Operation AWOL

This project may be beyond understanding for some, but Operation AWOL is under way... AWOL is an '84 CUCV M1008 Chevy 5/4 ton Army truck honorably discharged from use in the "original" Gulf War. This 6,000 pound hunk of metal came back to The 'States to do ranch work in Wyoming for a couple years until it was retired to a storage unit for a couple more years until I found it and brought it home for $600. It is now in SLC with me... let the work begin...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/...133582d9_o.jpg
Additional Specs:
Detroit 6.2 Liter V8 Diesel
TH400 Automatic Transmission
NP208 Transfer Case
Dana 60 Front Axle w/ 4.56 Gears
Corp 14-Bolt Full-Floating Rear Axle w/ 4.56 Gears & Detoit Locker
24/12 Volt Hybrid Electrical System
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/...249581f1_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3616/...747cca01_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/...20f3f120_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/...0e8c03ac_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3351/...d23f20f9_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/...0fdd3bf0_o.jpg

The '95 Wrangler will be at the frontline and will most likely be the 1st casualty in this operation... Zeus is safe at the HQ for now...

dude justin...my dad has that EXACT same truck...
diesel was starting to go out...so he replaced it with some big gas motor that runs like a champ...

uses it to plow snow...
thing is a freakin TANK!

i've always wanted to inherit it from him to make into an offroad toy

Nice, Justin! AWOL actually looks to be in pretty good shape! What are the problems she has that need fixing? I don't any serious rust or anything, so your project should be pretty straight forward, eh?

What are your plans for the final paint job? Are you going to keep the tried and true OD Army feel or go with a Desert Storm flat khaki?

Gotta love a new project.

:thumbup: Bart

BTW, what kind of locking hubs are those?

Bart

Finley!! I was wondering if I’d ever see that thing. Looks like it’s in really good condition. Does it have the mil spec 24 volt electrical system in it?

Oops. I see you posted that it is. That’s going to be a really good crawler.

Looks better than mine right now! :p However, I do have an '87 Silverado with factory air that's going to donate it's cab and twin-tank bed. It also has a 700R4 but I'm going to hold off for the manual 5-speed in that department. Currently 3-color woodland but I want to go sand like yours, much better for the Florida sun.

http://planetarydomination.com/M1028/crunch.jpg

http://planetarydomination.com/M1028/silv_02.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pbkid

dude justin...my dad has that EXACT same truck...
diesel was starting to go out...so he replaced it with some big gas motor that runs like a champ...

uses it to plow snow...
thing is a freakin TANK!

i've always wanted to inherit it from him to make into an offroad toy

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No kiddin!? What a trip, Joe Black has one too... mostly. :p I'd like to see some pics of your dad's truck! I want to keep mine a diesel for the decent mileage, but researching has shined some light on the 6.2 motor in a way that I don't like. For now, I am going to keep it there though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

Nice, Justin! AWOL actually looks to be in pretty good shape! What are the problems she has that need fixing? I don't any serious rust or anything, so your project should be pretty straight forward, eh?

What are your plans for the final paint job? Are you going to keep the tried and true OD Army feel or go with a Desert Storm flat khaki?

Gotta love a new project.

:thumbup: Bart

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Well, in the 1st wave of attack, I need to rebuild the king pins on the front end because there is a serious (yet fun) death wobble around 30 mph. So when I do that, I will remove the 500 lb Dana and rebuild the entire axle as I install these parts: (Dually hubs, axle shafts...)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/...14df074a_o.jpg

...For the intent of installing these: (HMMWV 8-Bolt {bias-ply only} Beadlocks)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/...5734ff7e_o.jpg

...For the intent of installing these: (RARE brand new HMMWV 36" Goodyear Wrangler RT II OZ bias-ply tires)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3370/...fe7ded7f_o.jpg

Then I'm going to have to find a 3/4 ton van to donate the widetrack Corp 14-Bolt to match the width of the dually setup... and may have found one already... then I will have to rebuild that axle with the gears and locker from the truck... and then convert it to disc brakes.

Then I need to change all fluids, drain the tank, and make sure the fuel lines are clean, get 2 new deep-cycle batteries, and change out the flywheel and starter gear (PO didn't install the starter correctly and stripped the gears).

Then I should be good to go! I hope to have all that done by August 15th for a full test trip to Moab.

As for paint... beaters don't need paint!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

BTW, what kind of locking hubs are those?

Bart

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I'm not really sure, but I think they are Superwinch.

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Originally Posted by kodiak

Oops. I see you posted that it is. That’s going to be a really good crawler.

