Spent a little more quality time with HUM WEE today. It was time to put it on more of a diet than it has been. The fan which was on the crank shaft and not entirely behind the radiator anyway was a little mangled



It went by way of the trash can. We pulled that heavy brass radiator and tank too. Since Paul is a plumber, he felt right at home with the official sink drain top radiator tubing. Genuine antique brass.



The top tank was put on and not intended to be taken off. The bracket was being held on with three head bolts, so we decided to remove it and leave the bracket, even if it did weight a couple of pounds in its own right. We took the torch and pry bars to it to remove it.





We removed another ten pounds in battery tray, genuine 1/4" angle iron.'



Here is the battery area afterwards.



I welded up a new aluminum battery tray. Only weighs less than a pound. We also rotated the air horn on top of the air cleaner for a future air intake project.



We set the new heater in beside the battery to see how it was all going to fit. Looks like I need to make a few adjustments to the battery box, but it will all fit together, though somewhat tight.

 

OK, I lied. The radiator has not been ordered yet. I guess what really is going to happen is finish the heater and wipers, then we will get the radiator.

Anyway, I cleaned up the battery tray area. It had lots of sulphate salts and some corrosion. So I took it off with scotch brite on my die grinder and a little elbow grease and sand paper. Here is a shot with it taken down and some paint from the surplus store. It is genuine Viet Nam era marine green



And finished up



Next I painted the new battery tray, riveted it down and then riveted in the passenger side heater duct.



Touched up the rivets and put in the heater, temporarily that is. The duct work needs much more work before anything is permanent.



Then set the battery in to check the fit. Just right.



Paul is coming again Sat. night and we will work more on it Sunday.

 

Well, today about all we managed to do is spend money and take it apart further. We bought some cooling fans for it and a fuse block. The military did not put a single fuse in the whole rig. So we ordered a Painless 7 circuit weather resistant block. Should be here Tues.

We were getting ready to plumb in the heater. We had to remove some very ancient pipe plugs. We had to use the hot drill on them to get them to budge.



Didn't end up getting all the brass fittings we needed, so that kind of got stalled for the time being. We striped out some more wiring, found some wonderful bare connections.



We also found a home made kick down switch for the overdrive under the gas pedal that we removed.



Then we took the windshield off and the support under it so we could plumb in the ductwork for the defroster and run wire for the windshield wipers we are adding.









It may not look like we rally made any progress, but we are ready to start reassembling some things as well as make the heater function about like a normal modern heater.

 

wow.... just wow!! I am subscribed to this thread. I can't wait to see the final pictures of this build.

 

hahaha does it really say max 35mph on the dash?

 

Yes it does. That is the universal base speed limit. It was a base rig, which is why it is so straight.

 

military vehicles are the best, good luck cant wait to see it finished

 

Thanks

 

We finally made contact with the custom radiator guy. He said he had seen a Mighty Mite before, but wanted to see it in person to make a radiator for it. Personally, I think he just wanted to see it for fun. I could have given him all the measurements he needs. So it is back on with the front clip and down to Yuba City on the trailer for HUM WEE Jr. But first we had to address some screws broken off in the nutserts in the fender.



These are spendy little things. Over $1 dollar apiece. I got plenty so I could put some in mine too.



Here is our high tech tool for installing them. The gun to do it in a jiffy is $100, so I passed on that. The idea is that you put them in a hole and use the allen screw to hod them in place and use the nut to draw it up like a pop rivet.







That funny colored piece in the middle is off mine. It was painted Civil Defense blue when I got it. Almost a pastel blue. It appealed to my feminine side.

 

Looking really good! Next time I am up there I will have to take a look (I am from yuba city).

 

You are more than welcome any time.

 

Looks sweet..cant wait to see it finished

 

We have been feeling under the weather with some kind of nasty cold going around. But I have been eating enough garlic to keep the vampires away for some time, so I don't feel so bad. But I don't have a voice. So when it warmed up today I wandered out in the shop to work on HUM WEE Jr. I thought I would get the heater squared away. We wanted to have nice warm air and not take any nasty oil fumes and such from the engine compartment, so I started working on a fresh air intake from the hood area. First I bent up some aluminum for a blower housing.





Then cut a hole in the top for an air intake



Then put some sides on it



Then pop riveted it to the plastic heater core housing



Then ran the wires through a grommet and painted it to match the rest of the green machine.

 

I went to put the heater in today after the paint dried, well sort of, over night and it didn't fit #@#%*^%$#. I guess my eye balling and measuring off into space while leaning over the fender doesn't work so good, so I had to cut a chunk out of one corner.



Then I had to make a piece to fit the hole. Unfortunately my brake is too big to make so many bends on something so small, so I had to make this with snips and a duck bill. It fit pretty good considering the low tech way I made it.





Finally got it to sit in there right.

 

that thing is awsome! i wish the military still had stuff like that. the lightest thing we have is the humvee and that isnt even like they used to be. They all have 1inch glass and 1000s of pounds of armor on them. Not to mention the MRAPS..

Very cool and if you continue as you are, it will be very very nice!