Wusty Welic ... wonderful!

[Mike Cecil]

With apologies to Elmer Fudd.

This future jeep restoration project arrived this morning from Indiana. All stacked up with spares parts. Purchased it over 12 months ago, but for various reasons, I was unable to move it to Colbert before now.

Dec 1942 Ford GPW. The big box on the back holds the restored hood and windshield for my Ford GP, which will take priority to complete while I ponder what I've got myself into this time!!

I suggested the driver also leave the very tricked-up black truck in front of it, but he declined for some reason ...

Mike

[m606paz]

Congrats!

British army jeep configuration??

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Mike,
That will keep you occupied for a little while!

[Mike Cecil]

Assessing just what I've got myself into. Placed Wusty onto a drop-sheet in the workshop to catch all the crud (tech term for grease, oils, penetrating oils, rust, dirt, rats nests - you get the drift) and started from the front. Some parts are beyond redemption, such as the grill and left fender, but most can be refurbished with a bit of TLC. The engine has a post-war CJ2 block so I'll be on the hunt for a GPW block to replace it. So if anyone has one out in their discard pile, let me know, please.

The vast majority of nuts and bolts come undone with ease. These are mostly genuine 'F' bolts - a further indication that not much has been tampered with other than the engine change. Body will need major surgery, as the rust has eaten much of the floor, but the inside of the gearbox looks pristine. More later ...

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

Reduced To Components ... now I have a much better idea of what I can recover versus what I will need to replace.

The biggest bit I'd like to replace is the engine block, as it has a post-war CJ replacement block with an engine number prefix '4LR'. Anyone in MLU-land got a spare GPW 'short' engine they would like to sell?

Many nuts and bolts came apart with relative ease, which is a good thing as these are mostly original F embossed. Other items took considerable work using heat plus wax or WD40 to get apart. A few needed more drastic and destructive effort. Overall, more plusses than minuses.

(Sorry about the images being sideways: I tried rotating them before upload, but they still came out on the side.)

Mike

[Howard]

Great stuff, Mike!

[Mike Cecil]

The original chassis was badly rusted, so I've decided to use the second chassis supplied as part of the deal. This one, of a similar manufacturing time period, was repairable, but needed lots of work, particularly to the front and rear sections. I had to rebuild the front dumb irons, removing the previous repairs and fabricating replacement sections. Same with the drivers side rear spring support, which had to have a short section of the chassis rail replaced. Likewise the rear spring supports needed the old repairs removed, and new sections fabricated and welded in, along with a new cross member and pintle attaching plate. The brake & clutch pedal shaft support bracket and bearing were also replaced. In contrast to working on the Ford GP, all the items needed for the GPW are readily available. So the chassis is now ready to be sand blasted once the weather improves.



Mike

[Mike Cecil]

I've been busy with little things - stripping, sandblasting, painting, wrapping and storing ready to assemble later as I need them for the build phase.

The engine strip down was tedious as the internals were rusted and fought me all the way. The valves in contact with the valve seats were well rusted together, and the valve guides have taken quite a bit of pressure before that ominous 'crack' that indicates the first little bit of movement. Two of the exhaust guides refuse to budge, so I'm having a drift made so I can use the 20 ton press.

The surprise was the state of the bores - no lip at all, not a hint, so the engine had not done much work since being built. Bearings were all standard, too, but the builder had not done too good a clean before assembly, and some are scored.

It appears the engine had ceased to turn over, and was abandoned in that state. The cause turned out to be a jammed tappet - half had broken away, and upon rotation, had dropped the tappet against the cam lobe. The image below shows the broken tappet on the right and the score across the cam lobe. Fortunately, it seems the engine was not running at the time, as there is no other damage evident. Hopefully, it won't need a new camshaft. So with some care, the engine should rebuild nicely.

Mike

[Mike K]

Good job with the chassis, my welding skills would not be up to that standard

NOS valve tappets are available , the cam looks almost new .

The general consensus is the Ford blocks are somewhat weaker with thinner walls in some areas. Quite common to see a crack below the dissy mount . I've not seen this problem myself, maybe its due to the colder climates of the Northern hemisphere where coolant freezing is an issue. Not much chance of that here with temps of around 30C the past week or so .

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Mike, my welding skills are not that great either, but then, neither were the assemblers at Ford in 1942. My work is certainly not concourse standard, but it is what my limited skills can achieve, so I'm happy with that.

