M151A2 in its new home

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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

bottom side 3.jpg

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.

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Yesterday I did an out and back trip to meet Bob Philips for a takeoff M151A2 powerpack from rad' to universal joint. We poked around his temporary/medium-range/long-timeline storage facility and I come away with a door frame, a second radiator, a differential and axles, two hub and brake drum assemblies which had the demilitarized suspension arms still attached, and a loose SMP oil bath air cleaner. All useful parts!

This haul moves my rebuild ahead leaps and bounds! I'll recover all the work in progress parts from West Carleton Automotive and settle my bill with them. The challenge of sourcing .020" oversize internals has been frustrating despite asking several shops. With the powerpack going into the vehicle in good weather, I can keep asking around on getting the last bits to have a spare powerpack set aside. Less calendar pressure this way. The exercise equipment warehouse store near the house often has plywood shipping crates in their come take me away pile. That might just work for long term storage.

Bob still has some interesting bits available. I recognized (or remember) more powerpacks, more hubs and differentials, more air cleaners, a front grill, a 10-ton heavy two-axle dual wheel US truck, a US engineering bridging truck bed, and a Canadian experimental Wapiti oversnow vehicle.