[ihc] RE: surplus brake parts

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ryan, why don't you tell me exactly what the truck is, and I will find
the parts for you.  You put emphasis on *can't* and *any*.  IMO, your
emphasis should have been on *they*.  Not to imply that I have any
secret sources, Memphis Equipment has been around since 1946 and has
been widely known to have just about everything for deuces from the GMC
M211/M135 to current. Memphis is far from the only supplier out there
either.  I used them as an example because I'm willing to bet they have
the parts. I believe that somebody told you they are unavailable at any
price.  I'm willing to bet that is an untrue statement. If you are
serious, call Memphis or tell me what kind of truck it is and I will
call for you. If the parts truly aren't available, I'll bet there is a
workaround that probably improves the function.   

Volunteer fire departments don't buy surplus trucks from Memphis, they
get the for free from DMRS and agree not to sell them for a certain
number of years or forever depending on the program.  I know this
because I work in the Emergency services every day.  I own an M220 that
I bought when Civil Defense got tired of it.  I have an M1008 and a 4wd
'82 S1800 at my house that the Sheriff brought home for nothing through
DMRS.  The sheriff is considering parting the M1008 because the motor is
hammering in the other one he has (again free).  The S1800 only has one
battery and weather checked tires so I don't use it much. 9 X 20 tires
are not "unavailable at any price", but budgets being what they are, it
still has weather checked tires.  I intimately understand the wall you
run into when trying to justify to elected officials why these free
trucks need some money put into them.  It would be much easier to say
that the parts are unavailable when someone asks why that truck sits.
"unavailable to my budget" is more accurate.  

The reality is that if the department has CUCVs, they don't need the
PWs.  Or is that the other dept?

The local ambulance service I belong to just bought a new ambulance.  We
had 19,000 miles on the one we got rid of.  It was a '93 Ford chassis
with a Diesel.  Somewhere along the line, we got algae in the fuel.  We
treated and changed filters and dropped the tank multiple times some of
the work was done by us, some by the Ford dealer.  Still had algae.  We
didn't run it enough to burn enough fuel.  We started having trouble
with it dying and eventually the injector pump went out. We fixed the
pump and sold it to a private ambulance company who runs the wheels off
and is very happy with it. We told them our reason for selling up front.
We caught some heat about spending the money on the new one, but what
good is our time and training and anyone's life if we can't get out of
the shed?   

If your house or field is burning up/down, do you want to count on a 50
(60?) year old Power Wagon or deuce starting.  

Many reasons why those surplus trucks get parked.  Very seldom is it
because parts are "unavailable at any price". I would wager that is
never the reason.  I this 6X6 you mention happens to be an IH like
Colin's, then I will admit defeat, but if it is a GMC or an M35
(REO/Studebaker/Kaiser) parts are out there.  

Anybody catch the IH content there? <g>

Ed Sohm
Battle Creek, IA 

'71 800 B
'74 200 4X4 Travelette Camper Special
+ a bunch more 







> Ryan,
>
> Brake parts for military vehicle are easy to find and not all that
> expensive, people are just averse to spending the money on a "free"
> vehicle. That is how many fire departments/countys/whatever view
> vehicles like that.  They were fun to own, but since they got them for
> nothing (or next to it), they don't want to put anything into them.  I
> own an M220 because of just this reason.  Nobody saw a value in it.
>
> Try: www.memphisequipment.com for the deuce and:

They don't list brake parts.   The fire dept has been searching for
brake
parts for the 6x6, and they *can't* find them at *any* price.

The other department took their trucks down because of lack of parts,
and
considering they have some brand new fire trucks and can afford them, I
think they could get the money in their budget to fix up the old 4x4s if
they could find the parts easily.   I know a guy in the latter
department
and he directly told me he was unable to find parts at all for what his
trucks needed (not that they were too expensive, that he never found a
place
that had them), and he is the one that told me about the former
department
having trouble with brake parts.  I do think brake parts can be had, and
have been contemplating trying to acquire the 6x6, but don't really have
a
way to move it...

They would rather fix the 6x6 if they can because otherwise they will be
*buying* a replacement tanker truck (it has a tank fitted to it), right
now
they don't have one at all.   They can get ex military stuff sometimes,
(the
second department has two CUCVs set up as brush fire trucks), but a lot
of
the time they raise money and buy their own equipment.  The second
department bought their new fire trucks by holding monthly fish fries as
a
fund raiser, and they still do the same thing to help with maintainance
etc.
They do their own actual mechanical work too to save money.

I know there's another guy who's on the BB who is going as far as
rebuilding
an engine to go into an early 70's loadstar fire truck to keep it
running.

> www.vintagepowerwagons.com for the power wagons.
>
> Plenty available for the Power Wagons and comparable to '60s and '70s
IH
> parts price wise IMO.  Pretty good when you are talking about vehicles
> from the 40s and 50s.
>
> There are some good upgrades out there: 4 wheel disks for PWs and
power
> steering for Deuces.
>
>
>
>
> Ed
>

BTW, if you notice, that website sells 6x6s set up like the one dept
has...
you think they get them cheap?  I doubt it, and I be they would rather
fix
the one they have then buy a whole new truck.

Just IMO,
Ryan


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