Fixing the 1998 HMMWV

[Milcommoguy]

I'll add the check valve to my list of headaches.

The slight leak at the purge/bleed screw was intentional, just so I could see if fuel making its way up from the mechanical pump. It's since been tightened down.

Are we talking about this one?
View attachment 957800

I was... as it could be problematic if a gummed up sticky mess inside. YOUR QUOTE and coming off hard acceleration, the truck will drop below normal idle and dies.

My question is... Starts right back up, most of the time??? Likey the IP is also gummed up with a sticky metering valve or advance mechanism. It doesn't take much on this precision fuel control in the DB2. Old Kool-aid without lubricity.

CAMO ABC's & DB2's
Diesel fuel lubricity is the ability of the fuel to lubricate and reduce friction in an engine's fuel system, a property that is crucial for preventing premature wear and component failure. The switch to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) has reduced the natural lubricity of diesel fuel, leading to a need for additives. A lack of lubricity can cause costly damage to expensive fuel system components like high-pressure pumps and injectors, which are highly vulnerable to this issue. That would be old HumV's.

Keeping it simple and slippery, CAMO

 

[mrandig]

Trying to get a handle on this oil leak. Looking from under the truck with the engine running, oil is absolutely, positively, gurgling out of the base of the dipstick tube, so we know where to begin.

The dipstick tube is held by three fasteners. These are tiny. The machine screws are 7mm, the nut and bolt are 10mm, and 8mm, respectively. Don't forget to remove the dipstick first.




There's also a #8 cap screw down by the exhaust manifold. This one doesn't need to be removed, just loosened enough to slide out the tube.


It only takes a few minutes; however, the fasteners are small and hard to get to. Plan on dropping a few on the floor.


For some reason, I seem to be missing an O-ring on this tube. Either there wasn't one installed previously, or it's still in the pan below. I think I need to go check, before I go any further. If it wasn't installed, that explains a lot.


The good news was that I saw this coming. I guess this is my motivation to replace it.

 

[mrandig]

I was... as it could be problematic if a gummed up sticky mess inside. YOUR QUOTE and coming off hard acceleration, the truck will drop below normal idle and dies.

My question is... Starts right back up, most of the time??? Likey the IP is also gummed up with a sticky metering valve or advance mechanism. It doesn't take much on this precision fuel control in the DB2. Old Kool-aid without lubricity.

CAMO ABC's & DB2's
Diesel fuel lubricity is the ability of the fuel to lubricate and reduce friction in an engine's fuel system, a property that is crucial for preventing premature wear and component failure. The switch to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) has reduced the natural lubricity of diesel fuel, leading to a need for additives. A lack of lubricity can cause costly damage to expensive fuel system components like high-pressure pumps and injectors, which are highly vulnerable to this issue. That would be old HumV's.

Keeping it simple and slippery, CAMO

I think "gummed up stick mess inside" is probably an accurate description.

It starts back up immediately, every single time it dies, and does run pretty good after a while, but when started cold, it's definitely hunting around trying to find it's idle. Once it's warm however, it runs like a sewing machine.

 

[mrandig]

Alright, alright, alright...

I'm done for this evening. I have to keep my garage door open to vent the fumes, and it's pretty getting late.

Fuel leak - fixed!
Power steering - fixed!
Dip stick leak - fixed!

The hardline from the fuel pump just needed to be a little tighter, the dip stick needed a new O-ring, and the power steering just needed to be wiped down. Problem(s) solved.

After about 30min of running, things look pretty clean to me.

 

[mrandig]

So now that the 1123 is running and mostly leak free, I decided to take a break and focus on something else.

Seat cushions sound like fun.


In a previous post, I had already replaced the entire driver's side, as I felt it was too far gone. The passenger side however, showed a little more promise, so I decided I'd try re-covering. I don't think my dog will mind.

Begin with unbolting the passenger seat from the battery tray.


I'm not sure what these spacers are intended to do, and they don't look original. Best guess, they're to prevent damage to the battery cover due to over tightening, as the cover is fiberglass.


With the battery cover removed, there is going to be a metal plate under the seat assembly. Place this piece aside.


Here's the seat bottom.


P/N for reference.


The lower assembly is really dirty, but I think we can clean the frame. We'll determine the state of the foam once the cover's been removed, but I can already tell it's kinda crunchy.


The lower cover is retained in place with a number of c-clips. If you slide a small screwdriver underneath the clip, and then rotate, it should pop right off. I think I had a total of 18.


Seat foam and frame with lower cover removed. It's seen better days, but I don't think it's unusable. It's probably got a few more years left, and again, I don't think my dog will mind.


The lower foam was stuck to the frame in a few spots but pulled apart without any damage.


The lower frame after being power washed and then wiped down. Did I mention I think these wipes are awesome?


Here's the lower cover waiting to be installed. The upper seat cover is more like a pillowcase, where the lower seat cover is probably more like a fitted sheet.


After reinstalling the foam and the new lower cover, I used a plastic trim tool just to get the sides snugged into place. Then I re-installed the c-clips.


