One year of maintenance on my Grumman LLV Mail Truck

[@jeffking3641]

I was a mailman for 27 years 9 months and 4 days, not that I was counting. The post office made the best buy in their history. Under 12,000 dollars new the USPS got their money worth. The aluminum body never rusted. The Chevy S10 was a perfect choice for the chassis and engine. I once was caught in a blizzard and slept the night in it. Yep, my union made them pay. The mail was surprisingly comfortable to sleep on.

[@Kevin75668]

As much as I hate working on S10s, an LLV on a 4wd chassis, with A/C, has always been one of my dream vehicles.

[@MattWinkler1]

On one hand, I love the simplicity as is (a fan is so lightweight and reliable compared to AC) - on the other hand, those would be two of the very best improvements to add to the LLV

[@Ruckusism]

@@MattWinkler1 I would do a 12v ac conversion, it's a shame they never put smoker windows in these mail trucks. My buddy f150 has them and it's really nice to have air forced into the cabin of the vehicle

[@jamesh6229]

Thank you for the video, it's always fascinating to see someone keeping these llvs alive. I drove these for 25 years while delivering mail and I was still quite the fan when I retired. Please show more videos on the upkeep. Thank you

[@MattWinkler1]

Thank you for keeping the mail moving! There's something wonderful about such a simple, ubiquitous box on wheels that's easy to fix and just keeps on trucking for decades

[@pancudowny]

Tip: When starting a vehicle with an in-tank fuel pump, after it's been fully drained/run dry, cycle the key switch on & off (3-5x) to re-pressurize the fuel system before cranking the engine. This will allow immediate start-up of the engine without repeated/excessive cranking.

[@MattWinkler1]

Good to know! I had thought that just holding the key in the accessory position was continuing to pressurize it

[@kennethwalker3487]

Proud of you learning the mechanic trade.

[@hellsfirefreedomtube6984]

I hope as these awesome vehicles get retired people are able to save many of them from being scrapped. I for one wouldn’t mind getting one if I can or knew were to get one.

[@MrNightpwner]

Our genius leadership decided to scrap them.

[@d3str0i3r]

sadly IIRC part of the contract for the manufacture of these trucks is that they're not allowed to be sold when retired, i'm sure the text of the contract cites safety reasons, but i have no doubt it was just another bid to sabotage the mail service/make it as unprofitable as possible as ammunition for later privatization of the service

[@fluffernaut9905]

Matt: "Wrenching on your car is rewarding" LLV: *Screams as its lowered*

[@fortyfiveseventy]

Owning one of these is the biggest flex ever with how rare these come up for sale. This thing will be worth a ton of money once the rest of them are crushed.

[@Ruckusism]

That steering wheel was used in the 80s as well. The blazer I rode in as a kid has the same steering wheel. Red and white is a good color scheme for the era. Glad to see you have kept it on the road. I know that engine sounds by heart-such an iconic piece of history you have preserved. Keep on doing videos and keep us updated.

[@huntpelletier]

That oil filter relocation was standard on some GM vehicles. I have worked on a 90's GMC Jimmy that had a similar setup, but the filters were located behind the drivers headlight, nested on the inside of the fender. Certainly threw me for a loop first time I saw something like that.

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

My mail truck that delivers my mail sounded like it was running on 3 cylinders for a week before it got fixed ! I drive a chevy 94 S10 2.2 with over 661,000 on her ! Original unrebuilt motor - trans and rear end !

[@MattWinkler1]

661,000! I know these engines have a reputation for reliability but damn!

[@darkgreen68]

LLVs will be gone soon. I may be able to help with part numbers if needed.

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks! I found an original service manual to keep with it, but I'd have to pull it out and double check whether it has the parts catalog listed in the back

[@leew878]

I just stumbled across your LLV videos. I love when people show these old vehicles love. Makes me want to go find one myself.

[@Unknown_Ooh]

So jealous lol. I've been looking for one of these at auction for years and have had zero luck.

