6BT, CUCV Axled M715 Build

[jeepman3366]

looks nice tim

[Barrman]

We got back to work on this truck Monday. The last needed parts were plasma cut from the really rusty Houston donor frame and the front leaf spring mounts for the rear were flipped over. At least once the last still stuck in the backing plate rivet gets punched out this afternoon, they will be flipped and bolted back on. That will allow the rear springs and axle to be put on.

The front springs are on and ready. We cut the spring perches that are not M715 correct off the front axle yesterday and lined the axle up under the springs. Here is how that looks:
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I brought the cab and front clip in on Wednesday. I had my students push teh 6BT over to it and we were going to put the transmission on the 6Bt to see how things fit with the body parts bolted together, sitting on jack stands and the engine on a roller. Well, I had them scuff up the input bearing for the trans and clean out the throwout bearing this morning. The throw out bearing fell off the fork. When they dug it out, it didn't want to spin. They finally got it to spin, but it sounds really loud at hand spin speed.

Seeing and hearing that. I had them pull the bellhousing off so we could look at the clutch. The pilot bearing is just about gone and here is what the flywheel looks like:
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They are scuffing it up as I type to see if it will smooth out.

[Barrman]

Those pictures didn't look so blurry on the camera. Sorry about that. Here are some more that shouldn't be so bad.

The truck came with a pair of weird or at least unknown transfer cases. Both are aluminum cased Stewart & Stevenson units. They are divorced with huge shafts and M35 sized yokes. Does anybody know anything about these?

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Here is the other one:
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They can be used as a direct drive 2 wd, the front output can be tied into the other side for 4x4, the rear offset output can be tied into the front output or spin free. They are made of aluminum, but weigh as much as a NP200 we have in the class. I haven't messed with the shift levers enough to see if the offset rear drive yoke can be run by itself for something like a hydraulic pump, winch or big generator/welder drive.

[k8icu]

You should probably pull that flywheel and have it turned.... And then tell Sermis that he needs a new clutch, throwout bearing and pilot bearing....

It must just be the camera angles but the new axle look like it's sticking farther one side than the other in each pic. I thought you had chills or something with the blur on those...lol.

[randyscycle]

Those cases look sort of like what I have seen in some of the larger International and Freightliner 4WD trucks like the power companies use for line service in the rougher terrain.

Seems they are also a MV use as well, in some Land Rover based stuff too:

http://www.4wdonline.com/SS/Esarco.html

[randyscycle]

Looks like the Esarco 8X8 used two of those cases to power all the axles. Neat looking machine for sure:

http://www.lr-mad.co.uk/esarco.html

They also used the 6BT Cummins for power. Wonder if that engine came from one?

[Barrman]

Joe, the front axle is just "eyeballed" in there. We just stuck a spring perch on the drivers side and tightened it down so the frame could be rolled yesterday afternoon after we got the rear axle back on like it is supposed to be. The entire frame is now on a wheel contact alignment machine lift. Now we have the roller bearinged "turn plates" under each tire. That will allow us to move it in any direction with ease. If you look real close at the pictures you can see the yellow metal wheel chalk bolted to the floor by the drivers side front tire. We couldn't move the axle where it needed to be.

Randy, the entire truck came from the town of Cat Springs. I'll bet a Civil War observation ballon winched up from this guys house would allow a person to see the Stewart & Stevenson plant where all the FMTV's are built. The owner didn't work there, but I am convinced the t-cases came from there. I just can't find any info about them besides the stuff you found. Want to buy one?

[k8icu]

Tim, The spring pearch is set on the passinger side is it not? It's cast into the gear housing right? Therefor I would think your kind of set as to where the spring pearch on the driver side is going to sit due to the fact that your passinger side is a fixed location no?

[Barrman]

Kind of.

The previous owner of the axles had them under a M715 that the front springs were relocated to under the frame instead of outboard of the frame. That didn't drive right, so he converted it to a spring under set up. That didn't drive right either, so he got rid of the axles and went back to a stock set up.

The spring under perch set up for springs mounted 3" further inboard is still on the bottom of the passenger side tube. That is keeping us from getting things exactly where they need to be. I can only use the plasma cutter by request and with a few days notice. We didn't get to that perch the last time we had it on Thursday. Maybe we can get it back on Tuesday and get that cut off. Once we get it correct left to right and front to back. We then need to set up the castor angle. That should be fun.

[randyscycle]

Randy, the entire truck came from the town of Cat Springs. I'll bet a Civil War observation ballon winched up from this guys house would allow a person to see the Stewart & Stevenson plant where all the FMTV's are built. The owner didn't work there, but I am convinced the t-cases came from there. I just can't find any info about them besides the stuff you found. Want to buy one?

Those do look interesting, just not sure what I'd use one for.....yet.

Seems that Stewart-Stevenson build a version of the Esarco for a while, probably the one listed with the Cummins. They look like a very interesting truck. Maybe the previous owner of the t-cases was doing a little dumpster diving after hours at the plant?