M151A2 in its new home

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Over the last three weeks I built an extension to the snow shelter to make room for the M151A2. I made two more lumber arches, slid a flimsy poly' tarp in between the room layers and laced in another modular tent centre section. Braced and levelled, it looked pretty good. If you have been keeping count, that is four 8' sections. The house lot is too narrow for a permanent garage with bylaw specific edge set-back and electrical right of way clearance, so I forced to use temporary shelters.

The neighbours generously helped hold the door high enough to clear the square cornered windshield, and I drove the M151A2 in. I'd lashed a tire to the bumper to push the M38A1 CDN2 further back. We stopped in line with the rear door, with about a foot between bumpers. The M38A1 is now up off the floor on jackstands. The M151A2 will get lifted when I put it to bed for the winter.

Knowing that moisture will migrate up from the gravel, I repurpose Corplast election signs and ripped poly tarps as flooring. The new and used Jeep parts were restacked along the outside wall in various sized plastic containers and sitting on plastic shipping pallets. There is a freight yard nearby and I can prowl for broken ones.

The batteries need to come out. The gas tank will probably come out to be inspected, descaled and the interior coated with anti-rust compound. I have a pair of 1950's metal jerry cans to be coated. I rediscovered my 'other' M38A1 gas tank and think I'll get it coated so that when I manage to get the old one out of its fibreglass "patch job", it will be good to go. The guys at the Cold War Collection recommend a particular radiator shop in town; I'll see if I can negotiate some kind of a two and two package deal.

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After the excitement of the first season in 2013, I settled into a happy routine with the Jeep of getting it on the road in springtime, driving in Gunner Mike's Dominion Day parades where I was sometimes the roadmaster, and other trips and displays until the fall when she'd go back into the shelter. Even my RSM incorporated the Jeep in a unit Change of Command parade, where I emerged from concealment in a woodline to take the out-going CO and family off the parade square!

In November 2018 I was enroute to a veteran's parade and the Jeep developed a tremendous clatter and knock. After some non-mechanical intervention, including oil sludge treatment and thinner replacement oil, the noise went away. It came back in 2019 when I was doing some driver training teaching standard. Thinking through the problem and consulting The Brain Trust, I resigned myself that the engine had to come out for inspection and repairs.

Then other things seized my focus:

• the hospitalization and death of my father;
• his estate administration (Canadians will recognize that Quebec cannot do anything like the rest of the country, so I have become good professional friends with the town notary);
• I had to find a way to extend my military service for bitterly selfish (ie pension income) reasons;
• I changed offices;
• the pandemic struck;
• those who could were sent home to work;
• I needed minor surgery;
• the pandemic was still with us;
• I needed a 6-month administration extension;
• the household was keen to get our shots; and,
• my father's house is 298kms distant and I'm still the Executor.

Since then the borders have been reopened, Her Majesty and I have said our last goodbyes, the pension cheques are on direct deposit, and I emptied his 1200-sq ft bungalow. Five days after listing I accepted an offer to purchase. The real estate agent and I are pressing ahead with the paperwork to keep momentum on the sale.

So, now back to priorities - 48-hrs ago the Jeep was flatbedded to the country workshop of my friend Dave. He'd previously agreed to take on the mechanical diagnosis and fix, and to remove all the rot and patch panels. It is exciting to see progress, even if that consists of parts coming off the Jeep. More to follow!

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The 74 Pattern has been with Dave for two weeks now. He's removed just about all the mechanicals, and we're now giving the sheet metal work the 12" inspection. As expected it has rotten panels covered with patch panels, self-tapping screws, and Walmart's best olive green Krylon paint. I have about 10-lbs of aluminum diamond plate which will go to the recyclers. I'm responsible for some of those repairs when the road safety inspection was pressing. And, I always knew the underlying damage had to be addressed.

Dave and his helper swore new words after unbolting, more accurately breaking all the bolts, that hold the roll cage on. By a quirk of geometry, the light switch had to be removed for clearance on one leg. But the rot and rust under all six the mounting plates shouted its ugliness when exposed to bright sunlight, and now it cannot be ignored.

Dave has previous experience with fabricating another M151A2, so as pieces came off and components were moved, he's remembering all the labour he put into the other one. Fortunately, despite its problems, mine is in much better condition that what he started on. We've already decided which panels to buy new reproduction, which get rebuilt with new flat stock, and which get repaired.

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The project proceeds at Dave's garage. The body has been stripped, braced, and flipped. The 18-ga steel arrived. Saturday's progress was repairs along the frame rail and a new box for the hi/low switch.

front flip frame.jpg bottom side 2.jpg

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rear flip frame.jpg 20210911 underside repairs.jpg

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Winter has arrived in Eastern Ontario. The ABS on the car chattered a few times at intersections.

Today I drove to deliver parts from three helpers and got to put my hands on the Jeep today. A NOS grill and many many gaskets and internal engine seals etc from Brian Asbury. Some rubber boots and cups from Fil Boneca. And, some 12v battery terminal protectors from Jacques here on MLU. It is good to have friends.

The two rear fender tops have yet to arrive from Guy at Cameron Fabricating.

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Tonight was another 1-hr long road trip to visit Dave and the Jeep. The body work is well in hand. Lots still to do, but the serious fabrication and welding is all done. The spare engine turned out to offer zero usuable parts for the installed engine. Grumble grumble. Its condition should have been a lesson and a warning. The block and head are probably good; just nothing attached to them.

When the installed engine that 'only had a knock', was opened up, all four pistons and rings were trash. One had deep erosion on rim where the top ring had failed. Part of the ring were smashing pits in the piston face. Good thing that is a non-interference fit head and valves.

It looks like there was a cascade of failures, starting with one or more vacuum lines failing. That led to the carb running rich. The extra fuel washed down the middle 2 pistons and cylinders. Those two were the worst. The skirt on No 2 piston cracked and was getting ready to depart the wrist pin. The pins on Nos 1 and 4 showed shellac and bright spots where there were failing from lack of lubrication. No 3 was doing OK, but the rich mixture had managed to erode part of the seat for the top ring, and it gouged itself a subtle notch for the end of the ring whenever it stroked. All four pistons and rods are only good for souvenirs. I am telling myself it was a good thing I stopped driving it before something really exciting happened, and marveling how robust that little 141.5 cube engine is.

In previous conversations, Dave gave me the thoroughly sad news. I goofed off a work day to research parts. So far, only one seller seems to have everything needed. More to follow on how that works out, but it was not a reseller that would have been most people's first guess. (I'll give Brian Asbury first refusal before I order from the US.)

I should also admit, hopefully I reassured Dave that yes we'd agreed on a price before he got started. But reality has made that an unworkable number. So he doesn't lose $$$$, I told him I would adjust on our agreement. In the words of Clive Law, I don't know mechanicals but I know how to write a cheque.

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Today I dropped the stripped block and head still with the valves at subj machine shop. The floor was covered in engine blocks and parts. I've asked for a simple cleaning, inspection, hone out the worst cylinder, and deck the mating surfaces. Dave is content to put parts back together, and from the looks of the work list at the shop, that is probably going to be faster.