[@MattWinkler1]

I've heard secondhand that they occasionally come up on government auctions but never had any luck there myself either - I've only ever seen two for sale, both searching Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for years in a several hundred mile radius (and anecdotally, both in rural Pennsylvania). Good luck man!

[@gogereaver349]

post office never sells them. but ometimes a 3rd party company has some and they get sold.

[@ethanpeschman4458]

Fyi those heater hoses are supposed to go behind the thermostat housing. Also no the oil filters on these are mounted to the block in the standard location on the vehicles still in service. Source: my shop has a contract to repair these and I work on them everyday.

[@briizcustoms9543]

Ever worked on a Chevy P20?

[@dwighthyde]

Dig it! Would love to see more videos on this.

[@CassieRedsky]

Good vid. Stop making me want one of these things, I have nowhere to put it. :P Also, the stink in differential fluid usually comes from sulfur additives for increased anti-wear capability.

[@MattWinkler1]

I appreciate them being long lasting, but at such a cost haha. The only thing that comes close is molybdenum grease - could be molybdenum sulfide or other sulfur additives that are the culprit there too!

[@risinbison1106]

Shocks are fairly cheap and make a huge difference unless you’re into the bouncy ride.

[@JakeforJesus]

I hope they allow some for sale after the Oshkosh vehicles are aplenty. I heard most get the tops (roofs) chopped off if they don’t see the crusher.

[@TheMrthegovman]

It’s actually quite refreshing to see you resurrect this tired old van and give it some new life. Two things I feel I should mention. When was the last time the timing belt was replaced if you know? That’s super important for maintaining the longevity of the van. And, have you thought about wiring up a set of speakers for a Bluetooth connection?

[@MattWinkler1]

@@TheMrthegovman I don't have any date on the timing belt, it's almost certainly a good idea to replace it by now! And I am currently rocking a boom box between the seats to fit the 80's/90's vibe, but built in speakers would be a nice upgrade if I can find a way to do it cleanly

[@ethanpeschman4458]

​@@MattWinkler1these do not have timing belts. They are gear driven kinda like diesel engines.

[@MattWinkler1]

@@ethanpeschman4458 Right you are, I haven't been in the engine bay in a good while and must have been thinking of the serpentine belt

[@julien7337]

Beautiful piece. USed by Canada Post too, but they're all being phased out now sadly. It's heartbreaking seeing these beautiful machines be doomed to the scrap yards

[@Alex-fg1cw]

Use a angle grinder to cut a flat in the stripped screw so you Can use a flathead screwdriver

[@garybalanesi610]

Navel Jelly works great for converting rust to a grey coating.

[@nickaupperle5989]

Pretty cool I stumbled across your channel. I have been working on LLV's or all postal stuff for close to 15 years now. Honestly they are the best vehicle USPS has ever had and will ever have (ones with 2.5's that is), and I will die on that hill. I have fixed and seen just about every issue and or strange symptom there is. Feel free to message me with any questions man!! Keep the videos coming.

[@MrBrombomb]

I love the improvements you’ve made to this LLV and all the maintenance to make it better. The paint job is really cool too.

[@jackwest3282]

If ever you have a rusted nut or bolt that you can't get out, don't force it just heat it up with a heat gun or even a propane torch for a couple of seconds, let it cool a bit and this will help loosen things up as the metal will expand and contract with the heat loosening it naturally. Also WD40 works pretty good at greasing things up that are rusted. I also sometimes use a steel brush to wack off any loose rust around nuts and bolts which sometimes helps as well. BTW have you thought about installing an EV package into this truck? You might get some crazy amount of millage considering its low weight and the amount of room you have in the back for extra battery packs. Cheers and great job on it so far!

[@lennaertedens4624]

2:55 Dif fluid usually contains sulfur and phosphorus additives, its probably the sulfur you're smelling! xD

[@MrBrombomb]

I would definitely love to get my hands on one of these and swap out the 2.5 L Iron Duke 4 cylinder and 3 speed automatic with a 4.3 L V-6 and 4 speed overdrive automatic from an S-10 pickup or Blazer from 1988-1989. I’m sure it would have better acceleration & be a bit faster afterwards. Also, I would add ac & put the Chevrolet dog dish hub caps on it that were used on base model S-10 pickups at the time. With the exception of a modern Bluetooth stereo, I would try to keep my modifications to this vehicle as period correct as possible to make it a cool daily driver.

