The CUCV Build-1986 M1031 Mobile Field Maintenance Assault Vehicle

[El Gordo]

Man that is a dream rig for me! Awesome innovation on your part for how you make everything work. This thread needs a like button! I have a 6.2l 'burb, I found an inexpensive Banks kit for it last year. That'll be my spring time project...actually, one of my spring time projects....

-Big Ray

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Hey guys, thanks for all the support! Chilly, I think I fixed that photo, thanks for letting me know it was faulty, silly technology.

The turbo would be great. But at this point that would be just a convenience thing that I don't really need. Also one more point of failure that I wouldn't want to deal with out in the middle of nowhere. On the big hills I just kick off the overdrive unit and hammer down.:smiley_drive: It usually never slows down below 55 mph. I don't mind, I just kick on the Johnny Cash and let the hum of the diesel relax my impatient parts...

 

[chilliwak]

Here is hoping we see some pics of your rig out having fun:Wow1: soon Mr Plethora. Always good having some updates from you. Cheers, Chilli...

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Oh gee willy Batman, looks like we found some of the limits of the truck and passed them...


Getting air and landing on a tree stump did wonders for the oil pan!


And that caused the transmission to give way, breaking the transmission mount, shoving the rear driveshaft yoke coming out of the overdrive unit into the bracket for the generator pulley. But it's ok, that's what ratchet strap alignment tools are for! :bigok:


And trying to off that tree stump caused more carnage... :ugh:

 

[chilliwak]

Wow:Wow1:I have to say that you really have had a battle there Mr Plethora! Such carnage. Well thets hope you have your rig fixed in due time and you are driveable again. Could we get a little more detail as to your 4by4 shenanigans, or would you prefer not to mention it? Anyways please keep us posted with pics of your repairs. Cheers, Chilli..

 

[cj7ox]

Oh my! That's a bit of carnage, all right. LOL! Sounds like there's a story there...

 

[pappawheely]

You are a butcher, ha ha.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

I love carnage! It's all about finding the vehicles weak points and limits, and not hitting those limits again, haha. And hey, being a butcher is a lot more fun than going vegan! That would be a boring ride. This ride was a lot more fun. Came off a rock, landed on a tree stump, made horrible bang, figured it was already under there and I was already as deep as I was gonna get so I kept going forward. Well, that left a trail destruction from the oil pan back. Oh well, that was a stupid move. I'll accept responsibility and move on.


Fixed the shock mount, that was easy just cleaning it up, bend back into shape, and weld it back on. As you can tell, this may have not been the first time it has been ripped off...


Unfortunately, the oil pan just had to come off. Everyone said just go buy a new one, but hey, it's steel, and it got bent, so just bend it back!


Sometimes hammers just won't cut it.


Now the transmission mount was a lot more fun. Removed the old mount and found out that the mounting bolts ha sheared off.


The one bolt was easy, just drilled a pilot hole, tapped in an extractor thingy, heated up the metal around bolt cherry red and took it right out. This was after a few hours of letting it sit with several coats of penetrating oil of course.


The second bolt was a bit more stubborn. The extractor tool technique wasn't working. Vise grips just laughed at me. So we have to get the welder back out and do the old "turn a stud into a bolt" technique.


Never had this technique not work! So there ya go, all fixed and back on the road.

 

[chilliwak]

Some good repairs there Mr Plethora. That kind of carnage:Wow1: would leave most guys doing months of long term repair work. I can see that you have the skills to quickly geting the truck back in shape again. Good work. Cheers, Chilli..

 

[superbuickguy]

Excellent repair.

I'd be careful about heating cast iron to red - it can become brittle if it cools too quickly. Usually you just need to heat the bolt to red, since you can get at the top you could add wax to the hole above and it will seep back into the threads. That said, the weld-a-nut method can often work all by itself to both provide the heat at the turning device... trick is, as you clearly know but others may not, wait about 10 seconds before turning it to give the heat a chance to expand then contract the bolt loose.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Some good repairs there Mr Plethora. That kind of carnage:Wow1: would leave most guys doing months of long term repair work. I can see that you have the skills to quickly geting the truck back in shape again. Good work. Cheers, Chilli..

Yea, well the truck is kinda my daily driver, so I have plenty motivation to get it back on the road. Besides, it has all the tools onboard to fix pretty much anything at anytime!

Excellent repair.

I'd be careful about heating cast iron to red - it can become brittle if it cools too quickly. Usually you just need to heat the bolt to red, since you can get at the top you could add wax to the hole above and it will seep back into the threads. That said, the weld-a-nut method can often work all by itself to both provide the heat at the turning device... trick is, as you clearly know but others may not, wait about 10 seconds before turning it to give the heat a chance to expand then contract the bolt loose.

Thanks for the advice. For bolts that really need to come out with with little struggle I soak it in several coats Aerokroil for a few hours before any attempts. If heat is needed, I just heat it just enough to get it loose. I heat up whatever the bolt is threaded into as per how physics works with expansion and contraction. But yes, after welding a nut on a broken stud, 9 out of 10 times it threads right out without any additional heat. The weld a nut trick works really good on bolts broken flush. Just need to be careful not to weld the nut/stud to the piece you are tryin to extract it from!

 

[Outback]

Oh gee willy Batman, looks like we found some of the limits of the truck and passed them...

View attachment 392714 View attachment 392715
Getting air and landing on a tree stump did wonders for the oil pan!

View attachment 392716 View attachment 392717
And that caused the transmission to give way, breaking the transmission mount, shoving the rear driveshaft yoke coming out of the overdrive unit into the bracket for the generator pulley. But it's ok, that's what ratchet strap alignment tools are for! :bigok:

View attachment 392720 View attachment 392721
And trying to off that tree stump caused more carnage... :ugh:

Do you have your Pilots license? Glad you got her squared away.

 

[Meili]

Just read the whole thread. Seems I am not the only one who prefers function over form.

Your build kinda reminds me of a big version of mine or is mine a small version of yours?

Have you ever scaled that beast? Could explain the tire issues.

 

[chilliwak]

I am hoping Plethora comes back and keeps us updated on whats happening with his rig...:Wow1:

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

it's been a year since he's posted on this thread and hasn't been on the board since April '18. Maybe he got tired of the doggy 6.2 and went to a different rig.