Restoration of a M38A1-CDN3 106mm recoilless rifle Jeep

[Martin Dauphinais]

Thank you Chris, much appreciated!

[maple_leaf_eh]

Agreed Interstate are good to deal with (my place to go in uniform and save 20-30%).

A google search says Group 51R for the M151, which I think is the same as the M38A1s. Centre ports to top up the fluid, and both posts on the front corners. There is a dog-bone connector between the two batteries.

More Googling:

If you are not bothered about originality, then go for two good-quality 12V auto batteries with "round-post" terminals. The original batteries are rated at 45-amp-hours.

Just make sure that the positive terminal (+) of the battery is in the bottom right-hand corner of the battery and the negative terminal (-) of the battery is in the bottom left-hand corner of the battery.This is known as Terminal Placement (pole position) O.

Whatever you buy, make sure that the size of the battery does not exceed the following:-

Length - 10 and a 1/4 inches 260 mm
Width - 5 and 5/16 inches 135 mm
Height - 9 inches (to top of terminal lugs) 230 mm

For the USA, there is a very similar civilian battery which is a "22NF", which was used on the Triumph TR-7 (78-82).

NAPA battery 5022NF measures:-
Length - 9 and 1/2 inches 241 mm
Width - 5 and 1/2 inches 140 mm
Height - 9 and 1/16 inches 245 mm
As you can see, the height of this 5022NF is slightly taller than the original battery, so you may have to use a foam insulator for the battery-box lid.

NAPA also sells a battery for the 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol (5051R)
NAPA battery 5051R measures:-
Length - 9 and 5/16 inches 237 mm
Width - 4 and 15/16 inches 126 mm
Height - 8 and 11/16 inches 221 mm

[Martin Dauphinais]

Hi Guys,

Happy New Year and lots and lots of military vehicle opportunities!

Long time without giving some news... was just too busy!

I'm waiting to see if I can get all the manuals I need for my Jeep. I badly need them because I'm far to be a good mechanic and I really hope they are idiot proof because I am at this level...

Also, I'm still gathering bits and pieces of what I need to, at least, completing the Jeep's IES. I'm unsure of what I need exactly and don't know if I will find out the answer one day.

However, I would like to know if there is any of you that knows how the ammunition stowage straps work? I do not know if I have to buy them because I do not know if they were in use with the Canadian Forces or if we were using normal cotton straps? If you have answer, please let me know.

Here are the straps I would like to buy...

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/G758-M38A1C-M...pXatk~&vxp=mtr

Also, I'm still looking for some parts;

- Spare rim or with tire on it if you have one available,
- Special bracket to hold the shovel blade on the side of the Jeep,
- ANSUL extinguisher;
- Green fabric tool pouch;
- Light switch, (the one on the Jeep is broken because it turn free, I can't select any of the position.

I'm waiting to hear from you guys! Thanks for your time and advices!

[rob love]

Martin

The early canvas tool pouches were later made with the ripstop nylon. You will want the early canvas one. Here is a link to NOS ones on ebay for a very reasonable price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-ARMY...fLlUhrrKnlv9Qg

There are plenty of the 5 pound Ansul extinguishers on ebay as well, but the blue colour ones are special to DND. The red ones will be identical other than the colour.

I can't say I have ever seen those straps in Cdn service. The manual does show some straps pn A379303, but does not give much detail.

The shovel bracket is the same as the M38 Jeep. PN is 7375162 and are fairly common on the repro market: http://midwestjeepwillys.com/7375162.html

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by rob love

Martin

...

There are plenty of the 5 pound Ansul extinguishers on ebay as well, but the blue colour ones are special to DND. The red ones will be identical other than the colour.

...

Ditto to Rob's comment about the straps. Those are far too fancy for the ordinary soldiers. Don't forget the Forces was doing things as cheaply as they could in that era. Two sets of combats per man, one pair of boots, a combat jacket and liner for most seasons, and v-neck t-shirts on exchange only.

