CHEAPEST Army Truck I could find. (Will it ever Run Correctly!?) 

Matt, the radiator is grounded to stop electrolysis of the cooling system. Many of cooling system will create a stray current corroding out the radiator inturnally. Back to watching and hope you re connect the earth cable too the new radiatior. We will see what you do hopefully. Cheers Stew.

I literally JUST sat down with my meal thinking "i hope Matt's uploaded something new for me to watch whilst i eat this". The man delivers

When I was in the US Army I was assigned a Deuce And-A-Half that was "Unserviceable" and directed to get it back onto the "Operational List" so I was cheering for you when you got yours back up to good running condition. Once I had A61 operational, I became the errand boy for my company. This had me putting MANY miles on my Deuce and I LOVED every minute of it ! You told me in comments before that Either Trained simply means something is WRONG. This is VERY true of a multifuel engine. The Deuce And-A-Half that was my truck during a nasty cold winter in Wildflecken Germany was the truck we used to jump off the rest of the trucks in the motor pool on those icy cold mornings. A61 usually turned over a couple of times and fired right off at ANY temperature so I KNEW when you had to spray your Deuce so much that something was BAD WRONG.

Another thing to check on these old trucks is that the differential vent line is still there broken off or has cracked open. Which allowed water into the gear case. These trucks were driven through creeks and shallow rivers alot through their life time.

45:30 That was a close call for that deer. Great video as always Matt!

Clint is definitely a class act, not only knows his stuff but always willing to help out as well. Only thing is now Matt you're going to have to drive her constantly for a month, just to clear all that crap out of the engine. 👍

I spent many an hour in one of those, Matt. Duece and a halfs, 5-tons, Gamma Goats, Mutts, M-48A5s as well. That one runs about as well as any of them that were maintained on a regular basis. Outstanding job. Kudos to Clint from C&C for the assist.

Man the distinctive whistle of duce duce & a half turbo brought back memories of the Army motor pool; 50+ years ago. Good job Matt!

45:32 Almost had you a nice deer! Great rig and great video!

Matt, having made a career in the Army and, more specifically in Army transportation, this tickles me. I've spent a lot of time in the cab and in the cargo area of these venerable trucks and its bigger 5 ton brother. The lack of power puzzled me as I know they are powerful, capable haulers. This particular model and iteration of the dunce and a half has moved trillions of tons of "beans and bullets" for the Army and Marines. They have such a distinctive sound (not unlike a John Deere two cylinder) that I could identify one without seeing it. Great job on making this one something exciting and viable again.

That grounding strap on the radiator is probably to help protect against electrolysis so I’d make sure it goes back on 👍🏻

That little tap on the throttle shifting up! Sent me home again! Army 1971-2001,

I was a mechanic in the Army and drove our maintenace deuce. Loved that truck and the darned thing never failed us! And you're right, they are an absolute blast to drive! Nice video!

Awesome job. Love the whole thing military. Not sure the passengers will survive the exhaust smoke. 😂

Thank you Matt, I drove a "Duce" in the ARMY and they are beasts! Imagine driving one with a water buffalo in the narrow cobblestone streets of Germany and the icy mountains of Europe. We would dump anything that would burn in our duce's, old gas with water in it (no problem) three year old kerosene (it loved it) we even ran paint thinner through it ( I guess we were ahead of social media) 😮

I’ve only come across one of those trucks once, but the reason why I like them is because they sound so unique. I love the sounds that they make.

Outstanding video Matt! Old Army veteran here. Watching you get the deuce running right in the fall took me down memory lane. Driving an M35A2 loaded with Soldiers in the back up a mountain road in a snow storm. 6X6 engaged. She never spun a wheel. Thank you for not giving up on the old girl and giving us some great content!