A NOS tappet arrived from Peter DeBella Jeep Parts yesterday, along with a rebuild kit for the manifold heat control valve. Another batch of parts is due from Ron Fitzpatrick early next week, consisting mostly of replacement brake parts, and the very obliging local spring works, Pohl Springs, are making a replica torque reaction spring for me, which will be ready next week.

Currently rumbling, cleaning and sorting nuts and bolts from the dismantling of the axles, cleaning the housings, brake backing plates, and so on.

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

Slowly, slowly ...

Spent last Sunday week ago sorting all the paperwork that inevitably builds up during restoration. I keep notes, receipts, supplier's contacts and so on in folders in the workshop for quick reference. I have an original parts list, but I keep a copy in the workshop along with repros of most manuals.

After the frustrations of the brake problem with the Willys MB , I spent the rest of today painting all the small parts I had been cleaning and blasting over the last several weeks. They can dry overnight, and I'll wrap, label, and pack into storage boxes tomorrow.

The last images are the tool I had made to press the new valve guides into place, with a red and white scribe mark at the correct depth below the top of the block, and the engine lifting bracket I made which bolts into the head stud holes. It has various lift points to allow lifting the engine alone, or when fitted with the clutch, bell housing and transmission. The lift holes are the size of a D-shackle pin.

Have not a clue why the images keep appearing on their sides - they were the right way up when I loaded them!

Mike

[Mike K]

I can recommend "Military Maintenance for MB/GPW 1941-45" edited by Robert V Notman. 375 pages.

The book is a compilation of articles from the wartime ARMY MOTORS publications. The articles describe how to tweak the Jeep and in some cases they describe the science behind what goes on.

Did you have any trouble removing the head studs in the block ? I made a stud remover , my own design and it works very well. I used an old file , cut it to make a wedge. Apply heat to the stud lower section . Most people go for installing all studs as the later Jeeps did have. I found that the new studs I bought are not a good fit in the block, too loose. Think the threads in my block are distressed somewhat , as you undo the old studs , they have crud/rust on them which can damage the external threads in the block.

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Mike, I'll look for a copy. No, no problem removing the head studs - all came out with a little pressure using as pipe wrench.

It's been dismantle the gearbox and transfer case time this week. Gearbox looks fine - very little edge wear on the gears, all nice and clean and looking good. The stripped case has been soaked in caustic solution, externally sand blasted, cleaned and externally primed, ready for re-assembly. New bearings, shims and gaskets should arrive by Mr Fedex tomorrow (no wonder my wife keeps referring to it as the 'mail order jeep'!)

The transfer case was another matter. You know something is amiss when you drop the bottom cover, and it's full of nice sparkly sludge and has a big chunk of chewed-up metal lying in it! On disassembly, the reason for the sparkles became clear: main shaft case hardening is stripping off. Where the chunk of steel came from I have no idea, as all the gears are intact and look almost new. Fortunately, I have the basics of a spare transfer case, a later model with a larger diameter intermediate shaft, with a good main shaft. Front casting, rear casting and main casing are currently in the caustic bath and will be cleaned and painted soon. New bearings, intermediate shaft, thrust washers, gaskets and seals arrive tomorrow.

The first image is the sparkly faces of the thrust washers with bits of case hardening embedded, and that mystery chunk of steel that washed out of the sludge in the bottom pan, along with a bolt! The second image is the main shaft, showing where the case hardening is stripping off.

Mike

[Mike K]

Your are fortunate to have a gearbox that is in good shape, many of them are stuffed . The later wartime T84 gearbox ( think it's the H type) have a seal at the rear end of the main shaft, this was an attempt to alleviate the transfer case oil migrating into the gearbox. There was a oil seal kit available during the war, mechanics could retrofit the seal into earlier gearboxes. Many restorers fit a modern double sealed rear bearing, but the little breather cap on the transfer case front output casting/cap needs to be functional otherwise pressure will build up and oil will be forced out through the seals. G503 forum has many posts on all this.

The chunk of metal may be from a shift fork ?

Article is from Dec. 44

[David Herbert]

I think that the chunk of metal is a piece of the cage of a ball bearing.

David

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Mike, for the article. I have a new un-sealed bearing for the gearbox (came with the spares), but will now purchase a sealed bearing for that rear position.

David - could be, but don't know what it started life as, just know it's not going back into this transfer case re-build!

