the wedding. We finished up all the mechanical details and worked together to finish up the rest of the electronics. Lots of things that we skipped...but in the end, we had it running and driving before the night ended. Unfortunately, there still is some issue with the electronics, so my 4L80E was still stuck in limp mode with 2nd gear and reverse, but the call was made that it would be driven anyway. Chugging along at a blistering pace of 35 MPH, I crept along the back roads from Indianapolis down to Nashville, IN and made it to the park where my wedding would be about 4:15 AM, leaving me about 5 hours to sleep before I needed to be up and help setting up things for the ceremony. I did develop a coolant loss issue that I'm not 100% sure I've corrected, but I've definitely substantially improved it (was losing about 2 gallons of coolant every 15 miles or so and have been topping off with distilled water... reduced it to have only lost about a pint or two, which may have just been air pockets. I'm rechecking in a few to confirm if I've stopped the loss.)

I've got a bag full of tools again down at our honeymoon spot and am downloading copies of all the TMs...she wants to see if I can find the wiring issue and get us going at a proper 55 MPH, but if not, we'll continue to just take it slow for the next few days. I'll share some pictures with y'all when the photographers get them uploaded.

You realize running it in limp mode will only shorten the life of the trans and components right?
its just not good to run it this way, it’s fine to limp to the side of the road and get you out of any danger, but running it all day and just driving it like it’s in 2nd gear is just going to cause you to rebuild the trans.
cant speak for coolant loss....blown head gasket or major leak, it’s got to go somewhere.
 

Wire Fox

Well-known member
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Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
You realize running it in limp mode will only shorten the life of the trans and components right?
its just not good to run it this way, it’s fine to limp to the side of the road and get you out of any danger, but running it all day and just driving it like it’s in 2nd gear is just going to cause you to rebuild the trans.
cant speak for coolant loss....blown head gasket or major leak, it’s got to go somewhere.
Oh, I know, but thanks for sharing your concern! Pressures run way higher and temperature control is certainly an issue. I have my original transmission that I have set aside for rebuilding already. There's a few things not right with the current transmission that I'm running that would require a rebuild to correct anyway (rear reluctor ring, shift linkage rod is too long), so it's all going to be changed over again anyway...

I just checked the coolant and it looks like I've fixed it. No loss since I had parked it yesterday, so it looks like it was blowing past a loose hose clamp once heated up and under load. All new hoses and clamps are already on the shelf at home to just eliminate this concern...it will also be a good time to properly clean the whole system out.

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orgnal

Member
285
4
18
Location
Denver, CO
So gents, it was a final hour mission. Myself and two friends were tearing into the HMMWV late on the night before the wedding. We finished up all the mechanical details and worked together to finish up the rest of the electronics. Lots of things that we skipped...but in the end, we had it running and driving before the night ended. Unfortunately, there still is some issue with the electronics, so my 4L80E was still stuck in limp mode with 2nd gear and reverse, but the call was made that it would be driven anyway. Chugging along at a blistering pace of 35 MPH, I crept along the back roads from Indianapolis down to Nashville, IN and made it to the park where my wedding would be about 4:15 AM, leaving me about 5 hours to sleep before I needed to be up and help setting up things for the ceremony. I did develop a coolant loss issue that I'm not 100% sure I've corrected, but I've definitely substantially improved it (was losing about 2 gallons of coolant every 15 miles or so and have been topping off with distilled water... reduced it to have only lost about a pint or two, which may have just been air pockets. I'm rechecking in a few to confirm if I've stopped the loss.)

I've got a bag full of tools again down at our honeymoon spot and am downloading copies of all the TMs...she wants to see if I can find the wiring issue and get us going at a proper 55 MPH, but if not, we'll continue to just take it slow for the next few days. I'll share some pictures with y'all when the photographers get them uploaded.
All the best for the wedding and Congratulations!!!

McReddy
 

Action

Well-known member
3,576
1,557
113
Location
East Tennessee
So gents, it was a final hour mission. Myself and two friends were tearing into the HMMWV late on the night before the wedding. We finished up all the mechanical details and worked together to finish up the rest of the electronics. Lots of things that we skipped...but in the end, we had it running and driving before the night ended. Unfortunately, there still is some issue with the electronics, so my 4L80E was still stuck in limp mode with 2nd gear and reverse, but the call was made that it would be driven anyway. Chugging along at a blistering pace of 35 MPH, I crept along the back roads from Indianapolis down to Nashville, IN and made it to the park where my wedding would be about 4:15 AM, leaving me about 5 hours to sleep before I needed to be up and help setting up things for the ceremony. I did develop a coolant loss issue that I'm not 100% sure I've corrected, but I've definitely substantially improved it (was losing about 2 gallons of coolant every 15 miles or so and have been topping off with distilled water... reduced it to have only lost about a pint or two, which may have just been air pockets. I'm rechecking in a few to confirm if I've stopped the loss.)

I've got a bag full of tools again down at our honeymoon spot and am downloading copies of all the TMs...she wants to see if I can find the wiring issue and get us going at a proper 55 MPH, but if not, we'll continue to just take it slow for the next few days. I'll share some pictures with y'all when the photographers get them uploaded.
Your wedding was st 4:45 am?

Have you pulled any codes from the TCM?
 

Wire Fox

Well-known member
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63
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
Your wedding was st 4:45 am?