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It should be a freakin blast to wheel! As a sidenote.. it will crawl on the highway too - top speed will be around 65. :o The wheel and tire combo is about 100 lbs each and if they get too hot the tire pressure increases and... the bead locks have been known to blow apart! :bwgy:

God I hate that pic! I was so nervous when the truck was on the way to Utah from Wyoming on a trailer just like yours! My donor truck is setup like yours too with power everything, A/C/ cruise, dual tanks, insulation... and everything that is NOT Army issue! Now I'm not so sure I want to use a donor truck! I was thinking about swapping an NV4500, 6.5 TD, and NP241... so I have been searching for a '94 3/4 ton as a donor...but like I said... :confused:

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Originally Posted by Joe_Black

Looks better than mine right now! :p However, I do have an '87 Silverado with factory air that's going to donate it's cab and twin-tank bed. It also has a 700R4 but I'm going to hold off for the manual 5-speed in that department. Currently 3-color woodland but I want to go sand like yours, much better for the Florida sun.

http://planetarydomination.com/M1028/crunch.jpg

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

As a sidenote.. it will crawl on the highway too - top speed will be around 65. :o

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Yup, I'll be right there with you in the Trooper. Man, with the 33s and the roof rack back up top, getting up the long hill to work on the hwy is pretty horrible. I can have the skinny pedal pegged in 4th and I am at like 50mph if I am lucky. With 170k on the ticker I am scared to keep it in 3rd and rev it over 4000 RPMs too, so until I get a 3.4L in there, it'll be easy does it. I don't even wanna think about how slow she will be once I am loaded down with camping gear and ammo. :eek:

Bart

You need gears, my friend! :yeso:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

You need gears, my friend! :yeso:

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Yeah, I want to upgrade the rear, I just haven't done enough research to even begin to understand what I need to buy. What on this page would help me???

Bart

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

Yeah, I want to upgrade the rear, I just haven't done enough research to even begin to understand what I need to buy. What on this page would help me???

Bart

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You need to figure out what gears you have now - if you have 4.56's you may want to step up to the 5.38's: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=369
.or: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=225

You will be hard-pressed to find the 5.38's for the front tho. Missed that window... Unless of course you are thinking about the SAS...???????

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

You need to figure out what gears you have now - if you have 4.56's you may want to step up to the 5.38's: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=369
.or: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=225

You will be hard-pressed to find the 5.38's for the front tho. Missed that window... Unless of course you are thinking about the SAS...???????

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Well, wouldn't upgrading the rear still help a lot?

The SAS crossed my mind, but this truck is not intended for a serious rock crawling. My Trooper will be my daily driver and expedition rig. With the 33s I am pushing it, but I don't think a SAS is really necessary until I get over 35s. I am thinking about Joe Darlington's diff drop and some upgraded (beefier) components for the front end.

So much to do, such little time and money. :sady:

Bart

Man, that looks just like the one I used to drive around Ft. A.P. Hill alla time. It was even in similar condition. IIRC mine was gas tho - they had prolly already run outta spare diesel engines.

Don't know if the story is true but I'd heard that GM took such a bath on the diesel engines that the Gov't bought the CUCV to bail them out & the engines were so bad that part of the contract was for a spare engine with every unit produced.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

God I hate that pic! I was so nervous when the truck was on the way to Utah from Wyoming on a trailer just like yours! My donor truck is setup like yours too with power everything, A/C/ cruise, dual tanks, insulation... and everything that is NOT Army issue! Now I'm not so sure I want to use a donor truck! I was thinking about swapping an NV4500, 6.5 TD, and NP241... so I have been searching for a '94 3/4 ton as a donor...but like I said... :confused:

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I tow now with a load-equalizing hitch and it takes any sway right out. Our new 20' 14K lb. trailer is a bit tongue-heavy unloaded and the new hitch makes all the difference. No more towing with my Dad's F-150 though, I'll be using an '86 Mack Ms-250P Midliner that gets over 20MPG and can pull whatever I can load. If it's bigger than that I finally got a 50-ton lowboy for our vintage '70 IHC Transtar! :yeso:

So what did you find about the 6.2 that's giving you second thoughts? The only significant issue I've found thus far is that you need to keep an eye on the harmonic balancer, but other than that it's got a fantastic track record.

ya, my dads diesel took a crap..otherwise he would have kept it...IIRC the gas motor actually gets better mileage and has more power...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

Well, wouldn't upgrading the rear still help a lot?

