Another A2 Project

A place to post pics and descriptions of ongoing restoration projects

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rickf
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by rickf » April 11th, 2014, 7:03 pm

Doesn't look like very much meat on those brake shoes either. Ice cold water is the worst, especially if you have been driving for quite a while on the road and the hubs are nice and warm. Dunk them in cold water and things contract in a hurry. (think jumping into ice cold water and you will get the idea :twisted: ) That cause a vacuum in the hub which sucks in the water and mud. It is all downhill from there. If it is only water and you used a marine type grease you alright for a good while but the mud will do it every time. Us guys that wheel on the East coast a lot know all about water and use marine lithium grease.

BTW, Welcome back. I wish I had made it but then again with the temps the way they were I am glad I didn't.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

Aswayze
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:15 pm

Actually AT the event the temps were pretty decent. Generally 50s-60s in the daytime dropping to the 30s-40s at night. Only one Noahs flood grade rain storm and that was on the last day.

The weekend before was crazy down there though:
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And to think it actually came out WORSE than predicted... We got 7 inches instead of 3-4...

We were plenty tired of being cold all winter and took precautions to make sure we'd be able to warm our bones at least some though:

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » April 11th, 2014, 11:43 pm

Also managed to crack the driver side rear fender.... right on the weld. I remember somebody telling me that would happen.

A new fender is now on the planning books, among bunches of other things.

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rickf
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by rickf » April 13th, 2014, 8:08 pm

Stagg wrote:Also managed to crack the driver side rear fender.... right on the weld. I remember somebody telling me that would happen.

A new fender is now on the planning books, among bunches of other things.
Told you so, told you so. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

Stagg
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » April 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm

I wasn't a doubter, just a cheap bastard... still am, but this summer with lots more time, I will get it replaced.

I've been tinkering on it this weekend. Cleaned 100lbs of mud off the underside, only 27lbs left down there in the cracks.
Washed huge amounts of oil and dirt off the engine.

Today put on the defroster vent bits. No pictures because the huge thunderstorm was busy making the day cold and wet.
Heater is coming soon. Just in time for July!

Later will get some new paint on it and touch up the scratches. And of course pictures.

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rickf
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by rickf » April 14th, 2014, 7:53 pm

With the fleet that you guys maintain you are allowed to be cheap.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

Stagg
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » June 30th, 2014, 10:59 am

I lost my camera at Eastwind, and have been lacking in pictures ever since. But we do have a few.

Picked up a ratty looking hard top at the Findlay military show. Been hard at work getting it fitted up and ready to go:


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As we got it. Missing a bottom section, glass all replaced by hazy plexiglass, lots of dents dings and knocks.


Stripped down, getting it's foam "headliner" glued back into place.

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Doing the sides, the interior is now snazzy armor green. ;)

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Top getting fitted in place. This was a multi-day, much cussing project right here...

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Top now fitted, getting pattern painted.

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New glass getting installed. Fancy marine grade window seals are not stock to the M151, and have added lots of extra aggravation to the project... although I do know how to do them now.

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » June 30th, 2014, 11:04 am

Wheel bearings work was started (but that stupid lost camera.... ) and the front passenger side was pretty scary inside. The front driver side of course had already failed.

Of course removing one part, means removing or at least seeing another bad part. And there were plenty!

Tierod ends were looking sorry. Had not failed yet, but they were next on the list.

Shocks were terrible. I'm sure the rear shocks are just as bad, but they are harder to find when I'm being cheap.

Ball joints on the front were all failing. Boots had rotted or split long ago.

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Excuse me sir, where is your front end?

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Why it is over here being used to make front suspension themed wind chimes!

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Oddly enough, there is still more to take off... Stagg has new suspension bushings coming for the front end as well as new tie rod ends as well. This thing should be all sorts of straight once we are done.

Rear trailing arm bushings are getting replaced also. I had one fail last year, and the other looks bad now, and will need to be replaced.

Future installments are going to be clutch throwout bearing, and clutch disk replacement.

