5 Tons of Fun

[Ajax]

This is the companion to the Slomaro thread.

The first batches of parts have begun arriving in the mail- Oil and fuel filters the size of office waste baskets and 24v electrical parts.

I've ordered glad hands and air fittings so that I can operate air tools right off the service connections on the truck. When I get back from Florida, I'm going to order covers to reupholster the passenger seat and a new steering wheel. I also need to order $50 worth of hoses, $100 worth of belts, $100 worth of coolant and $70 worth of engine oil. I also need ammo for my big grease gun. There are dozens of zerc fittings to grease on the undercarriage and driveline.

Each day, the truck starts easier, idles more steadily and at the specified RPM. It used to be kind of grumpy about starting and the idle would lope and wander and usually started off at around 500 rpm. This thing is CRUDE. As with most military designs, the part where people sit was of secondary consideration. The cab is just stamped metal without a lick of insulation and lots of gaps and openings. I'm lucky to have found a model with a working heater. Lap belts are the extent of the safety equipment. The whole thing shakes and vibrates when the engine runs. I've run around with a can of lubricant, oiling anything that squeaks in an effort to reduce some of the racket. Hearing protection was always required when operating these things.

685 lb. ft. of torque at 1500 RPM. The M939A2's with the Caterpillar engine only slightly improved over this. It took Oshkosh's MTVR Mk23 to really beat this with an obscene 1550 lb. ft. at 2100 RPM, 40 years later.

[Jamie]

I've ordered glad hands and air fittings so that I can operate air tools right off the service connections on the truck.

The industrial scale of these trucks is so much fun. I love how these truck have their own compressed air supply.

[TheOffice]

Unless you have an amazing tool collection you will need some larger sockets at some point.
Don't forget the large economy size of PB Blaster and tubs of grease!

[Ajax]

Unless you have an amazing tool collection you will need some larger sockets at some point.
Don't forget the large economy size of PB Blaster and tubs of grease!

PB Blaster is for amateurs. Kroil is where it's at: kanolabs.com
I do have a pretty comprehensive tool collection but I'm still going to need "Cro-Magnon" sized wrenches, breaker bars, ratchets and sockets. I also need to upgrade my impact gun. I also need an air over hydraulic 20,000 lb. jack. (Harbor Freight has them for under $100.)

I found a guy selling a manually operated, torque multiplying lug wrench for $75 that I want to keep onboard the truck.

[TheOffice]

I've used Kroil too. I haven't found one to be better than the other. The aresol doesn't leak when stored, so I keep the Kroil on the workbench and the PB onboard.

FWIW, when I removed my winches from the aluminum winch pads I dropped three of the corroded bolts into cups with PB, Kroil and vinegar. After 30 minutes all 3 were clean.

[Tim Ford]

I know I saw a picture of this beast somewhere on Scantlings, but can you post a few more?

[BeauV]

Ajax,

What does a tire/wheel combo weigh on that thing?? I remember helping a friend change a flat on a Suburban with massive oversized rims and tires and we could hardly lift the spare. What’s the spec???

B

[TheOffice]

He'll just call AAA!

[BeauV]

He'll just call AAA!

I would LOVE to be there when the AAA tow truck driver pulls up.

[Ajax]

Around 125lbs. A Super Single weighs around 500 lbs. That's why I didn't buy a 939 series or a truck that someone had "singled out."
I'm keeping mine stock, with the old non-directional tires (NDT's). Sure, the trucks look cooler with aggressive, larger tires but there's enough people out there modd'ing these things. The way I'll be using the truck makes it a waste of time and effort. The truck needs love in other, higher priority areas.

The 5 ton community has collectively fabricated custom tools to help manage the large parts and heavy loads. I'll be investing in some of these. I have a spare tire but you can also chain up one rear axle if you get a flat and work on it once you get home.

These hogs have single circuit brakes. I'd rather upgrade to modern, dual circuit brakes or possibly even full air brakes (instead of air over hydraulic) than fuss with bigger tires and rims.

[Ajax]

Picitures, and a short video of the unloading:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJh0fl5o8RU

[TheOffice]

My neighbors/condo association would go nuts if you parked that at my house for a couple of days!

Put a plow on that baby and pray for snow!

[Ajax]

A couple more, also, it's been 8 years since I retired and the unit disbanded.

All of my shipmate's unit sweaters are getting worn and threadbare so my artistic daughter is helping me reproduce them for the old gang. I've posted the designs for you to see, just for fun. Tim, you'll appreciate these, being from Charm City.

[Ajax]

I just got clarification on the middle set of truck markings sandwiched between the lowest and topmost sets.

