M38 - Nothing at all to do with M151s

[m3a1]

Heres a few more.

This weighed a LOT more than I though it would. TWO Blitz pans came with this vehicle. What's that tell ya?



Sentiments for a first-time-owner -



Cheers,
TJ




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[Fil Bonica]

Seen a lot worsez
Even after all the nasty things about 38s it looks like a good project for you and your son
Go for it !

Fil Bonica

[Hambone]

Nice project, 60 year old bolts can be stubborn, several ways to remove it, I would weld a nut over the stud, back it out while it is warm, works most of the time, worst case, drill it out.

[m3a1]

I put a ton of heat on it a while ago. After it cooled to "warm", I hit it with PB Blaster. As we are in no hurry to run this engine for any length of time I may repeat that process a few more times.

I don't know if bolts belong there but I'd think it would be much more intelligent to put studs in there instead of bolts; something with a shank to help keep any water out and maybe with a thin coat of Permatex gasket maker on the threads.

[Haas]

I would caution you about getting too crazy with heat on that bolt, it is very easy to crack those heads. If you really can't get it loose, just bite the bullet and drill it out. Bolts are correct for that area, but I can see how studs would be a better idea.

[rickf]

Not bad at all really and that bolt is an easy one. Heat it up cherry red with your oxy-acetylene torch, you do have one don't you, then let it sit and cool down on its own. Then try a set of vice grips on it and it might just turn right out. Heating it up fast like that will expand the bolt and just slightly expand the hole and break loose any rust. Then when things cool down the bolt is just a hair smaller than the hole and loose. If that did not work put a slightly larger nut over it and mig weld the nut to the broken bolt wrench it out.

[m3a1]

Yeah, it'll be ok, but at the end of long hot day it's really not the time to address such things. I used MAPP gas on the bolt so I didn't really go overboard with the heat. Sometimes it's just best to step back from the project, relax and regain some perspective. I'm actually more concerned about getting that distributor housing freed up so that I can sort out the timing.

[m3a1]

Proud new owner -





I've had this shift knob for something like twenty years. It's FINALLY going on something!



Here's a short collection of the condition we found it in. It has a HUGE 70's vibe.











I might have passed this one up. This kid is crazier than I am.




DRIVING SIMULATOR!!



I had to break the news to my son that the cart at the local grocery store was WAY cooler than his truck.







Cheers!
TJ

[rickf]

Nailing the gas on that would be a cheek clenching #9 pucker factor!!!!

[Hambone]

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[Hambone]

I would have to take out a loan if I pulled up to the checkout counter with that full of groceries, I bet you could punch it and cause a cleanup on aisle 3, and it may be in your drawers.

[m3a1]

Working on this truck without a Tech Manual at the moment. As with all M-series trucks, everything in its design is fairly logical and otherwise easy to figure out but there are those little nuggets of info that only a TM can provide so we've gotta get one!

Good progress today. Removed the offending bolt which gave up with only a whimper. (All sing praises to PB Blaster!) Turned out it was only frozen up at the top of the head as I had guessed, with good threads below that.

In order to get the Vice Grip on the bolt, I removed the carburetor (which has seen better days) and discovered a puddle of fluid sitting in the intake manifold. At first, I though it might have been the MM oil but, nope...it was spoiled gas. Spoiled gas is odd stuff. It has lost all its ethers, and whatever is left just doesn't want to evaporate. It hangs around for a very long time. I sopped that up with several old rags while my son did the same to the gas tank which is now perfectly clean. It may be small, it may be wrong but it is absolutely clean. Terrific. Engine is starting to look a little more businesslike.


I got a large brass drift and gently tapped upon a boss on the distributor base. You can see the boss at the 4 o'clock position in the photo. The distributor grudgingly began to rotate and take a lot of paint off the surface to which the distributer locking bolt tightens. With the paint gone the distributor now rotates as it should. The points are adjusted and the park plugs are properly gapped. Getting close!


