Waking up a Texas M151A2

A place to post pics and descriptions of ongoing restoration projects

Moderators: rickf, raymond, Mr. Recovery

Post Reply
User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 30th, 2017, 1:58 pm

Back from Africa and I have two new rear shocks in hand! USPS made sure they mangled the box to the point that one or both of those shocks could have easily fallen out, but they're both in there! Weather is good and the MUTT is waiting for me. More to follow.

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 30th, 2017, 5:00 pm

Got everything laid out and the rainclouds swept into the area. Had to work fast!

The new shock sleeves proved to be just a tiny bit wider than the originals and wouldn't go in, so I took just a little bit off both ends. That solved that problem nicely.
Image

With that done I put the bolts in, oriented rear to front. That's what the book shows, though I would rather have had the lowers with the threaded end facing rearward which would leave them better protected from potential impacts. Wrench or socket sizes for the nuts and bolts are 1 1/8" and 1 1/6" by the way.
Image
Image

The rear differential is still nicely sealed, by the way. Great success and no leaks! That was a job worth doing.
Image

While I was under there, I observed this mark on the drive shaft, in line with the trailing edge of the muffler. Not good. Not good at all. The muffler is rock solid on it's mounts. From all of this, I have concluded that I may have some engine/transmission mounts that need attention though, at a glance, everything seems to be pretty solid. Happily, I have a full set of new mounts on the shelf. Observing, investigating and repairing is all part of the game, and I am working through it a bit at a time.
Image

Memorial Day sales meant a 25% off coupon for Harbor Freight. The wife got me the 12-ton hydraulic press for $89 and tax. After some hard thinking I concluded that I just couldn't justify the additional expense for the 20-ton model. After assembling it, I immediately set to work improving it, so now I have added storage pins for the plates and I've welded a simple hook to the jack handle so that these bits don't just wander off. I find the guide bar to be a bit of a sloppy fit. This may require some shims be added. We will see.
Image

For those of you who haven't any experience with presses, the cruciform plates have a variety of cuts made to them. They are intended to be laid out as mirror images of one another in order to provide the best support to the item that the press is working on while at the same time allowing space for whatever might be pressed out of the item.
Image

I got the parts installed (which really didn't take much time at all) and took the Mutt for a test drive before the rain hit. What a vast, VAST improvement! Its road manners are so much better but I still have some oddball noises to track down. Soon I will be pulling maintenance on the rear spindle bearing assemblies but I'm done for the day as the rain is coming down in buckets.
Last edited by m3a1 on May 17th, 2018, 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
fergrn37
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 198
Joined: March 18th, 2016, 12:05 am
Location: SEOK

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by fergrn37 » May 30th, 2017, 7:46 pm

I have the 20 ton model. The anvil under the ram is not square, just slightly off a bit. friend has one with the same issue, Check yours to see if it's square to the part being pressed. Mine is not.
Some people are too busy knowing it all to ever learn anything

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19738
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » May 30th, 2017, 8:13 pm

You KNOW I am going to have to take a picture of my fully adjustable 25 tonner don't you? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 30th, 2017, 8:24 pm

Mine is nice and square -but- the business to which it is attached, the transverse part that actually goes up and down, is darned sloppy and that is exactly the part I was saying needed to be shimmed. Of course we're probably not going to be making any really long strokes (at least I'm not) so it could be shimmed just a bit in order to keep it more reasonably true.

I see myself mostly doing bearing races and u-joints so once everything is reasonably true and under pressure most jobs like that are quite elementary and don't really require absolute perfection on the short stroke. But I really don't think that I'd attempt using it just as our Chinese friends constructed it. So there is a little work yet to be done on it.

The first thing that came to my mind for shimming was the same kind of plastic they use to make cutting boards. Nice and slick and tough as woodpecker lips. Boards made of that stuff are laying around the resale/rummage shops all day, every day and can be had for pennies. Thought I might trim a couple of suitable pieces on the table saw and just drop them in. That should work like a charm.
Last edited by m3a1 on May 30th, 2017, 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 30th, 2017, 8:35 pm

Rick, I bet your 25 tonner cost a lot more than $89.... and will I be experiencing press-envy? Still, I've heard it's not how big it is. It's what you do with it!

Aw heck, Rick, whip it out.... everyone wants to see it, now! :lol: :lol: :lol:

But remember, no matter what you're packin', Guy's is probably WAY bigger!