Spent yesterday finishing off and undercoating lots of small stuff and getting the chassis finalised and ready for the sand blaster.

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

The axle housings went off to the sandblaster yesterday, suitably shrouded to avoid getting grit inside and masked to prevent sandblasting of the polished surfaces. Dismantling the axles was an interesting process - you know there is a problem when you take off the rear cover and bits of chewed-up steel drop out! A carrier bolt and keeper had come adrift at some stage, and been chewed up by the crown wheel & pinion, but surprisingly, neither have any visible damage. The bolt and keeper are another matter - I might have to replace them!

Yesterday I had to do a woodworking job on a treated pine post to erect another bird nesting box for the local Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, so stayed with the theme and finally made an axle rack, neatly tucked out of harms way next to the work bench. This should reduce the risk of damage to threads and splines while in storage. It safely stows the axles from the current project, plus the spares for both the MB and GP.

The stacks of finished parts, ready for re-assembly, grow: the image shows one of three such stacks. I've also created a database listing of parts I'll need to purchase - that continues to grow, too!!

Mike

[Mike K]

I see you have the later type transfer case housing . Reading the G503 forum , I found out that the housing was changed during WW2 production, this change was done in order to minimize the amount of oil splashing out of the breather cap .

https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.ph...nsfer#p1811822

[Mike Cecil]

Yes, fortunate to have the later variant of T/case. Don't think I've ever had an early one in three or four jeeps. I'd probably have known by the pool of oil!

I also have the still later variant with the 1.25 inch diameter intermediate gear shaft, which is in the spares box.

Mike

[Mike K]

In case you don't know this:

There are two special dowel studs that locate the steering arms onto the steering knuckles . It was discovered that the steering arms were working loose so they came up with a fix bulletin.

The dowel studs have a 3/8" wide middle section . RFJP doesn't have them, I will make some myself on the lathe.

[Mike Cecil]

Getting ready to rebuild the gearbox and transfer case. Gearbox is first, so mounted the case onto the bench bar, and laid out all the parts (including a new sealed rear bearing, thanks Mike K ) ..... all except the 'T84 small parts kit' I purchased in mid March. Yep, just a few weeks ago, and do you think I can find that small plastic bag?? It's got the thrust washers, circlips and so on .... not advisable to try rebuilding a gearbox without those bits! That little plastic bag is tucked away somewhere nice and safe, and will probably jump out and bite me on the posterior when a replacement kit arrives!

Chassis went to the sandblaster earlier this week. They are super-busy, so a few weeks before I'll see it back. I exchanged the chassis for the sandblasted axle housings, which are now primed and ready for a final internal clean before re-assembly. Rockauto were quick in sending all the bearings, and I have a couple of original, still-sealed sets of axle gaskets.

Mike K: thanks for the tip about the studs. I have the original type, and will rely on some of 'Mr Loctite's' magic thread lock to prevent them unwinding.

Mike

[Mike K]

I am having trouble with the repro spring pivot bolts I bought . The original bolts were specified as being 9/16" diam. or .5625" The repro bolts are actually .550" diam. which is undersize.

Various Jeep parts vendors sell these repro bolts, they have a dark appearance and are longer than the originals too. I bought a set and did the basic hardness test with a file , the file bites into whatever the metal is easily. I believe the originals would have been case hardened because these bolts take a pounding . Often, the spring hangers on the chassis , have pivot bolt holes that are elongated due to wear. If a bolt has become loose, it jerks back and forward and makes a mess of the hanger holes, I've seen this scenario many times on WW2 Jeeps. https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.ph...spring#p992991

Good luck with the gearbox. Greendot 319 on utube has a few tips

Edit: I will buy a length of 4140 Chrome moly steel and have a go at machining some new pivot bolts.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Mike,

I purchased a set of repro pivot bolts from RFJP and checked these after your comments. These are all .5625 inch (9/16 inch) and match the originals I had for length and with the slightly deeper castellated hex nut. I also had a few odd new pivot bolts that came with some other parts, and these were .550 inch, so thanks for the tip.

Spent yesterday afternoon assembling the gearbox after the arrival of a second T84 small parts kit (the first kit is still AWOL!). Once it is mated with the yet-to-be assembled transfer case, I'll paint the whole assembly with the early US Army olive drab colour supplied by Rapco. Also have the axle housings back and have primed and painted them, and fitted a new steering bell crank pivot pin and bearings.