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Aswayze » June 30th, 2014, 5:50 pm

Stagg is out west at the Soldier Fort helping Mike get his home stashed away for his deployment to Kuwait.  

I figured now was as good a time as any to attack the last remaining feral parts of the hard top and go after the hard top doors a bit.  Particularly since I had handy conscript labor in the form of some unsuspecting Hoober children that needed something to do.  

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Door, icky.   Paint all bubbled up and covered on the outside portions with lichen (just like the hard top was)

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First blast off all of the gooey stuff and as much of the old paint as possible.  

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Dual Action sander takes care of getting the surface smoothed out for the new paint.  

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Then we paint and paint and paint some more.   (guess who gets to buy the next case of 34079 forest green?)

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Then things get fitted in.  Still some shimming to do and both latches need some welding work to make them really correct but at least we have things started.  Next time the girls are over they'll get to pattern in the doors to match the top.  


Funny thing about all of this is Stagg used to have a mail jeep which he sold prior to getting the M151. His fond memories of what it was like to drive around in a Rubix cube seem to be haunting him a bit...

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retiredpara
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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by retiredpara » July 11th, 2014, 6:53 pm

Been particularly enjoying going back over this thread. You guys embody the hobby: Camraderie, learning, sharing, developing skill sets, and perhaps most important, having FUN!!

Looking forward to seeing more!

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » July 11th, 2014, 8:16 pm

We look forward to driving them again... just have to keep telling yourself that "next week we will have it road worthy again." Like the weather man occasionally it is true, and we drive them all over the place, until the next project comes up.

More pictures to follow

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Aswayze » July 11th, 2014, 11:06 pm

Nah nah nah!

I have been driving mine all week while Staggs sits there crippled.

Good progress has been happening now though.


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Oh look at them there fancy parts!

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Stagg pulling apart the old suspension bushings.

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Me installing the new ball joints.

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Everything hung back together, new bushings, shocks, ball joints, bearing races all installed. Stagg removing the tie rod thingy to replace the ends on it.

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Super high tech gauge to make sure that the new assembly is set ABOUT like the last one. Not perfect, but it gets us in the ball park.

Hub is all back together now (no pics as it got dark) and we are waiting a bit for the fancy brake caliper paint to cure on the freshly cleaned out wheel cylinders which is just as well since Stagg has drill this weekend anyhow. Come Monday, this guy will be going right back together with new brake shoes and lines then Stagg can start working on the other side.

Being accustomed to "normal" cars I have a great aversion to doing ANY suspension work. I am quite used to having a life or death battle with each and every part involved, breaking tools, bending presses, and having to really beat a lot of parts nearly to death to get things to come apart. This project was not like that in any way, everything came apart fairly easily and went back together fairly well too. It just seems like they designed all these parts to, you know, FIT THE DARN TRUCK, unlike the way most parts you get anymore are.

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Aswayze » July 11th, 2014, 11:35 pm

@ Retired Para, you are right down the road from us man! Drop us a line if you end up in KC some time. One of our guys has a M151A1 down in your neck of the woods as well, if you see pictures on the East Wind site of M151 #6007 it belongs to Bret, he's a math teacher down there in Willard right by you.

Here's the basic run down on 6007: http://www.operationeastwind.com/forum/ ... pic=3048.0

I don't think we ever got the story of this one over here to G838...

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Aswayze » July 14th, 2014, 10:37 pm

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A lovely evening to tinker on the trucks. 70s today, will be in the 50s tonight and a high of only 75 tomorrow again.

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Stagg using the old wire trick to get the shoe retaining springs on.

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Both hubs back together with brake bits installed. Just need to do some last minute lube stuff then adjust brakes and the front end is all done.

New brake shoes, new brake lines, new ball joints, new suspension bushings, new shocks, new brake adjusters. Wheel cylinders were good just goopy so they got all scrubbed up and hit with a coat of brake caliper paint to make them easier to clean next time.

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Re: Another A2 Project

Unread post by Stagg » July 15th, 2014, 12:57 am

Yep, one of these days we will have to get around to restoring this truck. :P

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