Posted by Ken See on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 1:52PM :
In Reply to: Really interesting build up of M151 parts... posted by Brian A. on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 12:36PM :
Ok, now I'll really get in trouble:
Apparently, the USMC was not impressed with the M-GATOR and sought an alternative.
a. This vehicle:
(1) Uses M151A2 suspension and drive train tied in to a Kubota Diesel engine.
(2) Is six wheel drive and does a phenomenal job of towing for its weight.
(3) Has the off-road capability of a souped-up M151.
c. The ONLY similarity between the M-GATOR and LUMV6D is:
(1) The M-GATOR has six wheels and a small diesel engine.
(2) Comparison of performance between the LUMV6D and the M-GATOR would be similar to hooking up 5-6 gators, putting them all in reverse and going to maximum power with the LUMV6D pulling the M-GATORS faster than they could go under their power forward.
d. The following are some of the results of the tests conducted at the plant over the last 10 days.
(1) 15,000 pounds towed on prepared surface up to 35 MPH with a crew of two and full fuel. 15,000 pounds not 1,500 pounds!
(2) Dead weight pull of 3500 pounds at to 20 MPH.
(3) 43 MPH on prepared surface with 2500 pound pay load.
(4) Able to take off from stand still in gears 1 through 3 and sustain speed on prepared surface at max gross vehicle weight.
(5) Max speed with crew of two and full fuel is 48 MPH.
(6) The off-road performance far exceeded the capabilities of any off-road vehicle this company has built and tested in the past. Pulling a 1500 pound gross weight trailer off-road did not seem any more problem than without the load.
(7) The engine runs very good on JP-8 and can use the same oil as the HUMVEE
(8) The prototype vehicle dimensions are: 60.2 inches wide, 63.5 inches high and 169 inches long.
(9) The following are the deficiencies we found during our test:
(a) Top speed of only 48 MPH. This is lower than we expected. We thought we would get a top speed of 55 MPH. However, the more we drove the vehicle and the engine got more broken-in the top speed went up 5 MPH. As the engine continues to get broken-in we think the top speed will be in excess of 50 MPH
(b) Engine hard to start in cold weather, 20 degrees F, We are presently using the gas engine starter and it seems not to have the power to easily crank the diesel with the much higher compression ratio until the engine gets warmed up. We are working with the engine manufacturer to have one of their diesel engine starters water proofed and that will solve the problem. However, as we put time on the engine and it started to get broken-in the engine has been starting with no problem in the cold condition. We still think it will be best to go to the OEM starter because then the engine will crank easily in any operating cold temps.
(c) Fuel/Water separator. Presently the engine has a fuel filter installed for particulates but does not have a water separator. We did obtain a separator from the engine OEM but did not have time to engineer the installation and test it. I will have the separator with me when I come to Quantico for your determination to see if it needs to be installed on the production vehicles.
(d) Vehicle weight. The projected weight of the vehicle in our initial discussions was approximately 3100 pounds. Our final prototype curb weight is 3450 pounds. We have had our body engineer working with a NASCAR body designer and we think, if required, we could take out in excess of 250 pounds without affecting structural integrity.
(e) The driver and passenger crotch strap of the 5 point restraint system needs a better slide adjustment buckle. The present buckle can not be adjusted while sitting in the seat.
(f) Caution and instructions decals need to be made of embossed metal rather than stick on vinyl.
(g) Vehicle needs to be painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating.
(10) If the Marine Corps does purchase the vehicle all of the deficiencies listed above, excluding the maximum speed, will be corrected in production without any increase in price.
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