I love the Doppler sound of the horn as you drive over the camera that would make a great Intro , Many props to Clint at C&C equipment for his knowledge and experience with these trucks and he was spot on with His diagnosis of what was wrong, it now runs and starts like it's supposed to ,I know Matt is stoked

Hi Matt, Former 7th Army soldier, that learned to drive stick shift on a duece and a half. Fun times in the 88th HEM Co. Hanua, Germany. Love all your videos.

Dude, M35A2 was the truck I was assigned when I went to my first duty station in Baumholder, Germany back in 1982! I loved that damn thing! Mine had a winch up front. Took the soft top off and put a hard roof on the cab like you have. Replaced most everything, including the heater. Took a dryer vent hose and fed the heat into the back. I miss that truck!!

I can say that when you fired it up after the timing fix… I could hear the difference. It just sounded smoother..add in the fact that you didn’t need to kill it with ether to get it to start… Yeah, Clint proves again why he’s good at what he does. Diagnosed it without even hearing it.. To quote a movie (From Russia with Love).. There is no substitute for experience.

That truck sounds so good now, I'd love to see how it covers snow covered roads this winter. Thank you Matt for all the hard work in doing these video's.

your thumb inside the steering wheel gave me the chills! We always were told keep your fingers out of danger zone!! So glad to see you get that beast running, I have thousands of miles driving one of those, I hope you enjoy it.

The M35 has always been "THE" army truck to me, it was a familiar sight in war movies as a kid even growing up in the UK and Australia and my love of it has only grown over the years especially as I've learnt to enjoy the mechanical symphony of diesel engines. I've always wanted one, and the idea of somehow owning one in Australia has only been galvanised after watching this! Love that truck and can't wait to see your videos with her in the future. Thanks Matt!

Tom1k9 calls this something new. It brings back memories of days long ago and far far away in SE Asia. While doing a stint TDY in Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam, I went on a "joy ride" on a Deuce and a half from the air base compound to a local village loaded with the villagers who worked on the base. The route was cross country through muddy fields. We went on two trucks at a time so that when one got stuck, the other was there to tow it out. The favors were exchanged several times on the trip. This was done two times a day, every day. (For a time when the action was light.) This was in late '66.

What an absolute gem that is! The sound as you pulled away down the drive with us absolutely awesome, anyone who doesn’t like that sound, I have no words for! Great pics from the parade and love how many people came out to support! True local community spirit 👍👏👏👏👏👏

We have been using Simplisafe for three years. The only complaint we have had was with the outdoor camera. They sent us a new one and it seems to have resolved the issue. Their monitoring is spot on and very affordable.

Man I love your perspective on stuff like this. Even when stuff is a huge pain in the ass you still work through it without getting bitter, and the payoff when it actually works is always great

Clint shows his expertise and helpfulness yet again. Great example of a guy to do business with ;)

We had those 2 1/2s over at the 911th Air Lift Wing. I drove them on and off aircraft for traveling. They were a great vehicle for small jobsand carrying troops! Enjoy! Retired from the Air Force at Pittsburgh International Airport 2004. Keep up the great work, you are blessed with knowledge!

That old AutoCar brings back alot of childhood memories of my stepfather hauling coal out of Eastern KY with one him and his father rebuilt. I loved that truck and still to this day remember the sight of those headlights. Just sticks out and that long nose on em. Love it. Brings up goosebumps.

Nice job getting the army truck running smoothly.

Glad to see you got it running right. These trucks sure are fun to drive and are an absolute beast off road. There are adjustments to decrease some of that exhaust smoke, and I would recommend getting some spin-on filter adapters. There are a few guys in the community that make them. Really glad you are happy with it and have decided to keep it!

That Clint from C&C is a wealth of information, he always seems ready to help! Good job Matt.

I've been going back and forth on buying one of these and bobbing it to a single axle, so I can run larger single tires, as well as keeping other costs down through simplification. Not too many trucks have a stack on the A pillar, and a removeable top together. It would be fun to roll around town during the summers with no roof to run my errands, and I can actually park one at work. Be a lot easier to manuever bobbed as well. That was also a sweet Ford 9700 in front of the deuce in the parade.

