Amber headlights, HydraMatic transmissions, whale oil and more in this installment of ‘Tech Tips’
Something not right with your historic military vehicle? Steve Turchet answers your questions on how to keep ’em movin’!
Tach Tip
Q: I have a 1963 Willys M676 with the Willys flat head six-cylinder engine. Is there any way to hook up a mechanical tachometer? — Clyde B.
A: Just about anything is possible if one has the skills and determination to do it. Most mechanical tachometers on gasoline engines were driven off the distributor, which means you would have to locate a distributor with a tach drive that will fit your Willys 226 engine. Mallory Ignition used to make aftermarket distributors for many engines, and a tach drive was often optional, so that’s one possibility. While I doubt if Mallory still makes distributors for that engine, you might find a used one by searching the web. Those 226 engines were also used in marine and industrial applications, and I saw one in a boat that had a tach drive distributor so I know they exist. A lot a folks don’t know that the parts of many older distributors will interchange, so if you’re good with tools you might be able to custom-build a tach drive distributor.
Tiger Eyes
Q: Why did the U.S. military have amber headlights on some of its vehicles? I first ran into them when, in the late 50s or early 60s, I purchased an M38 with them installed. I live in Alaska, about 200 miles from Anchorage, and I drove the jeep for years with no problems from the State troopers. In the mid-1990s I sold the jeep to a friend in Anchorage. He was stopped by the city cops and told to remove the amber headlights, which he did. I traded him for the normal clear headlights. He was happy and so was I. I then installed the amber lights in my 1960 M35 — no problems from the troopers. —Mike
A: Thanks for the headlight story. Amber lights penetrate fog and mist a little better than white lights and don’t glare back as much into the driver’s eyes, which is why many auxiliary fog lamps are amber. Incidentally, there are some wavelengths of white light that the human eye doesn’t use, which is the theory behind the “blue headlights” on some new vehicles that many drivers find annoying.
Beware Of The Chunks
Q: I am curious as to whether the HydraMatics in the M211 6x6 trucks had filters in/on them? A spin-on filter like an engine oil filter could work, I think. Having “chunks” in the oil will shorten its life dramatically. Your thoughts, please?
A: My M211 had the standard internal Hydramatic filter. I’d say it depends upon what the “chunks” were. Many engine and gear oil additives produce “chunks” of something. In the engine, these “chunks” are usually caught by the filter and may clog it, even if they are good “chunks.”
Finding Mr. Right (Oil)
Q: I just did some research on the internet about Hydramatic transmission fluid and found what the “secret” ingredient was whale oil. Apparently whale oil was used to make the shifts smoother and probably made the trans wear better. Whale oil is no longer available commercially due to whaling restrictions. TACOM wanted 0E10 (winter) and 0E30 (summer) used in the transmissions of the M211/M135 trucks, per the revised Lube Order (LO 9-2320-210-12 7 Dec 62). What should be used in these transmissions today? —Marty Meaney
A: Not sure about the whale oil, but the U.S. Military tried various oils in these transmissions, such as engine oil and turbine oil, as well as ATF. There were two gasket/rebuild kits issued depending upon the type of oil used. My own M211 seemed to perform best with regular GM automatic transmission fluid. Of course, a lot depends on what shape the transmission was in to start with and how it was treated in the past, which are very iffy questions today, considering the age. One would just have to trust his or her own judgment and experience. If one used a good basic fluid, they might also add some special additive of their choice. Or one could simply follow the military’s recommendations, which were probably sound, considering they once had thousands of these trucks and no doubt kept records of how the transmissions held up under various conditions and with different oils. Keep in mind, most common HMVs seldom saw more than 50,000 miles in actual military service.
Brushes Is Brushes
Q: In your article on starting motor service/repair, you bring up brushes and the fact there aren’t many different kinds. I work in electricity stuff, and when I have needed brushes (genset/starting motor), the local outfits couldn’t deal with the fact that brushes are just that! There is no voltage component in the requirement in brushes, just the mechanical and compositional elements (that is, do they fit?). This may expand your comment, but with different emphasis it may not be understood by some part suppliers. The pigtail may be the most important part. Thanks again, and keep up your good work! —Don Trueman
A: Thank you for your helpful suggestions about brushes. I was an engineer aboard an Alaskan tugboat in the 1980s that had a 110 volt DC electrical system with lots of different motors. I simply made or resized any brushes we needed from a box of old ones we had on board. I would imagine that one could find brushes fairly easily these days on the Web.
Send your favorite Tech Tip or question to Steve Turchet at military@aimmedia.com
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