I took the thermostat housing to the blast cabinet. The neck is badly reduced in thickness owing to rust. We'll replace it but in a pinch, it could be used. The support sleeve for the thermostat has degraded into nothing more than hard, black cement-like cake. In short, this was worth the headache of the broken bolt, which, of course, is what lead me to the liquid in the intake manifold. I'm lucky like that.

The REAL victory today came in the form of the removal of the rear axle drive flanges, which are almost perfectly fitted to a taper on the end of the axle shaft, including a long key and keyway. Removing these things was a project like no other. I ended up borrowing a huge, ancient puller that was probably designed for pulling the screws off battleships and even then, this process required the application of heat and some I've-been-workin'-on-the-railroad-style hammering. I'm not a fan of the use of hammers but in this case, I was willing to make an exception. They are off and - TA DAH! - undamaged. Phew!



Located and removed the body ID plate, got the paint off it and set it aside for later.


Prepping the steering wheel for removal with PB Blaster.


Tomorrow we will pull the retainer and brake backing plates off the rear axle which should expose the seal and bearings. We will clean and refinish those and their associated hardware and add new seals, bearings and whatever else is needed to the ever-growing list of the necessary parts for this truck. I already know the rear axle bearings are beyond their service life. Rotation of the axle and flange produced a pronounced feel than can only be created by flat spots worn into the bearing rollers.

On breaks I've been watching Youtube - flat-fender jeeps on the Rubicon, etc., just to stay motivated. Pretty amazing stuff. We're heading in the right direction, slowly but surely!

Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

Update -

Removed the rear brake backing plates, seals, seal covers (slingers), shims and spacers. We are now down to the axles sticking out of the bearings which are nested in the ends axle tubes. The seals are felt rings, encased in a metal with it's own flange. It's had to say if the seals were working or not as I have no way of knowing the level of fluids that were being run in this rear end. Generally there is some very minor weeping - what one would expect of a vehicle of this age.

The bearings are chiefly what I want to get at because they feel like they are excessively worn. They are situated so they are just a little bit proud of the face of the axle tube. Because I am working on this without a TM (yet), I am proceeding as though the axle shafts have to be removed to address the bearings. What I DO have to help me understand the manner of assembly is a 1962 Jeep Universal Parts List book with tons of exploded diagrams. So, I'm not doing this entirely without a net.

Speaking of the Parts List Book, it covers the CJ3B (what I understand to be the civilian version of the M38), CJ5 (civilian version of the M38A1), CJ6 and DJ3A. It was quite a coup to have a friend give it to me, though at the time I had no idea that it would become so useful. Anyway, if you have need of a particular diagram or other information feel free to contact me and I'll snap a picture of it for you. The book is laid out very intelligently.

All the elliptical heel and toe adjusters for the brakes have been cleaned, checked and set aside. However antiquated it may seem, I really like this system for adjusting brake shoes.

Wheel cylinders will be replaced and if the ones I've removed can be restored they will be set aside as spares but those are way down on the list of things to do. I did take the time to break one down to show the kid how it works. These had been replaced at one time so, while they were frozen, they weren't all that bad but as I've said before, I'm a big fan of using new parts on the critical stuff, especially where brakes are concerned.

The brake shoes don't appear to have seen any use (just a light coating of schmutz on their frames) and they will be tidied up and reused.

The return springs (and there is only one on each side) aren't bad but I'll source new ones and put the old ones aside for spares.

Still have to assess the drums more closely but, at first blush, they looked pretty good.

Tomorrow we'll degrease some of these parts and then get them into the blast cabinet, and then recoated.


Cheers,
TJ

[m3a1]

Out of the blue, one of my son's teachers called. We stumbled upon him and helped him make a roadside repair last week. He called to say he was bringing his father's M38A1 back from the hunting lease and he wanted me to see it. Suddenly, it's absolutely raining Jeeps around here! And, for a few minutes, we had an M38, and M38A1 and a M151A2 within spitting distance of one another. It's crazy how this stuff goes down.

Cheers,
TJ

[rickf]

Wait until everyone starts showing up to show off their big trucks and see how small your yard, and neighborhood for that matter, gets real quick.