Two '68 Kaiser Jeep Brush Fire Trucks On "gov Deals" Auction

Both have Ford 292 V8's according to the question/answer section
https://www.govdeals.com/asset/14/24224

https://www.govdeals.com/asset/13/24224

 

Yep, that's a 292.
Wouldn't be my 1st choice but definitely an improvement over the stock 6.

 

Those look pretty good. I have seen a lot of these trucks with Cummins Diesel engine conversions. I have heard that the original engine was problematic.

Dave

 

Good grief I need a winning lotto ticket or two.

 

No kidding. Nice old steel and being that they've been FD maintained. Probably very reliable forest road rigs. Out of the rust belt (looks like to me). Great vehicles fore someone.

 

The original engine in the M715 is the 230 OHC straight 6. When introduced in ‘62 in the Willys Wagon and then new Wagoneer, the engine was mounted by a plate that bolted on with the front timing cover. This plate always worked loose, and leaked oil badly. By ‘67 and the M715, the engine mounts were relocated and improved, so the oil leaking was not much of a problem. The 230 made decent power and lots of torque. Once the oil leaks were resolved, it was a pretty nice engine, just not for a brush truck with a 500 gallon water tank and pump. My Department’s M715 was around 10,000lbs, so the 230 didn’t cut it. I swapped it for a SBC 383 stroker, well suited for the application. I never got the brakes up to the task, at least not with 42” NDT 19.5 floatations.
-Donny

 

Gime, I wan...

 

I loved my 292 in my dump truck. It would chug down to 200 rpm and run at any angle. The first thing to go though was that exhaust setup. What a terrible design.

 

The brush trucks that came into our service dept always had oil leaks, broken motor mounts, and blown head gaskets.
I think the mechanics at the county garage just gave up on them and refused to work on them.
230 OHC was a quirky and morphodite engine.
Timing chain must have been 26" long. A long list of oddball parts.
Like Donny mentions, just the wrong powerplant to be in a fire truck.

 

I've always wanted one of these! My dad's FD (Nashua NH) had one, and it was my favorite vehicle, even over the ladder trucks and engines. One year they decided to replace it with a Suburban (iirc), which was definitely a huge step down in usefulness. I never heard where it ended up, but would have bid on it if I knew about an auction.

 

I know the ad says shipping is not available, but you can hire a transport company on your own to go pick it up.

 

230 OHC in mine was just enough to move the truck, but had nothing extra at all. Supposedly the timing chains jumped, and that might be what happened to mine when it would no longer start. GM 350 is an easy swap done by many.

Looks like the second one has a winch. If it's the OEM PTO winch like mine, it's a pullin' monster. I wouldn't buy a Five-Quarter ton without one.

And speaking of Five-Quarter ton, mine would carry twice that over the scales filled with gravel.

Wish I still had it.

 

As mentioned previously, our Department’s was around 10,000lbs as it was equipped/loaded. All of the suspension was completely stock. A 3000lb load is nothing for these trucks, except the underpowered engine and brakes. They have a T98 with a compound 1st gear, and 5.80 axle gears, so even the 230 pulled the load.
-Donny

 

In 1968 we were issued them in S, Korea to replace the M-37,the engines developed a miss before very long,I hated those things, when empty they would beat you to death

 

I was also around them while in service . wheel/track mechanic
hard to keep them off red line status . leaks
eventuality they got replaced by the POS gama goat