My (non) Flat Fendered Project!

[athawk11]

Okay, I must have had my head in the sand. I just read this thread for the first time. I'm going to blame HG. He's such a project thread hog!! ;D

This is a very cool truck. I saw one of these at the Super Cruise in Golden a few years back. Well...it could have been an M37, but I remember it was bigger than an M37...with the huge front fenders like yours. It had a spare tire blocking the access into the cab. Heck, I'm not sure what it was, but I do remember thinking I needed to have one! I guess I'll just have to live precariously though you!! Thanks for bringing us along on your refurb.

Tim

[Deleted]

Tim...you're a funny guy..."I'm not sure what it was, but I do remember thinking I needed to have one!" Haha! That's about the same sentiment that got me this truck. I did have an M37 a few years ago (it ran fine, basically refurbed it), but I got rid of it to buy 3 parts jeeps. I bought the M b/c I never thought I'd get a weapons carrier from WW2.

Question about the clutch guys....yes, it has worked just fine in the past. It gave me no hints that it was dying.

If I start it in gear and break it free, will it be fine, or is this something I should go ahead and plan on replacing sooner rather than later?

I've heard of these situations in jeeps and trucks, but this is the first time I actually get to deal with it! I am suspicious of the throw out bearing, so I went ahead and ordered a clutch kit from Midwest (that'll make Lee happy). It'll be here Monday. So.....I can DODGE (oh, my...THAT was a witty pun!) the in-laws this weekend and remove the old clutch and "stuff" if need be.

-Bo

[Deleted]

Oh...I forgot to share the BEST part...I found my FIRST "F" mark on the truck! Hahahaha! I was trying to get my mind off of the depressing clutch, so I started cleaning up the tail light housings. One of the four bulbs had that gorgeous script F stamped into the rear of it. NICE! This truck might qualify as a GPW now! ;D

[Deleted]

That bolt is all F'd up. Dodge is a abbreviation that means " Dem Old Dudes Go Everywhere". Or------"Dam'd Old Derelict Got Even". I think your clutch could be just fine for years after a little rust stuck the disc. Try and get it unstuck and save the clutch for later. Sure won't hurt things since you have a new one in the wings. I've unstuck a couple that way and they were fine. It's always a tire with a flat spot or a bad battery that drives me nuts. Then brakes. When I was 16 years old, I looked at a drop dead cool WW2 Dodge Army ambulance. still totally marked with the red cross and all. I took it for a test drive. I had never driven a non-synchro transmission. By the time I made it back to the sellers house, I wanted nothing to do with it. For 500 bucks, if I only had known! John

[Deleted]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

This forum just keeps getting better and better and better DAILY!

I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with HG not butting in as much! (Just kidding, Scotty!)

Bo!

[Deleted]

Mooooooooose, Ok I am not picking on you just offering some advise. The friction material on you clutch disc is rusted to the flywheel, even if you take it apart to replace everything it will still be stuck, and you may destroy the disc to remove it, I would try and break it loose with the above posted methods, it will most likely last for a long time after, may be a little grabby at first but will quickly polish up.

Lee

[Deleted]

Roger that! I'll report back with progress. I think we are slated for rain through tomorrow. Yuck. Maybe I'll get to play Thursday or Friday.

[Deleted]

Alright gang...I finally got most everything put back together. I still have the winch shaft and driver's floor board left to put back in place...after the clutch debacle. However, I managed to get brave enough to test out my handiwork after getting the transmission back in. Jack and I took her for a spin...1/2 mile ride around the block. We managed to go fast enough to get into 3rd...and none of the tires shredded! As we were coming down the small hill to the stop sign, I remembered that I have never tested the brakes! Yep, they mostly work. I think I need to do some more bleeding, but we eventually came to a stop.

Now, back to painting...

[Deleted]

Remember, there is a minimum speed. You might get picked up for going too slow! Take a hammer and stakes along, and drive them in the ground to mark things. That way you'll know if it's moving. ;D John

[Deleted]

Hahahaha!! ;D. Thanks, John...seriously, that was the laugh I needed today. I can't thank you enough for that!

And funny you should mention it...I didn't honestly think I was moving at all when it was time to shift into second gear! And I was soooo excited to reach 3rd...until I remembered how pathetic my tires were and then feared blowing them out. Oh, the roller coaster of thrills and stress when driving these things! Haha!

[Deleted]

Sooooooo is it ready for my test?, ya'know,,,,the bridge run? ;D

Lee

[Deleted]

Just joking Moose! Seriously though, I have a old Oshkosh Blower Truck that has 15 forward speeds with a maximum speed of 27 MPH. You can literally get out and relieve yourself and get back in and never shut it down. Just don't get in front of it. ;D There is a video on youtube where a guy gets out a films it running and you soon realize, HE IS THE DRIVER!!!!!!Wow.