The SAS crossed my mind, but this truck is not intended for a serious rock crawling. My Trooper will be my daily driver and expedition rig. With the 33s I am pushing it, but I don't think a SAS is really necessary until I get over 35s. I am thinking about Joe Darlington's diff drop and some upgraded (beefier) components for the front end.

So much to do, such little time and money. :sady:

Bart

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NEVER EVER change the gear ratio one axle at a time! As soon as you put it in 4wd the front and rear axles will turn at different rpms and will break something. But with the extra weight and diameter of those tires you really do need gears. The 2.8 is such a weak motor... as you know. The 3.4 will still be under powered for those meats.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tom4bren

Man, that looks just like the one I used to drive around Ft. A.P. Hill alla time. It was even in similar condition. IIRC mine was gas tho - they had prolly already run outta spare diesel engines.

Don't know if the story is true but I'd heard that GM took such a bath on the diesel engines that the Gov't bought the CUCV to bail them out & the engines were so bad that part of the contract was for a spare engine with every unit produced.

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Really? That's odd. I don't believe it because like Joe says the motors had a great track record. Now the 5.7 gas converted to diesel was a pile of turds!

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Originally Posted by pbkid

ya, my dads diesel took a crap..otherwise he would have kept it...IIRC the gas motor actually gets better mileage and has more power...

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A gasser V8 that gets 25+ MPG in a 1 1/4 ton 4x4 truck? What's he got in it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe_Black

So what did you find about the 6.2 that's giving you second thoughts? The only significant issue I've found thus far is that you need to keep an eye on the harmonic balancer, but other than that it's got a fantastic track record.

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Well, I started looking into rebuilding mine just to be on the safe side and found this buildup article: http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/c...dup/index.html

It is what kinda scared me off and into thinking the 6.5 would be a better candidate for me to build up. And since '94 was it's 1st year of production as well as the 1st year of production for the NV4500 (with the 6.34 1st gear) I figured I could have one donor truck with everything hooked up together without needing gueeswork and adapters. I can buy a complete '94 for around $2500 whereas fitting just the Banks turbo on the 6.2 would run me $2000+. I still think the 6.2 is a fine motor but without an OD the CUCV is not going to work for a loooong road trip so I am trying to kill 3 birds with one stone.

It's prolly the 5.7 I was thinking of.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe_Black

A gasser V8 that gets 25+ MPG in a 1 1/4 ton 4x4 truck? What's he got in it?

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no no...the diesel he had was only getting 4 or 5 mpg when he got it (hence the reason for the replacement)

his is strickly a farm vehicle...almost never driven on the roads, so he doesnt really measure mileage...but a tank of gas lasts WAY longer now...

Justin, over on Pirate " 100dollarman" does a lot of military surplus vehicle sales HERE. Might be an option for parts or donor vehicles. He is in north central Arizona (just north of Show Low).

Off topic...what was the brand of bed liner you used on your cladding and who sales it?
Back on topic...that stuff might be a good option IF you decide to repaint the AWOL and if it comes in the right color!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Triathlete

Justin, over on Pirate " 100dollarman" does a lot of military surplus vehicle sales HERE. Might be an option for parts or donor vehicles. He is in north central Arizona (just north of Show Low).

Off topic...what was the brand of bed liner you used on your cladding and who sales it?
Back on topic...that stuff might be a good option IF you decide to repaint the AWOL and if it comes in the right color!

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Hey, I've seen that guy! He is selling an awesome bobbed Deuce! Check this thing out: http://www.100dollarman.com/trucks.html His web site says he is in Lucerne Valley, Cali tho. :confused:

I used Dupli-Color bed liner - and I plan on using it on the axles when I rebuild them. I have only seen it in black, but have found it at Walmart and Auto Zone.

I'm going camping over the weekend so tomorrow I am going to fumigate the garage - a spider or a family of them hatched eggs the day after I took the truck off the trailer - thousands of little red buggers! :mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

His web site says he is in Lucerne Valley, Cali tho. :confused:

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Yep, looks like he has moved. His user info used to say Snowflake, Az.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pbkid

no no...the diesel he had was only getting 4 or 5 mpg when he got it (hence the reason for the replacement)

his is strickly a farm vehicle...almost never driven on the roads, so he doesnt really measure mileage...but a tank of gas lasts WAY longer now...

