Recent content by ab705

I decided to bite the 'ol bullet and replace all of the gauges in my M37 instrument panel, due to a combination of some non-working gauges and cosmetic issues...and being a fussy old fart, of course. The bezels of the new gauges came pre-painted green, but they didn't quite match the Marine...

The bulbs I took out were just small 1156-base 24V filament bulbs, #190877. The LED lights in the photo in my post are some I've had for quite a while. I don't have a model number for them, and I'll have to look them up somehow to make sure they would actually work with 24V. A lot of LED lights...

Now that the weather is warming up a bit, I'm getting back to my M37 project again. My current task is to restore the instrument panel. Here's how it looked upon removal. I've seen a lot worse, but it needs work. The innards were very dirty, but there wasn't much rust. Of course, the wire...

What brand blade are you using, and how is it holding up? I've used a few different brands, with mixed results as to how long they lasted. I think the Diablo blades are probably the best I've found so far. For long cuts, I clamp a guide bar onto the metal, as it keeps the saw blade parallel to...

I don't think it would be noticeable to most people without a direct side-by-side comparison to an original XM708 tailgate, but if you're concerned about keeping it as original as possible, I think that changing the gauge of the reflector standoffs/brackets would be more noticeable than changing...

Pardon the long-winded response or topic 'drift." I'm not a metallurgist, but I think brass in contact with a cast-iron engine block would represent a greater difference in the galvanic series than stainless steel against a cast-iron block. Brass and stainless steel are both more 'noble' than...

:LOL: Speaking of sludge, I'm sure you know that sludge can be a good indicator of several issues, but I thought I'd add a few observations for the benefit of others: When I pulled the oil pan off the T-245 in my M37, I was happy to find how clean everything was. There was no sludge buildup...

I didn't mean "concern" as in "bother you," but just which type of surface you were concerned most with for the purpose of selecting the tire tread.

I suspect that these comments are already obvious to you but I thought I'd mention them anyway: Do some checking to see if the large diameter will limit your steering range by rubbing somewhere. Compared to the OEM tire diameter, the larger tire diameter will place greater stress on the axle...

Do you have a borescope? It would be worth having a look at the cylinder walls to assess the rust (if any) situation before cranking over the engine. If there is a lot of rust, even if you break it loose, it could do some damage when you run the engine: scored cylinder walls, clogged ring...

You might try chaining a long (>8') pipe or 4x4 to that section of the bumper and push down on the end of the pipe. That will give you a LOT of leverage to twist the frame rail.

Yes, I agree than any axle can be broken if circumstances allow you to apply enough torque to it. The axle shaft isn't always the weak link in the chain. It's possible that with the high-strength axles, something else might break first. I had an old British Land Rover many years ago, and on...

You're welcome. My axles weren't broken...just twisted...but it made me question the metallurgy involved in their manufacture, and made me wonder if the next unintentional over-stress situation might be enough to break them. I see that VPW is selling a pair of hardened 4340 steel 2-piece (shaft...

If you're going to install a big mill, you might consider getting a set of high-strength rear axle shafts. Both of my rear shafts had a very noticeable, sharp twist right at the end of the splines at the differential end of the shaft where the change in cross-sectional area creates a stress...

It looks like it's straightening out nicely. Have you had some unwelcome visits from wasps or hornets?