The blue extinguishers are supposed to work better in the cold. Any that are sold off are likely to have failed inspection or are time expired. A red one with a spray can coat of blue will pass all but the most critical of inspections. But, it is safety equipment that has to work when needed, so I would be happier seeing a functioning extinguisher vs a pretty one.

[Robert Bergeron]

Terry, you forgot to mention the godawfull rainsuit that made you more wet than if you didn't wear one . The one we stored in a small pouch meant to carry the two piece aluminium mess tins . A soldier's comfort was far from important people's minds in those years... ( ,,,,) .

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

The blue extinguishers are supposed to work better in the cold.

I don't think it was just the blue ones that were designed for cold weather use. My red one is listed as functional from -65F to 120F (see bottom line in the first photo). I suspect as Rob said above, there is no difference other than the colour. These were probably the standard because of the high range of operating temperatures.

[rob love]

Blue is the indicator for dry chem. I think it is a NATO standard to have the extinguishers in that colour. The Brits used blue in civilian use until 97, when all the bodies went to red with an indicator stripe allowed to be the indicating colour (blue in this case).

Not sure what Canada's standards are. The US uses the ABC circle and traingles.....who the hell remembers what they all are. The Blue Ansuls are ABC so you can shoot it at just about any fire.

The extinguishers are still nationally stocked in the supply system, and in blue. I suspect any red ones in the system may have been either local purchase or been introduced as EIS with new (non-SMP) vehicles.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Today I took four extinguishers to the local extinguisher inspection shop, and came home with two. Just inside the door of their workshop was a gathering of blue Ansul extinguishers waiting for pickup. The worker said they were customer property, which I expect is DND. Not a red one in the bunch.

[Frank v R]

great find , even cleaner than the one my buddy just purchased, as released , but the gun jeeps for the most part lived indoors and nice to see the owner also kept it indoors and did not mess with it,

[Martin Dauphinais]

Here a very stupid question…

Do I really need both batteries to start the Jeep or one could be enough? The thing is I would like to try to see if I can start the engine but two batteries is a bit expensive after Christmas!

Thanks.

[Jes Andersen]

Martin, Very nice project. If its still 24 volt, you will need 2 - 12 volt batteries connected in series. That is Positive (+) to Negative (-) between the two batteries. The cables from the jeep are attached to the other posts, each on a separate battery. Hope that is clear enough or someone else will explain better. I would consider doing some maintenance before attempting to start a long time sleeping engine. Oil change at the least and maybe remove plugs and spin engine without compression to build oil pressure and lube the bearings.

[Martin Dauphinais]

Finally, another beginner's question.

Which screws should I take to place the jerrycan bracket and the footman loops? Are they screws and nuts? Any washers?

Thanks for your patience in teaching me…

[rob love]

The jerry can bracket is held on with 4 "screw, hex head" (we call them bolts in English) size 3/8 NC x 3/4" long, 4 plain washers and 4 lock nuts.

Unless someone else comes up with the screw size for the footman loops, you will have to wait until tomorrow for the answer. My Jeep parts manual is at work. Off the top of my head they are flat head, phillips drive (size no10 I think), with matching "keps" nuts, or in army speak: "nut, assembled, washer".

[rob love]

Screws are #10-24 of suitable length (1/2" long should work). Nuts can be either the type with assembled washer or simply nuts with a lockwasher.

[Martin Dauphinais]

Thank you Rob! Always a pleasure to have you guiding me!

[Martin Dauphinais]

Batteries are plugged in. Dash board is working with temperature, battery power and pressure. The horn is working too. My switch light appears to be dead. Are there anyway that we can bypass the switch in order to see which lights are good or not?!

[rob love]

Not without a wiring diagram, and even then it's going to be confusing. As well you won't have any circuit protection in the event there is a short to ground. Just order a switch from any of the retailers (or ebay) and then you'll know. Or if you are in a big hurry, ask a vehicle tech (or the maintenance officer) if you can borrow a switch for a day to find out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Willys-M38s-...RYSzPq&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5-TON-M35A...67UBGg&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24V-3-Lever-...9Satm0&vxp=mtr

[chris vickery]

I had numerous troubles in my wiring which took awhile to sort out.
Especially compounding the issue when you have two or more issues happening at the same time in the same circuit. Bad grounds and bared or shorted wires can cause havoc on the system while troubleshooting.
I had to replace my solid state flasher switch as well.

