From: Patrick Jankowiak (eccm@swbell.net)
Date: Thu Jan 02 2003 - 00:12:53 PST
I thought I'd throw my 0.0002 in here as well since I drive
my turbo M35A2 alot, and a friend has an M-135.
> M135/M211 - Early 50's GMC truck. Auto tranny 302 cid 6cyl. Considered by
> many the least desirable due to the tranny.
Friend's truck needs tranny rebuilt, shifts 1-2, but no
further. Cost was quoted by Memphis Equ. at $500 if tranny
shipped to them for rebuild.
> M35 - early 50's till recenly. Early ones had 331 cid gas engines
> (considered least desirable of the M35s). Later ones with multifuel diesel
> turbo or non-turbo engines. 5 sp tranny with OD on diesels. Relatively
> inexpensive right now due to large qyt being released from US givmint.
Paid $4500 for my turbo diesel model a year ago. new soft
top, 17000 miles, new engine in 1991. good brakes. Alot of
truck for the $!
> >
> > Top speed of Humvee? Deuce and a half?
>
> Deuce and a half: Take 5 mph off of top rated speed and it will last a long
> time. 40mph for CCKW with original engine, ~50 for an M135/211 and 55-60 for
> an M35 turbo-diesel.
I drive mine 45-50 and it's a good easy speed for it. It
will do 60 or maybe a litle more but it gets 7.7MPG at 50,
and much less at higher speeds. by the way, they are
extremely noisy. hearing protection is reccommended if you
have a soft top. The M-35 diesel usually have no muffler,
just a stack. Some models have a very loud turbo (whisters).
> > What are the practical aspects of military vehicle ownership, such as:
> > Storage?
Mine lives in the driveway, hogs up most of the driveway,
that is. And seems to be perfectly happy there. It is not
'restored', but in 'motor pool' shape which is fine by me.
Cats sometimes sleep on the hood at night.
> > Insurance?
Insured the regular way, liability only $500/year. Not
insured cheaply by these special companies because it is not
'garaged'. rather snooty policy I think. A large garage
indeed would be needed for a deuce.
> > Maintenance? Are they hard to work on?
Technically easy, can be physically demanding. In 9 months:
I replaced a windshield, and the cost of an aftermarket one
(which was a piece of crap) was $100. Also, when removing
the old windshield, there was alot of dirt and rusty dirt
inside the C-channel the windshield hangs in. This made it
hard to get the old one out, but the new one went in easily.
I changed all the lube in the diff's and
transmission/transfer. It was easy enough, and you can tell
how much abuse the transmission has suffered if you stick a
long scraper into the drain hole at the back of the
transmission, and scrape out the metal chunks. This sounds
bad, but for a 34 year old tranny, the mech. advising me
said 'this amount of metal is nothing, it's in fine shape'.
I learned the hard way not to use synthetic oils. they leak
everywhere. Used 90/140 extreme pressure in the diffs (could
not find straight 140 as advised by group, but note the book
calls for 90W) and GL-1 90W in the trany/transfer. now
smooth as butter.
Discovered there are a whole lot of grease fittings.
everywhere.
Found the stopcock on the air tank. got a good spray of
condensed nasty water from that. Needs to be done once a
month I suppose.
Had a rear axle seal leak. Fixed it three times to get it
right. Hope it stays fixed or something else is wrong. Could
have been a bad job frst time, synthetic oil the second
time.. by the way the wheels are very heavy, and use split
rims and inner tubes.
Shift lever came off in my hand. Bolt was loose. Just bolted
it right back on.
replaced one headlamp. $45 new.
Seats need re-upholstering. Spring in the arse is
uncomfortable. passenger seat is especially 'hard'.
changed the engine oil. and filters (two), and fuel filters
(three). sometimes the parts you get are slightly different
but they work. Advice is to get the complete kit from
Memphis equ. or similar, as you will need certain copper
gaskets on the oil filters, and a couple other things that
are a little hard to find (unless you know just where to get
them).
replaced the radiator, as it turned out to be pretty well
shot. easy job, $450 for a nice rebuilt one.
Also, these trucks need to be driven. At least once a month,
get the engine up to operating temperature. Use additives in
the diesel to reduce moisture and clean the injectors, keep
the tank full to avoid condensation and reduce
contamination.
> > Parts? Are they available?
I get most of mine from Memphis equipment. Anyone have other
suggestions?
I consider all this to be minor 'catch-up' maintenance on a
vehicle of this age and price. A $2500 M-35 I looked at was
a rattling rustbucket. A $5000 one I looked at was
cosmetically clean but the engine was making funny noises.
(yes, loud enough to hear over the engine) Be sure to check
the underside of the truck and bed for rust.
> >
> > What about vehicle registration and inspection?
$90/year in TX. then $10/yr. for registration as a former
military vehicle. No inspection required on former military
vehicles in TX.
> >
> > How much $$$ does new tires cost for a deuce and a half?
$100-120 from wallace wade.
> >
> > I assume WWII Willy jeeps and Ford GPWs are pretty costly. Are M38's
> > and M151 a lot less $$$?
> >
> > Books? I have "Tanks of the World" by David Miller and have "The
> > Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles: The Comprehensive
> > Guide to over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles from 1915 to the Present
> > Day" by Christopher F. Foss and "U.S. Military Wheeled Vehicles" by Fred
> > W. Crismon on order. Any other good reference books?
download some of the TM's for the M-35 deuce from
"http://208.190.133.201/deuce_and_a_half/deuceandahalf001.htm".
I don't know where to find free online manuals for the other
vehicles. anyone else know?
After saying all this, I can still say that I thoroughly
enjoy the M35A2. I drove it today from Dallas to Gainesville
(160 miles round trip).
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