Tangible progress on the M718!

A place to post pics and descriptions of ongoing restoration projects

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Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:53 pm

Nov 12, 2013

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Now featuring proper head light buckets!  

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And painted to match Scepter MFC fuel can!

Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:54 pm

Nov 21, 2013:


transmission pulled

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the awesome seat from eightball

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Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:54 pm

Nov 27, 2013:

The engine stand worked out ok for holding the transmission but holding from the end caused a lot of hassles when we needed to access work on things since we generally need to move things in and out of the ends.  

Curfman noted the style of transmission holder they were using in the -34 maintenance manual and decided to make one up so that we could do all of the trans work without having to move or reset the transmission to the stand.  

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Now holds from the side allowing access to all the needed points on the trans.  

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Bracket hit with a coat of OG-107 paint.   It's a keeper.  Now we just need to talk him into making a differential holder too...

Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:55 pm

Dec 15, 2013:

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Transmission is together after much blood sweat and tears.  

Just need the seals for the outputs and we'll get it wrapped up and installed.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:56 pm

Dec 16, 2013:

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Transmission with a nice coat of "You don't belong here" green.  The slight semi-gloss of this color makes it easier to keep clean.  

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Curfman couldn't resist Brett's cherry picker.   He needed to change engine mounts anyhow.  Why just pick it up a little bit?  

Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:57 pm

Dec 21 2013:

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Transmission stuck back together.   Even painted the brake hub up like an antique tractor flywheel (still need to brush in the white piping)

All looks pretty good but the 3-4 syncro is a tidge bent so it's not wanting to just click into 4th.  We'll see how it does installed and with oil in it.  Still waiting on a seal kit then this one can go in.  

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In the mean time, we'll just go install all the brake lines.  Of course, it's a winter weather advisory outside complete with wind, freezing rain and temps in the low 20s.  Looks like a good time to break out the new command post modular tent and put it's fabric sections to work building a screen over the M718 then heat things as best we can with the Swingfire.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:58 pm

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All of the brake lines pulled now.  Curfman said it was like winter time in a WWI trench down there.  Just warm enough to have mud...  Just needs to poke one hole in the suspension framing to tack a bracket onto then start assembling the new lines one by one.  

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Lots of nice new parts to install.  This is totally the way to do brakes.  All new, all at once...

Temp tonight of 0 Fahrenheit.  Ask me again why all summer I was aflutter about beating the winter weather.  

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meanwhile, back in the heated shop, we officially have neato old timey steam tractor flywheel paint job on the e-brake drum.  You won't see it once it's installed but we'll all know it's there and it will make us smile.  

 

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 7:59 pm

Dec 29, 2013:

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Transmission done and ready to install.  

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New hard lines and rubber lines installed for the brakes.  

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Hub overhaul!  Never let the fact it is 12 degrees out stop you from replacing wheel bearings and seals.  

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Fixing up a set of Gamma Goat tail lights for this one.  The M718 has poor tail light visibility so we're putting better lights on this one in hopes of avoiding rear end collisions.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:00 pm

Jan 20, 2014:

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M718 transmission installed.

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Transmission tunnel covers installed.

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Axle shafts installed (then removed and installed correctly)

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Gamma Goat tail lights installed.  

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Rear differential procured then installed.  

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Ambulatory patient seat fixed up with pads.  Bottom pad from eightball, top one out of some other ambulance thingy.  

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Driver and medic seats installed.

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Good luck squirrel secured.

Cause it is time to go for a ride!  

Curfman is excited to drive it, I am excited that it can now self propel over to a more out of the way parking spot.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:02 pm

Jan 22, 2014:

Curfman and I got a bit more work slipped in before the cold front came rolling in this evening.  

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Door tracks demangled and doors installed.  We will run without doors at East Wind but we need the doors installed to work out the spacing for the top bars and door striker plates.