Matt great job ! I spent many late nights in the motor pool fixing oil leaks, tires and brake failures on those old 35s but I love them anyway, by the way you can reduce some of the smoke if you turn out the adjusting nut on the smoke cam adjuster with out losing any power, just a suggestion though have fun with it !

Matt, I recommend rigging a blower in the rafters of your shop, with a flex hose hanging down that you can loosely put over the exhaust of whatever you're running to extract the exhaust to outside. You could probably use something like a woodworking shop dust extraction system, without the dust collection. Just vent outside.

Its gonna be a great Saturday morning with Diesel Creek! Good morning everybody and thumbs UP to Matt!!

You can't have too many old Army trucks, Matt! I always took every chance I could to get to drive them often when I was in the Army early 70s. We have 3 deuces in our Aircraft Museum here in Colorado and they are three different vintages from Korean War era to a Viet Nam era mid 60s and a 4x4 deuce later years from the Desert Storm era. The newer one is difficult to keep running because of the high level of electronic systems designed into it which doesn't make any sense because of the gremlins that come up with electronics and in a battle field scenario that would seem the worst place for complex vehicles. The simpler the better would seem the better choice but that's the government way. Glad you got yours to run the way she was designed to run. Looking forward to at least a picture of your latest Army truck acquisition. Onward!

Great episode! Most thrilling sounding turbo I ever heard. The horn sounds....FRENCH which I love. But word of advice from an old man to a young one: when the wife says you're spending all your time in the garage, you need to spend more time in the house or wherever she wants you to go. I love your channel, but you need to take care of number one and she knows who she is.

I am SO happy for you!! Thank you Clint for helping Matt get this truck sailing smoothly!!!! This was such fun to watch, and Matt, your joy is so contagious!! Keep smiling, buddy!!!

Great troubleshooting. FYI United Technologies was at one time a huge conglomerate including Pratt& Whitney aircraft engines, Hamilton Standard propellers, space suits, Sikorski helicopters, Carrier AC, Otis Elevators and long ago even United Airlines. Their USBI operations is what brought me to Alabama and meeting my future wife so I UT has a place in my heart. Now they are merged with Raytheon into a huge defense contractor.

Metal/copper/aluminum radiators are grounded to prevent electrolysis. It basically keeps them from turning into a battery. The coolant will act as an electrolyte and eat away at the radiator, and in some cases, engine components such as liners, etc.

Fricking Awesome!!! Both you and the truck. This is what my father drove when he was in Korea. He told me that it was so cold at night that they had to keep one truck running all night so they could use it to start the rest of the trucks in the morning. I wish he was still around to see your video.

It always puts a smile on my face when Matt does his excited laugh when something actually works out for him😊

That truck sounds so much better now that you have the injection timing straightened out. It’s a night and day difference even on video. The look on your face when she fired without ether was priceless. Way to go Matt!!!

Another thing to check on these old trucks is that the differential vent line is still there broken off or has cracked open!!!

I used to drive these when I was in the Army! One of my favorite military vehicles!!❤

I love it when you get a engine running for the first time. Your laughter and excitement is contagious. Keep on keeping on . Your videos are always fun and educational. Be safe.

Thank you, Matt. When I first joined the Army (97-04), an old Duece was the first truck I was ever assigned out in Ft. Lewis, Washington. I essentially "restored" that beast, as an 18 year old kid. I can't even tell you the number of boobs I got flashed on our many convoys between Lewis and Yakima training center! 🤣 That obnoxiously loud turbo whistle brings back some good memories. Someday I hope to own one, myself. Can't go wrong with a simple but tough, multi-fuel, 6x6, 2 1/2 ton truck for a "SHTF" rig!

Matt, when a truck radiator is not properly grounded, the cooling system collects stray electricity and the coolant becomes an electrolyte. The stray electricity searches for a ground path and it will degrade or eat away the radiator in the process.

