Waking up a Texas M151A2

A place to post pics and descriptions of ongoing restoration projects

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m3a1
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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » March 25th, 2018, 10:50 pm

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Last edited by m3a1 on April 13th, 2018, 1:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.

halftracknut
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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by halftracknut » March 29th, 2018, 7:10 pm

I have to say that is one sharp looking rig...need some netting and smoke....
slowest mutt east of the missippi..

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » March 29th, 2018, 9:01 pm

Oh, I have netting and a bunch of goodies for displaying but for the driveway, it's back to basics. Thanks for the compliment.

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » April 13th, 2018, 10:23 pm

Had a chum come over and have a look at my gun mount and of course his eye was immediately drawn to the glare of the galvanized struts so instead of a compliment I got dinged for having the galvanized metal rather than painted struts.

Of course my excuse was that I had resumed work on the M38 but he's right....it needed to be dealt with. So it was off to Home Depot and I got a gallon Kleen Strip Muritatic Acid.

I wasn't prepared to make a bath for the struts owing to their length and I really didn't want any to migrate into the inside of the strut so with some PPE and a nice breeze blowing the fumes away from me I laid the acid on with a small paint brush. It took a while, but it did the job without any rubbing, scrubbing or buffing and what I was left with was bright, shiny, virgin metal. I washed those struts thoroughly after wiping them off with a junk rag, hung them to dry and then within the hour, hit them with primer and later, paint. They looked great.

I reinstalled them yesterday and WOW!...what an improvement!

Cheers,
TJ

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by fergrn37 » April 14th, 2018, 1:28 pm

Now you need to post updated pics!
Some people are too busy knowing it all to ever learn anything

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » April 14th, 2018, 6:43 pm

Here ya go.

Now Rick is going to ask what the black things are on the struts, so ok, before he does, I'll answer. They're actually left-overs from some exercise equipment. They're neoprene with a velcro closure and the reason they're there to act as a buffer against shoulders rubbing on the struts from time to time. I admit they're totally wrong but they are there for a reason.

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A spare 50 cal ammo can fits neatly under the riser providing a ready source for a reload....for those days when you have to kill LOTS of zombies.

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Here we have my ad hoc solution against wasps nesting in my pedestal (which would be awkward). There IS a proper bag for this and I can't seem to find one. Does anyone know where I can get one?

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I think it's better than the M4 mount! The M6 pedestal fits whether the top is up or off and it can extend to a taller height if needed.

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My pedestal was actually designed for the HUMMWV and so, has provision for four struts.

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Despite the fact that these struts have a bend in them, they do a very good job of stabilizing the pedestal. Don't leave home without em! NO, seriously. If you have a pedestal without struts you're not doing your truck or your pedestal any favors. They're absolutely necessary.

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 12th, 2018, 9:31 pm

Today was MUTT follies. My son brought a friend over who wanted a ride and because we were going to lunch anyway, we all hopped in the MUTT. All of us, that is, except for my wife who would be going to work afterwards. She took her Suburban.

So, it was off to Whataburger on a beautiful sunny day. The MUTT had a little hitch in her gittyup coming off the last traffic light which immediately remedied itself. Such odd behaviors aren't all that odd because my truck is actually not restored but rather resurrected from the dead. I backed into parking place at the restaurant which left the MUTT just a little nose-high.

After lunch, we came back out and the MUTT wouldn't start. Because the wife had to go, we abandoned it in the parking lot and she drove us home. I returned with my newly created Oh-S**t Kit, all ready to do battle. The MUTT started right up with a little starting fluid but the fuel filter was dry. Yup. Out of gas. Palm to forehead slap.

Well, I now know where Empty really is on the fuel gauge.

Roast away, fellas.

Cheers,
TJ

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » May 13th, 2018, 9:05 am

And just HOW BIG is that look see hole under your left arse cheek? And HOW many people actually trust the gas gauge in a military vehicle?
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by Fil Bonica » May 13th, 2018, 11:02 am

Ah ,
Let the stories begin!
Everyone with a 151 will report their special incidents where they have run out of gas.
I have my own.
Some are too embarassing to repeat.

Fil Bonica
K1ABW

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 13th, 2018, 12:46 pm

In my defense, that hole IS big and I DID look and I DID see gasoline in there. I just didn't have a big stick. It would be better to just put gas in there more often, eh?

Now, I'm just spitballing here but I'd bet if anyone were man enough to take a whiff of the end of Rick's cane, they would probably find it smelled a lot like mogas!

HA!

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » May 17th, 2018, 10:53 am

Actually I have a real honest to goodness Original, top of the line gas checking stick right next to my seat. I picked up this one last year off the ground in Virginia because it was better looking than the one I had. :twisted: :lol: :lol:
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 17th, 2018, 1:51 pm

I will remove my fuel gauge and have a new "Empty" line laser etched into the ......

Nah. I'll just put gas in more often. :lol:

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » May 17th, 2018, 7:03 pm

And pick up a stick out of the yard.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » June 12th, 2018, 10:46 am

Yesterday, I took the A2 out for a little errand. It was hot out but I had the windshield down and I had on my really cool Wiley-X peepers which I found in one of the trunks containing all my Afghanistan kit (the contents STILL smell like Afghanistan, after 5 years). So I had my ball cap turned around and my goggles on and I was really enjoying the breeze. Got to O-Reilly's, did my business, came back out and the truck wouldn't fire up. This is either a new gremlin or one that has been resurrected.

I'd been over this territory before so I called up the wife and she gave me a ride home. Several hours later I came back, it fired right up and I drove it home. Several hours after that, I went to move it because it was hogging up the driveway and it wouldn't start again. I'll open it up today, toss in one of the other coils I have and see what happens.

And Yes, Rick...I actually had gas this time. :wink:

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Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » June 12th, 2018, 11:46 am

That doesn't sound like the symptoms of a bad coil. Sounds gas related.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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