[@DenitraWatson6483]

the nice comment to see the follow up video but i truly like your vids just taking your words literally.

[@comandergold93]

Just to let you know, the kind of screws you had was rounded out, not stripped, because if the screw is stripped out, it would have no threads

[@Torsee]

Love the Martini campaign sticker! 👍👍 😂

[@samsthomas]

10:30 ish… are we channeling VGG and ignoring the giant hole in the frame rail?

[@zombanator3000]

Shhhhh. Doesn't exist

[@rayinpau.s.a.6351]

Honestly , This is the best sounding and running Postal Van I have ever heard ! . Are you going to Customize the inside ? Have you thought of a Name for it ? Every Cool Van needs a name !

[@zachlast4888]

Not sure if you care or know, but you can probably get parts thru a company for your LLV, its called " WHEELER BROTHERS INC". Look up for a Chevrolet LLV

[@PostalDog94]

I can't believe I missed this video's release for almost a whole week! I'm all too familiar with project creep and how that goes for putting out any videos regularly at all. The remote oil filter thing is neat but I can confirm at least that it's not stock. That kind of modification is common in larger fleet vehicles however. You've really got me reconsidering doing voiceovers for my videos now 😆 I'd not yet removed the pump cover, it's neat to see that they reenforced the lid. You've also helped me confirm a few quirks of the LLV's fuel setup I had suspected but hadn't yet confirmed 👏 I did laugh out at the postal service joke, thanks :)

[@MattWinkler1]

Was wondering if you'd seen it! Good to know, it's a handy improvement so I can see why they did it. I like doing voiceovers because I can fiddle with the audio... and because I usually don't know what I'm doing in the moment and have to make sense of it later haha

[@miguelpagansr6128]

I've always wanted one of those for a v8 swap and have a nice interior in it. 🎉 Nice job young man. That same engine in a car application. The oil filter screen was part of the oil pan, I still have the special tool for the job. 😂

[@anderssoderlind6183]

A tip for the future allways test the fuel senders resistance with a multimeter before montage even new one. I now it is a hard less to find out it not working after 2 day.

[@MattWinkler1]

@@anderssoderlind6183 Thanks for the piece of advice!

[@lucasstuart-chilcote7069]

Fun video with your LLV!

[@garybalanesi610]

Green puff pads work well For removing gasket material.

[@ChristianMercadoAcevedo]

amazing work! please keep posting

[@Alphamutts]

I've always wondered why the post office didn't update these with the 2.2 Ecotech or a similar later model engine for more power and better fuel economy and a/c airboxes from the s10

[@jamesdoe4515]

They did in the form of the FFV,but that didn't really go anywhere

[@coolhandluke7918]

Enjoyed the video. Would like to see some more.

[@spicyroo4429]

So cool to see someone go through one of these! I've always been curious about them. Paint job is still looking great! (excellent music taste btw :D)

[@Ecosse57]

i like your sidekick! awesome project... i've thought about getting one of these for years.

[@chasehurtado8275]

love this series lol definitely want to see more!

[@LobbyDaLobster]

11:19 *"ALAN! ALAN! ALAN! ALAN!! STEVE! STEVE!! STEVE!!! STEVE!!!"*

[@rwdplz1]

Flex on the mail man, install air conditioning. Every postal worker will be jealous.

[@shteb130]

As a mailman approve this message

[@jmer3536]

You are doing an awesome job on that LLV. Keep it up and post more videos please

[@martygonazga8732]

Totally awesome

[@benraymond4435]

Funny that I stumble on this video. Tonight I took the tank out of my 89 s10 Blazer due to a fuel line failure. Someone had previously replaced the feed line with a carb/low pressure fuel line sometime like 15-20 years ago, and it finally gave out. I feel all your struggles with the fuel tank. My thought while I was down there was to replace the shocks. They are a PITA to do with the tank in the way, but too little too late for you it seems. Nice rig!