The next few days will be office - the proof copy of my next book arrived from the publisher this morning, so finding and getting the bugs out of it will be the focus - there are always a few bugs that creep in during the transfer from Word to the publisher's layout program, and during the layout process. But overall, it's looking great!

Chassis is at the sandblaster and should be ready to collect in a week or so. I discovered that the chassis fits neatly inside the Chev Suburban with only about 18 inches beyond the tailgate, so makes getting it to and from the sandblaster much easier than having to go and get the trailer from storage. Also dropped the starter and generator into the auto electrician for rebuild: I could have just purchased change-overs from any number of jeep parts suppliers, but like to use local suppliers whenever possible.

Mike

[Mike K]

All looking good !

I have found another little Jeep glitch that might be of concern to GPW owners. There were a few cases of the engine block cracking due to mechanics over tightening the valve cover studs . Ford changed the design of the block where the studs screw into the block. Source: http://psmag.radionerds.com/images/a...ugust_1951.pdf

Wonder what the new book is about ? I dipped my toes into the writing pond and scribbled a few articles for MV magazines. Made the basic error, didn't find somebody to proof read my writing and spelling mistakes were printed. I think I can lay claim to revealing the reason behind common non-working Jeep fuel gauge problem and how to fix it.

[Mike Cecil]

Collected the chassis from the sandblaster today, and have primed it. What I had not noticed before were the three stamped lines of numbers on the left front dumbiron's vertical surface.

The lines read:
Top: 25407.02.278
Middle: 043
Bottom: 20201690

The bottom line looks to be the same format as a US Army registration number. The hood/bonnet has 20191569 on it, which had a different chassis to this. Have any Forum members encountered this type of marking before, and is anyone able to interpret them, please?

Also picked up the restored/rebuilt starter motor and generator, and added them to the small mountain of parts ready for installation.

I'll be taking a break from work on Wusty for a few weeks as I'm building the 'better half' a deer & racoon-proof garden enclosure so she can grow flowers and vegetables, and to continue renovating the elevated deck on the back of the house, as the carpenter ants have been feasting on it!!

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

The GPW came with a post-war Willys L4 engine with gear-driven camshaft, which, when disassembled, appeared to be in quite good, rebuildable condition. I was going to use it with a Ford head and fittings, but eventually came to the conclusion I should at least look for a genuine GPW engine.

I was fortunate to locate an engine in Nebraska which turned out to be a 1945 manufactured Ford replacement engine, which was not stamped with an engine serial number. It has only some of the exterior fittings, but I have the remainder from other sources. I'm yet to disassemble it, as I've been busy working on rebuilding the rear deck on our home, but here it is upon arrival earlier this month, and seems to be everything the seller said it was.

Also in the last month I picked up two NOS tyres mounted on combat wheels from Northern California. The tyres still had the remains of the labels on them and appear to be in excellent condition. Again, everything the seller said they were.

Mike

[Mike K]

Looking good Mike

I hope your exhaust manifold is useable because the repro manifolds are around $250 . I have a couple that are cracked , they are possibly repairable but not a easy job without the appropriate equipment- pre heating and so on

[Mike Cecil]

I have at least one good complete manifold already restored with a new 'flapper' and bi-metal spring, and hopefully, the one visible on the GPW engine will be as good as it looks from a quick external 'once over'. The 'flapper' moves freely, which is a good start. I'll test the bi-metal spring, but will probably replace it anyway - I have several in the spares box.

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

Still diverted onto home projects, but had the opportunity to drop by a local disposals store late last week. Found this little gem, which, upon further investigation, appears to be 1950s/Korean War vintage.

Most of the contents are not original, but the box and clips are in quite reasonable condition, and the typed instructions are still adhered to the inside of the lid. I have a repro clip to mount it under the dash panel. I'll keep an eye out for an original WW2 vintage first aid box, but in the interim, this will do nicely.

In addition, a couple of crates of other spare parts are inbound and should be delivered tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

After a hiatus due to having to work on our home, and the oppressively hot weather which made afternoons in the workshop intolerable, I finally got back to doing some jeep work. Couple of items sandblasted, hit with a couple of coats of primer-surfacer with some light sanding in between, and then a top coat with 33070. Always a satisfying milestone when more parts start changing colour back to olive drab.


Mike