Here's the underside of the completed and re-covered seat lower. I only used 16 c-clips out of the 18 that I had on hand.


I have to admit I'm super-impressed with myself over this one. The recovered seat lower looks amazing!

 

[mrandig]

Fresh of my roaring success with the lower seat and cover, I immediately started on the upper seat cover. And immediately hit a wall.



While the lower seat cover uses big c-clips that can pressed on by hand, the upper cover uses hog rings which are going to require a tool.


For my first attempt, I bought a kit from amazon, which included the hog rings and a spring-loaded hog ring tool.


While the 3/4 rings were the right size, unfortunately they're not the correct shape.


For my second attempt, I purchased a kit from Dewalt. This time, the shape was closer to being correct, but the rings are the wrong size (11/16" vs 3/4"). Unfortunately, this tool only works with one size rings, so it's also a no-go.


At this point I'm stuck. If anybody has any suggestions here, just let me know.

Otherwise, I'll keep looking online until I can figure out what Option #3 is going to be.

 

[mrandig]

So, while my seat cover drama was literally unfolding, I decided to tighten, tweak, adjust, connect, correct and align everything one last time for what I was hoping to be the last step to roadworthiness.

It was at this point that my heater core decided to take a d*mp. The same heater core that I decided was too much trouble to replace a few months ago. I was so busy looking for leaks outside, that I didn't realize I had one inside.

You can see the water stain on the floor mat. This has probably been going on for a long time, but the truck hasn't been in running order until now.


I was really proud of my earlier work getting this all put together. Now it all needs to come out.


First the cover needs to be removed.


Everything exposed. Remove the air ducts.


Remember the floor duct is zip-tied in place to the diverter box. Remove the zip-tie.


To remove the diverter box there is one small screw holding the box inlet to the heater core assembly.


Two push-pins holding the diverter box to the truck vent.


Diverter box removed. I didn't disassemble this any further; only enough to get it out of the way. I just let it hang there until it was time for re-assembly.


Next, remove the 10 push-pins connecting the heater core to the dust boot. You won't need to remove the pins on the fresh air intake.


The dust boot just needs to be pushed out of the way. I'm using auto trim tools for this.


Remove the air intake.


Remove the air cleaner assembly.


With both removed, you'll be able to access the four nuts holding the heater core assembly.


Good times. Be careful of your knuckles.


Don't forget to disconnect both heater hoses. Also remember to disconnect any electrical connections.


With everything disconnected, you'll need to do some wiggling. First pull to the right, and once the hose connections have cleared their grommets in the firewall, the whole assembly should come out.


Whew.

 

[mrandig]

Installation of the heater core is going to be the reverse of removal. I'm leaving the air box and intake off for now, as I still need to drop the windshield troubleshoot the windshield wipers.


There's also an earlier post about the left and right splash shields, so I'll skip further details on reinstalling them.


Poor little hood pins though. Everything was ever so slightly miss-aligned, but enough to make installing the hood a frustrating evening. In the end, I beat them like they owed me money and within an inch of their lives. Lord help if the hood ever needs to be removed again.


I guess this is what progress looks like.

 

[mrandig]

More progress made tonight - Driver's side interior.

 

[mrandig]

A little touch up of the passenger seat base / battery cover. This cover has really seen better days, but I'm feeling cheap at the moment, and don't want to buy a new one.

While I like the CARC paint substitute, I'm really not a fan of the spray nozzle. It's not the best in terms of control, and it drips everywhere. Wear gloves when using.

 

[mrandig]

Finishing up this weekend with the geared hubs. Once that's done, it should be time for a test drive. It's amazing how long this project has taken, and how much work has been involved.

While I'm here, I'm also updating the shopping list to include any suspension or steering parts I still need. The front hubs are good, the tie rods on both sides need to be replaced, and the driver's side half-shaft looks awful.


It took me a minute to figure out how to get the rims off. Turns out, there's a decorative cover that's held on by two allen-head screws, and then the lug nuts are underneath.


There's also a special key required to remove these lug nuts, which I came very close to losing. I wouldn't have even known that I had it, if I wasn't looking for a different key for a different car.


I also needed to break out the "real" impact wrench. Not the DeWalt 20v I use constantly, but the real one that uses my air compressor. There is no justifiable reason that these lug nuts were on this tight, and it's a good way to wreck your wheel studs.

 

[mrandig]

Today was the first day of actual road trials.

I probably put a good 40 miles on the truck today and had no major issues. I still need to look underneath for any small leaks, but overall, I think we're in pretty good shape.

As a bonus, my windshield wipers decided to start working again, no reason given. The only negative at the moment is I can't get my mirrors adjusted the way I'd like.

 

[Milcommoguy]

Today was the first day of actual road trials.

I probably put a good 40 miles on the truck today and had no major issues. I still need to look underneath for any small leaks, but overall, I think we're in pretty good shape.

As a bonus, my windshield wipers decided to start working again, no reason given. The only negative at the moment is I can't get my mirrors adjusted the way I'd like.
View attachment 959001

Wednesday's quote of the week.... "The only negative at the moment is... I can't get my mirrors adjusted the way I'd like."