Love how excited Matt gets any time an engine fires up after working on it haha

This was awesome Matt. As an ex Sapper, the Army trucks always have a special place in my heart even the US variants.

Yup, I would say Clint at C&C is a nice friend and a tremendous resource to get your Army truck running correctly once again . And, it is nice seeing you happy by knowing you got the fuel pump issue resolved and have a vehicle operate as the way it should. Five thumbs up from this end of the Inner Web. 👍 👍 👍👍👍

The Yankem rope looks nice on the front of the truck. Glad you got it going. Thanks for the short glimpse of what C&C really delivered.

These trucks started as M35s, REO(Ransom Eli Olds) gasoline powered eng. The M35A1 was a 427cid Hypercycle turbo diesel (exhaust under the bed)made by Hercules or Continental. The A2 was a non turbo 465cid with stack while the later A3 added an updated turbo. White and Continental made a lot of those... least it was that way in my day...like the old M151, it was the "go to" truck...good job...!

Great to see that old girl come to life and run so well! All the effort you go to with photography is impressive. Lot's of camera angles and great drone shots at the end! Thanks for the effort you put into making a quality video for us!

You might want to pressure test the cooling system after fixing it was blowing a lot of white smoke when started and maybe a compression test to check the head and gasket.

I've always felt like mechical things have "souls" (for lack of a better word) - animals too. They can't "tell" you what's wrong or when they're happy but "show" you by the way they behave, run, act. You were smart enough to discover (even if you needed C&C to help) so NOW truck is "happy" and showing that by how much better it runs. Thanks, Matt, for giving this old war horse a future life. :) You take care of them, they'll take care of you.

Probably an ex Jaguar mechanic timed it as the XK 6 cylinder engine (1948-1987) numbered the cylinders 1-6 starting from the flywheel. I feel sorry for the previous owner who did not know Clint at C&C and if he had he would probably still have his monster M35A2. Always helps to know someone who has more knowledge at your disposal. A good lesson for all. Nice video and congrats on bringing it back to life.

Well done Mat !!! Clint's advice was on the spot (as always..) One thing though...I was three years in the Greek Army and i never remember our REOs smoking so much.. May be,it is from very old and dirty fuel chain.. The engine sounds good and I don't think that it is too much worn.. May be some love to diesel Pump-injectors-turbo from Area Diesel Service would benefit this nice REO...Thank you for the video Mat ...I liked your REO this time..

It puts a smile on my face watching how excited you get when an engine fires up and things are going right. I've learned alot about diesel engines since I started watching your channel ( which is when you first started putting rock down for the driveway to the back of the property) . Love it when the plan goes together

Matt, grounding the radiator helps prevent electrolytic corrosion. If there is a voltage differential between the radiator and ground for any reason, it will accelerate any corrosion in the radiator. Well done on the repair! She sounds great! Brings back memories of driving one in the Army a couple of times. I was usually driving an M113A1 with a little Detroit Diesel V6. Not the 6v71, but the 6v50-something. Shows? I'd take that old girl out hunting. Plenty of room in the back for gear, a swag, and a heater.

It's always nice when you have someone who you can call on to offer real life expert advice on fixing stuff. I was thinking to myself this truck seems to have lots of room in the engine bay. The lay out and access to the parts is terrible though. I always love that turbo whistle of these trucks.

@Matt, I'd hang onto the bits for the density compensator and see what it might take to fix it so it works right. You never know if you might find yourself having to run it off used peanut oil or waste engine oil or god only knows what else if things don't improve soon.

Glad you got the old girl running right and back in operation. Clint and C&C Equipment are fantastic people and resources, passed by their place yesterday on my way to see my daughter. Your channel is awesome, keep up the good work!

Very happy for you Matt ! The sound of that engine is beautiful. 👍

Your excitement when an engine starts and runs is awesome.