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 30th, 2017, 10:11 pm

Some people judge a vehicle simply by the quantity and readiness of it's cup holders. Not to be outdone by by any of the more modern stuff, and in keeping with the slightly dog-eared quality of my MUTT, I installed my own. Adapt and overcome.

These are modern, USGI molle canteen covers and they work perfectly as cup holders. They also make a great place for keeping track of odds and ends. Simply hang and snap. As you can see, I've tucked the cover in on these. The marpat one on the right really matches my MUTT's finish!
Image

Even better, they look like they belong there.
Image
Last edited by m3a1 on May 17th, 2018, 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19738
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » May 31st, 2017, 8:20 am

Actually I paid 200 bucks for the press AND a 17 CFM air compressor. It is an old Quincey compressor from the 40's and it runs great and best of all it is QUIET! Yea, I think if Guy puts up a picture of his press we will all have press envy! I will get a picture of it later today when I pull the M37 out. I just got that running yesterday. Those cup holders are nice but a coffee or beer is going to be all over the place.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » May 31st, 2017, 8:44 am

Drink (and consume) wisely. The cans sit on the deck surprisingly well and bottles....well, they have caps. Try it! You'll like it.

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » June 1st, 2017, 9:31 pm

Picked up a brand new/unused snatch strap on the cheap today at a rummage shop. It's not a high-end one, but it cost me only what the hook on the end would have gone for without a strap. Another nice piece of (hopefully) unnecessary kit for the MUTT.
Image
Last edited by m3a1 on May 17th, 2018, 8:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
rickf
General
General
Posts: 19738
Joined: November 26th, 2007, 1:28 pm
Location: Pemberton, NJ.

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by rickf » June 1st, 2017, 9:46 pm

Snatch strap with metal hook, BAD! OK for light towing but don't snatch anything with it. I will never forget a buddy putting a good strap on another trucks trailer ball and yanking on it. Well, this guy did like to get a pretty good running head start but he always got you out. The ball broke off! It came through his rear window of his pickup between he and his girlfriend and out through the windshield. It was moving so fast that it simply punched through like a bullet. Made a 2" hole in the center of the rear window which did shatter since it was safety glass but only the hole fell out but the amazing part was the windshield. It is sloped so you would thing the ball would at least deflect towards the dash but it went clean through and gone, we never found it. There is a LOT of energy in those straps and if they come loose.......................... I pretty much destroyed the tailgate on my old Ford when a strap broke and came back and wailed the tailgate.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

User avatar
Surveyor
Terminal
Posts: 1092
Joined: November 13th, 2015, 3:56 pm
Location: Cajun Country

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by Surveyor » June 1st, 2017, 10:01 pm

Took two views before spotting Sarge. My youngest used to watch that movie over and over.
1960 M151 Run #1
"There is one nut on a M151 that is very difficult to remove....." - K8icu
"She ain't a Cadillac and she ain't a Rolls, But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio" - Aaron Tippin
Image

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » June 2nd, 2017, 12:58 pm

Never had that happen! Pulling from a ball hitch is always an iffy proposition. I'll dig for an hour just to get to a frame member for a pull. Lots of videos out there showing what happens if you take the short-cut before pulling and we always put an old blanket or at least a jacket (belonging to the guy who got her stuck) over the strap or cable to prevent sailing. But in this case, it's the way it came and for light use, it's the way it will remain. The strap is unrated so I can only assume that it's only suitable for light duty. I have other, much more relentless, things for heavy duty pulls. :wink:

I no longer do that sort of thing in remote areas nowadays so getting jammed up isn't going to happen and until I get the MUTT's rolling bits fully PM-ed there will be no 4x4-ing.

User avatar
m3a1
Lt. General
Lt. General
Posts: 4027
Joined: August 7th, 2014, 6:36 pm

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by m3a1 » June 2nd, 2017, 1:03 pm

Sarge is inspirational. Unfortunately, he's not a MUTT. Wouldn't it be awesome if Pixar would make some more MV-characters for CARS?

User avatar
fergrn37
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 198
Joined: March 18th, 2016, 12:05 am
Location: SEOK

Re: Waking up a Texas M151A2

Unread post by fergrn37 » June 2nd, 2017, 7:29 pm

How about that eye loop? Sewn or zip tied? For that type it should be more like a chinese finger cuff.
Some people are too busy knowing it all to ever learn anything

Post Reply