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Which are now all fabbed up and ready to go.  Once the paint is cured, these guys go on and allow us to fit the ambulance sides which, just as importantly also allows us to fully close the little monster up to keep the weather out.

We'll have some patching to do on the sides and, as I recall, at least one zipper to fix on the rear door but it's all manageable.

The rest of the serious parts are on order and should be here probably by the beginning of next week so we're mostly just making time with the small stuff, still nice to have done, particularly if it gets all uber crappy out.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:03 pm

Jan 24, 2014:

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Side curtain lookie time.  Some pretty serious damage to be seen here.  This spot where the spare tire rubs took it the worst.   This one just got wrapped up and was about to be sent to Eightballs home for wayward canvas goods when I noticed another side curtain for sale on the Mutt forums for @25.  It is supposed to be somewhat haggard as well but those guys have different opinions of what bad is than we do so I am pretty sure it will be a big improvement over this one.  

Ach...  At least it doesn't have windows...  


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In the mean time, Curfman's working on his fancy pants early style adjustable pimp seat.  It's so fancy that it's broken and he's currently got my spare seat installed.   As you can see, the adjuster has corroded slightly...  The plan is to replace this with a section of ACME threaded rod making use of as many of the original parts as is practical so that it looks correct but actually functions as well.  

Aswayze
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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:04 pm

Jan 24, 2014:

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Activate fancy dancy adjustable seat!  Even has a grease zerk installed to keep it from suffering the same fate as it's predecessor.  

Also got the drivers side curtain all fixed up, we'll be installing that one tomorrow.  Other curtain is on the way so we'll just have to wait on that one.  We're far enough along that we were able to sort out the remaining parts Curfman had squirreled away and free up an entire welfab can for David to use as a work box for 6022.  

We're hoping our parts order comes in tomorrow via fedex and we can make use of the semi warm weekend to get the exhaust system all installed and good to go.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:05 pm

Jan 25, 2014:

More minor but important leaps forward today.  

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Boot kit installed on the transmission.  I cannot express enough how important these darn things are.  They are the final barrier between weather and the transmission.  MOST of our mutt come to us with water damaged transmissions so once we fix them, we take a keen interest in keeping that from happening again.  

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Sides all semi-fitted up.  These ones do not actually attach to this top so they are attached to the framing itself instead.  Not ideal but solid enough for the speeds we'll be running at at DDAP.   Like I said earlier, the sides are really pretty rough but they are sides and they do manage to hold the red crosses so on they shall stay.   The back of the top has a blown zipper which we most likely will not get around to fixing right off but it will not matter much at the even since we'll likely be running it with all the doors off and/or rolled up anyhow.

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Curfman working on the doorway safety straps.   This one gets the usual passenger side safety strap plus a troop strap for the back.   The webbing we are using is the same stuff we made the doorway straps for the other Mutts out of this heavy duty crazy green stuff Stagg rounded up that was part of a lifting harness.   Great strap but hell to sew.  Curfman's using the vise to keep it steady while he jabs it with the stitch awl, a wise precaution...

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:06 pm

Feb 02, 2014:

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Heating the interior of the Ambulance while Curfman works on the wiring harness inside.   Go Swingfire go!  

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Exhaust system installed.  It's semi quiet and non-ear piercing now!  Still got a leak at the manifold, so we'll need to yank all that stuff apart and make up the wonky copper gasket thingies that go in there.  

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Re: Tangible progress on the M718!

Unread post by Aswayze » April 11th, 2014, 8:07 pm

Feb 05, 2014:

All through the heat of the summer I barked on and on about beating the snow...

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It's 10 degrees and Ivan is watching (wishing he was watching Ready instead since at least Ready loaned him a ushanka)

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Time to roll under the truck for a while and chase down exhaust leaks.

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Including one very inconvenient one right at the manifold.  

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When it gets stupid, it's not a bad time to run into the relative warmth of the shop and put together a proper spare tire.  

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