Blessings Matt This is one of the things I love about you, Matt. You will take 1953 army truck and do your mechanical work on it to make it run. You have proven that one can start out with older equipment when first starting a business. They don't need all the new bells, and whistles are not necessary to get the work done. Love your show, Matt, and keep up the good work. BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS

Matt, Your expressions of joy when something comes to life and runs well never gets old! Congratulations on getting the "Ol Gal" running well again. Enjoy!

I had a M35A2, loved that thing! I got mine from Govplanet or some such auction site for $2,500 with 3k on the odometer. I think mine was a 1971 AM GENERAL. I was really sad the day I sold it and I miss it still. The sounds that yours makes are the same as mine made. I'm sure it even smells the same, LOL! I really loved this episode, thanks Matt! BTW, I did the Fall Festival Parade several years in a row with mine and got to take my Nephew's Cub Scout troop each time, great memories!

I totally get that you like this truck! When I were in active service for the Norwegian Armed forces up i northern part of Norway in the 80-90's these trucks were still in use, and reliable and powerful for their use. As an officer in a comms unit I had to oversee several teams that were part of the command an control comms for Brigade North. The northern most Brigade in Nato at the time. We had one of these trucks in my unit that were a communications-switch with a team of 5 soldiers. Team leader were a young lady of max 155cm, but though as boots! All the boys followed her lead! That truck were a special configuration with a 6-wheel drive and lock-diffs. During one exercise during wintertime we had gotten almost a meter of snow during the two day layover, and all vehicles were kinda stuck. The driver of this truck also got stuck, but only due to lack of skill. Then team leader, all 155cm of her stepped in. She had previously been the driver of the same truck, and she were a farm-girl. Probably driven tractors since she were 12, I know I did. She hopped in, engaged 6-wheel drive, both locks, and hit it! That truck jumped out of the ditch with switch-cabin and everything hanging on for dear life! On the road again she jumped out and smiled to the driver and said : "Do that next time!" Awsome! :D

Love the sound of the turbo whistle of the deuce and a half. Has a real distinct sound you can pick up a mile away much like how a Huey has its own distinct rotor thump.

You may not need to worry about this in the shop but while outside it is a must that you think about safety, any time you raise the hood please get into the habit of securing it with the rod on the panel between the hood and the windshield using the spring loaded hooks on the hood. In my 23 years in the army I saw broken fingers, cracked skulls and badly injured spines from this heavy hood being pushed closed by the wind. I love watching you work on these beautiful machines, the memories are well appreciated.

Well that United Technologies logo just brought back some memories. Thanks man!! My dad was a Senior VP at the United Technologies Corporation conglomerate and President of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft’s China division which was one of the subsidiary companies of UTC. Even as a very high ranking executive he was far more comfortable hanging out with the shop folks. Just an extraordinary ordinary guy. Without question one of the most interesting people to talk with I’ve ever known on literally any subject put in the table. And, if you ever wanted to know the origins of any word, he knew it right off the tip of the tongue. Boy do it miss that guy. 👍🏻😎👍🏻

Love the sound of that turbo! Can't wait to see more episodes of this truck and the new one you just obtained.

Man that beast runs nice. I can assure you that is exactly how she should sound. Been around a few in my day and that turbo is purring like a kitten!! Well done! I watch Clint's channel as well - can't get enough of those big iron episodes on his! Keep on keeping on Matt and thanks for sharing.

Great to see you got it up and running, brings back a lot of good memories, I worked for a company in the mid 80's that had a huge variety of military trucks and equipment. They specialized in converting military trucks for agriculture and construction use, 20 acres of trucks, 2.5t, 5t, and 10t 6x6's, from the 50's into the 70's. With two large warehouses of new parts to support them and shops to rebuild them, sadly they were bought out and everything sold or scrapped.

There is nothing quite like driving a M35a2. They are the most fun to drive truck out there in my opinion. With the amount of smoke you have, I would guess the fuel has been turned up a bit. Great video!

The 6 wheel drive and a good set of chains would make that a great little winter wagan, I remember driving right over a fallen tree in one of them trucks.