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks! Well at least if I do have to take the tank out again at some point, it'll go a lot quicker and a lot less messily next time lol

[@ftlfabrications]

So cool, hope to get one someday!

[@EngineersHomestead]

Not sure how i got here but more LLV content please.

[@FenderShredder]

Very interesting series

[@mannyman4103]

Awesome! Thank you for the video!

[@coltonkruse2313]

I liked your ingenuity with the pipe pliers on the regular pliers. In the future you can expand your tool kit with some vice grips to do the same job.

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks, that would probably have been a lot easier haha

[@coltonkruse2313]

@@MattWinkler1 Hey you still got it done! That's what matters. The more you wrench on stuff the more you will learn. You did a great job in this video!

[@MrNightpwner]

There should be a single injector under that air breather if you want to clean it and change the seals.

[@richardjulien8745]

did you find the original dog dish hub caps for your vehicule? I think they are the same as ones on the chevy s-10 pick up model.keep the good job.

[@Duty_to_Warn]

More please more! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@RayCardona-u9l]

Post as many videos that you want, great job. How much did you pay for the van?

[@drakenrivard5434]

I was really hoping that it was going to be a clean start

[@martygonazga8732]

Very good work thanks

[@zeph_os]

4:30 We found the actual reason the LLV's kept catching on fire; it was fueled by the souls of the damned

[@vetham100]

Not to be picky but if the gas tank didn't leak and you couldn't poke a hole through it, why would you change it? You were trying to remove a bolt on the roof, why not just use a pair of vise grips? and, you replaced the bolts on the battery because they were dirty? On the upside, excellent job on the paint!

[@noneed4me2n7]

Nice work.

[@Yashisaur]

Love this series!

[@SammyKurts-ku2ht]

Great video but I can’t help but notice even though you blurred your tags I can tell you have historic Maryland tags just like me !! I’m out of sparrows point-edgemere Maryland my self!

[@MattWinkler1]

It's a good looking plate! And if I were around there I'd be looking at getting a boat instead of a second car haha

[@Blue2Cool4YOU]

Engine swap engine swap lol jkjk but love seeing something being saved from obscurity and at least replenishing its offerings to newer equivalents! Keep up the great work!

[@LandonHolmes]

This was very enjoyable to watch, even as someone only tangentially related to post office work. Great commentary! I haven't watched the whole thing yet so apologies if you mention it somewhere, but are you a mail carrier? Do you actually own the LLV? How did you manage to purchase this vehicle?

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks! I'm not even a mail carrier, just passionate about odd and specialized vehicles and tools! I purchased mine (in fairly rough shape) after a long search on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Most are crushed after being retired from USPS, but some went out to local governments, and a handful of those have made their way to private owners.

[@LandonHolmes]

@MattWinkler1 yeah I thought that the usps didn't allow them out so was curious. Very cool

[@marcberm]

Wonder how many people watching this realize the background guitar and whistling are you. (I mean it is you, isn't it? lol)

[@MattWinkler1]

@@marcberm It is indeed! The mail truck is secretly just a vehicle to deliver my melodies

[@marcberm]

@@MattWinkler1 More jazz/swing in the next shipment... The silly hamburger phone rendition of Blue Skies is my favorite. Very creative, and neat electronic modifications too.

[@miked5094]

hey man im gonna need me some more updates on this truck

[@williamscarbrough8123]

You should just replace the tank and fuel pump and add in a easy to replace fuel filter.

[@antonsvids5237]

This reminds me of Wheelie Yellow, go on a road trip with it!

[@JustaGuy316]

10:30 I'd be much more concerned about the frame being see thru than painting the tank straps...

[@johnnyrocket6588]

More videos!!

[@JenGM24]

Where's the new videos man?

[@Trogladyte]

Where can I find one of these?

[@vernerulmet2290]

Why didn’t you replace the battery cables at the same time as the battery in order to swap it to a top post battery?

[@MattWinkler1]

@@vernerulmet2290 Fair point, the top post ones are much easier to jump and so much more common, but the side post ones are decent enough now with fresh rust-free, non-stripped bolts

[@beefsamples]

i feel like you need to kswap this one.