[rob love]

Any issues with a short in the signals usually leads to a failure of the flasher. They eventually put an inline fuse into the system, and in Martin's case, it can be seen in the photo of the engine compartment just near to the flasher. While the entire light system is protected by the 20 amp (if I recall correctly) breaker built into the switch, this was obviously too high for the flasher to handle.

The indication that you have a short is that the indicator light on the signal switch will stay on. But that is also an indication of a overheated or failing flasher.

[Wayne Hingley]

Originally Posted by rob love

...They eventually put an inline fuse into the system, and in Martin's case, it can be seen in the photo of the engine compartment just near to the flasher. While the entire light system is protected by the 20 amp (if I recall correctly) breaker built into the switch, this was obviously too high for the flasher to handle...

I noticed that fuse in the photo of Martin's jeep. Which wire should the fuse be installed on, and what size fuse?

[Martin Dauphinais]

Hey guys,

I want to thank all those who do not hesitate to step in this thread. Your guidance and sometimes your questions are leading me through some new things to learn for me. My learning curve is very steep… I would like to get the manuals but they are not easy to find.

So, I spent almost 24 hours on this Jeep in the last 2 1/2 days and it was really great. Full of good news. The future looks really good for this one.

First, we flushed the old gasoline from the tank. It was just awful and was close to get a nice buzz with, even outside of the garage. In fact, the tank was full… I looked twice on the invoice to see if it was written that the Jeep came with a full tank, and it was not! The gas is not cheap today, I was not expecting this special attention. :happy: However, I will have to change the tank or to bring to a place where they can apply a coating inside it. The tank is way to complicated to scrub. I don't think I can do it myself.

So, as soon as I can get a switch (I found one near me) I will go try the electrical system. The general shape of this Jeep is really stunning. Not a single screw did resist to be remove. The floor is all in great shape, except where the batteries drooled. Then, I'll try to find the gasket kit for the carb and resolve the problem with the gas tank.

I don't know yet how I will thoroughly clean the Jeep. How you guys do to have the cleanest engine compartment as possible? Are you putting the whole beast in pieces?

Finally, few pictures I took of the cleaning/assessing session.

[Martin Dauphinais]

Few other pictures. If you see something wrong on the pictures, feel free to let me know!

[Martin Dauphinais]

Other pictures.

[Martin Dauphinais]

The carb that I will try to make it shine!

[Martin Dauphinais]

Finally, the cleaning until next time...

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hingley

I noticed that fuse in the photo of Martin's jeep. Which wire should the fuse be installed on, and what size fuse?

Wire number 460/461, which is the power in to the signal system. I am currently away from my manuals (Mexican Mayan riviera) so the fuze amperage will have to wait.

[chris vickery]

Yes Rob, in the case of my short it was a light on the flasher that stayed lit. What it turned out to be was the wire running from driver side to passenger side turn signal across the top of the rad shroud/grill. The wire was bared from rubbing which caused the short. I also ended up replacing the solid state signal switch as it was NFG as well as a few light bulbs here and there.
For those not familiar with 24v military wiring, a good study of the schematic in the manual is always helpful.
Once again, as in past comments, I strongly suggest guys look at their wiring harnesses very carefully. Repair if possible with new wire where needed, tape, wrap and secure in place. If in doubt, get off the wallet and buy a new harness.
Electrical fires happen all too easily on old vehicles with tattered wiring.

[Martin Dauphinais]

[QUOTE= I am currently away from my manuals (Mexican Mayan riviera)...[/QUOTE]

What?! You really flew the nice cold winter season of Shilo to this poor little place to ended up with sand in your shoes and risking a sun burn?!

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Martin Dauphinais

What?! You really flew the nice cold winter season of Shilo to this poor little place to ended up with sand in your shoes and risking a sun burn?!

I have no idea what this nice cold that you speak of is. There are too many young ladies running around in skimpy bikinis to allow any thought process of what winter involves.