Have you pulled any codes from the TCM?
I had camping arrangements in the same state park. I arrived early that morning (intended to be there the night before) so that I'd be close to where I needed to be in the normal-hours morning.

Haven't gone back to my garage yet. I can check it out tomorrow evening with the diagnostics set. I just finished double checking my wiring and found no obvious errors, so here's to hoping it tells me an obvious code.

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Carrera911

Active member
138
31
28
Location
Cumming, Georgia
Made and installed a grounding harness while I had the dog house off. I've never had any of the electrical gremlins associated with poor grounding but I did it anyway with all the hype surrounding grounding issues. Used 8 gauge welding wire off amazon. Crimped and soldered all the lugs with protective loom and heat-shrink over top. Much cheaper and higher quality than the kits I've seen out there IMO. They all look to have too much excess slack in the wires and I doubt they're soldered which can allow corrosion in the crimp.
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Wire Fox

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Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
Made and installed a grounding harness while I had the dog house off. I've never had any of the electrical gremlins associated with poor grounding but I did it anyway with all the hype surrounding grounding issues. Used 8 gauge welding wire off amazon. Crimped and soldered all the lugs with protective loom and heat-shrink over top. Much cheaper and higher quality than the kits I've seen out there IMO. They all look to have too much excess slack in the wires and I doubt they're soldered which can allow corrosion in the crimp.
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Be advised that it's generally noted in automotive applications that soldering connections in a wiring harness is not good practice. The solder will often wick up into the braid of the wire and past any strain relief, creating a spot where some of the strands of the wire are stiffened and able to be excessively flexed and thus, broken more easily.

The solution is either to create crimps with a hydraulic press-style tool that can positively form the wire and connector into a solid piece, or to make use of waterproof heatshrink and water-resistant compounds at the terminals themselves.

...but I've never had a solder connection fail in a vehicle that way. I've not done many, but they've still not failed. I'd say a good crimp is best, followed by good solder, followed by a mediocre crimp, followed by bad solder, finally trailed with a bad crimp.

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Carrera911

Active member
138
31
28
Location
Cumming, Georgia
Be advised that it's generally noted in automotive applications that soldering connections in a wiring harness is not good practice. The solder will often wick up into the braid of the wire and past any strain relief, creating a spot where some of the strands of the wire are stiffened and able to be excessively flexed and thus, broken more easily.

The solution is either to create crimps with a hydraulic press-style tool that can positively form the wire and connector into a solid piece, or to make use of waterproof heatshrink and water-resistant compounds at the terminals themselves.

...but I've never had a solder connection fail in a vehicle that way. I've not done many, but they've still not failed. I'd say a good crimp is best, followed by good solder, followed by a mediocre crimp, followed by bad solder, finally trailed with a bad crimp.

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I have heard that as well. However, I have always soldered my connections in all my wiring jobs, automotive included. Stereos, large cables such as this, splicing harnesses etc. I have yet to have one fail in any way. Yes the connection can break if flexed back and forth repeatedly but so can the wire at the end of a crimp. Any metal will stress fracture if bent back and forth repeatedly, like a paperclip. This is why its important to loom your wires and secure them, not allowing them to flex and flop around, regardless of the method used to attach them together. However, I can't tell you the number of times I've had to fix wiring in vehicles, buddies vehicles, trailers etc where a butt connector or other crimp has failed. Usually due to a combination of internal corrosion, the wires pulling out, becoming loose and fraying. One advantage of soldering is the tensile strength is as strong as the wire itself. It's usually not hard at all to pull apart a butt connector joint of your average sized wire (12-16) gauge, no matter how hard you crimp it down.

The way I do mine is strip the wire an extra 1/8" and put it in the lug. Put a couple inch piece of angle iron in a vise and use the 90* bend of it to crush the lug down in a fold as hard as I can. This is similar to the shape of crimping pliers and the hydraulic ones for large cables. Then using a propane torch, heat the lug upright in the vise and fill the "bowl" of the lug with solder. This makes the connection moisture tight and won't allow the solder to travel up the wire which could cause the brittle issue you describe. Make sure to use LEADED solder not the tree hugger lead free that takes tons of heat to flow and still doesn't flow well.

Not arguing with your post as I have read about this before but this is just my personal experience and like I said, I have yet to have any issues.
 

Wire Fox

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Location
Indianapolis, Indiana
I was trying to get the diagnostics set to output anything. I had power and the adapter was talking to the computer, but nothing from adapter to TCM. No response to key on or off change status...just no response.

So going on a feeling that the TCM might be dead, I took to pulling it out and sure enough, check out that red ceramic disc capacitor:

I'll see if I can find a transmission shop kind enough to test out the PROM chip to see if it's salvageable. If so, junkyard TCM, here I come! If not, I'll buy a HMMWV-specific TCM-PROM pair.


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Action

Well-known member
3,576
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Location
East Tennessee
I was trying to get the diagnostics set to output anything. I had power and the adapter was talking to the computer, but nothing from adapter to TCM. No response to key on or off change status...just no response.

So going on a feeling that the TCM might be dead, I took to pulling it out and sure enough, check out that red ceramic disc capacitor:

I'll see if I can find a transmission shop kind enough to test out the PROM chip to see if it's salvageable. If so, junkyard TCM, here I come! If not, I'll buy a HMMWV-specific TCM-PROM pair.


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Both the chip and the computer have GM part numbers. Just look at different vehicle online before going to the yard, and see which are easiest to get to.
 
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