After being assigned to the 642nd DASB (May 2000 - 2005), the truck went to the 42nd Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, 102nd Armored Regiment. The 102nd Armor reorganized into the 102nd Cavalry Regiment on 2008. Sometime between 2005 - 2008, the truck was assigned to RTS-M NJ Army National Guard. The truck was retired and auctioned off in Jan/Feb of 2008.

Anyway, that's what the second set of markings means: 42 I 2-102 △.

[Ajax]

Successfully replaced the fuel filter and bled the engine. Owning a sailboat diesel helped accelerate my learning curve.
It was rather like milking a giant, green cow- I put a low stool in the driver's wheel well and drained the separator into a gallon jug with a funnel. A full gallon drained out. That's a big separator. This truck has a manual priming pump on the dash for cold weather starts and for purging air from the system.

Later, I made my first trip to a Tractor Supply Store for engine oil. My eyes nearly glazed over. Their stock is enormous. I walked out $180 lighter, with oil, air fittings, a 34 quart drain pan, spill absorber (fancy cat litter), several grease gun cartridges and other sundry bits.

The tidal wave when I released the drain plug was pretty epic. The drain pan could barely keep up. I managed to keep all the used oil off the ground, but made a small mess on the top of the steering axle, which I mopped up.

For my next trick, I'll crawl under the truck and lubricate a ridiculous number of zerc fittings.

[TheOffice]

Glad you aren't bored!

[Ajax]

Believe me, it's beneficial. When there's a wrench in my hand, there isn't food in my mouth.

[Olaf Hart]

Believe me, it's beneficial. When there's a wrench in my hand, there isn't food in my mouth.

Can’t you afford food any more?

[TheOffice]

Believe me, it's beneficial. When there's a wrench in my hand, there isn't food in my mouth.

I get it. I don't work from home because I would eat when bored.

[Ajax]

Believe me, it's beneficial. When there's a wrench in my hand, there isn't food in my mouth.

Can’t you afford food any more?

LOL...you funny guy!

...and the weekend rains have followed us into 2019. It's going to rain all Friday afternoon and most of Saturday. Sunday might be usable. A gym makes me feel like a gerbil in a wheel but I really can't sit on the sofa and watch the rain any longer. I'm going to have to do something. This is way worse than my time in Washington. Yards are sodden and drainage ditches are standing ponds.

[Orestes Munn]

Almost anything is bearable with a good audio book or podcast.

[Tim Ford]

Just saw the sweater designs, finally. Nicely done!

Thanks for the pix, too....boy that thing is a beast. I'm with Joel, the Ruxton Riderwood Lake Roland Improvement Association would be in my driveway with clipboards and pens within 48 hrs if I brought one of those home.

Still , that's not to say, I am envious!

[Ajax]

I live in one of the last bastions of personal freedom.

Oddly, most of my neighbors seem to find it very entertaining. I get a lot of friendly waves when I'm putzing with it or looping around the block. The only people who look askance are some old biddies who walk their teacup dog breeds around the neighborhood. They are sort of the unofficial neighborhood patrol and rumor factory.

I pissed them off long before I bought the truck. I cut down a raggedy silver maple in my front yard to facilitate my solar panel installation and caught hell for that. There is no pleasing these people so I don't worry about it.

[BeauV]

Our locals have a bunch of rules about what you can do in your own yard. But, being a retired Sailing Judge, I like to read rules and think about them.

When it came time to drop the Admiral's anchor in the front yard I took a look and just as I recalled there was nothing prohibiting anchors in the garden. No prohibition on Canons either, but the Admiral is resisting my idea of getting a Civil War field piece.

There is, however, a prohibition on parking "too many cars" in your driveway. There is no specification for how many is actually "too many". Which means it's basically un-enforceable. We've often had 10+ and as a result someone complained. I asked the Board how many was "too many" and they had no idea. Case closed. Who writes this stuff into neighborhood regulations??? Weird!

[kimbottles]

Bet they would not let you have a large ham radio antenna array Beau.

https://goo.gl/images/PhVPQ5

[BeauV]

Bet they would not let you have a large ham radio antenna array Beau.

https://goo.gl/images/PhVPQ5

I'd probably have to disguise it as a tree, like this thing.

[Ajax]

Wheee, got under the 5-ton and attacked with my grease gun and the Lubrication Order called up on a tablet.
There were a few fittings that I couldn't get due to needing a flexible hose tip to get into nooks and crannies.

It was like a bad porno- nasty, sticky goo squirting and flinging all over the place. I really need to get a better sense of when a grease fitting is getting full.

[BeauV]

...snip....

It was like a bad porno- nasty, sticky goo squirting and flinging all over the place.

Urp!

That's what I get for reading Scantlings while eating lunch.....

[Slick470]

did the tablet survive the porno?

[Ajax]

did the tablet survive the porno?

Yeah, I managed to keep it out of the line of fire.