You and every other HumV owner.

Can't see out the left side and listening for the crash on the right side, CAMO

 

[mrandig]

Fresh of my roaring success with the lower seat and cover, I immediately started on the upper seat cover. And immediately hit a wall.

View attachment 957901

While the lower seat cover uses big c-clips that can pressed on by hand, the upper cover uses hog rings which are going to require a tool.
View attachment 957902

For my first attempt, I bought a kit from amazon, which included the hog rings and a spring-loaded hog ring tool.
View attachment 957903

While the 3/4 rings were the right size, unfortunately they're not the correct shape.
View attachment 957904

For my second attempt, I purchased a kit from Dewalt. This time, the shape was closer to being correct, but the rings are the wrong size (11/16" vs 3/4"). Unfortunately, this tool only works with one size rings, so it's also a no-go.
View attachment 957905

At this point I'm stuck. If anybody has any suggestions here, just let me know.

Otherwise, I'll keep looking online until I can figure out what Option #3 is going to be.

I finally gave in and decided to recover the passenger seat, even if the hog rings I have aren't the correct ones. I ended up using 3/4" D-rings, and it turned out fine.


You really can't see the D-rings are incorrect, unless you remove the seat and turn it upside down.


Also gave the seat base a good cleaning.




After cleaning and paint, the battery cover is still a hot mess, but it's serviceable.


The spacers and hardware I almost replaced, until I realized that the little square spacers are actually different sizes, and are necessary for bolting down the seat evenly.


There's a reason that two of these spacers are marked "front".


Here's everything completed and ready for use. One more item to cross off the "to-do" list.

 

[mrandig]

Today's stupid question:

This is for a two-man soft top on an M1123.

What's going on with these ears? I've been driving around with these loose since the top was installed, and it gets kind of embarrassing when they get free and start flapping around.

There's turn-buttons both above and below the eyelet, but nothing that matches up even close. I have to assume it goes over the pad on the b-pillar, then under the seat belt, and then wraps around.


The top is the correct P/N for this truck - UOC NNN (12340736-18 ).


Do I just need to pull on it harder, or am I missing something obvious? This truck was a soft top, so obviously it had a cover on it before this.

 

[mrandig]

I wasn't feeling like working on the truck this morning, so I decided to some truck-related woodworking.

This is from my center console. I'm not sure if it's called a radio tray, storage tray, etc., but today I'm going to make it a new tray.


The original is pretty beat and broken, but I'll trace it the best I can. I'll use a little artistic license as needed.


Next, out comes the table saw.


First cut is lengthways at 17-3/4". Second cut is crossways at 23".


Then the band saw comes out. I'm not playing around today.


Now in its rough form, it's starting to look pretty good.


A little bit of sanding to wrap things up. Mostly, I'm just using this sander to round off the sharp corners.


I think we've got it. Unfortunately, the piece of plywood I was working with has a chip in it, but as they say, perfection is the enemy of good. At least I think that's what they say...


Side-by-side comparison.


When clamped together, the two trays are almost a perfect match.


A few holes needed to be drilled for mounting. I'm using the old tray as a template, as none of these holes seem to be spaced evenly, or even in a straight line.


Test fitting new tray. We'll primer, paint and then install permanently later today.

 

[mrandig]

Storage tray primered, painted and installed.

Another project complete.

 

[mrandig]

Just another day in the story of trying to make the world's most reliable HumV.

I did the geared hubs on the front a few weeks ago, but I had put off the rear, as I was too excited to go driving around. Unfortunately, my transfer case is now leaking (lack of use?), so I'm back up on jack stands.

The two front hubs are fine, the rear left is fine, the rear right however is a different story. While the word HumV translates into various languages as "really dirty", the right rear is really badly caked with greasy mud. Far beyond the dirt and dust I've seen on the other hubs. I'm going to assume I've found a leak.


From the looks of it, I'm guessing this is from the top input seal.


Several hours and more than one can of brake cleaner later, it still needs work.


Interesting find wrapped around the rear spindle. I've unraveled a big spool of what looks like fine copper wire. Anybody ever seen this before?

 

[mrandig]

Hubs are finally done now.

Rather than replace the right rear input seal, I just decided to give it a really good cleaning and carry on. I want to see it leaking directly with my own eyes, and I couldn't tell anything with the hub caked in that much dirt. Once I'm sure what's leaking, then that's what I'll replace.

Another task comes off the to-do list. It's getting to be a pretty short list at this point.

Next up, transfer case seals.

 

[TOBASH]

Hubs are finally done now.

Rather than replace the right rear input seal, I just decided to give it a really good cleaning and carry on. I want to see it leaking directly with my own eyes, and I couldn't tell anything with the hub caked in that much dirt. Once I'm sure what's leaking, then that's what I'll replace.

Another task comes off the to-do list. It's getting to be a pretty short list at this point.

Next up, transfer case seals.

On first glance I once thought I had a leak, and it turned out to be a torn boot