[@nuherbleath461]

I have a mean comment, I really hate the orange on the air cleaner. That’s it really, nice truck.

[@AdamBrownKC]

How were you able to get ahold of one of these mail trucks? I've been looking for a long time and they just never seem to be for sale.

[@danlscan]

Good vid!

[@jaxsonhugh9334]

You should pull that little putt putt 4 banger out and throw in a big Chevy 350……😂😂😂😂😂

[@MattWinkler1]

@@jaxsonhugh9334 Maybe... at this rate the engine goes when it blows lol

[@Aux1Dub]

You ever heard of pb blaster

[@HalfassDIY]

💫💫💫

[@jaapo]

Cool video man!

[@stufffan3773]

Are the tank and fuel pump body GM?

[@MattWinkler1]

@@stufffan3773 I don't believe either replacement part was manufactured by GM, but they are identical in specs in every way I can tell

[@kato0507]

Where does one buy one of these? My friend wants one

[@MattWinkler1]

A couple years searching Facebook marketplace and Craigslist, in my case. May also be worth checking Govdeals, but most are crushed instead of sold

[@RealTylerBell]

hold on, how did you get one ? i want one !

[@MattWinkler1]

A couple years of searching Facebook and Craigslist, followed by a public shaming by a DMV employee who thinks you're an idiot for how much you spent on what's technically a 30+ year old Chevy S10

[@gogereaver349]

@@MattWinkler1 litterly is a iron duke s10. i still have mine but its now paired to a 5 speed manual/

[@MattWinkler1]

​@@gogereaver349 The manual has to be an improvement, the Iron Duke is slow enough as is, but the three speed auto makes it that much worse!

[@gogereaver349]

@@MattWinkler1 oh 100% anything past 60 on that 3 speed was not going to happen. now i can go freeway speeds.

[@Dbdhjvnfndbdfb]

How much did u pay

[@bigospig]

Nice comment.

[@briizcustoms9543]

Who taught you how to work on vehicles?

[@MattWinkler1]

@@briizcustoms9543 Mostly ChrisFix... it's been a learning experience, no doubt about it

[@JackFilmsThings]

Where did you find yours for sale? I want one so bad

[@princher]

No idea how it works in America, but over here companies of any size, especially ones that work with said company, tends to sell older or used equipment, which is where you could get such Mail Trucks.

[@portable_wall9222]

I've been keeping an eye on govdeals but I think they just scrap them when they retire the vehicle for the most part

[@zorua_i_guess]

pretty sure you have to get one of the very few Grumman sold to the public, from what ive heard the USPS wont sell you one at all

[@portable_wall9222]

@@zorua_i_guess There was one sold in november on govdeals in beaverton, it was used for reading water meters.

[@MattWinkler1]

​@@zorua_i_guess That's my understanding of the situation as well. The USPS scraps them when they're past their government life. The ones that are out in the wild were mostly sold by Grumman to local governments, who may or may not auction them off at the end of their life. I set up an alert on Facebook marketplace, took over two years for one to pop up in a 200 mile radius - but some are out there!

[@Olivaresluz]

Are you sing on the song towards the end of the video

[@tdiscbetween]

This is a nice comment: Nice!

[@GrandmasterDinnerRoll]

Nice comment!

[@73SDR]

Yeah, gear oil is stinky. The synthetic stuff does smell better, Though.

[@Spider_Rico]

Moar!

[@SparkleCity29302]

I’ve got some parts if needed

[@MattWinkler1]

Appreciate it! So far so good, enough parts are interchangeable with the S10 to make it mostly pretty affordable. Luckily the only thing that I've had any trouble finding so far was some of the taillights and their old rubber gaskets

[@ChosenOne6666]

Hochman is a Gascon clone.

[@EZWII_GAY]

hi do you remember your btd6 fangame bloom? i and a group of friends want to remaster/remake the game do you agree?

[@theodricaethelfrith]

𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘨𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘳

[@MattWinkler1]

how rude!