That CASE mini ex foreshadowing!! Glad you got this truck figured out! Sounds amazing!

If you work on the truck outside be sure to use the hood open latch (Under the windshield, clip om the top of the hood) to keep the wind from ruining your day. Nice work.

It’s crazy to think that mechanics during ww2 could completely reassemble one of these in a half hour .. they had to reassemble them because they figured out they could ship the same amount of trucks as 100 Liberty ships could hold in 8 Liberty ships if they were disassembled and in crates , so they would disassemble them, load two truck to a crate, and then on the other side of the ocean, they’d reassemble them

Matt, i'll tell you how to set your focus. I was a camera man for 2 years when i first got out of high school. zoom in all the way, focus the shoot and leave it on Manual focus, and then when you zoom out everything will be in Focus. You will NEVER have to reset it again. Don, San Jose, CA. Take care, Love your Video's. 11-3-2023.

What an awesome video Matt. Your definitely a pillar in your community, looks like everyone loved the band, and the truck at the parade.

Love the truck but can't wait to see that crane in action 👍

While I do not work on Large Equipment, I was a Small Engine Mechanic 8 years ago untill I injured my lower spine. As I watch your videos, I would absolutely love to be there wrenching with you! God Bless you and your family.😊

I'm a navy veteran and I love your truck. So awesome. Thanks for allowing us to see whT you can do bringing back memories of my father serving during Vietnam War.

Ah Man, you made my day! I was excited when you first got the truck and bummed when it didn't run well. Now, I'm beyond excited to see it rippin' around the yard and you with a smile on your face. Love those old Army trucks!! Great ending to the video!!

I'm really glad you were able to get it figured out. I have memories of driving one of those while in the Army. I had a great time hauling troops around. They would always fall asleep while I was at the wheel. The sound of yours and watching it going down the road was such sweet memories. Thanks, I'll see you in the next one.

To change the pump timing 180° remove the three bolts that hold the pump hub to the timing gear, rotate the pump shaft one turn and reassemble.

Love the turbo whine. It must be really nice to have such a knowledgeable resource to answer questions. In the spring, one task I would recommend is to check the valve clearances.

Your excitement for the truck running and driving was so much that even the local deers wanted to get in for a closer look. Great video!

A lot of the vintage Harley Davidson motorcycles will run 180 degrees out of timing because of the dead spark system, but they won't run well!. Ask me how I know. Cool truck Matt.

That was fun to watch you fix and bring back to life. Your energy and enthusiasm is a joy to experience, thanks for a great video and the video shots taken!

Oh my goodness dude you're taking me back to my military days I used to drive those!!! That intro though, you driving all fast and everything I remember when I was in instructing school to learn how to drive those, my instructor was yelling at me because I was flipping through the gears so damn fast lol anyways I thought it was kind of funny and reminded me alot dude

GREAT video Matt! Your video design and production is amazing considering the tools you're using. LOVE all the high angle and follow shots from the drone! Amazing coordination.

Good to see that old truck performing like new. Thanks for the fall colors tour and glad to see that no deer were injured in the filming of this video🦌🦌🦌

I know another engine that runs with the Pump 180° around. Mercedes OM616 4 cylinder. Seen it on an old Unimog, pump was repaired and fitted by one of our techs. Same behaviour like you mentioned, would only start on ether, smoked really bad and was really gutless. According to the manual you have to time these with the crank shaft at 24° before tdc and then you're supposed to measure the time between drops coming out of the injection line on the pump for cyl 1 (with the pressure valve removed of course). Well our tech did just that, he was able to time it like that but unbeknownst to him with the fuel-drop method he wasn't timing it on the beginning of the injection process but the end. Removed the pump, 180°, timed it with the drop method and it ran way better. We couldn't believe it aswell, that it'll run with the pump 180° out of timing.

Stunning Arial views of the trees and truck and landscaping Matt 45:40 @Diesel Creek