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Crikey! Yeah, I'd fix that too. Pity he didn't know much about diesels, they're way simpler than gassers and it likely just needed the pump adjusted. Before it was "squished" our M1028 made it from Kansas City to St. Louis running about 70MPH and averaged 24MPG. And that was with the stock 3-speed TH400 automatic. :bgwo:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

Well, I started looking into rebuilding mine just to be on the safe side and found this buildup article: http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/c...dup/index.html

It is what kinda scared me off and into thinking the 6.5 would be a better candidate for me to build up. And since '94 was it's 1st year of production as well as the 1st year of production for the NV4500 (with the 6.34 1st gear) I figured I could have one donor truck with everything hooked up together without needing gueeswork and adapters. I can buy a complete '94 for around $2500 whereas fitting just the Banks turbo on the 6.2 would run me $2000+. I still think the 6.2 is a fine motor but without an OD the CUCV is not going to work for a loooong road trip so I am trying to kill 3 birds with one stone.

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Gotcha. I'm going to hold off on the turbo for a while as I was duly impressed with the M1028's get-up-and-go abilities. Definitely will be on the hunt for the 5-speed manual so we'll have to compare notes whenever I get to that point. Right now my focus is putting a flatbed on the Mack and overhauling the brake lines on the M35A2 since it likes to blow a line every time I want to stop on asphalt.

I started working on this cusser again but it looks like I will run out of time to take it to Moab this May. :( I pulled the trans enough to replace the flex plate and then installed a new gear reduction starter - that was fun - no, seriously, IT WAS FUN! :yeso: Then I pulled the bed off with my own two hands and my Jeep a week ago to pull the fuel tank and get it cleaned out - it actually looked pretty good... except for the gunk that fell in the tank... because of me taking it out to check it. :upsetgray Plus I had to ruin the straps that hold the tank in place... Grr. Oh well, I have ordered new straps. I have also ordered a new rear end wiring harness and glove box door. After I put the bed back on I think I am going to bob it to the length of a short box!

I also ordered the PVC inserts from Stazworks and I just purchased DynaBeads to self balance the abundant rolling mass so at least all that will be ready to bolt together when I get the axle work done.

I found a pretty version of what I am going for on eBay today. I am glad I got to see what it looks like without a lift and hack job because I couldn't decide if I should lift it and how much. I think 3" will be ideal.

More to come...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

I think I am going to bob it to the length of a short box!

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Definitely. That would look cool. Don't forget to mount the M60 in the bed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZEUS

I found a pretty version of what I am going for on eBay today.

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Yup, I feel it. Definitely will be cool as hell when you get it done!

Bart

Just lookin at the eBay truck, I love the way the rims look and that they are painted to match the body. I VERY SERIOUSLY contemplated painting the Trooper rims to match the body. I wish I could do it and then if I didn't like it, wash it off!! :laughing:

I need to do a photochop of it at least. Its like the Camel Trophy Rover with the matching colored rims. Looks soooo cool!

Bart

I hear ya - I'm not even going to photochop it cuz I already know I want to bob it and paint the wheels to match. I am going to order a Softopper in tan and then try to find what paint best matches that. The M60 tho may get in the way. :)

The softtopper in Army colors would be cool. It will give it that personnel carrier feel.

Bart

Not much of an update but an update nonetheless. I finally cleaned out the fuel tank and reinstalled it and the bed recently. I charged up a pair of batteries from another truck, added 5 gallons of diesel and hoped for the best. Well, it almost started! :o I think I had too much air in the lines or pump - someone else will have to fire it up. Thanks to the grill hoop on the Jeep I was able to hang a tire from it and push the truck back into the garage again to meet ordinance. Stupid diesels! It is a lot closer to operational now tho.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1216/...a825e6e77f.jpg

lookin good justin...

i may be joining you on this boat sooner rather than later... been thinking lately that a CUCV would be a good trade for my acura... give me a beater for offroading and FABBING the crap outta it ;)

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Originally Posted by pbkid

lookin good justin...

i may be joining you on this boat sooner rather than later... been thinking lately that a CUCV would be a good trade for my acura... give me a beater for offroading and FABBING the crap outta it ;)

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Sweet, man! Who needs a measely car anyway!? :p I talked to 'my assistant' aka best friend and I think we have decided to do over the next 2 weeks what I originally planned with the 2wd donor truck anyway. Since I bought 3 diesel trucks and can only have one unregistered outside - the ordinance issue may be the kick in the arse I needed to finally do the body swap. God that will be a lot of work - but if it gets me a winter vehicle it would be worth it - still, ugh. I'll keep you posted...

Glad to see you're still working on it. It sucks not having a 10,000 square foot detached garage, doesn't it? :rolleyes:

I can't wait until you're done, and Beau is done with his VX and we can all meet up in our "Army Trucks" and enjoy eastern NV. :)

Bart