[Haines Garage]

Any pics..?

[Deleted]

Yep...you might remember the scenery from the jeep ride when the kids pushed me around the block. Sorry for the shotty camera work. Jack, my assistant driver, is 7 and likes to play! Haha!



Hopefully the link works. If not, copy and paste this into your browser :

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeay6EE5HfI

Bo!

[Haines Garage]

That is AWESOME!!! Congratulations!!

[Deleted]

Thanks! I enjoy a ride with the young ones. I took my grandson with me cutting firewood in my M37. We went down a power line to get a couple of downed oaks and the hill was pretty steep getting back out. He was nervous and I told him don't worry, the truck is like a tank. When we topped the hill in low 4 wheel drive, he said Grandpa, it is a tank! John

[Deleted]

Finally...I was able to shed some light on myself!

I have been struggling with the wiring harness.

I've successfully wired two and half jeeps in my past, as well as made from scratch an original looking headlight/blackout light harness for an m37. I figured I had enough experience to handle a partial fitting of a harness on the WC...especially since the dodge manuals have the electrical diagrams!

Well, it got a bit confusing because 1. Not all of the colors on the repro harness matched up with the manual, 2. The upper harness (behind the dash) reminded me of the Greek m37 harness I once owned and kept in a box, and 3. Part of the upper harness was already installed to get power through the ignition.

Well, for about a week now I've been trying...and failing...to get the headlights to work. I removed, pulled apart, cleaned and rebuilt the push/pull switch, checked and rechecked the junction box to push/pull, etc. I kind resembled Clark Griswold and the Christmas lights. My neighbors yelled at me daily "got it figured out yet?" I'd shrug my shoulders and go back to sticking my nose in the manuals.

Well, today, determination pulled me through. I was he'll bent on finding the culprit(s). I spent the majority of the time checking continuity. I found a mysterious wire that was somehow grounding out to the negative battery post...and I could only find one end of this mystery wire!! I removed it, taped up the end and carried on.

The next nod was an easy deal....the headlights weren't grounded. They are the same, but slightly different than the WWII jeep headlights. Same bucket, but no actual ground wire that connects sits on the hinge of the jeep. I just went back through getting shiny metal to shiny metal. I made it...successfully...through the driver's headlight...and it works!

Tomorrow, the passenger side.

Bo!

[Deleted]

Interesting, I bet the neighbor said something else ;D, like hey Bo when you gonna get that POS out of the yard, I'm calling city hall.

Lee

By the way, good job on the lights

[Deleted]

Hahahahahahaha!

Well...that sounds more like my wife.

And sometimes she might be referring to the jeep, sometimes the truck, but most of the time I think it's really me she's talking about! ;D

[Deleted]

The more you work on it, the more valuable you are making it. At 50 bucks per hour labor which any prospective buyer will gladly pay ( LOL ) Just think how well you are doing! I always thought the hood and grill on those WC's were very cool looking. You are winning the battle one wire at a time. John

[Deleted]

I can hear it now:
"Hey Bo, where are you going to put that truck?"
"Bend over and I'll show you"
"You've got a lot of nerve, talking to me like that, Bo!"
"I wasn't talking to you!"

BW

[Deleted]

Haha! First off Bruce, I see the connection to Christmas Vacation...I just watched it tonight! Haha!!

Secondly, John...SHE, too, thought the grill and hood were cool (as do I!)).

And then she walked to the rear and said, "wow, what a hideous rear end!" Funny. ;D

I'll admit, the bed doesn't fit the cab! Shhhhh, don't tell her.

[Deleted]

They have to be wide in the back like that because it's a "WEAPONS CARRIER". That name makes it Ok. Now if you talk about woman's anatomy, they too are a weapons carrier! Time to hit the dirt! John

[Deleted]

Hahahahahahaha!!

B !

[Deleted]

Tire tip for Moose! I have two M37's w/winch. One had crappy rear tires. I watched Gov't Liquidation and low and behold a group of M101A1 trailers came up for sale 60 miles from me. I bid and won two trailers that had spares mounted on them with fantastic tires and wheels which were the same as my M37's . 365.00 and 385.00 for each!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't buy the tires for that. I took the spares and fixed Scruffy's bad ones and now use the crap out of the trailers. Maybe they have a depot where they are surplusing trailers near you. They also have the same trailer with Humvee tires on them I think. You have to look at the wheels. John